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

Norfolk birding (20 Viewers)

Late posting of sightings for:

Saturday 7th July - Holme 11.20am

Stunning sunny day, have not been to Holme for about 3 weeks, serious withdrawel symptoms!!!

Attempted to take my shiny new car down the Firs road and made it over the nasty ramp near pay hut!!!

Had a quick chin wag with Jed, Sophie, Ken etc etc and then went straight over for seawatch. Saw 6 turnstones going west, 11 gannets (at least) going west, 1 sandwich tern, 18 little terns - all close by shore and feeding, beautiful to watch, 1 fulmar west, 1 cormorants east, 1 manx shearwater west, few black headed gulls, 1 brilliant view of med gull over my head (almost). It was so wonderful just to sit on the dunes on a sunny day and soak up the scenery, with the waves crashing on the shore and terns diving for fish - I never tire of this magical place. Back on the reserve, several red admirals, small tortoiseshell, 1 comma and 1 greenshank flew over. Lots of banter and glorious sunshine. Finished up with a raspberry ice cream from the NWT Firs House.

Saturday 8th July

Silver studded blues (lots) at Buxton Heath.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
matt green said:
Dreadfull weather in Norfolk today, did manage to get to Strumpshaw Fen for a few hours ~ only the hobby and two Grasshopper Warblers heard near the fen hide were of note, a young Coot followed a Grass Snake swimming across the water was quite ammusing to watch ~ seen from the fen hide.

Still a few Avocets at Buckenham with Oystercatcher and a few Redshanks, two Little Egrets were also seen by the old pumping station by the river.
Not the best of days for insects but the usual were seen between the thunder/lightning and torrential downpours.

Matt
Click to expand...
That's a beautiful photo, Matt. I hope you had some waterproofs handy though, looking at that sky. There's not a lot of cover round there.

I spent a lot of my youth, many years ago, sailing at Buckenham and in those days the river was a foul open sewer. It is now a lovely fresh river with masses of wildlife including the water lilies shown on your photograph. It's great to see some things so obviously changing for the better.

Ron
 
Had a lovely evening walk on the beach with the greyhound tonight to view the terns and gulls on the reefs with the dog. Emperor Dragons in the dunes and a few Brown Hawkers etc. Little, Common, Sandwich terns, four Common Scoters, Kittiewakes etc...

Found lots of rather large Jellyfish washed up tonight on the beach at Sea Palling

anyone know the score here?
 

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NoSpringChicken said:
That's a beautiful photo, Matt. I hope you had some waterproofs handy though, looking at that sky. There's not a lot of cover round there.

I spent a lot of my youth, many years ago, sailing at Buckenham and in those days the river was a foul open sewer. It is now a lovely fresh river with masses of wildlife including the water lilies shown on your photograph. It's great to see some things so obviously changing for the better.

Ron
Click to expand...

Thanks

And unfortunately not!! ~ I got drenched!

Regarding the river, the assistant was telling me how the river (tidal salt water) flooded over into much of Strumpshaw broad last october killing off much of the fresh water fish etc ~ hence very few Kingfishers at the reserve at present.

Thankfully the water is now pretty much back to normal (partly thanks to so much rain water and fresh water being pumped into the broad) so hopefully Kingfishers will return to the area as the fresh water dependant fish and invertebrates recover, not sure how all this effected the Bitterns but did hear two booming males here early summer.

Tim

...fantastic looking Greyhound you've got there!

Matt
 
Hey Lomond.

May have been there. I was the young one ;)

Weeting is good because the Stone Curlews seem pretty active throughout the day, especially as it cools down in the evening. Also next door to Lakenheath Fen.

Is Mayday Farm famous for anything in particular? I've never heard of it.

Jason


lomond said:
Hi Jason.
Could have been standing near you on sunday also watched young oriole and male feeding it, also marsh harrier's, but only 1 hobby, but 1 sparrowhawk, 1 greenwoodpecker flying near car park.

Should have gone to weeting the same as you but we went to mayday farm waste of time except for a nice yellowhammer singing, so went to lynford also waste of time. will try up on the coast next time out.

Barry.
Click to expand...
 
lomond said:
Hi Jason.
Could have been standing near you on sunday also watched young oriole and male feeding it, also marsh harrier's, but only 1 hobby, but 1 sparrowhawk, 1 greenwoodpecker flying near car park.

Should have gone to weeting the same as you but we went to mayday farm waste of time except for a nice yellowhammer singing, so went to lynford also waste of time. will try up on the coast next time out.

Barry.
Click to expand...

I was also there Sunday morning watching the youngster climbing about on a branch - we were there from about 7.30 to 9.30...........
 
Hi All,

I was going to ask the same question as Teamsaint re camping but my question has been anwered now thanks! :) Hoping to come this weekend (weather permitting, as has been the case this summer).

We will be staying at the Burnham Deepdale Campsite. I have two more questions;

1. Could someone please PM me details of the Monty's site? We would like to have a look at them, if they are not too far. Also what are the best times of day to go?

