Stephen Dunstan
Registered User
I know where Jonathan is coming from but it is an island twice day and needs the same respect as, say, Holy Island in terms of getting on and off at the right times.
Stephen.
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A Weeks Birding in the UK - Advice needed (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Himalaya
- Start date
Stephen.
Thanks so much for the Northern species!
As I am going down South next week I will concentrate on these following then.
1. Aquatic warbler
4. Cirl bunting
5. Corncrake
6. Dartford warbler
8. Fire crest
10. Garganey
13. Montagu’s Harrier
14. Nightjar
15. Nightingale
16. Red-crested pochard
17. Roseatte tern
19. Serin
21. Storm petrel
22. Wryneck
23. Stone curlew
24. Hobby
27. Turtle Dove
For Stone Curlew there was that heath somewhere near Pensthorpe where they filmed one for BBC Springwatch. I forgot what it was called now. You can watch them from a hide. I hope they dont leave though.
@birding maniac - Hickling sounds good! I looked at i online
Which other reserves down south are worth visiting?
As I am going down South next week I will concentrate on these following then.
1. Aquatic warbler
4. Cirl bunting
5. Corncrake
6. Dartford warbler
8. Fire crest
10. Garganey
13. Montagu’s Harrier
14. Nightjar
15. Nightingale
16. Red-crested pochard
17. Roseatte tern
19. Serin
21. Storm petrel
22. Wryneck
23. Stone curlew
24. Hobby
27. Turtle Dove
For Stone Curlew there was that heath somewhere near Pensthorpe where they filmed one for BBC Springwatch. I forgot what it was called now. You can watch them from a hide. I hope they dont leave though.
@birding maniac - Hickling sounds good! I looked at i online
Which other reserves down south are worth visiting?
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
hobby and dartford warbler any heath in the new Forest and nightjar too at dusk and onwards
cirl bunt at Prawle point in Devon
otherwise you'll have to be very very lucky to catch any of the others I reckon
Chris
cirl bunt at Prawle point in Devon
otherwise you'll have to be very very lucky to catch any of the others I reckon
Chris
I will consider myself luckyto see a 1/4 of the list I have made. I wont have too much time to spare so sitting around for hours on end is not an option. i am not sure if i am going to the new Forest - what are good places in Norfolk to see Nightjars?
What are the good heathlands around London and Norfolk?
devon might be a no no too!
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
Salthouse heath near Cley for nightjar or places in breckland (around thetford).
Lots of wader passage and maybe some seabirds off cley (North Norfolk coast) in the next few weeks. Chance of skuas.
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/reserves/norfolk.asp
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/reserves/suffolk.asp
Too many places LOL!
There is a raptor platform to see Honey Buzzards somewhere in Norfolk too....where is that?
Is the Norfolk Broads a good place or do some of these areas already come under them?
I would love to see Seals too so Blakeney Point would be a good place for myself too!
I will have to cross Devon off for now and possibly the new forest. Some of the areas look to be in close proximity thankfully!
Which part of the Norfolk coastline has the Tern colony - ideally Arctic, Roseatte ....
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/reserves/suffolk.asp
Too many places LOL!
There is a raptor platform to see Honey Buzzards somewhere in Norfolk too....where is that?
Is the Norfolk Broads a good place or do some of these areas already come under them?
I would love to see Seals too so Blakeney Point would be a good place for myself too!
I will have to cross Devon off for now and possibly the new forest. Some of the areas look to be in close proximity thankfully!
Which part of the Norfolk coastline has the Tern colony - ideally Arctic, Roseatte ....
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
Scolt head island and Blakeney point have the tern colonies, but I don't think they have arctic (maybe just one or two) or roseate terns in them. Just common, sandwich and little
Chris Galvin
Well-known member
No chance of Aquatic Warbler in July, these are mostly reported in August and usually in the South West
Fozzybear
Ich bin ein Vogelbeobachter
My brother certainly has spotted Arctic Terns from the boat at Blakeney Point the couple of times we've been but I missed them, probably as I'm not quite as observant and haven't picked up on the visual cues to single them out from the mass of terns. Chris and Kate did go to the tern colony in Springwatch, they took the boat trip from Morston to the Point. It's mainly a Sandwich Tern (and black-headed gull) colony but you'll find a Commons and a few Arctics around as well.
You get a pretty good view of the tern colonies from the boat and they fly right overhead. You also find lots along the coast at Morston (check out the creeks around the quay), Blakeney and Cley (Cley beach can be a good spot to watch them fishing along the shoreline) and out to the west at Holkham and Burnham-overy-staithe. No idea if you'll see Arctics at those places but they're generally good for Common, Sandwich and Little Terns.
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
No it's not part of Pensthorpe.
And yes there are places where you can see Goshawks in the New Forest and I don't think i'm giving too much away if I point you towards Acres Down, North of Lyndhurst. But birds will have stopped displaying and are probably only occasional from now on .
I have a travel plan more or less drawn up. Luckily a few of the places are quite close together. I have more or less drawn a travel plan.
