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Norfolk birding (123 Viewers)

Titchwell May 14th

Today's highlights

Whinchat - 1 on grazing meadow
Common sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Peregrine - 1 over fresh marsh
Bittern - 1 booming in reedbed
Red crested pochard - 2 drakes on grazing meadow pool

Paul
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone regarding my last post. Yes Josh we're ladies!!! (to quote a comedy sketch) and yes David that was me you were speaking to - nice to meet you. Been a while since I posted one of my day trips so it was overdue and it was a perfectly appropriate opportunity to get the ball rolling again. I'm not always that lucky but go to a site where you know there's lots of birds. Take your time, concentrate, be focused, enjoy whatever birds are on offer, and its surprising what else can turn up sometimes.

Steve.
 
Zakopane

Hi Folks,
sorry to be a bit off message and very off location but I'm going to Zakopane in southern Poland next month and I reckon that this great forum is the best place to tell me what I should be looking for - so many well traveled experts!. Any opinions on birding possibilities are much appreciated.
 
Titchwell May 15th

Today's highlights

Spotted flycatcher - 1st bird of the year on the East Trail this morning
Bittern - 1 still booming
Hobby - 2 over Fen Hide
Red crested pochard - 4 drakes on grazing meadow pool
Wood sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Common sandpiper - 2 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 2 on fresh marsh

Paul
 
Fantastic day walking from Cantley to Brundall. Marsh Harriers showing off and a couple of Hobbies doing likewise. I had failed to see a Cuckoo so far this year but this was remedied with five sightings over the course of the walk. A lack of waders despite ideal conditions with 17 Avocet and 2 Ruff the best I could manage. The 2nd-summer Little Gull showed superbly from the Tower Hide at Strumpshaw for 5 mins before flying south. Highlight of the day, however, were the two Common Cranes that lifted off the marshes at Cantley and flew north. I gather these birds were seen earlier at Strumpshaw so they seem pretty mobile in this general area.

Will
 
Hello Will.

Glad to hear you had some good birding in the area too. That stretch along the River Yare really is very good at the moment. I would recommend it to anyone struggling to find much on the coast at the moment to pop in there for a couple of hours and you shouldn't be disappointed.

Steve.
 
mike46norfolk said:
Hi Folks,
sorry to be a bit off message and very off location but I'm going to Zakopane in southern Poland next month and I reckon that this great forum is the best place to tell me what I should be looking for - so many well traveled experts!. Any opinions on birding possibilities are much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Zakopane has most of the Central European forest birds; much is plantation forest, but along the hill and mountain streams and around the forest bogs the habitats are more varied. Forest birding is mostly hard slog, There should be local maps available of paths and tracks. The ski lift offers a very good opportunity for high-altitude species, and if it still operates in summer, you should explore that: it was closed for annual maintenance last time I visited in early May! Try trawling through Polish bird/ornithological websites - some do have a few English pages, but most will respond in English through their contact address.
MJB
 
Titchwell May16th

Today's highlights

Iceland gull - sub adult on fresh marsh until 08:10 then flew towards the beach
Bittern - booming male in reedbed
Spoonbill - 1 west early morning
Red crested pochard - 4 males around reserve
Spotted flycatcher - 1 briefly at start of east trail then moved to bushes by Island Hide
Turtle dove - 1 in scrub at start of east trail
Red kite - 1 over east trail late morning

Paul
 
Lovely evening at Kelling Meadows tonight - superb male Whinchat was the best bird, alongside more usual bits and pieces. My first visit there - great place.
 
Norfolk Bird Fair

Brief summary of the fabulous first Norfolk Bird Fair today at Mannington Hall, Norfolk. I decided it was worthy of its own thread on BF:t:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=283073

Full account and pictures on my blog this evening.

If any of you were thinking about going, then go and any of you who were not going, well you should be!!! Stunning location and lots of different exhibitors than at Rutland.:t::t::t:

Also my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year there and a Noctule Bat flying round the moated hall!
 
The spring birding campaign almost certainly peaked for me today with two very pleasing finds.

I was up on North Dunes at Winterton with Tim Hemmings at around 8.30 this morning when we picked up at least 2 Bee-eaters on call as they flew over. We tried hard to pick them up visually but unfortunately they flew right into the glare of the sun before we could get onto them and the gradually diminishing calls suggested they carried on south. I actually wasn't that bothered about not seeing them - just knowing that I was in the presence of such marvellous birds then and there was reward enough.

Two hours later and I was walking the Nelson Track at Horsey where I came across two interesting looking birds in the field south of there which turned out to be Dotterel. Couldn't believe my luck. Fortunately, these birds did stick around for the rest of the day and were still present at dusk.

What with other migrants including Whimbrel, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail. Sightings of resident birds such as Crane and Stonechat and good views of various butterflies and dragonflies it really was a wholly rounded good solid day with some unexpected goodies.

Steve.
 
Last edited:
Stratton Birder said:
The spring birding campaign almost certainly peaked for me today with two very pleasing finds.

I was up on North Dunes at Winterton with Tim Hemmings at around 8.30 this morning when we picked up at least 2 Bee-eaters on call as they flew over. We tried hard to pick them up visually but unfortunately they flew right into the glare of the sun before we could get onto them and the gradually diminishing calls suggested they carried on south. I actually wasn't that bothered about not seeing them - just knowing that I was in the presence of such marvellous birds then and there was reward enough.

Two hours later and I was walking the Nelson Track at Horsey where I came across two interesting looking birds in the field south of there which turned out to be Dotterel. Couldn't believe my luck. Fortunately, these birds did stick around for the rest of the day and were still present at dusk.

What with other migrants including Whimbrel, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail. Sightings of resident birds such as Crane and Stonechat and good views of various butterflies and dragonflies it really was a wholly rounded good solid day with some unexpected goodies.

Steve.
Click to expand...

Well done steve you deserved that, i've always dreamed of finding my own bee-eater but still haven't! I did enjoy your dotterel late afternoon though, very nice thanks.
 
Penny Clarke said:
Brief summary of the fabulous first Norfolk Bird Fair today at Mannington Hall, Norfolk. I decided it was worthy of its own thread on BF:t:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=283073

Full account and pictures on my blog this evening.

If any of you were thinking about going, then go and any of you who were not going, well you should be!!! Stunning location and lots of different exhibitors than at Rutland.:t::t::t:

Also my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year there and a Noctule Bat flying round the moated hall!
Click to expand...

Looks fantastic, wish i'd gone now. Do they plan to do it again next year?
 
stuart white said:
Looks fantastic, wish i'd gone now. Do they plan to do it again next year?
Click to expand...
Well I did try my very best to sell it by my posting (see below) to encourage people to go on the Sunday;););) It was fantastic. I hope they are planning to do it next year, I guess so, I hope so!!!:t:

Full account of Day One HERE.

Penny:girl:
 
Penny Clarke said:
Well I did try my very best to sell it by my posting (see below) to encourage people to go on the Sunday;););) It was fantastic. I hope they are planning to do it next year, I guess so, I hope so!!!:t:

Full account of Day One HERE.

Penny:girl:
Click to expand...
Penny, I am in awe of the amount of work you have put into your report about the show. Brilliant work.:t: I wish I had attended. Maybe next year, if they repeat it.
 
Hi all,

Does anyone have a reliable spot for summer Tree Sparrow in Norfolk. Preferably near Norwich or accessible by public transport though anywhere would do. I've tried a few sites without success this spring... it's been ages since I've seen one. If the information is too sensitive for a public forum a private message would be appreciated.

Many thanks,

Will
 

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