Norfolk birding (27 Viewers)

Bismarck Honeyeater · Jul 27, 2009

Norfolk List

Hi Norfolk folk,

Is there such a thing as a publicly viewable list of Norfolk Listers, ie. a Norfolk Bird Club or some such thing? Bubo is a bit thin on numbers of participants, in what is arguably the best birding county. (sorry Yorks and Shetland people)

Who is the top Norfolk lister nowadays? What is the total (BOU)?

Any help gratefully received.

GH

Tractorboy69 · Jul 27, 2009

Heard 2+Quails this evening, undoubtedly part of the 'Northrepps Four' but these were heard from the road that runs due west from Northrepps to the A149 at Crossdale Street about 500yds west of Northrepps (For anyone who knows the area they were on the southern edge of the old airfield).

Having only heard one previously, finally saw my first Cuckoo for the patch this year when one virtually hit me as it bombed over the top of Incelborough Hill.

On a more unhappy note whilst on top of Incelborough I noticed that virtually all of the low lying vegetation has been cleared away from the land around the old farm buildings at West Runton, and there was a big bonfire in progress. There was still a few brambles and the sallow clump remaining but it would be a real shame if they carry on and clear the entire area and we loose this little gem of a site.

Simon

Penny Clarke · Jul 27, 2009

Gilliard's Honeyeater said:
Hi Norfolk folk,

Is there such a thing as a publicly viewable list of Norfolk Listers, ie. a Norfolk Bird Club or some such thing? Bubo is a bit thin on numbers of participants, in what is arguably the best birding county. (sorry Yorks and Shetland people)

Who is the top Norfolk lister nowadays? What is the total (BOU)?

Any help gratefully received.

GH

Hi GH

Please see Norfolk list for 2009 on surfbirds.com on:
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/surfbirds/display.cgi?list=list359&lowVal=0&highVal=49

OR http://www.surfbirds.com/rankings.html for British/County life lists etc etc etc!

OR www.uk400clubonline.co.uk

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Penny Clarke · Jul 27, 2009

Had a mad, crazy evening!!!!!

Took a little trip over to Breydon after work - part way there message on pager 'no further sign of Pacific Golden Plover'!!!!! we decided to carry on anyway and hoped a more positive message would come up again. Parked up in the Asda carpark to see some well known birders/photographers in the carpark also

. Nobody had seen it for ages, but we decided to stretch our legs anyway and walked along to the hide to view sillouettes of birds against the setting sun!!!!!! BUT we did someone very famous:eek!: Mr Tim Allwood himself, walking with greyhound!!!!! Nice to see you Tim:t:

Anyway we decided to go for a cruise around the seafront

I lived in Great Yarmouth for a couple of years as a teenager, when I went to the 'Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design' and went on a little memory lane trip, went to look at my old digs '5 Trafalgar Road', the college, the college pub was now I noticed an amusement arcade! The lights along the seafront looked fantastic. Tiffany's nightclub was still there and the marina centre (used to have a club within this called 'The Aquarious' where I discovered dancing!!!) Anyway we stopped along the seafront and had a bag of chips, looked at the sea and then drove back home!

Bird list - not alot!!!!!!:gn:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Bismarck Honeyeater · Jul 28, 2009

Penny Clarke said:
Hi GH

Please see Norfolk list for 2009 on surfbirds.com on:
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/surfbirds/display.cgi?list=list359&lowVal=0&highVal=49

OR http://www.surfbirds.com/rankings.html for British/County life lists etc etc etc!

OR www.uk400clubonline.co.uk

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Thanks Penny,

Trouble is none of those lists show the top Norfolk listers, must be a really modest lot (and nothing wrong with that)

GH

Tractorboy69 · Jul 28, 2009

Gilliard's Honeyeater said:
Hi Norfolk folk,

Is there such a thing as a publicly viewable list of Norfolk Listers, ie. a Norfolk Bird Club or some such thing? Bubo is a bit thin on numbers of participants, in what is arguably the best birding county. (sorry Yorks and Shetland people)

Who is the top Norfolk lister nowadays? What is the total (BOU)?

