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Norfolk birding (10 Viewers)

Had a brilliant day out on the coast yesterday. One of my favourite moments was when a Little Auk was flying low over our heads whilst we were watching a Yellow-Browed Warbler in some sycamores! Full report on my site...
 
Having spent a non birding afternoon on the beach at Horsey with the missus and kids, whilst walking back towards the car park i was surprised to find a very recently deceased Little Auk. There were no obvious signs as to the reasons behind it's demise, it seemed in pretty good nick. For a species one normally sees distantly, both me and the kids enjoyed the chance to cash in on it's bad luck and give this smart little bird the once over. Just a shame i couldn't tick it as i need it for the year.;)
 
Sheringham Seawatching 6.30am to 12.00pm

Arrived Sheringham and sat in the shelters at 6.30am with Justin L. Andy W. and Dave A. Shelters filled up by sunrise (ish!). Also Sue, Paul, Stuart, Dave H. and other familiar faces but don't know names!

Freezing cold first thing in the dark - complete madness!!! Justin was on top form with banter which kept us all going!

Made cheese scones last night for bribes;)!!! Anyone that got me a year tick, got a scone!!!! Justin and Dave both got a scone!!!!;)

Just tallied up birds seen by me only - there were much bigger numbers than this and I didn't count all the gannets/cormorants but here is my list:


1 Shag at 7.40 east, 1 Great Northern Diver east at 7.50am, 2 Bonxies, 90 Gannets, 51 Common Scoter, 22 Kittiwakes, 5 Red Throated Divers, 3 Eiders, 10 Brent Geese, 2 Fulmars, 2 Curlews west, 1 Scaup, 4 Red Breasted Mergansers, 9 Cormorants, 1 Long Tailed Duck, 1 Manx Shearwater. 1 Owl flew on off sea east at 9.40am above horizon either short or long eared, Little Auk at 9.45am east and another one at 10.58am (thanks Dave:t:) and a cracking Pom Skua with spoons VERY close in going east at 11.15am.

Justin and Andy left to go to Minsmere - I stayed until 12pm - bored now! Sea virtually empty! Put stuff back in car and walked back down with camera to photograph the Purple Sandpiper which obviously had been flushed by the now increasing people and dogs as all I saw were turnstones!

West Runton

Spent alot of time east of the farm buildings searching for a Richard's Pipit or/and lapland bunting or possible a black guillemot but no luck with any of them. Watched a male kestrel hovering in the wind over the cliffs, lots of cormorants down on the beach, lots of skylarks about in the long grass. Hedge sparrow and blackbird around the farm buildings. No sign of the short toed lark when I spent time round the stubble field but to be really honest I felt absolutely shattered and did not look very hard really, gave up and moved on.

Walsey Hills

I had a lovely Stonechat by the back of the willows at the end of the path, but nothing much else.

Cley Coastguards

Spent the evening here which was very unproductive until Eddie M. came along and sharply picked out a Med Gull and an Arctic Tern - dark now time to go home!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
hi

sounds like a pretty full day
it's quite strange that yesterday there were loads of people at sheringham and yet today when i went there was hardly anyone i suppose the weather forecast was different and yet we had some pretty good birds i think the highlight for me was the velvet scoter that landed right in front of the shelter we also had 2 black throated divers at least 10 red throated and one extremely large diver that went through with a red throated but unfortunately the experts had left by then add to that quite a few scoters,brents, kittiwakes and a bonxie and loads of larks,pipits and starlings going through i thought it was quite a good session
i did get on the short toed lark with several flight views amazing that an apparently empty field can have quite so many skylarks in it one guy also reported a lapland bunting but i didn't get on it
cheers
 
East Runton

Not sure how the messages looked on the pager tonight ? I arrived too late to see the pallas's warbler but while hunting we heard and had silouhette views of a Yellow browed warbler and I pished in a firecrest. I was in no way inferring the pallas's was not real just that we had found the other birds as well. Will go and have antoher look for it tomorrow. Nice find Ian
 
The Runtons delivering big style! The messages looked good to me Stu ;) .
Had a great day yesterday, following the pager (shocking behaviour I know).
Had 2 Firecrest and a Bullfinch at the Sheringham RBF site, ST Lark at West of the Runtons, and finally Shorelark, mini Stint and and Grey Phalarope at Titchwell. Full account on my blog. It reeks of autumn out there, well chuffed with the weekend.
Cheers,
Jim.
 
Runton seems to be Norfolks answer to fair isle at present!! The weekend was a little disappointing after a good sea passage on friday. Holkham had lots of Robins, Crests and thrushes on Saturday no influx on yellow brows! Caught up with Grey Phal and Shore lark today - they have been very thin on on the ground recently!!

Weather does look good from tuesday onwards, although I suspect the really good stuff, looking at the weather map will turn up spurn and further north. I suspect something mega will turn up on shetland later in the week! Would avoid go to the point on wenesday - its going to rain all day!! thinking about, it its a good day to go to the point, providing your waterproofs are up to scratch!!

Can confirm that Penny's cheese scones were very good - lots of cheese - could do with being a bit bigger though!!
 
Holme Bird Observatory - Seawatching 8.30am to 10.15am

Seawatching opposite HBO with R. Roche and 2 others later.

