Norfolk birding (7 Viewers)

As far as looking at Norfolk (or anywhere else) from aerial/road/hybrid photography is concerned this one is my favourite, you get a nice big screen coverage..

http://local.live.com/

Matt

Cheers NospringChicken - I've bookmarked the sights and will have look at them in more detail tomorrow.

Is Wherry the local hooch, a particularly good ale or will asking that question give the locals a good laugh???

thanks
Gordon

Wherry is tops. Had some in the Nelson tonight!

many swallows heading north this evening - 200 per hour perhaps

6 Wheatears, and a couple of new village birds: flyover Blackwits and a Grey Plover. Hairy Dragonfly also

And a report of possible Isabelline Wheatear on Tues at Mundesley

Watch out for WWB Terns in next few days... they're all over The Netherlands etc...

Oh and the Boner is still around Rush Hill. It's been around all week but often very elusive / around Swim Coots area...

Tim Allwood said:

Wherry is tops. Had some in the Nelson tonight!

many swallows heading north this evening - 200 per hour perhaps

6 Wheatears, and a couple of new village birds: flyover Blackwits and a Grey Plover. Hairy Dragonfly also

And a report of possible Isabelline Wheatear on Tues at Mundesley

Watch out for WWB Terns in next few days... they're all over The Netherlands etc...

Oh and the Boner is still around Rush Hill. It's been around all week but often very elusive / around Swim Coots area...

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Hi Tim
Do you know if the Bonaparts can be seen from Weavers way early in the morning / late evening? or is it a boat ride only?
Thanks Sue

Couple of Yellow Wags at Waxham on the way to work this morning

can't wait for the weekend - and the Norfolk birders' curry tomight!

Sue - PM on its way

Med gulls - Cley/Salthouse

Two adults last night, very vocal in flight over Beach Rd at 1925 and looking to come down. Again 2 adults reported at Cley this morning plus another two younger birds......perhaps looking to settle down somewhere for the summer?

2nd day of Holiday!!!!!

Arrived Holme 9am (later than I wanted to! 7.5 tide at 8.05am) main beach and walked up to Old Hunstanton beach chalets. Absolutely stunning warm, windy day. Lots of movement this end of coast. Will have to make this shortish, as got to get ready for birders curry night

4 yellow wagtails, at least 5 cuckoos, 3 turtle doves and another 4 later!!!, kestrel, 9 sandwich terns, 3 little terns, 3 wheatears, 20 grey plover, 50 sanderling, marsh harrier going over sea west!!, 2 greenfinches, 60 linnets, 80 oystercatchers, 2 beautiful green hairstreaks, 3 orange tips, common whitethroat. Walked back around back of bungalows (nr pay hut) and saw: 2 male yellow hammers, 2 blackcaps, 2 willow warblers.

Walking back along road and at Redwell Marsh (12.30pm): song thrush, little egret, pair gadwall, pair of shoveler, lapwing on nest. Walked to end of road, had sandwiches by car, drove back down road, and went to forestry (1.15pm) (half way down Firs road). Another 4 turtle doves!, 2 willow warblers singing, 12 linnets, 1 whimbrel going over, 2 greenfinchs, common whitethroat, 2 blackcaps singing. Sat by Gore Point and amusingly watched a cuckoo being chased by 4 meadow pipits!!. 2 small coppers. Walked back to car, had 40 winks in car in sunshine, back to parents for cup of tea and home to Lynn.

Have a good day tomorrow everyone

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. My mother had 12 gannets (in ones and twos) and 2 red breasted mergansers very early morning.

So, not too bad a day then Penny

took the footpath south of Breydon Water this morning. Bad timing with the tide but still, werent bad.

2 Cetti's / Sedgies singing etc. 4 Little Egrets, a few Redshank & Avocet flying about, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Marsh Harrier being mobbed by the local Lapwings & Oystercatchers. very nice in-flight view of a sole Bearded Tit with c5(?) more pinging away in the reedbed. A few Common Terns & 1 Little Tern

Up the coast later this afternoon. 1 Hobby over Waxham Barn drifted north, 1 Cuckoo calling near Poplar farm

fem Red-foot through Waxham, Sea Palling, Eccles etc
Boner still on Rush Hill
and a stunning Alpine Swift over the dunes at Waxham. Coming down very low and often flying directly at you. Had to almost prostrate myself on one occasion when it came so close and fast that all i could see was 'Alpine Swift brown' in the bins...

didn't manage it from the house though. Finished off with Cranes and a magnificent orange sunset at Waxham

oh, and if you go to Hickling, park sensibly - there's no need to park on the farm track past the church - that's for the farmer and his farm vehicles. You see?