Any help gratefully received.

GH

Hi

At an (educated) guess I'd say, as he has been for a long time, Giles Dunmore is the top Norfolk lister.

I'm sure someone can give you the exact figures but I'd also guess he has seen c393 of the c426 birds recorded in the county.

Its pretty tight at the top though as although I'm only about 8 behind Giles, I'd guess there are about nine or 10 people between us!

Hope that helps.

Simon

firstreesjohn · Jul 28, 2009

RIP West Runton

It’s not quite as disastrous as that, but almost. It was with some apprehension that I drove to the run-down farm buildings, after reading Simon’s report from the summit of Incleborough, in #6815.

From the outside, it didn’t seem all that bad. The area where the road maintenance stuff had been was razed; fortunately, the ‘Bluethroat elder’ survives, as does the vegetation (mainly nettles) to the north of what loosely could be called the hay barn, along the stream.

However, once on the bank by the gate, the full extent of the destruction is evident. Please now delete this site from your Norfolk birding locations for the near (?) future. It couldn’t have been done at a worse time, with autumn migration (or what passes for it these days) on its way. There goes my Rüppell's !

All the (mainly bramble) bushes in the compound have been grubbed up, as have most of those around the various buildings. Some of the hedges have not survived, either. The sallows, as Simon said, are still there.

I have thought this was on the cards for some time. This could be one of those edge-of-town developments that, in the current economic climate, one couldn’t blame the landowner for selling. It now looks a much better prospect for sale to a developer.

jimbob · Jul 28, 2009

Sorry to hear about West Runton John. My only and recent experience of the area was the Short Toed Lark; shame to hear about the present lack of cover. Heres hoping there will still be a few surprises in the coming Autumns.
Went to Breydon this morning and watched the Lesser Plover for a bit, which for me is what it goes down as until I get the time to examine some close up shots of the bird; I presume there are some? Very attractive bird no doubt, but difficult at that distance to see why it is going down as a Pacific and not American. However, my experience of these species in the field is limited to the apparent AGP earlier this year at Breydon and a Juv AGP at East Harling. Whatever the case, I certainly learnt a lot this morning! Also, must have been 6+ Little Gulls present amongst the Terns.
Went onto Happisburgh. Sand Martin colony seems to have done ok this year. Gannets were passing distantly at sea, and a few Common and Sandwich Terns fished offshore. A bird of note on the beach was a lone Whimbrel. A Marsh Harrier drifted over the fields next to Cart Gap Road.
A 7 spot ladybird orgy must have recently taken place as there were hundreds all over the clifftop path. Plenty of Painted ladies, Gatekeepers and Peacocks too.
Finished off at Felbrigg Hall, never been before so popped in out of curiosity and the added possibility of a Mandarin Duck or two on the lake. No such luck, the lake was quiet save for a family of Egyptian Geese.

jimbob · Jul 28, 2009

http://surfbirds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5527&page=3

Perhaps more apt for the rare birds thread, but if anyone like myself is interested in the ID debate of the Breydon Plover(s) the above link certainly shed some interesting light on the birds, With Lee Evans confident it is a Pacific.

Cheers,
Jim.

James Emerson · Jul 28, 2009

jimbob said:
Sorry to hear about West Runton John. My only and recent experience of the area was the Short Toed Lark; shame to hear about the present lack of cover. Heres hoping there will still be a few surprises in the coming Autumns.
Went to Breydon this morning and watched the Lesser Plover for a bit, which for me is what it goes down as until I get the time to examine some close up shots of the bird; I presume there are some? Very attractive bird no doubt, but difficult at that distance to see why it is going down as a Pacific and not American. However, my experience of these species in the field is limited to the apparent AGP earlier this year at Breydon and a Juv AGP at East Harling. Whatever the case, I certainly learnt a lot this morning! Also, must have been 6+ Little Gulls present amongst the Terns.
Went onto Happisburgh. Sand Martin colony seems to have done ok this year. Gannets were passing distantly at sea, and a few Common and Sandwich Terns fished offshore. A bird of note on the beach was a lone Whimbrel. A Marsh Harrier drifted over the fields next to Cart Gap Road.
A 7 spot ladybird orgy must have recently taken place as there were hundreds all over the clifftop path. Plenty of Painted ladies, Gatekeepers and Peacocks too.
Finished off at Felbrigg Hall, never been before so popped in out of curiosity and the added possibility of a Mandarin Duck or two on the lake. No such luck, the lake was quiet save for a family of Egyptian Geese.

