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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk birding (136 Viewers)

Yo.

Suffolk is indeed a very good place to watch birds. I am not going to deny it. It does have a good reserve in minsmere, great habitats, a bit commercialised, probably 2 in 10 who visit are actual birdwatchers, it feels like a theme park at times, but overall, pretty decent. So it has minsmere and you have listed birds seen? We can all do that. On the whole, Suffolk can't compare to Norfolk for birdwatching. Norfolk is far more superior. You only have to look at the people who visit, purely for birding or the people who retire here for birding. They come here because they are guaranteed to see something worth while, at any time of the year.

We can argue day and night about this. We know both counties are brilliant birding venues. I know Norfolk is the better county, I know you do too.

Regards.
 
Of course I do...that wasnt what i was debating. You only have to compare the annual yearlists for Norfolk and Suffolk to see as a whole county Norfolk wins hands down and indeed it beats all other counties in the British Ilses.
The debate is over the small area of contested land in north Suffolk. The birds I listed were purely from this very small area of land...I clearly didnt include all of my patch..just the area from Hopton north. This area I still maintain is as consistently good as many single spot sites in Norfolk and thus is worth having for a counties records, contrary to your comment..
Like I said its a harsh forum area for me to continue this debate on and noones gonna back me up obviously..we get all this stick from the Yarmouth Bird Club too...im used to it..no worries:)
 
Over the last few days I've finally managed to see more species of "common" migrant for the year than rare migrants (after a trip to Suffolk for some year ticks), with House and Sand Martins plus Willow Warbler at Whitlingham yesterday along with Swallow at Colney.
A walk in the Tas Valley, Swardeston on Tuesday produced plenty of Chiffy's, singing Blackcap, Marsh Tit and a Little Egret following the "river". There are at least 20 Yellowhammers on the farmland and a stoat stood to attention 5 metres from me. Finally, I managed to see 1 male Brambling of a flock of 4 (3 males) that my neighbour had seen in the garden, while a Tawny Owl has been showing well for over a week from about 7pm and may be checking out the owl box my neighbour has put up in the hope of attracting Barn Owl.

Chris
 
All this 'my county is better than your county' chitchat is totally trivial and thoroughly entertaining. As to which list list things go on ...

Have you stopped to consider though what's going to happen to your British list when/if Scotland gets independance? Crossing off ptarmigan/crested tit/capercaillie etc is going to hurt, especially for anyone who has just hit a big number...;)

Gordon
 
Have seen more birds in the Cley Square than north east Suffolk, Lothingland.

The Corton area has had some exceptional birds and I tend to bypass Yarmouth to get to Stirrups Lane Corton and places south of there. Easier to watch than Blakeney Point.

As for Scotland I need capercaillie. :C Only indigenous crested tit, ptarmigan and Scottish Crossbill north of the border (the latter not split by UK400). So only three extra species over England alone. (Short-billed dowitcher Greatham Creek Teeside not Rosehearty north of Aberdeen)

King eider, white-tailed eagle, otter and dare I say corncrake in NORFOLK. Eagle and otter in Suffolk too.B :)
 
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Titchwell April 8th

Today's highlights

Osprey - 1 west over reserve @ 15:45
Twite - 5 on beach early morning
Firecrest - 1 near feeders in morning but very elusive
Common buzzard - 3 west
Sandwich tern - 1 offshore
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Yellow wagtail - 1 on fresh marsh
Marsh harrier - good passage west today. I had at least 10 west in a hour at lunchtime

Paul
 
Cortonbirds.

Of course it's all a piece of fun, my county is better than yours and vice versa, thank goodness we are both fortunate enough to live in counties that produces great birds.

Regards.
Billy.
 
Beautiful sunny day.

On the way up to the coast a Red Kite flew over Edgefield heading North at 13:30.

At Salthouse about 5 Sandwich terns passed but not much else was seen
 
Wotta Wotta Pipit !

