Norfolk birding (14 Viewers)

[O.Reville1989]

Twitching before paching, Oli - I thought you were against that (didn't you see the Arctic Warbler?!?)

I expect the reason for the late news on the Dusky is the same as the first Olive-backed Pipit came out on the second day - a very commited patch worker who very rarely twitches other people's birds unless they are found by his birding friends!

PS How many differeny OBPs there now? At least 3???

Was a genuine statement as to the delay, frustrating for some but not everyone is glued to rba's hotline.
I did go to see the arctic warbler yesterday...difficult bird but needed the walk for the sake of my ankle.
Worked both patches and other locations for 7 hours today roughly, first birding in 3 weeks

 

[Songkhran]

Seabirds on!?

Birds beginning to move offshore now, 2 stints at Coastguards (leave it John ) produced 30 Bonxies and about 120 Little Gulls, 200 Kittiwake and highlight being a single Sooty Shearwater. Looks like a hearty Northern blow gathering overnight Friday...

Did a few local spots today, Thrushes seem to be moving inland to wintering areas, Ring Ouzels seen at Cley sewage works and Wiveton Downs and great numbers - 25 at least in just a few fields on my old stomping ground between Blakeney and Morston

 

[Mysterious]

thanks will post on what I find

 

[hampers]

In Norfolk Saturday for a few days and hoping that some of the large numbers of thrushes are still around. Can I ask for a bit of guidance on which area to start my day on Saturday, Cley/Salthouse or Holme/Titchwell. will chase rarities after caught up with some of the thrushes I hope. Any help gratefully accepted.

Thanks

Phil

 

[stuart white]

Does anyone have any high-quality images of groups of thrushes from this week's fall. I am after a pic of, e.g. a hawthorn hedge full of redwings or a field full of fieldfares for publication in a new book on British wildlife experiences. Please PM me if you have any suitable material and we can discuss!
thanks, James

In no way high quality, but captures some of the atmosphere, this is walking back down bones drove at Holkham yesterday. Amazing stuff

 

[birding maniac]

Hi all, will be down on Saturday for the week, staying in wells.
Just looking for a bit of info on some birds and sites
Where are Gun, East, Gramborough and any other hills? Never knowingly been to any of them but they all sound to have been good, I might walk them to check if anything is lingering, eg Rouzel, Black Redstart etc
Where do you park for the Arctic Warbler at Brancaster Staithe?
Where is likely to be the best site for viewing Little Auks if any start to pass, in the conditions that are predicted? Cley or Sheringham?
Thanks for any help! May bump into some of you next week.
Michael

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Gun hill is west of Burnham Overy dunes, just keep heading west out of Holkham pines. Grambrough hill is east of Cley at Salthouse. Park at the beach carp-park and walk along the bank. East hills is directly north out of Wells harbour. Unless you know somebody who is willing to show you the way, or have been out there before do not attempt it alone, as it is extremely dangerous & very easy to become disorientated.

Anybody able to shed some light on the Locustella sp. at Brancaster today?

 

[tonyfenn]

Any thoughts on the warbler sps. at Brancaster today?

 

[bedfontbirder]

Where is the Little Bunting reported at Burnham Overy Staithe today.

Cheers,

BB

 

[username]

Was a genuine statement as to the delay, frustrating for some but not everyone is glued to rba's hotline.
I did go to see the arctic warbler yesterday...difficult bird but needed the walk for the sake of my ankle.
Worked both patches and other locations for 7 hours today roughly, first birding in 3 weeks

Did you notice the other 'delay' in the reported Little Bunting too...?

I can understand a patch worker maybe not wanting tons of folks descending...but really...why bother informing bird services when its too late for anyone to really have a good look...? :smoke:

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[dbradnum]

Did you notice the other 'delay' in the reported Little Bunting too...?

I can understand a patch worker maybe not wanting tons of folks descending...but really...why bother informing bird services when its too late for anyone to really have a good look...? :smoke:

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

Who says they did?

Lots of late news that riles people is actually harvested off people's blogs, websites and local news channels (be they Twitter, Facebook, whatever) when they're updated later on in the day, or when the finder first speaks to someone who is fussed about putting news out.

I don't think RBA get many phone calls direct from rarity finders that say "yeah, I had a Ruppells Warbler this morning, yep, found it at 8.30am, but didn't want to tell you til it was dark". (I'm sure someone can come up with a counter-example if they try hard, but don't bother).

My point is that suppression is (usually) not all about keeping quiet to wind people up, it's either birds that get ID'd later, or communicated to others casually later, or found by people who don't know the significance of what they've got, or just aren't into twitching. Sometimes that's annoying, but it's not worth raising blood pressure over - it's just life.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Who says they did?

Lots of late news that riles people is actually harvested off people's blogs, websites and local news channels (be they Twitter, Facebook, whatever) when they're updated later on in the day, or when the finder first speaks to someone who is fussed about putting news out.