I went and saw the plover yesterday, and the impression I get is that most people are satisfied that the bird present is Pacific, the area of debate is the period of arrival 22nd/23rd, when some birders who saw it then say it looked markedly different (and more American like).

I went to Felbrigg quite a few times before I saw the Mandarin, and it was pointed out to me that the area of overhanging trees they like is quite difficult to see into! It is quite possible that they sometimes leave the area, but if they are there I find that the area near a large fallen tree on the hall side is a good vantage point, whereas nearer the path from the church, you can't see any

Paul Eele · Jul 28, 2009

Titchwell July 28th

Today's highlights

Dunlin - 134 on fresh marsh
Common sandpiper - 6 on fresh marsh
Black tailed godwit - 120 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 11 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 3 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 23 on fresh marsh
Velvet scoter - 1 offshore with common scoter flock
Bittern - 1 over reedbed

Coastal Project Update
After 30 years service to birding and the reserve, the Parrinder Hide will be removed on Thursday morning as part of the construction of the new seawall. Safety barriers will be erected on Wednesday afternoon so if you want a last look out of it you will need to visit shortly. Once construction on the new wall is fully complete next autumn, the new hide will be built in November 2010 and be opened in December 2010.
Vegetation stripping is currently being carried out to allow archaeologists and bomb disposal experts to check the banks before earth moving can get underway.
All the reserve staff are happy as we have 3 large yellow machines to look at and more on the way - we are just big kids at heart

Paul

postcardcv · Jul 28, 2009

Paul Eele said:
Coastal Project Update
After 30 years service to birding and the reserve, the Parrinder Hide will be removed on Thursday morning as part of the construction of the new seawall. Safety barriers will be erected on Wednesday afternoon so if you want a last look out of it you will need to visit shortly. Once construction on the new wall is fully complete next autumn, the new hide will be built in November 2010 and be opened in December 2010.
Vegetation stripping is currently being carried out to allow archaeologists and bomb disposal experts to check the banks before earth moving can get underway.
All the reserve staff are happy as we have 3 large yellow machines to look at and more on the way - we are just big kids at heart

Blimey that's come around quickly, good luck with the work, I know you lot will enjoy playing with all the toys!

jimbob · Jul 28, 2009

James Emerson said:
I went and saw the plover yesterday, and the impression I get is that most people are satisfied that the bird present is Pacific, the area of debate is the period of arrival 22nd/23rd, when some birders who saw it then say it looked markedly different (and more American like).

I went to Felbrigg quite a few times before I saw the Mandarin, and it was pointed out to me that the area of overhanging trees they like is quite difficult to see into! It is quite possible that they sometimes leave the area, but if they are there I find that the area near a large fallen tree on the hall side is a good vantage point, whereas nearer the path from the church, you can't see any

Thanks for the info James.
Nice work with your blog- thinking of getting my own up and running in the near future.
Jim.

James Emerson · Jul 28, 2009

jimbob said:
Thanks for the info James.
Nice work with your blog- thinking of getting my own up and running in the near future.
Jim.

Cheers! I'd recommend it, if nothing else it has encouraged me to come home from a trip and spend a bit of time thinking about what I've seen, sorting out photos etc. instead of leaving it and having to try and remember a week later.

Bismarck Honeyeater · Jul 28, 2009

:t::t:

Tractorboy69 said:
Hi

At an (educated) guess I'd say, as he has been for a long time, Giles Dunmore is the top Norfolk lister.

