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

Norfolk birding (46 Viewers)

SueBryan said:
They have been at Brancaster Harbour this year. (Although you could still see some if you are lucky if you walk the seabank betweem Thornham and Holme) they seem to like the puddle near the 90 degree bend by one of the gates.
Sue
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Yes, having been appantly absent for most of the winter a group of 7 or 8 are being seen occasionally below the seabank by the gate near the shap bend adjacent to the public footpath between Holme and Thornham. This is also right next to the favoured Lap Bunt field.

Connor
 
Does anyone know exactly where the hawfinches are at Lynford Aboretum at the moment, are they in the paddock in usual place or have people seen them in different spot please? Going this weekend. Going out for evening, will have a look on BF when I get home!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Penny Clarke said:
Does anyone know exactly where the hawfinches are at Lynford Aboretum at the moment, are they in the paddock in usual place or have people seen them in different spot please? Going this weekend. Going out for evening, will have a look on BF when I get home!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Click to expand...

They have been in the paddock as usual, numbers seem to be picking up nicely.
 
Mostly seen in the big trees in the middle of the paddock but certainly not guaranteed. I visited 7 times over Christmas holidays and only saw them once. Apparantly there have been more frequent sightings lately and in larger numbers.
As regards other places where they get to, I have seen them disappearing away from the paddock roughly towards the area of the bridge that crosses the bottom(lower) bridge over the lake.
There are some suitable hornbeams inside the army training area and thus off limits to all but a very few but I could not find any there on one recent visit.
There have been quite large numbers of Siskins 130+ but very very few Crossbills or Willow Tits approx zero.
 
DJW said:
I will probably be coming to Norfolk this weekend and would love to see a bird which has so far eluded me - the Twite. I remember that Thornham Harbour used to be a reliable location and I was wondering if that is still the case or is there anywhere else I should be looking.

Regards

Dave
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Well loath as I am to speak to a WBA man.......(see signature)

on the 13th Jan we were in West Norfolk and had a flock of 20 plus Twite on
Terrington Marsh (where the Richards Pipit was)....around the farm buildings further on from the 5 barred gates......but no one has reported them since...and I'd check as its a long muddy walk!
Gosh thats a long time ago now!


Back to Norfolk for my 3rd visit this year on Sunday...East Norfolk this time
talons crossed for Cranes and stuff! Raptors - which ever!
 
Another day spent searching the Barshams for Tree Sparrow sadly didn't produce the goods. Shame, but I'll keep going with it as it's a good excuse for getting out on the bike. Some good birds too. Had a Green Sandpiper by a rain-caused pool in a field on the way there, at least 7 different Barn Owls all hunting around midday, 1 Little Owl flying from pirch to pirch (my first view of a pirched bird. Odd looking beast!) and several Kestrels, 6 Red Legged Partridges and 7 Grey Partridges.

Sat quietly by a hedge at my 'owling' site this evening and acheved 2 Long Eared Owls appearing from what seems to be their roost site. They flew alongside a hedgerow together and nipped through a gap and over a road with only a few feet between them. Also had another Little Owl over, 1 Woodcock and a couple of rather large Bats (Noctules?). Deer out in force in the fields once darkness fell.

Jason
 
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Also, one of the Barn Owls I saw today had a dark breast band. guttata crossed my mind, but I dont know enough about the variation in our own birds to really comment. Any thoughts?

Jason
 
J Moss said:
Also, one of the Barn Owls I saw today had a dark breast band. guttata crossed my mind, but I dont know enough about the variation in our own birds to really comment. Any thoughts?

Jason
Click to expand...


Mmmmm.... those LEOs sound good. There was a small roost not too far from here a few years back; just a small clump of bushes on some meadows near a river. Must go check it out again...

Re: the D-b Barn Owl, how does it compare to the one pictured here?

James
 
Grey Phal at the pipe dump this afternoon

11 Cranes on my journey to work, several pinks over our football match tonight in Yarmouth. Pinks have been vocal and mobile over the last few nights with the full moon. Fantastic sight and sound - especially from your bed!