I don't think RBA get many phone calls direct from rarity finders that say "yeah, I had a Ruppells Warbler this morning, yep, found it at 8.30am, but didn't want to tell you til it was dark". (I'm sure someone can come up with a counter-example if they try hard, but don't bother).

My point is that suppression is (usually) not all about keeping quiet to wind people up, it's either birds that get ID'd later, or communicated to others casually later, or found by people who don't know the significance of what they've got, or just aren't into twitching. Sometimes that's annoying, but it's not worth raising blood pressure over - it's just life.

All very true points.

I do believe there probably was a genuine reason for the Dusky.

Although having experienced a case where news wasn't put out with the sole purpose of winding up people (no doubt others have had it happen too) it can be a touch difficult to see there being another reason.

Once bitten and all that.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Did you notice the other 'delay' in the reported Little Bunting too...?

I can understand a patch worker maybe not wanting tons of folks descending...but really...why bother informing bird services when its too late for anyone to really have a good look...? :smoke:

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

I didn't! Currently too far for me to walk out to the dunes so scrapped that and the idea of going for the Dusky in favour of a massive long shot of bumping into the Olive-Backed Pipit reported at Holkham (and to see what else was about).

No Pipit but the best Rouzel of the day for me just 10 feet away feeding on blackberries. Pines full of LTT and GC as well.

 

[username]

Who says they did?

Lots of late news that riles people is actually harvested off people's blogs, websites and local news channels (be they Twitter, Facebook, whatever) when they're updated later on in the day, or when the finder first speaks to someone who is fussed about putting news out.

I don't think RBA get many phone calls direct from rarity finders that say "yeah, I had a Ruppells Warbler this morning, yep, found it at 8.30am, but didn't want to tell you til it was dark". (I'm sure someone can come up with a counter-example if they try hard, but don't bother).

My point is that suppression is (usually) not all about keeping quiet to wind people up, it's either birds that get ID'd later, or communicated to others casually later, or found by people who don't know the significance of what they've got, or just aren't into twitching. Sometimes that's annoying, but it's not worth raising blood pressure over - it's just life.

I'm not unduly bothered David...and i understand how the systems work re harvesting info.....but i have been hearing disturbing stuff of late re putting out info too late for folk....

The two instances today might be totally innocent of course....a tad frustrating but there you go....i had a fine days birding so am happy enough..!

All the best...

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[dbradnum]

a case where news wasn't put out with the sole purpose of winding up people

Playing devil's advocate for a sec: you KNOW that that was the SOLE purpose, do you? The finder has told you that's precisely why they kept stumm (in which case they've got quite some balls!)?

(Don't get me wrong - I recognise it can happen, and I'm sure it would be beyond annoying if so, but I also suspect it's really unusual.)

 

[David Norgate]

My point is that suppression is (usually) not all about keeping quiet to wind people up, it's either birds that get ID'd later, or communicated to others casually later, or found by people who don't know the significance of what they've got, or just aren't into twitching. Sometimes that's annoying, but it's not worth raising blood pressure over - it's just life.

Isn't that suppression?!?

Let's just hope it was 'only' a Little Bunting!:eek!:

 

[username]

I didn't! Currently too far for me to walk out to the dunes so scrapped that and the idea of going for the Dusky in favour of a massive long shot of bumping into the Olive-Backed Pipit reported at Holkham (and to see what else was about).

No Pipit but the best Rouzel of the day for me just 10 feet away feeding on blackberries. Pines full of LTT and GC as well.

The Ouzels were incredible...we had up to twenty birds including four in one bush...bloody marvelous...[so good that we spent most of afternoon at Stiffkey....stunning male Black Redstart too]...:cat:


http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[O.Reville1989]

Playing devil's advocate for a sec: you KNOW that that was the SOLE purpose, do you? The finder has told you that's precisely why they kept stumm (in which case they've got quite some balls!)?

(Don't get me wrong - I recognise it can happen, and I'm sure it would be beyond annoying if so, but I also suspect it's really unusual.)

Fraid so. Wasn't anything rare but they just happened to fancy being awkward that day. I imagine it was purely to wind me up more than the general public though.
Not saying its common at all but it has happened.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Isn't that suppression?!?

Let's just hope it was 'only' a Little Bunting!:eek!:

Wasn't there a Little Bunting identified later as something else recently?
In the North I think it was, island about 80 miles North of Scotland.....

Nope can't think of what it was....:t:

 

[dbradnum]

Isn't that suppression?!?

Let's just hope it was 'only' a Little Bunting!:eek!:

I was waiting for someone to say that!

It is suppression, I suppose, but it's not necessarily malicious or a terrible crime in many cases - it's having a flat mobile battery or being out of signal, or even just not being that bothered about yet another minor scarcity.

The way 'suppression' gets bandied about as a dirty word so frequently is really starting to annoy me, if I'm honest. It can be really hypocritical and unnecessarily unpleasant... but as I say, I think not often. So if people don't have any facts, then maybe their attitude should be a bit different before they claim another great injustice has been done to the twitching community. (btw, this is no reflection on any of the recent posters, just a general observation about the tone on this, and other, BF threads!)