Norfolk birding (23 Viewers)

[Penny Clarke]

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=3209994#post3209994

 

[Johny121]

Dear Norfolk Birders,

Garganey,Quail, Montagu's Harrier, Honey Buzzard, Spotted Crake, Turtle Dove, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl,Marsh Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Golden Oriole,


Wow Phil that is certainly a selection of our rarest breeders if I ever did see one.

I hope no-one will be careless enough to give information away regarding these.

 

[Shaky09]

Hi Ricky,
Rob and I have only visited Thorpe Marshes twice, today and 1 month ago on the 31st March.
Over the two visits, both of which have been Chris' group walks, I have recorded 36 species of birds seen / heard.
The feature of today's walk was very much the songs we were all treated to : willow warbler, sedge warbler , whitethroat, wren, reed bunting, garden warbler, chiff chaff, blackcap, cetti's warbler, blue tit, chaffinch, cuckoo, dunnock and goldfinch...it was certainly a feast for the ears and such a cocophony of sounds/ songs/calls.

Things that we saw a month ago, but not today : buzzard; tufted duck ( high count of 29 last time) , teal, robin , oystercatchers ( 4 in display flight a month ago) and greenfinch. There were 30 species today, as opposed to 19, 1 month ago.

It was great to see some breeding activity too, I noticed the Canada Goose with a couple of goslings, which is great news and particularly as I noticed that Chris' 2014 report mentioned no evidence of breeding, for this species.
It's great to see the reserve progressing in this way, no doubt ,in part, due to a lot of hard work and good site management by many people. We are so very fortunate to live where we do.Happy days . Best wishes, Carol

Sounds like u had a super time at the patch! Pleased you managed to avoid the showers too! I'm still waiting for the pleasure of my first Cuckoo so hopefully I'll pick it up on the patch soon. Managed to finally get some pictures of the Nightingale which I've updated on my blog-
Anyway I hope to see u there on the patch soon and as always
Happy birding
Shaky

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell April 30th

Today's highlights

Common sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 1 high east over the reserve
Grasshopper warbler - 1 singing on grazing meadow, 1 singing by East Trail viewing screen
Barn owl - 1 hunting on East Trail
Hobby - 2 west this morning
Little ringed plover - 2 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 50 on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard - 5 in reedbed

I am now away for a week so no updates until May 11th

Paul

 

[ray roche]

Ring ouzels and Wagtails. A morning at South beach Heacham produced 3 Ring Ouzels - loosely associating with 2 Mistle Thrushes at least 11 Wheatear and a single Winchat and a small passage of House Martins and my first Swift of the year. Moving on to Holme added views of 3 obliging Cuckoos flight views of bittern and a Spoonbill that spent 10 minutes on the Broadwater before flying East.Trying to pick out the Yellow wagtails among the cattle on Holme Marsh proved difficult so a move to the higher bank leading to Thornham seemed a reasonable idea - and made it obvious that they were still present in good numbers and included what can only have been a Black headed wagtail - with the bright yellow of the bird contrasting cleanly with the black head with the obvious absence of any supercilium. After decent views of the bird as it moved with the cattle,the herd moved rapidly to the edge of the field, with the wagtails taking to the air en masse and subsequent scanning of the herd produced plenty of wagtails but not the black headed. Ray Roche

 

[paulsmwaters]

Great sighting,Ray! Glad I was there with you! Superb black-headed wagtail!!!

 

[RobLucking]

Titchwell 1 May

In Paul's absence, todays highlights:

Marsh harrier - lot of activity over reedbed
Red-crested pochard - 5 Patsy's reedbed
Red kite - 1 over VC at 11h30
Cuckoo - one called from reedbed
LRP - 2 on freshmarsh
Water rail - 1 in ditch at bottom of west bank path
Greenshank - 1 on tidal pool
Common, Arctic and Sandwich terns on sea

 

[Penny Clarke]

8 Barnacle Geese on Holme Marsh from the NWT Wader Pool Hides. Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat by the 5-bar gate along the Firs Road, other than that, not alot!!! Hope the next few days improves!

Penny:girl:

 

[ben_lewis]

Nice Pec Sand at Buckenham rspb yesterday (and today) showing well between the mill and hide.
With this and the great white egret in the same week I'm hoping decent birds do come in three's!

 

[peteh]

Am over (again) and was at Holme today when we spotted a Swift fly over with what looked like a Ring ouzel type White crescent on its chest. Its under tail looked a bit pale as well.
Very odd but it didnt look like an Alpine swift to me so just put it down as a aberrant swift, the bloke at the Holme shop also didnt think it was anything weird.
I got miles off record shots (attached) and thought I better put them up just in case.

