Norfolk birding (26 Viewers)

More Skuas

a few more today watching from the lifeboat station at Wells. a flock of 5 Bonxies came in off the sea and circled quite high before drifting off ... East. A juv Pom followed, circled, gained height occasionally doing an odd Marsh Harrier-like plunge and went off not inland but high over the saltmarsh, again East.
Also another Bonxie sat on the beach and an Arctic harrassing, 2 Meds, RB Merg, 35 Snow Bunting towards Holkham with big flock of Rock and Meadow Pipits, Yellow-browed moving very quickly with the Tit flock just before Joe Jordan Hide, also 6 Redwing, 2 Siskin, a couple of wisps of Snipe seemingly migrating West.

Another, very vocal, Yellow-browed just south of Happisburgh at Whimpwell Green late this afternoon...

James

After a heavy week at work and massive stress with Sheila's Wheels I NEED to escape to the wilds of Norfolk BUT I am going to have to travel light (don't do light). Normally have a bootful of birding stuff, wool hat, sunhat, ice bag, flask, my lightweight emergency Blakeney Point rucksack, camera rucksack, pillow and blanket for naps, oh seawatching bag:-O, the list goes on.......:-O BUT tomorrow I have leave in the dark, walk for 35 minutes to catch the earliest bus available then walk for another hour and a half and arrive 2 hours after high tide!!!!!:-C and carry ONE rucksack (this is going to be difficult!!!!) hmmmm... what do I leave out? .... ok flask is going to have to go..... sunhat? No its October must be woolly hat weather.....coolpix, slr or both, scope....... oh dear will have to sort rucksack in a minute!!!!!!!:eek!:

Have a good weekend everyone:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

rob lee said:

I should imagine they are all from Donana. Its seems that quite a few moved north at the end of the summer (re the flock in Ireland). Whether these birds are part of that original group that has now split up i dont know. Anybody with any idea of how many are around the British Isles & Ireland at the moment ?

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Just read on the BTO website that there were at least 37 different birds present in the country in September, making this the largest influx of Glossy Ibis in the UK on record.

What do people think seawatching will be like tomorrow please? I'm pondering whether to go out (and also where). Don't think there'll be many passerines given the low pressure still across Scandanavia though...

Hi Sue

I haven't been down as far as the point at Lynn but only because i value the Suspension on my car as i've heard the track is on the rough side ?? Also don't get me onto the Royals/Guns/Land discussion as i don't fancy a ban from BF !! The Manx at Meadow Lane would have been a great sight, i suppose the observer was at a game and easily distracted by the dross being served up on the pitch. I can say that as they are my team !!

Mr Sim as per the previous posts r.e Skuas etc , go on and be brave, have a poke about in the Wash area and see what you can find. The birds will be your own and if something extra special is in the area you can have the immense satisfaction of finding it yourself. Good Luck !!!!

Steve

If I dont go to the coast, I'll be at my patch, which is Denver Sluice, so I'll be able to see if anything comes down through the Wash and over land - it has before!

I was at Holme today from around 9.30-11. 3 Yellow wagtails were the only birds of note.
While there we constantly looked at the sea, I didn't see any Little Auks ? Obviously they could have gone through early but it seems strange there have been no east coast records of little auk this autumn apart from a few from northumberland mid september ? But records from Holme keep popping up ? Intriguing

Titchwell was saved today by the very obliging Jack Snipes, the rest of the reserve was virtually birdless

As Stu says, strange how many Little Auks have passed Holme over the last few weeks. Considering there have been virtually no other east coast records, plus Little Auk in Norfolk is unusual before late Oct/early Nov.
Selection of pics of one of the Titchwell Jack snipes at http://kellingnaturegallery.fotopic.net/c1763510.html

John

Was also at Holme seawatching from the firs this morning between 7:20 and 9:05. Highlights were:
Gannet- 13
Common Scoter- 104
Velvet Scoter- 1 seen in flight with a flock of 43 common.
Red throated Diver- 2
Great Northern Diver- 1
Guillemot- 1
Arctic Skua- 1
Common Tern- 2
Sandwich Tern- 2
Brent Goose- 16
Snipe- 13
Didn't see any Little Auks either.
Then tried for Yellow browed Warbler at Holkham with no success and had an uneventful walk at Warham Greens. Then a brief seawatch at Salthouse this afternoon produced a close in Arctic Skua east.
Would like to try for the Jack Snipe at Titchwell tomorrow, where abouts are they anyone whos seen them?
Max

