jforgham
Birding for fun
A trip to Norfolk yesterday was a great success, with 93 species seen including a lifer in the form of parrot crossbill. 15 were observed in the clearing at Edgefield just outside Holt. They appeared just I wandered along from the road, feeding in a distant larch and showing well for 10 minutes before dropping down into the bulk of the trees. They reappeared at the top of the tree some 20 minutes later, when I managed these very distant shots.
Year listers were: black throated diver and great northern diver (Blakeney harbour viewed from Stiffkey Fen) egyptian goose (Holkham, Lady Anne's Drive) pintail, hen harrier, kingfisher, knot, green woodpecker, water rail, eider, red breasted merganser (Titchwell) corn bunting (Choseley drying barns) twite (Stiffkey Fen) and ringed plover (Arnold's Marsh, Cley)
I started at first light at Thornham Point, but no owls or twite, so off to Titchwell. From the beach there were in excess of 2000 common scoter, plenty of goldeneye, a solitary male eider east, a few great crested grebe and 4 velvet scoter. Usual fare on the beach, including 200+ golden plover. From the Parrinder Hide a hen harrier put all the lapwings up and pintail were noted for the first time this year. A kingfisher flypast was my 100th bird of the year. It was now becoming surprisingly warm, so a quick trip to Choseley, where I was greeted by 2 corn bunting and several yellowhammers. Partridges, both red legged and grey seemed to be everywhere before I headed off to Holkham.
Along Lady Anne's Drive were the numerous wigeon and pink foots and a pair of Egyptian geese. A common buzzard overhead made the day list as did feeding starlings.
After Holkham I wandered down to Stiffkey Fen. Reed cutting was taking place, so only geese and wildfowl were on the water, but scoping the harbour I managed both black throated and great northern diver. One particular black throated was showing the white semi circle near the tail very clearly. Also from here, I got dunlin, avocet, goldeneye,, 16 red breasted merganser more pintail, godwits, shelduck etc. Just before I left, I heard the distinct call of twite followed by a flyover party of 5 heading west. Good binocular views showing the pinkish rump nailed the sighting. A bird I haven't seen for a few years.
I then moved along to the tower at Morston, but, amazingly, the scope views were pretty poor due to heat haze!
Off to Cley for a coffee and check at the beach. Still much damage about following the storm surge.
From here I wandered along the East Bank where there are still huge clumps of reed that have been lifted by the storm and dumped on top of the bank. A ringed plover was amongst many waders on Arnold's Marsh and a fine view of a marsh harrier.
After Cley I popped up to Edgefield, near Holt. I was after the reported parrot crossbills and , having tried twice before I was not expecting any results. As I arrived a party of 4 common crossbills came into view before I heard a larger party. 15 birds alighted in a distant larch. Some very bright red males showed larger bills and were, in general, heavier birds than the previously noted commons. A lifer for me and my first since 2011 when I scored with a western sandpiper at Cley. A few texts were sent before a quick trip to Kelling Heath, where all I noted for the list were several jays and then on to Salthouse beach but no snow buntings. I then decided to head back to Holkham for some geese/sunset photos. The sunset itself was great but the geese were not interested, so a photo of a mallard silhouetted against the reddening sky had to suffice. By now it was gone 5.30 and I had been on the go for 13 hours, so time to return home.
In all, a really good day's birding.
Species list (year listers in bold)
red throated diver, black throated diver, great northern diver, little grebe, great crested grebe, cormorant, little egret, mute swan, pink footed goose, greylag goose, (10 sp)brent goose, canada goose, shelduck, egyptian goose, mallard, gadwall, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, teal, (20 sp) pochard, tufted duck, eider, common scoter, velver scoter, goldeneye, red breasted merganser marsh harrier, hen harrier, common buzzard, (30 sp) sparrowhawk, red legged partridge, grey partridge, pheasant, water rail, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, ringed plover, (40 sp) grey plover, golden plover, lapwing, knot, sanderling, turnstone, dunlin, redshank, black tailed godwit, bar tailed godwit, (50 sp)curlew, ruff, black headed gull, herring gull, common gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, wood pigeon, stock dove, collared dove,(60 sp) kingfisher, green woodpecker, skylark, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, blackbird, (70 sp) cetti's warbler, goldcrest, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, rook, carrion crow, jackdaw, (80 sp)starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, twite, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, common crossbill, parrot crossbill, (90 sp) reed bunting, yellowhammer, corn bunting
Considering no grey heron, winter thrushes, kestrel, auks, gannets, kittiwakes, skuas etc I was very close to the hundred mark for the day!