In a day of little, the Water Pipit at Titchwell was the undoubted highlight. Although not yet very pink on the breast, its head is strikingly marked, with a strong, white supercilium and dark grey sides to the face.

I would urge anyone who digiscopes well to try and capture this. I’m afraid my shot is only a vague indication, but I hope it serves as a spur.

I managed to leave the place 10 minutes before the Osprey flew over. Ah well.

BTW, did anyone propose a Norfolk & Suffolk unitary authority ? That'd solve a few problems, no ?
 

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firstreesjohn said:
In a day of little, the Water Pipit at Titchwell was the undoubted highlight. Although not yet very pink on the breast, its head is strikingly marked, with a strong, white supercilium and dark grey sides to the face.

I would urge anyone who digiscopes well to try and capture this. I’m afraid my shot is only a vague indication, but I hope it serves as a spur.

I managed to leave the place 10 minutes before the Osprey flew over. Ah well.

BTW, did anyone propose a Norfolk & Suffolk unitary authority ? That'd solve a few problems, no ?
Click to expand...

Smart bird. The Water Pips at Buckenham (up to 12 the other day) have been looking very smart too - I have a reasonable photo on my blog taken in drizzle.
Dawn this morning 26 Avocet, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1-2 Water Pipits.
Cheers
Jono
 
Today's highlights

Today's highlights

Black necked grebe - 1 in summer plumage offshore
Green woodpecker - 1 around visitor centre
Green sandpiper - 1 on pool east of Fen Hide
Yellow wagtail - 5+ around the reserve
White wagtail - 15+ around reserve
Water pipit - summer plumaged bird on fresh marsh still
Red crested pochard - pair on grazing marsh pool
Peregrine - 1 west
Twite - 3 west

Paul
 
Happisburgh today, few common migrants. 3 Wheatear, 1 White Wagtail, 2 Sand Martin the highlights, details on the blog.
Cheers,
Jim.
 
The Beast of Blakeney

Has anyone else come across this territorial, and rather foolish, male pheasant?
Having set off at dawn on Weds from Cley Coastguards towards Blakeney Point, I was soon confronted by a male Pheasant along the south side. It was spoiling for a fight - I walked right up to it and it started to peck at my boots. I then decided to walk away, but whichever way I turned it ran in front of me and started to jump up at me. I have seen this behaviour often with other pheasants, but not to another species!
After ten minutes it started to get on my nerves as I couldnt actually walk onwards without kicking it out of the way. At that point I decided to walk down to the sea, thinking it wouldnt follow and would be put off by the water. However, it simply followed me. I then continued to walk quickly in the surf as it ran alongside me. This is no exageration - it continued alongside right up to Halfway house, at least a mile. At this point it tired, and stopped, slowly heading back to along the coast. I felt quite sorry for it at this point.
On the return walk I was amused to encounter it again - this time it had found a couple to harrass and follow, at which point I managed to photograph it...
 

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Vespa said:
Has anyone else come across this territorial, and rather foolish, male pheasant?
Having set off at dawn on Weds from Cley Coastguards towards Blakeney Point, I was soon confronted by a male Pheasant along the south side. It was spoiling for a fight - I walked right up to it and it started to peck at my boots. I then decided to walk away, but whichever way I turned it ran in front of me and started to jump up at me. I have seen this behaviour often with other pheasants, but not to another species!
After ten minutes it started to get on my nerves as I couldnt actually walk onwards without kicking it out of the way. At that point I decided to walk down to the sea, thinking it wouldnt follow and would be put off by the water. However, it simply followed me. I then continued to walk quickly in the surf as it ran alongside me. This is no exageration - it continued alongside right up to Halfway house, at least a mile. At this point it tired, and stopped, slowly heading back to along the coast. I felt quite sorry for it at this point.
On the return walk I was amused to encounter it again - this time it had found a couple to harrass and follow, at which point I managed to photograph it...
Click to expand...

its me, ive metamorphasised into a pheasant, they've been putting strange stuff in the water recently
 

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