• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk birding (7 Viewers)

Juv. red backed shrike this afternoon at Holme was quite active, quite a few common migrants as well but no joy with the other reported goodies in the vicinity, though I did tick Black Kite 1964.
 
Barred from view

Gramboro’ yieded little, save for a splash of autumn colour (LH photo).

Friary Hills gave a Meerkat lookalike. It ran past, looked back at me in surprise, didn’t like what it saw- and vanished under some brambles. I would not give up that easily ! Squeaking like Sweep on speed, I enticed it out a few times, enabling the two shots.

A long pilgrimage westwards resulted in the Holme Redneck. Such a lovely, delicate spinner. Flight views of Barred Warbler were again obtained. This is becoming a pattern. The Redback was better behaved.
 

Attachments

  • 006psesm.jpg
    006psesm.jpg
    166.7 KB · Views: 104
  • 040psesm.jpg
    040psesm.jpg
    178.1 KB · Views: 129
  • 020psesm.jpg
    020psesm.jpg
    173.9 KB · Views: 119
  • 044psesm.jpg
    044psesm.jpg
    140.8 KB · Views: 148
I had a great day at Strumpshaw today, starting off with nice views of a Kingfisher in front of Fen hide. I even finally managed to get a few reasonable photos of it. I walked to Buckenham Marshes and on the way was treated to cracking views of two Hobbies catching dragonflies over a paddock and taking them to two youngsters waiting in a tree at the side.

A Buckenham I discovered that the new hide was a very comfy spot to sit and eat my sandwiches with a pleasant view outside. Not a lot happening though. On the way back along the track there was a very large flock of Goldfinches flying between the few trees there. They looked stunning in the sunshine.

I then spotted a Common Buzzard circling on a thermal and slowly drifting towards Strumpshaw. This was followed soon afterwards by the appearance of an Osprey from the direction of Strumpshaw. It slowly flew over the station and disappeared into the trees on the right. At the time I thought it was carrying a fish but, looking at the terrible, distant photo, it appears to be a rodent of some kind.

I walked back to Strumpshaw, pausing to watch the Hobbies once more, and, after a visit to the Tower Hide, I ended up in the Reception hide, where I was surprised and pleased to find a Spotted Flycatcher in the trees next to the hide.

All in all, a great day out in fantastic weather.

Ron
 

Attachments

  • Osprey-1.jpg
    Osprey-1.jpg
    114.5 KB · Views: 125
  • Spotted-fly.jpg
    Spotted-fly.jpg
    116.1 KB · Views: 104
Last edited:
Horsey-Waxham last two mornings:
Lapland Bunting, singles near Pipe Dump both days. Whinchat, 1, Wheatear, 2, Yellow Wag 2-3, Hobby 1-2. Lots of Whitethroats, Lesser 'throats and Blackcaps, with a handful of other warblers. Very few phylloscs.
Cheers
Jono
 
Gramboro’ yieded little, save for a splash of autumn colour (LH photo).

Friary Hills gave a Meerkat lookalike. It ran past, looked back at me in surprise, didn’t like what it saw- and vanished under some brambles. I would not give up that easily ! Squeaking like Sweep on speed, I enticed it out a few times, enabling the two shots.

A long pilgrimage westwards resulted in the Holme Redneck. Such a lovely, delicate spinner. Flight views of Barred Warbler were again obtained. This is becoming a pattern. The Redback was better behaved.
Blimey you were a long way westwards!;) Saw the same birds in the morning John. Nice Pics!:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Holme and Scolt Head Island!!!

Got up at 4.15am! As I drove along the A149 coast road, it was difficult to see at times as the early morning mist was very thick in places - stunning sunrise this morning!

Arrived Holme 6.20am - parked car by Redwell Marsh Hide - I was the first person in the hide this morning and had awesome views of the Red necked Phalarope at 6.30am whirling round in the water with the mist hanging heavily over the water and the sun streaming through! It was rubbish for photography though, looking straight into the sun. Two Yellow wagtails flew over.

Reparked car at the toilet block at 7.40am and walked the outer dune ridge east from the main beach gap, to Gore Point, back over the dunes, then along the path behind houses through the village carpark to car. Had a massive argument with an arrogant, rude, lady dog owner with two out of control, vicious black labradors! Didn't see very much really apart from a Stonechat and Whinchat, but at 9am had awesome views of 2 Turtle doves over my head that had flown in off sea, opposite NWT pay hut.