I will be visiting Minsmere in Suffolk and Dunwich Heath. Will try have a good gander around there wont have too much time.
Will it be easy to see Dartford Warbler, Nightjar and Montagu Harrier at Dunwich?
Then the next trip would be to Thetford where both Lakenheath and Weeting Heath are close by. Lakenheath will hopefully be good for Cranes and Hobby. Thetford and Weeting Heath hopefully Woodlark, Nightjar and Stone Curlew. Are there Dartford Warbler and Hobby there too? Surely there must be.
How easy is it to see those species and at what time should I go fr bst results. What times are the best for Nightjar?
Third part of the trip would be to Blakeney Point, Titchwell Marsh and Cley Marshes which are in proximity.
Pensthrope and the Wensum Raptor watchpoint are very close by but i am not sure if I will visit them.
Does Pensthorpe have anything that Minsmere or the other places mentioned have not?
Which birds and wildlife are found at the Cley Marshes and Titchwell Marsh? If there is nothing special there then I would sacrfice them for Pensthorpe
Where is the best place for Med Gulls? I keep missing them up north.
Do you think all this can be done in 2-3 nights?
I will be visiting Minsmere in Suffolk and Dunwich Heath. Will try have a good gander around there wont have too much time.
Will it be easy to see Dartford Warbler, Nightjar and Montagu Harrier at Dunwich?
Then the next trip would be to Thetford where both Lakenheath and Weeting Heath are close by. Lakenheath will hopefully be good for Cranes and Hobby. Thetford and Weeting Heath hopefully Woodlark, Nightjar and Stone Curlew. Are there Dartford Warbler and Hobby there too? Surely there must be.
How easy is it to see those species and at what time should I go fr bst results. What times are the best for Nightjar?
Third part of the trip would be to Blakeney Point, Titchwell Marsh and Cley Marshes which are in proximity.
Pensthrope and the Wensum Raptor watchpoint are very close by but i am not sure if I will visit them.
Does Pensthorpe have anything that Minsmere or the other places mentioned have not?
Which birds and wildlife are found at the Cley Marshes and Titchwell Marsh? If there is nothing special there then I would sacrfice them for Pensthorpe
Where is the best place for Med Gulls? I keep missing them up north.
Do you think all this can be done in 2-3 nights?
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Wherever you end up going for Nightjar you're probably going to have to stake them out till quite late into the day, as it's getting dark, before you hear any. (How late in the season do they continue to call anyway? Don't think I've ever gone looking for them past June.) Wasn't aware that Mins had any Monty's at present. Given patience I would have thought that Dartfords would be a good bet though.
No Dartfords at Weeting, habitat's wrong. You could encounter Hobby pretty much anywhere on your suggested itinerary. Don't know how easy the Cranes are to see at Lakenheath. Last time I was in the area during summer it was a question of lots and lots of waiting and hoping that you'd get a lucky flight view. I'd be more inclined to save Crane for a winter trip when the are easier to see.
If by third part of the trip you mean day three, I'd recommend a quick blast along the north coast (Titchwell, Cley, but maybe not Blakeney - it's a hell of a slog to get out there, you'll be knackered) followed by heading inland to Wensum for the HBs. Then if you've not yet nailed Nightjar you could try again that evening at one of the sites suggested by others.
If anything else occurs to me I'll post again later.
James
No Dartfords at Weeting, habitat's wrong. You could encounter Hobby pretty much anywhere on your suggested itinerary. Don't know how easy the Cranes are to see at Lakenheath. Last time I was in the area during summer it was a question of lots and lots of waiting and hoping that you'd get a lucky flight view. I'd be more inclined to save Crane for a winter trip when the are easier to see.
If by third part of the trip you mean day three, I'd recommend a quick blast along the north coast (Titchwell, Cley, but maybe not Blakeney - it's a hell of a slog to get out there, you'll be knackered) followed by heading inland to Wensum for the HBs. Then if you've not yet nailed Nightjar you could try again that evening at one of the sites suggested by others.
If anything else occurs to me I'll post again later.
James
lalows2
Well-known member
Might be better calling in at the site north of Kings Lynn for Montagues - if they are still there - anyone with any current info, its a few years since I was last there? - good for turtle doves too!.
Had hobby a couple of times at Weeting Heath (goshawk there once but would never guarantee it anywhere - best bet is nearer home in March) and both Cley and Titchwell both of which I would say are better than Pensthorpe but like I said earlier its a few years since I was last in Norfolk. Keliing Heath/Salthouse Heath triangle has had quail when I've been there and nightingale if they are still singing.
You asked about sand dunes - Winterton Dunes used to be the place and not far from the Crane site at Horsey corner.
Again don't know if it's still current but there was/is a raptor watch point at Swanton Novers Big wood
Strumpshaw RSPB just south of Norwich should be good for Cetti's often heard near the railway track when the trains go past seem to get them to give a blast of song, Hobby there too, lots of dragonflies.
Norfolk is a great birding county 2 - 3 nights just ain't enough - lived outside Norwich for 3 years and that wasn't enough!
Cheers
Davo
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