Tim

Spent the last two nights camping at Stiffkey.
18th May - Didn't realise this is such a good site for Grey Partridge! 4 walking around the tents out in the open. Also had over 100 brent geese still in area and the (very vocal) adult Med Gulls flew over the tent in the evening. Earlier saw them over Cley. Also saw one adult Med Gull in Blakney Harbour in the afternoon
19th May - Finally got round to seeing the Bonaparte's at Hickling - Almost as exciting as the Iberian Chiffy! - but it was a Norfolk tick
also here: hobby, Beardies etc etc
Finished the afternoon with the stunning Alpine Swift at Horsey - What a great bird...Showing well
Sacha

Hi all, how do you acess Rush Hills Scrape without going through the NWT?

Cheers,
Connor

Had an AWESOME DAY

First of all, this should really be on the Suffolk thread - sorry, but have got so used to writing on here!!!

Today with advice from fellow curry members at Norfolkbirders Curry Night! (thanks for a lovely evening everyone) that a south west wind would not bring any rarities I headed off over the border to Suffolk! (turtle dove on route)

Arrived Lakenheath 7.45am (after not too many hours sleep!) Beautiful sunny morning, already quite a few cars in the carpark, which I expected at Oriole time, plus the fact the visitor centre officially opened on Thursday.

As I walked along the bank saw lots of mute swans, great crested grebes, reed and sedge warblers, common whitethroats, heard a grasshopper warbler by metal gate by large willow on corner. Could hear the wonderful sounds of the orioles - such a magical song. Saw brilliant views of both male and female Golden Orioles together in the tallest poplar at 8am. And at one point 4 together!!! - they were very active at this time and were flying about, back and forth through the golden leaves of the poplars - so stunning to watch in glorious sunshine! Heard a green woodpecker calling in the wood. 2 male gargeney on the scrape. 3 common terns fishing, gadwalls, heron, blackcap singing. Blackbird feeding young nearby. 10am - Walked up further (a long way) to view the cranes and on route someone had spotted 2 hobbys on edge of next poplar wood. 2 birders I had been talking to who I recognised (but didn't they names!) walked on ahead of me as I watching a hairy dragonfly and a 4 spotted chaser - when I next caught them up they had seen a Red Kite! - bother, didn't think I would have any hope of catching up with it later! Anyway watching over the massive reed beds at this end of reserve we all saw a pair of marsh harriers, more hobbys, and suddenly erupting out of the reeds 2 Cranes got up and flew across to a scrape in middle distance - WOW - so lucky to see that! Norman Sills came across and had a chat and then I walked down the bank to join the RSPB trail back behind the poplar woods to carpark for my sandwiches which I now wish I had brought with me! Could hear the wonderful fluting calls of the orioles as I walked past the woods. Suddenly the Red Kite appeared from nowhere! - watched it for quite a while, brilliant! Saw some crisp male reed buntings on way back to carpark and close views of a cuckoo. Went into the new visitor centre first of all, as needed the ladies desperately!! And on that note the BEST loos on a visitor centre yet, choice of dryer/paper towls and even a full length mirror! The visitor centre was of course very smart inside, with interpretation boards etc, sightings board etc etc. The scrape directly in front of visitor centre looks brilliant. There were several round picnic tables/chairs in place between centre and carpark and new tree plantings, it looked very good. Had my lunch by car and then decided to have a nap. I knew I was going to be tired after previous nights drive and had bought a proper feather pillow with me today!!! I went to sleep on back seat for (can't believe this!) 3 hours!!!!!!! (1.30-4.30pm) Had a cup of tea and oatcakes and slowly got my self together and then left - went home a different route, worked out on map there wasn't much difference mileage and went to Flitcham where AT LAST I saw the little owl sunning himself in the base of the oak tree, along with female marsh harrier, greylags with goslings, shelducks, mute swans etc etc and a great spotted woodpecker bounded across the marsh. Also a jackdaw was playing with a gun cartridge, very amusing to watch, kept picking it up, dropping it and flying with it! Lovely day, working tomorrow (bother!)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Sunday 27th will be coming down to Titchwell with a car full of Tykes....any of you Norfolk boys (or girls) fancy a mini meet for a days birding?

Keith Dickinson said:

Sunday 27th will be coming down to Titchwell with a car full of Tykes....any of you Norfolk boys (or girls) fancy a mini meet for a days birding?

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Hi Keith

Have a good day in Norfolk - nice of you to ask but sorry I am working all that day.