Moved car to carpark half way down the Firs Road and walked the NWT Forestry at 10am. A garden warbler was seen along with my third Turtle Dove this morning at 10.40am which exploded out of a bush and went south. 19 curlew flew overhead. Text from Connor to say RBS and BW were both showing between the Forestry and the Firs House - walked across to where people were standing and at 10.55 I watched a Red backed Shrike and a Barred Warbler together in one bush!!!!! along with a good number of other birders! Didn't even get as far as the Firs and Observatory today!

Left Holme and visited parents for a very short time and then drove along the coast road east and after a boat crossing arrived on Scolt Head Island at 2.20pm with Connor, Simeon and Billy to find a Mega!!!! It was wonderful being back on this island as not been here for at least a year. Birds seen: 16 Turnstones, 4 linnets, little egret, marsh harrier, 14 Cormorants, 6 wheatears, 1 *whinchat and (*not see by me), 2 stonechat, *2 common whitethroats, 4 willow warbler, 2 reed buntings, 1 wren, 1 chiffchaff, 4 grey partridges. It was lovely watching one of the Reed Buntings drinking from the small pond, which is situated in the centre of the island. Ok no megas! but a lovely walk in the sunshine with no bl**dy dogs/owners around!

Back on the mainland! I drove to Holme to photograph the Red necked Phalarope again, but decided first to go to NOA carpark to look at the RBS again. I decided to have a little nap as felt exhausted and ended up having a very long nap, so long, that it was too too late to photograph anything!!!

Best Wishes

Penny:girl:
 
Last edited:
Anyone know any more about the singing Savi's at Strumpshaw today? Apparently confidently id'd by sight and sound, seems an odd time of the year though?
2 Ospreys seen today over the Fen as well as the Willow Emeralds (up to 3 today) showing well (access from Tinkers lane only).
 
I was hoping you would fill us in Ben! Might be worth a look this evening......
Surlingham Marsh last night produced a Hobby hunting at dusk and at least 3 Chinese Water Deer. It was actually quite noisy on the reserve as the sun went down; squealing Water Rail, at least 3 Cettis, bark of the deer and of course the omnipresent geese. 35 Egyptian Geese were counted over the river, wonder what the record is? 2 Bats were seen hunting in and out of the ruins, Pipistrelle sp. I would guess, perhaps roosting in the ruins themselves.

Winterton Dunes this afternoon was hard work, bashed by ESEs but very few birds to show for it. Female Redstart, 2 Whinchat and 4 Wheatear were the migrants, and locals included a Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard. Glad we put the time in, but can't help but feel we were hard done by when you consider what has turned up elsewhere. Tuesday looks really good, bit of rain to ground some birds, which at present are surely just passing through.
Cheers,
Jim.
 
Sorry to disappoint Jimbob, just got back from the fen with nothing much doing. I must admit I'm thinking it was most probably a Cetti's Warbler, they were singing and showing well tonight, would like to be proved wrong however!
 
Sorry to disappoint Jimbob, just got back from the fen with nothing much doing. I must admit I'm thinking it was most probably a Cetti's Warbler, they were singing and showing well tonight, would like to be proved wrong however!

Cettis were very vocal at Surlingham Church Marsh last night as well, a reminder that they are here to stay I thought!
Jim.
 
Did anyone else notice a possible evening fall of migrants today..? Spurred on by pager report of 20+ Redstarts at Holme I dashed out again to my patch at Hopton/Corton on Norfolk border. It had been dead this morning but I walked along the leaside of Hopton railtrack just before dark and noted 2 fresh in Pied Flys and a Spotted Fly. On the cliffs 2 juvenile Willow Warblers fed on the ground only a few feet from me clearly knackered and wanting to feed rather than worry about my presence. A new in Wheatear also was here along with new in Pied Fly and Willow Warbler in very brief search of Corton railtrack as darkness fell....
 
...Tuesday looks really good, bit of rain to ground some birds, which at present are surely just passing through.
Cheers,
Jim.

I think you're quite right there Jimbob, some rain would probably work wonders.

I did from the Cricket Club to Ostend and back via the Coast Watch around the middle of the day today tallying 9 Wheatears and 2 Whinchat in fields just inland from the clifftop. Prior to this, at Smallburgh, a nice juv. Hobby soared over...

Atb,

James
 
Almost a running flush

No, I wasn’t playing cards, when I should’ve been birding. Just as I was approaching the bushes at Gramboro’, I had a kindly ‘phone call (thank u, Julian), informing me of an Arctic Skua on one of the small pools, west of the Salthouse beach car park.

