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Norfolk birding (6 Viewers)

Titchwell July 29th

Today's highlights

Dunlin - 142 on fresh marsh
Black tailed godwit - 74 on fresh marsh
Common sandpiper - 4 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 22 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 84 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 5 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh
Green woodpecker - 1 in carpark

Paul
 
Full on wader fest today with over 20 spp without trying.

mid morning at Breydon:
Pacific Golden Plover showing in front of hide. Also c20 Little Gull, 2 Whimbrel, c50 Golden Plover, Greenshank, Hobby etc.

mid afternoon, Hickling NWT Rush Hills Scrape:
2 Curlew Sand, 1 Spotshank, 2 Greenshank, several Whimbrel, c50 Ruff, Sanderling, c50 Dunlin, 2 LRP, 3 Green Sand etc.
Cheers
Jono
 
Holt Country Park

Spotted flycatcher around the car park area yesterday evening, also treecreeper and mixed flock including several goldcrests
 
It was sunny but breezy early this morning at Cley. Between 6.15 and 7.50, 29 Manx Shearwaters looped past, most going East but 4 returning West later on. Also 1 adult Arctic Skua passed by. There was a steady procession of summer plumaged waders going West, most Bar-tailed Godwits (about 25) but also Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew and Knot. Also 40 -50 Gannet, 3 Fulmar, 1 Common Scoter, 3 Wigeon and 5 Tufted Duck. There is a bit of a lull on the wader front at the moment, with the only notable bird being 1 Common Sandpiper on Simmonds Scrape, also 1 Spoonbill and a female Sparrowhawk low over.

Mark Fleming

Quail still calling very early morning 1 mile South of Blakeney along Langham Road
 
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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.

I never quite understand the day permits at Cley. Most times I visit I tend to get there very early morning. The centre doesnt open until 10am, so I while I am perfectly happy to pay, I can't. Wouldn't a parking scheme such as at Titchwell work better and generate more revenue?
 
Titchwell July 30th

Today's highlights

Little ringed plover - 3 (1ad, 2 juvs) on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 2 on fresh marsh
Manx shearwater - 110 west in 45 mins

Paul
 
West Runton site to become WWT ?

Is there a cunning plan ?

Especially with species like the one this afternoon (below) now frequenting it.

Harbinger of winter; and I haven't had my summer holiday, yet.
 

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Weather today - thunderstorms, angry skies, hail, sun!!!

Went out to Holme for an evening's birding, being as all those not at work today were seeing tons of Manx Shearwaters, I thought I might possibly have a chance of the odd stragglers in the evening.

Stopped at Redwell Marsh on route and had 11 Black Tailed Godwits, 4 snipe and loads of black headed gulls and usual moorhens, coots and mixed;) ducks etc etc. 2 kestrels on wires next to the gate.

Parked car by 5-bar gate and walked along top coastal path. I was VERY, VERY lucky - I had a single Manx Shearwater shearing over the waves going west in the sunshine, half distance at about 8.50pm from Gore Point! Also 9 common scooter also going west. Another birder who had been down on the beach, came up to the board walk and when I told him what I had seen he was very pleased as he had seen it, but had not been totally sure what it was. I carried on watching thinking that after seeing one, there must be more, but that was it. Carried on through the pines and around observatory, past Firs and back along road. Unusually we did not see any barn owls.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
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Busy on the PC but with one eye on what's occuring...

White-rumped Sand at Welney WWT from Buxton hide and Pacific Goldie still at Breydon...

James
 
Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo, The (Lady) Birds ?

Hitchcock would have been in his element. Perhaps, Stephen King would have been interested, too.

The beach car park at Salthouse was alive with ladybirds (LH photo). They were flying with the easterly wind and, fortunately, hitting my specs. Many clung to my clothes and skin, giving a little nip, when they had a chance.

Walking towards Gramboro' was not pleasant. The air over the leeward slope of the Hill was thick with the blighters (RH photo).

Persevering, I did a curtailed version of my usual 'rounds' and hustled back to the car- and relative safety.

The estimate for the Painted Ladies was one billion. Anyone have a go at this lot ? Good luck !
 

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I've read a count of 9000 Ladybirds present on the NOA website!!

Happy Birding

Dean:t:

Yes, this was an absoulute minimum count around the observatory and dunes area in front of the pines, also many hoverflies (mostly Syrphus ribesii) and butterlies (particularly Large Whites) coming in off the sea - never seen anything like it! Report from the day and pictures on my site.
 
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Stunning views of the White Rumped Sandpiper from Buxton Hide this evening, amongst the Lapwings, Ruff and Dunlins this evening. Can't say on here how I managed to see this after reserve had closed, but thank you:t::t:;) The bad news was I left my camera in the car!!!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Willow Emerald Damselfly at Trimley (suffolk) today, So keep an eye out for other interesting dragonflies assosiated with this influx of insects, there are bound to be more out there. Particularly red and yellow viened darters at this time of the year.
PS interesting news that the GS cuckoo is still about, hope it gets pinned down again, didnt manage to see it last week!
Finally, if you go to Breydon, there is at least one full summer plumage Grey plover present....somebody drove up from Southampton yesterday and ticked the grey...they are obviously different but be warned for distant heat haze birds.
 
Walsey Hills update

The work has continued in earnest this weekend. As can be seen from the pix (and the tracks on the footpath), Mr Digger has been- and gone.

Jed and Chris were working tirelessly, when I arrived. The LH photo shows the slope immediately to the south of the building cleared and partially levelled. The next is the same view, but from the door, which was being re-hung. The next shot is not of an attempt to join physically with an antipodean bird observatory, but the excavation for the new pond.

Replacement Buddleias are planned for the even better, south-facing slope, to the immediate north of the building, which has already been cleared. More paths have been made, in addition to netting corridors.

A Small Copper showed well here. As did a Dark Arches moth.

Donations and financial contributions towards items such as outdoor tables and benches will be most gratefully received by the NOA.
 

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Gramboro' and beyond: the ladybirds continue on Norfolk (Lady) Birding

Even more today. 'Plague+' must now be the designation. Greater swarms were in the air and on the ground, crunching under one's feet- particularly within 50m of the sea at Salthouse (and Weybourne). Small children were yelping, after being nipped. Dogs were fractious. People were seen to make sudden, sweeping movements, brushing them off their skin and clothing.

There was not mushroom left on this fungoid for beetle-types.

Non-intensive searching produced half a dozenish Emperor Moth caterpillars- presumably what the Great Spotted Cuckoo had been juicily munching. (More of that bird in a mo.)

This Peacock gave itself up nicely, at the eastern end of the Hill.

A later foray to Weybourne, and a further and prolonged view of the Cuckoo was enjoyable. (Thanks, Dave, for the loan of your 'scope.) It was good that people who had missed it last week were now able to get on to it. An exciting few minutes occurred when another Cuckoo was spotted (sorry!). It soon revealed itself as Common.

'Ladybirds on an abstract sculpture' might be the caption for pic #4, whilst the last sight, on the edge of the sandy 'cliffs', was equally amazing.

Can they increase ? Do they know something we don't ?
 

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Will there still be seabird passage (esp. shearwaters/petrels) by next weekend, when I'm going to be down there?

Seabird passage is heavily dependent on weather conditions, so the short answer is "no-one knows!" At the moment passage is still very light as the wind has been south-westerly, there was a day when a lot of Manx Shearwaters were seen, but other than that its been the odd Shearwater or Skua. I wouldn't think you'll see a petrel in Norfolk in the next week, but stranger things have happened! If the winds are from the North then Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua and seaduck are likely.
 

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