Best Wishes Penny

Connor Rand said:

Hi all, how do you acess Rush Hills Scrape without going through the NWT?

Cheers,
Connor

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Follow the path north east of potter heigham village?, you can park near the church.

Matt

ps You might get lucky with Willow Tit on the path through the woods!!

nice few hours up the east coast - several Yellow Wagtails looking very nice, c4 out at Winterton Holmes, one on top of the barn in the sunshine and another calling / parachuting into the crops. couple more around & about .
4 Wheatears by Bramble Hill gap and 3 more on fence posts , Little Terns, Curlew, 1 Crane in the distance, Green Woodpecker, Marsh Harriers (thought, or rather hoped, one was a Montagu's but it wasn't). best find was a Lesser Whitethroat between the end theNelson Head track and horsey NT car park.

bacon roll & mug of tea at the mill, £2.90

Went to Strumpshaw Fen yesterday afternoon in the hope of seeing my first Swallowtail of the year. Unfortunately failed (too windy, I think) but saw all the usual suspects as well as a couple of Tree Creepers and a very nice Great Spotted Woodpecker.

The real highlight came in evening when we were walking back to the woods from the river at the eastern side. The Barn Owl which had been sitting on a branch by its box all afternoon took off and was joined by another from near the Fen Hide. We spent about half an hour watching them quartering the water meadow with about six Chinese Water Deer popping their heads up from the tall grass underneath them. Two Barn Owls and a Chinese Water Deer in the binoculars at the same time - fantastic!

Ron

matt green said:

You might get lucky with Willow Tit on the path through the woods!!

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Really?? Has anyone had them there recently? Be great if they had - Willow is now incredibly hard to find around the Broads... and actually, in Norfolk as a whole. I only know of one or two decent sites now.

Well, todays birding could have gone better to say the least... Started at Over Fen in Cambs where the Semi-pee was no-where to be seen. After this went to Hickling Broad NWT to look for the Bonapartes Gull. Scanned Rush Hills Scrape to no avail and then went on boat trip... While at Swim Coots message came up to say it was on Rush Hills but by the time we got there it had gone!! Myself and another birder did manage to hear a distant Quail near the observation tower and just as we arrived back at the visitor centre a superb Montagu's Harrier drifted overhead! Things were looking up and then it was on to Cley NWT. The Temmincks Stint was eventually added from Daukes Hide but then I discovered I had missed a Pec Sand by ten minutes! It wasnt looking good but luckily a walk around to North Scrape produced reasonable views of the Sandpiper. Then finished with two male Monties at a private site.

Connor

General birding in the last few days

Thursday & Friday I did a two day guided tour for a visiting birder.

A total of 116 species were recorded, with the main highlights being 4 Montagu's Harriers, 6+ Nightjars with a male displaying right in front of us this was at Dersingham bog we had nice views of a singing Firecrest, stunning views of male Bearded Tit at 12'0 at Cley, at Lakenheath we had 3 Golden Orioles perched and another single male perched as well as 2 more flying over, also here 5 Garganey incl of 4 drakes and great views of Grasshopper Warbler reeling. At Weeting 1pr of Stone Curlew with young and 2 other non breeding birds present.

Other noteworthy birds were 1 Ruff at Cley, Little Ringed Plover at Cley, 1 Wheatear at Cley, Tree Sparrow & Corn Bunting at Choseley, 3 Turtle Doves & 2-3 Cuckoo at Holme. Friday evening Hi-tide roost at Holme - 500 Sanderling, 100 Grey Plover, 100 Oystercatcher, 2 Knot, 70 Sandwich Tern, 4 Little Tern. In the Sennowe area we had 6 Buzzard, 3 Hobby, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Grey Wagtail.

Insects on the wing were:-

Butterflies:- Large & Small White,10+ Brimstone , 5 Red Admiral, 1-2 Peacock, 5 Small Copper, 1 Brown Argus.
Dragon/damselflies:- 4 Spot Chaser, Southern Hawker (yes I know its early!!), Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed & Banded Damesoille, plenty of hairies at lakenheath.

Today I went up to Swanton Novers and had Redpoll & bullfinch, but for the first time in 3 years I couldn't find any Firecrest. At the Ryburgh watchpoint 5+ Hobby, 5+ Buzzard, 2 Spars, & 3 Cranes over - if it hadn't been for them calling they would never have been seen as they were high & overhead.

For anyone interested in the Hunnies - they are proving difficult at present and have been seen from both Ryburgh and Swanton.

Spent the rest of the afternoon try to photograph damselflies, 100's of Azure & 20+ Banded Damesoille along the Wensum.

Cheers Chris