Deciding to ‘bush’ first (nothing), I made my way back west, only to be overtaken by a serious runner. Being able to see where the bird was, although not able to see the bird itself, I assumed that he would flush it before I reached there. He went straight past it, without effect- as can be seen from my pix. The bird seemed not in the best of health, but went off east a little while later.

The LH is with my Lumix FZ38, the RH digiscoped, for comparison. It was almost too close for the latter.

Even further west, at Stiffkey, I managed to glimpse a Redstart, have even worse views of the Barred Warbler (this is now REALLY NOT FUNNY) and better of 2 Whinchats. Long walks in several other locations provided nothing, save for the rather distant RbShrike at Weybourne.
 

Attachments

  • 014psesm.jpg
    014psesm.jpg
    258.2 KB · Views: 174
  • 021psesm.jpg
    021psesm.jpg
    144.1 KB · Views: 156
As a county lister in Yorkshire, I am interested in who is in the top ten with their Norfolk list and how many is it.
In Yorkshire we have agreed a list along the BBRC and BOU guide lines, has that been done in Norfolk.

Hi Andrew

See www.bubo.org for all your county listing needs. Actually, this is by no means complete for Norfolk or Yorkshire, but more people are joining all the time and we'd love to have more folk on board, especially any organised groups.

Currently, the top BOU county life lists on BUBO for these two counties are 385 in Norfolk, and 367 in Yorkshire. Any challengers?

Andy
 
No, I wasn’t playing cards, when I should’ve been birding. Just as I was approaching the bushes at Gramboro’, I had a kindly ‘phone call (thank u, Julian), informing me of an Arctic Skua on one of the small pools, west of the Salthouse beach car park.

Deciding to ‘bush’ first (nothing), I made my way back west, only to be overtaken by a serious runner. Being able to see where the bird was, although not able to see the bird itself, I assumed that he would flush it before I reached there. He went straight past it, without effect- as can be seen from my pix. The bird seemed not in the best of health, but went off east a little while later.

The LH is with my Lumix FZ38, the RH digiscoped, for comparison. It was almost too close for the latter.

Even further west, at Stiffkey, I managed to glimpse a Redstart, have even worse views of the Barred Warbler (this is now REALLY NOT FUNNY) and better of 2 Whinchats. Long walks in several other locations provided nothing, save for the rather distant RbShrike at Weybourne.

Jon what are you trying to do to me! what do people think of this Skua, especially taking into account this discussion http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=1269717&postcount=8
Skua.JPG

pale tips to the primaries are meant to be diagnostic of Arctic but the Draycote bird was eventually called as a LTS by the experts. This bird looks very pale/cold tones, the head/ nape does not seem to be particularly streaked, dark breast band, however only tip of bill is dark, it seems to have barred undertail coverts!

any thoughts - Jon in flight? or are we all Skuaed out
 
what a cool bird, its a LTS on the deck but when it takes off it turns into an Arctic ; - ), could potentially be the same bird as last week which would explain alot, also casts new light on the Draycote bird.

a little action on the patch, 3 Wheatear and 2 Willow Warblers along Blakeney Bank, then Garden Warbler and Redstart on Friary, we have had one or two Pied Flys and Redstarts trickling in for a few days now - have a feeling if your out today you could do a whole lot better.
 
what a cool bird, its a LTS on the deck but when it takes off it turns into an Arctic ; - ), could potentially be the same bird as last week which would explain alot, also casts new light on the Draycote bird.

a little action on the patch, 3 Wheatear and 2 Willow Warblers along Blakeney Bank, then Garden Warbler and Redstart on Friary, we have had one or two Pied Flys and Redstarts trickling in for a few days now - have a feeling if your out today you could do a whole lot better.

Josh. You shold be walking the point. I expect there will be some goodies (not Tim Brook Taylor!!) to be found.

Regards

Mark :cat::cat:
 
Seeing red*

Gramboro’*
Sarbury Hill
Walsey Hills
Stiffkey
Warham Greens
Wells Woods*

That was all in the above (Redstarts*).

Then, just as I was in the final 5 miles before home, I had to veer to Kelling, for the flighty ORTOLAN BUNTING, badly pictured here below, but with thanks to Andy's shoulder.
 

Attachments

  • 027psesm.jpg
    027psesm.jpg
    205.9 KB · Views: 224
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top