Nothing else of interest today.

 

[Dick-E-Dipper]

Peteh
Intriguing shots of your `swift`, may I throw in my tuppence worth for discussion, and suggest it looks very like
a White-throated Needletail, from your description and photos; short dumpy body, white throat, and you say `its undertail looked a bit pale`. Did it fly much faster than a Swift?

May i sugest you send/email some photos to the BTO for their opinion. I have found them very helpful in identifying birds. You might not get the answer you hoped for, but they normally reply in around a week.

Good luck.
Richard

 

[Penny Clarke]

Am over (again) and was at Holme today when we spotted a Swift fly over with what looked like a Ring ouzel type White crescent on its chest. Its under tail looked a bit pale as well.
Very odd but it didnt look like an Alpine swift to me so just put it down as a aberrant swift, the bloke at the Holme shop also didnt think it was anything weird.
I got miles off record shots (attached) and thought I better put them up just in case.

Nothing else of interest today.

WOW!!! Whereabouts at Holme were you please and which direction did you last see the bird?

Best Wishes Penny

 

[O.Reville1989]

Am over (again) and was at Holme today when we spotted a Swift fly over with what looked like a Ring ouzel type White crescent on its chest. Its under tail looked a bit pale as well.
Very odd but it didnt look like an Alpine swift to me so just put it down as a aberrant swift, the bloke at the Holme shop also didnt think it was anything weird.
I got miles off record shots (attached) and thought I better put them up just in case.

Nothing else of interest today.

That's an odd one! Look forward to comments on it. Out of my league sadly but interesting to say the least.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Walked Burnham Overy Dunes as far as Holkham and back to Gun Hill – 20+ Wheatears, Linnets and booming Bittern. Got drenched twice and than had fabulous views of the Grey-headed Wagtail at Cley NWT this evening:t:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Am over (again) and was at Holme today when we spotted a Swift fly over with what looked like a Ring ouzel type White crescent on its chest. Its under tail looked a bit pale as well.
Very odd but it didnt look like an Alpine swift to me so just put it down as a aberrant swift, the bloke at the Holme shop also didnt think it was anything weird.
I got miles off record shots (attached) and thought I better put them up just in case.

Nothing else of interest today.

White-collared Swift maybe - that looks Ring Ouzel like!!!:eek!:
http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/photos/strzon2343.jpg

 

[peteh]

WOW!!! Whereabouts at Holme were you please and which direction did you last see the bird?



Best Wishes Penny

Hi was at the visitor centre it flew just over the trees over our heads then west out of sight, I wish I was quicker with the camera but I was just looking at it through my bins thinking errr.
It seemed the same size as our swifts and the flight didn't scream anything different really.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Hi was at the visitor centre it flew just over the trees over our heads then west out of sight, I wish I was quicker with the camera but I was just looking at it through my bins thinking errr.
It seemed the same size as our swifts and the flight didn't scream anything different really.

Thanks Pete – it obviously carried on west! Warden Gary H. had 200+ swifts west early morning from Hunstanton Cliffs.

No sign of the Grey-headed Wagtail at Cley today, but Yellow and Blue-headed Wags remained with the cows, until later when the cows had been moved to another field and no wagtails were seen with them in the afternoon when I looked.

Penny:girl:

 

[peteh]

Walked around Winterton yesterday for 4 hours, seen very little and missed the rough legged that was getting reported through the morning Day was rescued by seeing a grass snake at alderfen broad. (We are easily pleased)

 

[RobLucking]

Titchwell 6 May

Today's highlights:

Swift - significant arrival with lots over reedbed
Little tern - 1 fresh marsh
LRP - 1 fresh marsh
Common sandpiper - 2 fresh marsh
Peregrine - 1 over fresh marsh
Wheatear - 1 fresh marsh
Grasshopper warbler - 1 reeling from Fen Hide
Turtle dove - 1 Fen Hide
Red-crested pochard - 10 Patsy's reedbed
Black-tailed godwit - 2 Patsy's reedbed

 

[Tideliner]

Lots of swallows , house martins and swifts moving west along the N Norfolk coast today and a bit late perhaps my first cuckoo heard yesterday at Swanton Novers and my second seen today at Stiffkey. Bigtide this morning and several terns ( common and sandwich ) sheltering on pools at the back of the marsh.