Norfolk birding (22 Viewers)

[jimbob]

A male Common scoter was a nice suprise at Whitlingham this evening. Probably one of my most unseasonal finds to date!

A great find Daniel. As rare as......well, pretty rare for the time of year! More chance of a YBW in October anyway. Hopefully it sticks around, I know James will want that for his list amongst others.

Cheers,
Jim.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

A great find Daniel. As rare as......well, pretty rare for the time of year! More chance of a YBW in October anyway. Hopefully it sticks around, I know James will want that for his list amongst others.

Cheers,
Jim.

Thanks Jim! Annoyingly I'm moving away from the area in October, so somebody else will have to find a yellow browed! Not sure if its still there this morning, hope others get to see it & somebody manages better images!

 

[James Emerson]

Thanks Jim! Annoyingly I'm moving away from the area in October, so somebody else will have to find a yellow browed! Not sure if its still there this morning, hope others get to see it & somebody manages better images!

It was still there this morning. I got down around 10 and it was floating half-way out east of the island. As time went on it moved back towards the north shore and began to dive a bit.

Whilst I was at Whitlingham I also saw five Mistle Thrushes (having not seen any there this year!) and had my first patch Red Kite fly over so a very successful visit.

 

[Nick Moran]

A male Common scoter was a nice suprise at Whitlingham this evening. Probably one of my most unseasonal finds to date!

Good find. Lots - relatively - around inland at the moment; not being from the red side of the Pennines I don't know Manchester's Watergrove Reservoir but there were 104 there on Monday! Must be a reasonable bet for the August inland record?

Other inland records so far this August from Powys, Lancs, E Yorks, W Midlands, Staffs and Cambs, 5 of which have involved multiple individuals. Hope someone's checked Lynford pits...

Cheers
Nick

 

[MJB]

In the hot and humid conditions near home this morning, there must have been a massive swarming of flying ants. At about 11 am I counted seven to eight hundred Black-headed Gulls excitedly hunting ants, probably below 100 metres above the ground. Via binoculars, I could see several Common Gulls and at least one Herring Gull also feeding, or attempting to do so, along with several Jackdaws. The activity lasted only about 15 minutes. A single Common Swift, possibly the last of summer, was hunting above the mob, but no hirundines, although there was a small passage of juvenile Barn Swallows yesterday.

This year, I've noted only a few ant swarms being predated, and then only by perhaps 30 birds at a time.
MJB

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell August 10th

Today’s highlights

Spoonbill – 22 on fresh marsh, new reserve record
Spotted redshank – 1 on fresh marsh
Little gull – 1 on fresh marsh
Green sandpiper – 2 on fresh marsh
Crossbill – 1 west

Paul

 

[stuart white]

Today’s highlights

Spoonbill – 22 on fresh marsh, new reserve record
Spotted redshank – 1 on fresh marsh
Little gull – 1 on fresh marsh
Green sandpiper – 2 on fresh marsh
Crossbill – 1 west

Paul

Is that a county record for a flock at one site, I remember there being 21 at Cley back in 2010

 

[GeoffBowen]

Whitlingham Scoter

Has anyone checked out Whitlingham for the Scoter today ? There seems to have been no news either way so far

Cheers

Geoff

 

[paul1127]

Sandpipers - Thorpe Marshes

I have to confess I stuggle a bit sometimes when identifying waders.

Saw a pair of these at Thorpe Marshes this morning. I concluded that they were the Green Sandpipers that James recorded a few days ago. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Regards Paul

 

[James Emerson]

I have to confess I stuggle a bit sometimes when identifying waders.

Saw a pair of these at Thorpe Marshes this morning. I concluded that they were the Green Sandpipers that James recorded a few days ago. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Regards Paul

Hi Paul.

They are indeed Green Sandpipers. The second picture made me think, but its just the light making the plumage look greyer! I have just been to Thorpe and saw three, presumably the two you saw out in the open and another one emerged briefly from the rushes to the left to join them.

