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

Norfolk birding (28 Viewers)

Good day today, despite the bitter winds.

2 Waxwings on the road coming into Holkham from Wells (be carefull when parking!" Also a Spoonbill feeding in the scrapes outside the Washington Hide, which was a bit of a suprise! Also my first wild Ruddy Duck from the same hide. Lots of chiffchaffs singing and a Cettis Warbler in the reeds. 2 Marsh Harriers also.

Onto Titchwell, and a male and female Bullfinch feeding in hedges around car park. One Brambling on the feeders. Very shocked to see a PINK BH Gull on the pool to the left of the main footpath! All the usually white areas around the neck and underside were candyfloss pink! (Maybe due to an unusual diet rich in shellfish? I'd like to hear what other people think/know) 2 1st w Little Gulls were present among the other gulls on the freshmarsh, along with a number of Spotshanks, lots of bar tailed Godwits and a few Black Tails.

Jason
 
J Moss said:
Good day today, despite the bitter winds.

2 Waxwings on the road coming into Holkham from Wells (be carefull when parking!" Also a Spoonbill feeding in the scrapes outside the Washington Hide, which was a bit of a suprise! Also my first wild Ruddy Duck from the same hide. Lots of chiffchaffs singing and a Cettis Warbler in the reeds. 2 Marsh Harriers also.

Onto Titchwell, and a male and female Bullfinch feeding in hedges around car park. One Brambling on the feeders. Very shocked to see a PINK BH Gull on the pool to the left of the main footpath! All the usually white areas around the neck and underside were candyfloss pink! (Maybe due to an unusual diet rich in shellfish? I'd like to hear what other people think/know) 2 1st w Little Gulls were present among the other gulls on the freshmarsh, along with a number of Spotshanks, lots of bar tailed Godwits and a few Black Tails.

Jason
Click to expand...

A couple of pink Black-headed Gulls have been there for a few weeks now. Like you I wondered about whether this was some sort of pigmentation or breeding plumage of males as it seemed to me after quite some time of watching them they seemed to be 'strutting their stuff' as only males know how !!!!! ;) ;) ;)
Sue
 
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Hi all - I am just fishing for a few recommendations.

I am spending Easter just outside Potter Higham and I am looking to do a few days birding when other commitments allow.

I'm heading in from the Midlands and thought about going for the BEKite on the way in and to Weeting Heath on the way out.

During the weekend I would like to catch up with the Stubb Mill raptor roost - I have been before - but a long time ago - any suggestions as to a good time to be in situ from - is the end of the lane near the NOA Hickling Broad Car Park still the recommended view point?

Any suggestions as to where I could catch up with any Cranes apart from at the roost?

So after that I am probably left with a days worth of quality birding time - any suggestions for a nice route for a days hike - starting not too far from Potter Higham and maybe including a quality watering hole - catch up with some migrants - harriers - seals(?) etc

Its just want, want, want with me!

Many, many thanks in advance,

P.S Does anyone know if Stone Curlew are present at Weeting Heath yet?? ;)
 
greg_evans said:
Hi all - I am just fishing for a few recommendations.

I am spending Easter just outside Potter Higham and I am looking to do a few days birding when other commitments allow.

I'm heading in from the Midlands and thought about going for the BEKite on the way in and to Weeting Heath on the way out.

During the weekend I would like to catch up with the Stubb Mill raptor roost - I have been before - but a long time ago - any suggestions as to a good time to be in situ from - is the end of the lane near the NOA Hickling Broad Car Park still the recommended view point?

Any suggestions as to where I could catch up with any Cranes apart from at the roost?

So after that I am probably left with a days worth of quality birding time - any suggestions for a nice route for a days hike - starting not too far from Potter Higham and maybe including a quality watering hole - catch up with some migrants - harriers - seals(?) etc

Its just want, want, want with me!

Many, many thanks in advance,

P.S Does anyone know if Stone Curlew are present at Weeting Heath yet?? ;)
Click to expand...

Hi Greg

There were six pairs of Stone Curlew on saturday according to one of the wardens there. I saw one of them.

If you want Crane there is a guaranteed one just down the road on the Oxfordshire / Warwickshire Border at a place called Croperdy otherwise the best place is Stubbs Mill and I would get there at least an hour before dusk.

Another place I often see them is the dirt layby between West Somerton and Horsey Mill. I have had them in the fields there and I have had them fly over as well.

The B E Kite is seen quite often at the far end of Snettisham (apart from when I went there on Friday). If you are going for that bird allow yourself quite a bit of time as it is at least a 45 minute walk (if you don't stop very often to look at other birds) and a 45 minute walk back (again if you don't look at other birds). On top of that is the waiting time to see the bird and you could be adding a few hours to your itinerary.

John
 
Finally caught up with Jack Snipe today at winterton, also fem Ring Ouzel and Black Redstart seen. Pleased to find 5 Little Ringed Plover together in the Wensum valley - actively displaying. An added bonus was a 1st sum Med Gull located in a group of Common and Black-headed Gulls. 2 redhead Goosander are still present at Sparham, with the Peregrine showing well cicling over the eastern pits for about 5 min.
 
Greg there is a lovely walk from Potter Heigham Church along the Weavers Way round Heigham Sound,
Also a good hike from Horsey Mill NT car park round the broad to the beach, where you might see seals.
 

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Finally saw the female Serin at Heacham today at 4:30pm when the bird sat briefly on top of a Hawthorn :bounce: , but had to wait an hour and a half for this brief view. I was fortunate enough to locate the Red Kite at Holme today :t: , was on Gore point when it came in off the sea and flew east, and raced up the dunes to watch it fly south. Jed, the warden, had the Swallow going east and there was also a small trickle of Siskins, with 18 seen.