I'm sure someone can give you the exact figures but I'd also guess he has seen c393 of the c426 birds recorded in the county.

Its pretty tight at the top though as although I'm only about 8 behind Giles, I'd guess there are about nine or 10 people between us!

Hope that helps.

Simon

Thanks Simon,
I had a pm suggesting 391 for Giles, I must admit I thought Dave Holman overtook him a little while ago but I may be wrong of course. Sounds like that is a pretty good estimate of a BOU Norfolk list though. Obviously a tight fight at the top. I am glad my third stab at Great Spotted Cuckoo was a sucess after missing the last two narrowly! At least caught that one back
Still a way to go though to get into serious contension>

GH

Mick Sway · Jul 28, 2009

Titchwell/Cley 25 - 27 July 2009

Tina and I were lucky enough to spend a great weekend mooching about our favourite holidaying county, between Titchwell and Cley .
We were lucky with the weather which was mainly dry and sunny, very pleasing since there hasn't been a day without rain during July, in the Staffs Moorlands.
What's more I managed to get my first bittern at Titchwell on Monday morning - been trying over ten years of visiting.
I havn't seen them mentioned in the local reports but there were about 20 eider off shore at Titchwell over the weekend - is this not unusual ?
I do however wish that NWT at Cley would send wardens out to collect .
Whilst watching the Spoonbills on the Sunday morning in a crowded hide, only a few people had passes and two of them were us.
Thanks to Janis and Mike in Docking for the samphire supper on Sunday night.
Shame we missed the g.s.c at Cley though!
Great birds, great county!

Penny Clarke · Jul 28, 2009

Hi GH

Of course there is also lots of Norfolk birders who have never bothered to compile a Norfolk Life List - I for one!!!! Several people have asked me what my Norfolk LL is - I suppose I really ought to sort it out - I reckon its at least 500

- will have to do this - and when I add Fan Tailed Warbler I will not be putting it down as 'Zitting Cisticola' - 'cos the year I saw it was most definately a Fan tailed Warbler!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Gilliard's Honeyeater said:
:t::t:

Thanks Simon,
I had a pm suggesting 391 for Giles, I must admit I thought Dave Holman overtook him a little while ago but I may be wrong of course. Sounds like that is a pretty good estimate of a BOU Norfolk list though. Obviously a tight fight at the top. I am glad my third stab at Great Spotted Cuckoo was a sucess after missing the last two narrowly! At least caught that one back
Still a way to go though to get into serious contension>

GH

firstreesjohn · Jul 29, 2009

Pix of change in habitat at West Runton

Those of you who know the site, but haven't yet been able to visit, can now see the extent of the destruction. A further suggestion has been made to me about the possible and temporary use of the site in the near future. However, the issue is locally controversial and I feel unable to put it into print.

LH photo view from bank by gate, north to sea; sallow clump on right.
Photo #2 view of site from east.

One of the resident foxes seemed just a little lost: where would it find its food, now ?

Also visited Walsey Hills NOA, to see progress of work there. There will probably be another 'push' on the weekend, as nothing much more had been cleared. (I hope I'm not doing them down.) The remaining Buddleia was alive with butterflies- I'm sure they'll replace the ones they've had to remove (?). They were mostly Peacocks and Painted Ladies. A pristine Red Admiral avoided capture by camera, but this Small Tortoiseshell didn't.

A Wall showed its underwings well, along the path through the gorse at the top. As did this female Migrant Hawker.

mr.sim · Jul 29, 2009

An estimate of 600-700 Painted Ladies at Norfolk Lavender yesterday afternoon was a very impressive count!
Some close Little Terns past Holme powered West with a few waders, but not much else was of note...

James Emerson · Jul 29, 2009

The Seal & Bird Rescue Centre at Ridlington have lost a young Snowy Owl this morning (just reported on Radio Norfolk), so no-one get too excited if you see one around Bacton

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