Year listers were: black throated diver and great northern diver (Blakeney harbour viewed from Stiffkey Fen) egyptian goose (Holkham, Lady Anne's Drive) pintail, hen harrier, kingfisher, knot, green woodpecker, water rail, eider, red breasted merganser (Titchwell) corn bunting (Choseley drying barns) twite (Stiffkey Fen) and ringed plover (Arnold's Marsh, Cley)
I started at first light at Thornham Point, but no owls or twite, so off to Titchwell. From the beach there were in excess of 2000 common scoter, plenty of goldeneye, a solitary male eider east, a few great crested grebe and 4 velvet scoter. Usual fare on the beach, including 200+ golden plover. From the Parrinder Hide a hen harrier put all the lapwings up and pintail were noted for the first time this year. A kingfisher flypast was my 100th bird of the year. It was now becoming surprisingly warm, so a quick trip to Choseley, where I was greeted by 2 corn bunting and several yellowhammers. Partridges, both red legged and grey seemed to be everywhere before I headed off to Holkham.
Along Lady Anne's Drive were the numerous wigeon and pink foots and a pair of Egyptian geese. A common buzzard overhead made the day list as did feeding starlings.
After Holkham I wandered down to Stiffkey Fen. Reed cutting was taking place, so only geese and wildfowl were on the water, but scoping the harbour I managed both black throated and great northern diver. One particular black throated was showing the white semi circle near the tail very clearly. Also from here, I got dunlin, avocet, goldeneye,, 16 red breasted merganser more pintail, godwits, shelduck etc. Just before I left, I heard the distinct call of twite followed by a flyover party of 5 heading west. Good binocular views showing the pinkish rump nailed the sighting. A bird I haven't seen for a few years.
I then moved along to the tower at Morston, but, amazingly, the scope views were pretty poor due to heat haze!
Off to Cley for a coffee and check at the beach. Still much damage about following the storm surge.
From here I wandered along the East Bank where there are still huge clumps of reed that have been lifted by the storm and dumped on top of the bank. A ringed plover was amongst many waders on Arnold's Marsh and a fine view of a marsh harrier.
After Cley I popped up to Edgefield, near Holt. I was after the reported parrot crossbills and , having tried twice before I was not expecting any results. As I arrived a party of 4 common crossbills came into view before I heard a larger party. 15 birds alighted in a distant larch. Some very bright red males showed larger bills and were, in general, heavier birds than the previously noted commons. A lifer for me and my first since 2011 when I scored with a western sandpiper at Cley. A few texts were sent before a quick trip to Kelling Heath, where all I noted for the list were several jays and then on to Salthouse beach but no snow buntings. I then decided to head back to Holkham for some geese/sunset photos. The sunset itself was great but the geese were not interested, so a photo of a mallard silhouetted against the reddening sky had to suffice. By now it was gone 5.30 and I had been on the go for 13 hours, so time to return home.
In all, a really good day's birding.
Species list (year listers in bold)
red throated diver, black throated diver, great northern diver, little grebe, great crested grebe, cormorant, little egret, mute swan, pink footed goose, greylag goose, (10 sp)brent goose, canada goose, shelduck, egyptian goose, mallard, gadwall, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, teal, (20 sp) pochard, tufted duck, eider, common scoter, velver scoter, goldeneye, red breasted merganser marsh harrier, hen harrier, common buzzard, (30 sp) sparrowhawk, red legged partridge, grey partridge, pheasant, water rail, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, ringed plover, (40 sp) grey plover, golden plover, lapwing, knot, sanderling, turnstone, dunlin, redshank, black tailed godwit, bar tailed godwit, (50 sp)curlew, ruff, black headed gull, herring gull, common gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, wood pigeon, stock dove, collared dove,(60 sp) kingfisher, green woodpecker, skylark, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, blackbird, (70 sp) cetti's warbler, goldcrest, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, rook, carrion crow, jackdaw, (80 sp)starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, twite, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, common crossbill, parrot crossbill, (90 sp) reed bunting, yellowhammer, corn bunting
Considering no grey heron, winter thrushes, kestrel, auks, gannets, kittiwakes, skuas etc I was very close to the hundred mark for the day!
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