Tim
 
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KittyKat,
I popped to the compound at UEA yesterday, sorry I missed your post. Would have given some advice had I seen it. Well done on the Bullfinch, one of my target birds for tomorrow.
Had little success at UEA, male Goosander on the broad but little else, very few birds in the trees around the compound. Looks good for Lesser Spot along the river though. I did see 2 Egyptian Geese fly low over the broad, first this year and nice birds to see. Good to hear the Song Thrushes singing. 3 Mistle Thrushes in Earlham Park.
Jason, keep us updated on your owl exploits, superb stuff!
Cheers,
Jim.
 
Essentially the same. I might check it out again tomorrow and see if its easy to refind.

Jason

EDIT: I'm a bit confused by the illustration of guttata in Collins. It shows a bird with an entirely dark underside, whereas my bird just had the breast band. Are these two plumages considered to be of the same ssp? I cant find any mention of other european ssp' that are likely to end up here.


Frootshoot said:
Mmmmm.... those LEOs sound good. There was a small roost not too far from here a few years back; just a small clump of bushes on some meadows near a river. Must go check it out again...

Re: the D-b Barn Owl, how does it compare to the one pictured here?

James
Click to expand...
 
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Peter Dolton said:
Mostly seen in the big trees in the middle of the paddock but certainly not guaranteed. I visited 7 times over Christmas holidays and only saw them once. Apparantly there have been more frequent sightings lately and in larger numbers.
As regards other places where they get to, I have seen them disappearing away from the paddock roughly towards the area of the bridge that crosses the bottom(lower) bridge over the lake.
There are some suitable hornbeams inside the army training area and thus off limits to all but a very few but I could not find any there on one recent visit.
There have been quite large numbers of Siskins 130+ but very very few Crossbills or Willow Tits approx zero.
Click to expand...

Thank you Peter and Peter (postcardcv) for your helpful replies. I will see if I am lucky in the morning. Have been out having a double birthday dinner this evening, a close friend of mine is 50 tomorrow and I will be 21 again (Hahuhummmmm!!!!!) on Sunday! I am absolutely crazy as I will be getting up very early to go and see Hawfinches soon!!!!!

Good night Penny:gn::girl:
 
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Tree Sparrows.

Just wondering if anyone can tell me why Tree sparrows are so hard to find? Have they always been tricky? I am lucky, my missus' grandparents farm have tree sparrows on it, so I just pop about a mile up the road when I want to see them. Though I haven't made the effort this year yet.

Fox. :t:
 
A big thanks to Matt who I meet up with y'day. What a great bunch birdforum members are. Matt saw c30 Tree Sparrow at the site you mentioned (went west not east!)

Ended up at Wayland Wood. One Golden Pheasant heard and a golden streak seen through the vegetation. Any one know the current postion of the Golgen Pheasants here?
 
Re: Dark Breasted Barn Owl

A group of us found one roosting right on the coastal path at Stiffkey in November. It was definitely a lot darker and mottled around to head. We all agreed that it was different but we were 75% sure but no further conformation came|:(|

The bird had been seen coming in off the sea and after 2 hours we found it asleep in a very thick patch of Hawthorn
 
Horrah! Finally connected with some Tree Sparrows! About 5 in total in a hedgerow outside a big converted barn in West Barsham (Thanks for you help with that Mark). Super smart little birds. Big shame they're so scarce.

On looking for the D-B Barn Owl I did find a 3rd bird (I saw it the other day sharing a field with what looked to be 2 Barn Owls that are paired up already), but it dissapeared over the brow of a hill without showing its front. Just as I was about to blast up the hill to find it again a Red Kite flew over! Sorry to say the Owl slipped my mind and I rode on after the Kite. It flew over North Barsham, glided about a bit and then landed in the middle of a ploughed field. Nice! Also seen: c2000 Pink Footed Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, several Yellowhammers and plenty of both English and French Partridges.

Jason
 
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Got the train to Brundall and walked around Strumpshaw & Buckenham today. Not much at Stumpshaw, four snipe from the tower hide and a merlin over.

At Buckenham had a bit of a goose-fest, with Greylag, Canada, Bar-headed (in with Canada), Barnacle, Blue-morph snow goose (with Barnacle), a good number of white-fronted geese and distant bean geese. Also saw first Cetti's warbler and Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year.

James
 

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