2. Is this a good time of year to walk out to Blakeney Point?

Cheers :king:
 
This might be better posted in suffolk birding but as the Golden orioles have been discussed, here, I thought I'd post it here. I'm thinking about trying to get out to Lakenheath/Weeting this Saturday. Are the Golden Orioles and Stonies likely to still be around? Also as I am keen to get more use out of my digiscoping set up would be interested to know whether, with a 60mm scope 20x eyepiece and 3x zoom on the camera, I would be likely to get close enough to get a reasonable shot of either species (luck of the draw I know but I'd like to get a feel for how close they are to the viewpoints).

Other option I'm considering is Minsmere. I still haven't got dartford warbler. Are there any at Minsmere or do I need to fit in a stop at Dunwich?

Thanks

Jo
 
Hey Jo.

I would have thought the orioles should still be around... it's quite a popular (or should that be "poplar"? - sorry) site and there's usually a fair old crowd watching the orioles. Giving and following directions to the birds can be a wee bit tricky at times ("it's on the left hand fork of the twig that goes up at 45 degrees about three feet to the left of the main trunck" etc), so some patience may be required. I reckon you might be able to get OK, though probably not outstanding, digiscoped shots. Ditto for stone curlew at weeting (although they are generally easier to point out!).

Minsmere might be a bit dead at this time of year, but you should get dartford on dunwich, which you can just walk up to whilst visiting minsmere. Once on the heath, scan the tops of the heather and listen for their low pitched churring call and you should be fine.
 
Hi Jo. I was at Minsmere on Sunday and it was a bit quiet. I, too, was on the look out for Dartford Warblers but didn't see any (although that doesn't mean much in my case.) We did see some very obliging Stonechats which were posing well and the Little Terns are great value. I also saw my first Turtle Dove. It sounds as if a walk on Dunwich Heath is your best bet for Dartfords.

Ron
 
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Hi Kstar

With the Monties, I have heard that they have failed to breed this year sadly, I think due to the bad weather we've had. The adults are still about, but they seem to be roming more. Still in the same general area though, I suspect, so you may be ok.


kstar_76 said:
Hi All,

I was going to ask the same question as Teamsaint re camping but my question has been anwered now thanks! :) Hoping to come this weekend (weather permitting, as has been the case this summer).

We will be staying at the Burnham Deepdale Campsite. I have two more questions;

1. Could someone please PM me details of the Monty's site? We would like to have a look at them, if they are not too far. Also what are the best times of day to go?

2. Is this a good time of year to walk out to Blakeney Point?

Cheers :king:
Click to expand...
 
aythya_hybrid said:
Hey Jo.

I would have thought the orioles should still be around... it's quite a popular (or should that be "poplar"? - sorry) site and there's usually a fair old crowd watching the orioles. Giving and following directions to the birds can be a wee bit tricky at times ("it's on the left hand fork of the twig that goes up at 45 degrees about three feet to the left of the main trunck" etc), so some patience may be required. I reckon you might be able to get OK, though probably not outstanding, digiscoped shots. Ditto for stone curlew at weeting (although they are generally easier to point out!).

Minsmere might be a bit dead at this time of year, but you should get dartford on dunwich, which you can just walk up to whilst visiting minsmere. Once on the heath, scan the tops of the heather and listen for their low pitched churring call and you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, will see if we can get out to Weeting/Lakenheath.

ETA: would it be best to do the sites in any particular order and if so, which? Also, are there any other sites close by that we should consider calling into? Thetford forest perhaps for crossbills woodlarks, Goshawks?
 
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Lifer whilst walking the dogs today (doesn't happen very often anymore). A pair of Garden Warbers hawking for insects from hawthornes over the river. Also 1 Kingfisher, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, ect.

Insects included a bit of a swarm of Banded Damoiselles; about 30 males all together. A couple of Small Skippers, lots of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, a Gatekeeper, etc.

Jason
 
kittykat23uk said:
Thanks for the advice, will see if we can get out to Weeting/Lakenheath.

ETA: would it be best to do the sites in any particular order and if so, which? Also, are there any other sites close by that we should consider calling into? Thetford forest perhaps for crossbills woodlarks, Goshawks?
Click to expand...

Hi. Went to mayday farm ( thetford forest) on sunday it was dead but maybe you could get lucky and see goshawk. also went to lynford arbo but also dead no cross bills or haw finches. When ever i have seen the latter it has been in the autum/winter months.
Best of luck. Barry.
 
Glad I made the effort to get upto Cley today..

Red Necked Phalorope seen on simmonds scrape (from Dawkes hide) from mid morning with the Godwits, also 96% sure I saw a Fulmar heading west over the shingle bank....is that likely?

Green Sandpiper was a treat too

Matt
 
On my way to Titchwell I had glorious views of a male Montagu's Harrier. Titchwell was warm and sunny and had lots of Ruff, Redshanks and Dunlin. A lovely evening.
Sue
 
SueBryan said:
On my way to Titchwell I had glorious views of a male Montagu's Harrier. Titchwell was warm and sunny and had lots of Ruff, Redshanks and Dunlin. A lovely evening.
Sue
Click to expand...

Sue - Don't forgot to look out for the Yellow nosed Albatross on your travels, seen in Lincolnshire recently!!!!!!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 

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