The Jack Snipe were seen from the Fen Hide.

john miller said:

As Stu says, strange how many Little Auks have passed Holme over the last few weeks. Considering there have been virtually no other east coast records, plus Little Auk in Norfolk is unusual before late Oct/early Nov.
Selection of pics of one of the Titchwell Jack snipes at http://kellingnaturegallery.fotopic.net/c1763510.html

John

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very nice shots John - hopefully I'll get lucky with them in the next few days.

Same as Stuart - Jack Snipes saved the day!!!

Left my house in the dark with my serious 'Highlander' rucksack - opted to take small flask in the end, but regretably left SLR at home - walked for half an hour, caught bus at hospital, Lynn and arrived Hunstanton bus station 7.22am. Walked through the gardens along top of cliffs, very blustery day. Several seawatchers in one of the huts who had only seen so far 1 red breasted merganser and several common scooter. While standing with them a juv. kestrel was flying over sea west. Carried on and 5 blackbirds and 2 hedgesparrows were in the lighthouse garden along with a party of 9ish linnets on cliff top.

A rock pipit flew in to the dunes at Old Hunstanton. Carried on to 'The Links' (just before the golf course) and had at least 5 greenfinches (now 8.30am). Nothing much else on route, but a good number of meadow pipits in the Saltings area (opposite the 5-bar gate, half way down the Firs Road at Holme) in a brief moment of sunshine along with 2 little egrets and 1 redshank. Throughout the day skeins of pinkfeet landed on Holme Marsh. Whilst sitting for a coffee in the NWT Forestry area 3 Snipe flew over west at 10.05am and at 10.35 approx 15+ housemartins flew through west.

Holme Bird Observatory - goldfinches and chaffinches on the feeders from the hide along the bank.

Had a hot chocolate and bar of chocolate at The Firs and then walked back along the road - just after the pay hut by the River Hun a family of long tailed tits were in a sycamore with 1 chiffchaff. I also was watching several house martins circuiting round above me when I noticed one had what looked like tail streamers!!!!!:eek!: phoned a few people for advice and then luckily Garry Hibbard was just driving past and I asked him to have a look - it was a house martin, but it looked really odd!!!!!

Redwell Marsh Reserve - at least a thousand pinkfeet got up over the fields when a helicopter went over. Couple of black tailed godwits here, teal, coot, moorhen, but not much else, pools very low. Followed the track through to the Hun Bridge hoping for a YBW or something!!! but no luck. Carried on to....

Holme Marsh Reserve - 2.45pm by the village pond bumped into Ray R. who kindly gave me a lift round the village to the 3 hides. A great spotted woodpecker called and then bounded off on parking the car. 1 jay, some interesting farm ducks on the water. BUT could not really see the pool, reeds grown up too high, but a good clearing had been cut directly in front of the first hide. Dodgy ponies still about! Ray went in hide 2, I stayed in hide 1 and then I decided to go to Titchwell. Walked at a fast pace through village and just made the 4.50pm bus to Titchwell!

Titchwell RSPB - several well known faces were in the shop inc. J.F., M.G., E.M etc etc! From the Fen Hide - amazing views of the 2 Jack Snipe 4.15 to 4.50pm - very close to hide along with 5 Common Snipe - was good to compare the two along side each other. Only bad thing was - not having my SLR:-C would have got some bril shots here, but had to make do with record shots with Coolpix through glass! Cameras were going off like machine guns!!! Starting to spit with rain, left here and went to my parents for an hour and then got the 6.15pm bus back to King's Lynn and then had to walk another half an hour after that home!!!

I AM TIRED!

I MISS MY CAR:-C!!!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

RE: Little Auks at Holme on pager today - no one knows who it was that put the news out - it wasn't any staff at HBO?

