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Norfolk birding (27 Viewers)

It was the same for me last year, I saw 2 non-singing birds on the 20th March, but didn't hear one singing until the 27th. Could it be that the first Chiffchaffs that arrive then move further North so don't look to set up territories, then the next batch that arrive are the ones that stay, and therefore start singing straight away? Although admittedly this still doesn't explain why some people are hearing them now and others aren't.

Tideliner said:
It must be me as there seen a number reported on the forum , but though I have seen 2 individuals I have not heard a chiffchaff singing yet. last week survey work at Stiffkey , Dilham , Smallbrough , Alysham , Saxthorpe , Swanton Novers and Eccles today ( South norfolk ) and not a wisper of them. Maybe I have forgotten the song !! how does it go ?
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James Emerson said:
It was the same for me last year, I saw 2 non-singing birds on the 20th March, but didn't hear one singing until the 27th. Could it be that the first Chiffchaffs that arrive then move further North so don't look to set up territories, then the next batch that arrive are the ones that stay, and therefore start singing straight away? Although admittedly this still doesn't explain why some people are hearing them now and others aren't.
Click to expand...

I had at least 15 singing Chiffs between Knapton and North Walsham on 19th March, but I haven't seen (or heard) a single bird anywhere else.
 
2 chiffs yesterday morning at Thursford, along with 3 singing Marsh tits. nuthatches and a treecreeper, but most amazing were the 200 plus common toads in chorus. Overhead a pair of buzzard and a large female sparrowhawk.
 
A walk at Lynn Point this morning produced a Hooded Crow (seen by Fred Cooke a few days ago) amongst the Carrion Crows, 7 Little Egrets, 10 Grey Herons, 2 Chiffchaffs singing, a Green Woodpecker, a Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and all the usual Teal, Mallard, Tufted Ducks, Redshanks and Greylag Geese. A Brimstone Butterfly was in my road at Roydon early this afternoon.

Sue
 
Tideliner said:
Ben , there was a RL buzzard a few miles north of your area I came across sparring with a pair of common buzzards while doing HLS survey work last week. I had very good close views so not doubt as to its ID. It could well have wandered down into the Yare valley.
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Thanks for that, I'll bare it mind while updating the annual records.
 
Finaly heard my first singing chiffchaffs , 2 at Stiffkey today. Also my third jack snipe of the year and a Black swan was also present before flying off towards Cley. Huge numbers of brent on Blakeney channel. Three swallows on wires in Binham on the way to work v early this morning.
 
Temperature-wise, it felt like early May at Happisburgh this morning although the lack of summer migrants kept my imagination in check. Three Black Redstarts were good, one of which was a real pukka adult male. Seven Lapland Buntings east of the village were very active and perhaps had their minds on courtship; a theory backed up by the snatches of song given by one of them in flight.

EDIT: I've had half a dozen or so singing Chiffs in NE Norfolk since my first on March 13th. My first in the village came today...

James
 
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Titchwell March 22nd

Today’s highlights

Red kite – 1 over reserve until 10:15 when it drifted high east
Spotted redshank – 1 on tidal pool
Red crested pochard – pair on grazing marsh pool
Long tailed duck – 4 offshore
Snow bunting – 2 on fresh marsh then flew towards beach

Paul
 
hi
well back home in notts
bought a scope not the one I was looking at got a nikon S1500 digiscoping kit
seemed to have everything I wanted

we saw our 1st reed bunting sunday at snettisham
and the chiff chaff at titchwell on monday
 
PYRTLE said:
Black redstart this morning behind the visitor centre at Cley, surprisingly a female.
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I saw one there last year, but a week later; it was near the old centre, now the In-Focus place. I can't claim to have found it, but simply followed the sudden departure of birders out of the centre!
MJB
 
PYRTLE said:
Black redstart this morning behind the visitor centre at Cley, surprisingly a female.
Click to expand...

Beware though, as recent work suggests that it's not possible to sex first-winter birds (even in the hand), and especially not female-types. I was rather surprised at this, but a bit of reading seems to back it up.
 
Mark Grantham said:
Beware though, as recent work suggests that it's not possible to sex first-winter birds (even in the hand), and especially not female-types. I was rather surprised at this, but a bit of reading seems to back it up.
Click to expand...

Mark,
What's the nominal cut-off point when emergent adult plumage puts an end to doubt?
MJB
 
PYRTLE said:
Black redstart this morning..., surprisingly a female.
Click to expand...

The vast majority (in the order of 95%) of Black Redstarts I've seen on spring passage in Norfolk have been "female" types. I've always assumed that's because the majority are first year birds rather than because they're all females.

What I didn't know until today though, was that about 10% of first-year male Black Redstarts do look like males - see Martin Garner's blog.
 
I have always maintained that common buzzards are primarily mammal and invertebrate feeders and only very occasionally taking birds. I have been studying Norfolk buzzards since they colonised the county 2 decades ago and am starting to notice a change in their quarry. A few years ago I saw one take a coot and last year I found 24 rook\crow\jay wings under a nest , but then young rooks had a bad time in the May drought and were obviously in a weakened state. Last week a friend told me he saw a buzzard take a moorhen and on Tuesday I watched one attempting to catch a blackbird.

Birds have been reported as an important food in Scotland and N England , and I am starting to wonder if this is a high population density issue with as competition with other buzzards increases they have to turn to more to birds. Common buzzards have spread to almost every sizable and some not so sizable woods in the county and the county may be starting to approach saturation point hence a change in diet. If they start to hit game birds in a big way we could have trouble ahead.

Has anyone else noticed common buzzards taking birds
 
Hooded Crow on the Freshes today, as I came round the corner it was behind the duck pond in a tree, instant surprise! Didn't hang about and headed off over the Freshes. Nice little find and first pure Hoodie I've ever seen in Norfolk.

Couple of weeks ago I was catching a train out of Cromer and sure I saw another on in a field of Corvids but train going to fast - maybe a bird that has been present in the area for some time.

Hi Tim, been enjoying Stratton Birders posts -spiced things up a bit, Hi Stu
 

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