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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk birding (16 Viewers)

Titchwell December 11th

Today's highlights

Brambling - 1 on feeders
Avocet - 9 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 3 on tidal pool
Velvet scoter - 3 offshore
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore

Paul
 
Titchwell December 14th

Today's highlights

Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 4 on tidal pool
Long tailed duck - 1 offshore
Yellow legged gull - adult on fresh marsh all afternoon
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Avocet - 11 on fresh marsh

Paul
 
A couple of snaps of one of the 3 Lapland Bunting found this morning at Blakeney by 93birder.
Super smart!
 

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Despite seeing hundreds over the years I have yet to see a Lap Bunt feeding completely in the open like that - excellent shot.

Steve
 
Titchwell December 16th

Today's highlights

Hen harrier - ringtail over reedbed late afternoon
Red crested pochard - 2 females on fresh marsh
Woodcock - 1 in scrub between carpark and visitor centre
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 11 around the reserve

Paul
 
Steve Lister said:
Despite seeing hundreds over the years I have yet to see a Lap Bunt feeding completely in the open like that - excellent shot.

Steve
Click to expand...

Perhaps someone would be good enough to refresh my memory but as I recall in the years before the 2013 tidal surge, Lapland Buntings could be seen feeding in the open on seed put out to attract them and other species at Salthouse Beach car park.
 
Titchwell December 17th

Today's highlights

Lapland bunting - 1 east along the beach calling @ 11:15
Long tailed duck - drake offshore
Red necked grebe - 1 west offshore
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore this morning
Avocet - 7 on fresh marsh, 6 on tidal pool
Whooper swan - 2 south over reserve @ 11am
Greenshank - 1 on saltmarsh
Spotted redshank - 12 on fresh marsh
Marsh harrier - at least 15 to roost

Paul
 
crapbirder said:
Perhaps someone would be good enough to refresh my memory but as I recall in the years before the 2013 tidal surge, Lapland Buntings could be seen feeding in the open on seed put out to attract them and other species at Salthouse Beach car park.
Click to expand...

Yes, you're memory is still fairly clear and Laps used to come out to join the Snowbunts for the scattered seed put out by a local and assembled photographers to attract and hold them over the winter. Though they did easily spook and fly inland onto the saltmarsh out of reasonable view - blooming dogwalkers. One of my funniest memories was a dog sniffing and then cocking its leg on a prostrate horizontal camouflaged photographer who was p*ssed off big time and remonstrated with said owner as the mutt scampered off towards Little Eye!

(note how I've shortened the names to appear young and down with the cool doods).

This practice was against best advice as the site is still recognised as SSSI but what does that matter to us old farts, eh!

Before anyone spits out their dummy, the photos are okayish given today's standards, and congrats to the finder.

Merry Crimbo from sunny Slough.

[/Birding should be fun. Dick BartlettI]
 
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Carbon Footprint?

Mark Batten said:
As fracking is likely to begin at various sites in Norfolk shortly I would not get in too much of a flap about putting some seed out.
Click to expand...
Look out, Mark's back, spreading much seasonal joy to Norfolk bretheren and birders as usual from the armchair and comfort of landlocked Beds.

New Year's Resolution to consider.......
........... try to reduce your carbon footprint - increase your patch birding.

All the best M.R.

Pat

( About 2 and a half thousand ring necked parakeets tonight near Asda, Slough, still coming in after dusk. )
 
PYRTLE said:
Look out, Mark's back, spreading much seasonal joy to Norfolk bretheren and birders as usual from the armchair and comfort of landlocked Beds.

New Year's Resolution to consider.......
........... try to reduce your carbon footprint - increase your patch birding.

All the best M.R.

Pat

( About 2 and a half thousand ring necked parakeets tonight near Asda, Slough, still coming in after dusk. )
Click to expand...

Pat. Beds is still landlocked. Spend a lot in London, which is vibrant, open minded, culturally diverse and, as far away as is possible to be from the characters of the film Deliverance, which no doubt you encounter daily in your life in Norfolk and take inspiration from.

It is actually tragic that huge areas of the countryside are going to be affected. A few bags of seed on Salthouse beach really does not matter that much. Just pointing out the unfortunate truth about the biggest risk to conservation in many years if not decades, or perhaps you are just not capable of understanding the bigger picture?

It's not some posh bloke killing a few Hen Harriers, but some big US companies that now have rights to national parks and nature reserves that present the biggest long term threat to wildlife and our countryside.

No doubt you will be moaning about the little things when there is series of drilling machines camped on Cley beach. Was actually trying to make a serious point that everybody concerned about wildlife should take very seriously.

Not a case of bringing Xmas joy, just pointing out the obvious. Do not eat too many mince pies! http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/17/fracking-uk-government-hands-out-new-licences Happy Xmas. Cheers.
 
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I'm visiting Norfolk this weekend.

Does anyone have any hints on locating the Lapland buntings on Blakeney Freshmarsh and the Shorelarks at Burnham Overy Staithe?

Are there any Snow buntings around on the Norfolk coast this winter that are fairly reliable?

I had hoped to see the Pallid harrier at Snettisham as well but it looks like it moved to Flitcham and is not being reported very regularly. Anyone got any further info?

Thanks,

Ian
 
Titchwell December 18th

Today's highlights

Brambling - 2 on feeders
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 7 on fresh marsh
Peregrine - 1 over saltmarsh
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Barn owl - 1 on hunting over East Trail
Gadwall - 227 on fresh marsh. Creeping closer to the reserve record

Paul
 
Hi Ian, for Lapland Buntings and Twite park in Blakeney Quay NT Car Park and walk north alpng the seawall for about 700metres to where there is a five bar gate together with a kissing gate where another footpath joins from the left. Go about 40 metres down this footpath and look at the grassland andud around the freshwater pools either side of the fenced path. 3 Laps & 7 Twite here coming and going. Also Red rumped swallow today around blakeney duck pond at start of seawalll and peregrine and red kite over marshes.

Good luck

Neil Bostock
 

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