Just returned from a Norfolk break :t:. A report can be seen on my blog, if anyone is interested :t:

Still feeling gutted over my Firecrest pics at Holkham :-C :-C :-C (See blog :eek!: )

Very quiet but a few good birds :t:

stu_white said:

While there we constantly looked at the sea, I didn't see any Little Auks ? Obviously they could have gone through early but it seems strange there have been no east coast records of little auk this autumn apart from a few from northumberland mid september ? But records from Holme keep popping up ? Intriguing

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I saw a funny little Auk (with a small 'L' this morning). It was very small, short faced however it had a white underwing which ruled out Little Auk and Puffin, also it didn't have the feel of a Little Auk, not long winged etc, superficially pretty similiar to Little Auk, think it was probably a young Razorbill, either that or is it feasible after the Tufted Puffin there is a multitude of Pacific Alcids lurking of the Norfolk coast - no :-O

Hoopoe

Dave Appleton said:

If anyone's passing by Snettisham you might want to check out a very unconfirmed report of a possible Hoopoe. The wife of a colleague (not a birder) saw a bird in a recent evening (Wednesday I think) close to the roundabout at the top end of Snettisham bypass, looking towards Ken Hill Wood. Sounds like she saw it whilst driving past and the nearest thing she could think of is Hoopoe, which she's seen abroad. The next nearest thing she could think of was Jay which she is familiar with, but apparently it wasn't one. No idea what she saw on it that made her think of Hoopoe. I was just asked if one had been reported in the area, not told because she was in any way sure enough to think that it warranted a visit. Nevertheless, I imagine it's an area that's not often watched and where a Hoopoe could feasibly occur, so worth checking out if anyone's in the area.

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On my way out yesterday, I had a trundle round some likely spots at Snettisham, the bypass bit and off the Common Road, just on the off chance. Didn't have any luck but there's plenty of places for a Hoopoe to hide. Will keep a weather eye open if I'm passing that bit again, just in case!

Irene

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew if it's possible to walk to Colney GP's and/or Whitlingham CP from UEA campus? I keep hearing of interesting birds turning up every now and then and so i figured its worth making a trip to visit these sites. Can anybody give me the directions please? Also, are there any entry fees?

Thanks in advance
Steffan W

Elmore_Birder said:

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew if it's possible to walk to Colney GP's and/or Whitlingham CP from UEA campus? I keep hearing of interesting birds turning up every now and then and so i figured its worth making a trip to visit these sites. Can anybody give me the directions please? Also, are there any entry fees?

Thanks in advance
Steffan W

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You could walk from UEA to Whitlingham but it would take a while as it must be at least 4 miles! Best off getting a bike. Entry as far as I'm aware is free. Colney GP's are I believe private but you can view part of the pits from the road. Again, a bike would be preferable to walking.

The Brecks

Cracking flock of 40+ Crossbills at santon downham today, quite a few red males, lots of juvs which was good to see and a few blotchy orange first winter male types. Very nice. with the lack of coastal migrants it was nice to do some inland woodland birding. Also saw a very smart male firecrest. Very brief attempt at a pre-migratory flock of stone curlew but didn't have time to hunt them down. 5 cranes are still in the lakeheath area but we failed to locate them

Elmore_Birder said:

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew if it's possible to walk to Colney GP's and/or Whitlingham CP from UEA campus? I keep hearing of interesting birds turning up every now and then and so i figured its worth making a trip to visit these sites. Can anybody give me the directions please? Also, are there any entry fees?

Thanks in advance
Steffan W

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Whitlingham is free unless you want to pay to park a car in the car park. Always seems an odd thing to do, as you can park along the road for free. It's a decent enough little site as long as you don't get your hopes up too high - not everywhere in Norfolk is stiff with rarities! (Mind you, I've always considered that the '96 Black-and-white Warbler sucked all the rarity potential out of the site for years!)

Cheers and good luck!

Andy

A few hours in the Waxham/Horsey/West Somerton/Martham area this morning. Highlight was a Bittern stood in a field about 500m south of Horsey Mill on the west side of the road - certainly the first time I've ever picked up one from a moving car! Also Cranes, about 500 Pinks and a late Hobby at Martham Broad. Decided not to bother with the dunes, given the west wind, so once I got home again I was obviously delighted to hear of a Wryneck by the pill box!

Andy