Re. the scoter - unfortunately I didn't hear anything either way yesterday, but all of the previous birds have never stayed more than two days, so odds are it has probably gone, although I stand to be corrected if anyone is visiting today (bear in mind that Norwich are playing so it will be very busy this afternoon).

 

[Stratton Birder]

In the hot and humid conditions near home this morning, there must have been a massive swarming of flying ants. At about 11 am I counted seven to eight hundred Black-headed Gulls excitedly hunting ants, probably below 100 metres above the ground. Via binoculars, I could see several Common Gulls and at least one Herring Gull also feeding, or attempting to do so, along with several Jackdaws. The activity lasted only about 15 minutes. A single Common Swift, possibly the last of summer, was hunting above the mob, but no hirundines, although there was a small passage of juvenile Barn Swallows yesterday.

This year, I've noted only a few ant swarms being predated, and then only by perhaps 30 birds at a time.
MJB

I too witnessed a similar ocurrance involving a feeding frenzy of around 150 Swallows over Tharston Industrial Estate yesterday morning upon arriving at work at 6.00am. I went out to have another look just half an hour later and they had virtually all gone!

 

[tootsietim]

Predictably quiet at Strumpshaw today with 2 green sandpiper, green woodpeckers and hunting sparrowhawk the highlights.
Better on the mammal front with otter and common shrew.

 

[D0c]

I have been on holiday in Norfolk and was driving through Brancaster Staithe towards Titchwell on Friday and saw a Ring Necked Parakeet sitting on a telephone wire across the A149.

Does anyone know if they are breeding around there or is it almost certainly an escapee.

I thought there might be a family of them on Barrow Common which is very near by.

 

[Paul Eele]

Is that a county record for a flock at one site, I remember there being 21 at Cley back in 2010

Don't know mate, but it is an impressive sight.
The previous reserve peak was 16 last week but before that it was only 11. There were at least 3 juvs begging adults for food so I would assume they are all Holkham birds dispersing.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

I was surprised and pleased to see that there were still a few Swifts flying over the garden in Gorleston this afternoon. I assumed they had all left during the week. Last Saturday I saw one flying under the the tiles of my neighbour's roof, so I guess it was still feeding young.

Ron

 

[Phil Carter]

Sometime over the next couple of weeks I'll be visiting an octogenarian friend in Weybourne, (you know the one....Great Snipe). Now, as hard to believe as it may be, in eighty years, he has never seen a Badger. So if anyone has a reliable site nearby, I'd be grateful for any info to give the old chap a belated birthday present.

Phil

 

[stuart white]

Don't know mate, but it is an impressive sight.
The previous reserve peak was 16 last week but before that it was only 11. There were at least 3 juvs begging adults for food so I would assume they are all Holkham birds dispersing.

This could potentially be a country wide record flock ?

 

[Geof Douglas]

I have been on holiday in Norfolk and was driving through Brancaster Staithe towards Titchwell on Friday and saw a Ring Necked Parakeet sitting on a telephone wire across the A149.

Does anyone know if they are breeding around there or is it almost certainly an escapee.

I thought there might be a family of them on Barrow Common which is very near by.

I have been a part time resident of Brancaster for 25 yrs. and have never seen or heard of Ring necked parakeet in the area. Likewise for Barrow Common. Indeed many a Norfolk year lister would be pleases to see one.

Possibly it was an escape but lets hope not and it shows again.

 

[Alan on the beach]

I have been a part time resident of Brancaster for 25 yrs. and have never seen or heard of Ring necked parakeet in the area. Likewise for Barrow Common. Indeed many a Norfolk year lister would be pleases to see one.

Possibly it was an escape but lets hope not and it shows again.

Single bird seen in Titchwell village twice in the last three weeks, possibly juvenile or female as no distinct neck ring. I have a record shot taken of it on our garden fence through my 'scope so apologies for the quality.

Alan

 

[C B Allen]

This could potentially be a country wide record flock ?

I remembered seeing a big flock at Minsmere a few years ago ... and referring back to "Birds of Suffolk" quotes a flock of 28 in August 2002 following failed breeding in the county.

Chris A.