Thanks to David and Ray for the lift to Heacham and to David for picking up the Serin.

Cheers, Connor
 
Very shocked to see a PINK BH Gull on the pool to the left of the main footpath! All the usually white areas around the neck and underside were candyfloss pink! (Maybe due to an unusual diet rich in shellfish? I'd like to hear what other people think/know)
Click to expand...

I think that Penny is right about the pink BH gulls. People have said that it may be down to their diet but if that was the case many more of the birds would show the pink colouration. I think it probably down to a breeding plumage at this time of the year as in some of the other small gulls (little, Ross's, slender-billed). If you look through the gull flock, many of the birds show this colour and a few can be very intense.

Lovely evening on the reserve. 2 male and 1 female marsh harrier displaying, 5 swallows west, bittern booming briefly and at least 4 common buzzards over the ridge just inland.

Paul
 
I was there from about 9am until mid-day. I was taking images of the G W Teal around the 10:30am time. Was you there then?
Click to expand...

Hi John :hi: . Dont think I was there around this time... You should know me if you see me... im usually about half the size of anybody else in the hide ;) ... am a youngster...

Cheers, Connor
 
Connor Rand said:
Finally saw the female Serin at Heacham today at 4:30pm when the bird sat briefly on top of a Hawthorn :bounce: , but had to wait an hour and a half for this brief view. I was fortunate enough to locate the Red Kite
Click to expand...

Hi Connor

Well done with the Serin :clap: :t: AND the Red Kite!!!! (Say hello to M+B for me, have not seen them for ages) - will be on holiday from Friday for a week, so hopefully I will see some good birds too!!!!! Still have not seen a sand martin, so hopefully will this weekend and maybe a swallow aswell.

Best Wishes Penny :girl:
 
Hmm, possibly. I just dont understand how this new breeding plumage could have come about. It' not present in normal BH Gulls, so it's either due to a chance change in the plumage colour phenotype (possibly?), hybridization with other pink plumaged gulls (unlikely?), or due to some changed diet (re. Flamingo plumage colouration due to their shellfish diet). This seems to be the most probbable explanation to me, but it's just a guess. I cant think of any other reason for the colouration. It wasn't dye and I wasn't drunk ;)

Still, a really nice bird, and certainly raised a few eyebrows at the time!

Jason


Paul Eele said:
I think that Penny is right about the pink BH gulls. People have said that it may be down to their diet but if that was the case many more of the birds would show the pink colouration. I think it probably down to a breeding plumage at this time of the year as in some of the other small gulls (little, Ross's, slender-billed). If you look through the gull flock, many of the birds show this colour and a few can be very intense.

Lovely evening on the reserve. 2 male and 1 female marsh harrier displaying, 5 swallows west, bittern booming briefly and at least 4 common buzzards over the ridge just inland.

Paul
Click to expand...
 
J Moss said:
Hmm, possibly. I just dont understand how this new breeding plumage could have come about. It' not present in normal BH Gulls, so it's either due to a chance change in the plumage colour phenotype (possibly?), hybridization with other pink plumaged gulls (unlikely?), or due to some changed diet (re. Flamingo plumage colouration due to their shellfish diet). This seems to be the most probbable explanation to me, but it's just a guess. I cant think of any other reason for the colouration. It wasn't dye and I wasn't drunk ;)

Still, a really nice bird, and certainly raised a few eyebrows at the time!

Jason
Click to expand...

It is certainly nothing new, there have been pink BH gulls at Titchwell for the last 5 springs I have worked here and "why is it pink" it a question I get asked a lot at this time of the year!
Whatever the reason, it certainly makes people take a second look at what is a common species.

Paul
 
Stubb Mill on Monday night - min 4 and maximum 10 Crane, lots of Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Harris Hawk (slipped very quickly to roost - blink and you'd have missed it) and a nice bonus fly-by Bittern.

Had the place to ourselves which was nice.
 
Hi Guys,

Re: the pink BH Gull phenomena - I noted this in a couple of Gulls down at Rye Harbour in East Sussex at the weekend, and mentioned in another thread that I had heard about this but had never actually seen it myself..... very disconcerting.

Yesterday I spent the day in North Norfolk and noted the birds at Titchwell, but the prize for the pink-est of all went to a bird on the S end of the pools at Snettisham, which was more-or-less bubble-gum coloured!

So.... no idea what is causing this, but it isn't restricted to a food source in one localised area....


Ruby.

PS. One of my targets for the day was the Black-eared Kite which I didn't see despite spending about 3 hrs at the far end of Snettisham reserve. Quite disconcerted to see it reported on Birdguides at c18:00 that evening, which must have been just about when I gave up and left!

Did any of you guys see it yesterday??

PPS. Just reminded myself about a trip to the Somme area this Feb, when the local warden at Marquenterre was pointing out to us some Pintails with bright orange breasts - something to do with where they feed in Africa apparently. Much hated by the locals he said, as these first arrivals determine the end of the shooting season and put an end to their 'sport'.
 
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Thanks Penny. Good luck this weekend, hope you see a Sand Martin. Friends tell me they had one west at Snettisham RSPB today.

Cheers, Connor
 
ufo

I then saw something really, really weird I was looking back over to chalets on left (inland) and a white blob type thing (no I have not been drinking and fairly mentally stable!!!!) with a tail suddenely came into my vision, high in sky and plumpted down to earth, disintigrating just before landing. Goodness knows what that was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps David (BF Tranquilty Base) will be able to help me out here please?

Saw something like this last summer, late evening, whilst driving through Melton Constable towards Thursford and had to stop and check it out. Never heard anything, as the image was miles away...but reckon it was a left over vapour trail from some type of military jet. Could have been some type of flare used for marking out targets, a few washed up this week between Hunstanton Brancaster and Wells. Just a guess.
 

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