Fabulous views of Pom Skua going west close in along sand virtually! at 9.34am. Equally fabulous views of a Great Northern Diver close in at 9.52am going west also. 1 Bonxie west at 9.50. Massive flocks of Bar tailed godwits piling through west totalling 1,190 +!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Other totals were: Red Breasted Mergansers x 8, Red throated Diver x 1, Great Crested Grebes x 4, Gannets x 15, Common Scoter x 107, Cormorants x 10, Oystercatchers x 47, Brent geese on beach x 121 and flying through another 54, Sanderlings x 12, Grey Plover x 122, Curlew x 3, Woodpigeons x 200, Carrion Crows (behind me!) x3 going west, Skylarks x 5, Wigeon x 128, Shelduck x 2, Eiders x 10, Bramblings x 6 at least, Chaffinches x loads! and lots of passerines flying along the sea west.

2 Redwing and 1 Fieldfare went west over main bank at 10.55am. Back at the observatory stunning views of both Mealy and Lesser Redpoll (11.30am) along with goldcrest, chaffinches, blue tits and goldfinches in that magical sycamore tree by the pond in front of the observatory! Little egret flying over. Ray spotted a Common Buzzard sitting on a post out on the marsh in front of Holme church along with loads of pink footed geese (and later on told me he had 6 C. Buzzards in the air together!). There were also at least 6 crossbills about but I didn't see these. Lots of starlings moving through also.

Lunch on NOA carpark - no time for dozing today!

Redwell Marsh Reserve

Standing on bridge - Water voles (ahhhhh!!!), 2 great spotted woodpeckers flew in and landed on telegraph pole the other side of the road in garden, green woodpecker called and a Cettis Warbler burst into song.

Holme - main beach carpark.

In the clump of bushes/pines opposite toilet block, pished out 1 female Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff.

Titchwell RSPB - 2.35pm

Heaving with people!!!!!!

Asking people as I walked along, no one had seen the Grey Phalarope for a while OR maybe no one was looking OR did not know what they were looking for!!!! As soon as I scoped across the back, there it was (2.35pm) and even though it was distant, it looking stunning in the sunshine. Showed several people who didn't have scopes/hadn't seen it yet and they were really pleased. Also pintail here and 2 Swallows skimming around the new seabank along with a reed bunting and meadow pipits. A large flock of linnets were floating about around the Shorelark area, but no shorelarks were seen (good job I saw them on Friday!!!) - very amusing though as several people reckoned they did have the shorelarks - BUT in fact what they were looking at were linnets!!!!! For anyone going to Titchwell tomorrow I overheard that there was a Purple Sandpiper on the shore and also some snowbuntings. Anyway I decided that I needed to escape and decided to walk to Thornham Point - got almost to the boardwalk bit when the pager went off - 'Black Guillemot between Coastguards and Halfway House...' hmmmmm ok right off we go!!!!! About turn and marched back along the bank - car.

Cley and East Runton

Followed loads of slow traffic including an old couple who were doing dead on 30mph all through the 60mph's - eventually overtook them! Arrived Coastguards at around 4.50pm - just got out of car, walked a few yards - Pager went off 'Pallas's Warbler at East Runton'!!!!!!! - got back in car and flew to East Runton. Hadn't got a clue where this lane was and asked some locals by a pub and found it quickly, ran down lane to find John F there who was the 2nd and last person to see it:-C Well done John:t:, but not for the rest of us! - I missed it by about 15 mins! Several familiar faces joined us included D.A who I said I would cook a whole batch of scones for if he re found it!!!;) Anyway a few of us walked a bit further down the lane and with pishing and my Audubon Birdcall we got out a Firecrest and a Yellow Browed Warbler!!!!! Also a Tawny Owl calling. I was so gutted about the Pallas's that when I phoned through the 'no news' to RBA I forgot to mention the Firecrest and YBW!!!!!!

Phone call from M.G. to say he had a Green Winged Teal in front of Daukes. Ran back up the track to car, but then found out a marsh harrier had put everything up and it had flown over to North Hide!

Drove home - sandwiches done for morning - hoping for another cracking day tomorrow!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
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Would avoid go to the point on wenesday - its going to rain all day!! thinking about, it its a good day to go to the point, providing your waterproofs are up to scratch!!

Can confirm that Penny's cheese scones were very good - lots of cheese - could do with being a bit bigger though!!

Raining on BP - just the kind of day to walk the Point!!!

Thank you for cheese scone compliment:t:
 
penny - i think i met you on sunday - if so i was the chap whose book you had a look at watching the redpolls. they were a great end to our week in norfolk, but sadly i spent the afernoon driving back to newcastle.

i must have at least seen some other bf people as i was in the car park when the little auk went over on sat as well.

if only we'd had another week free...

happy birding

mike
 
i must have at least seen some other bf people as i was in the car park when the little auk went over on sat as well.

I was the first person to see the Little Auk and Connor was the shorter guy ;) next to me. Chris Mills was also there and he was the one that almost deafened me with one of his bellows! Thats 3 more people from BF!
 
Had a very 'foxy-red' tailed Red Kite (presumably an adult) over the mini roundabout in Wroxham on the way in to work this afternoon. It passed westwards towards that interesting looking area between Wroxham and Coltishall scattering Woodpigeons and drawing some aggravated attention from a Magpie. Interestingly, when I checked the RBA website later for recent county sightings, it seems that this is only the fourth broadcast on the pagers since the end of August. Have they really been so few and far between this autumn?

James
 
Pallas's Warbler

We saw the bird today at East Runton, certainly has an interesting call, not the typical chuee, more like the mono-syllabic call of yellow browed when its not going tsoeest. Lovely bright head though, with yellow front to the supercillium dark eye stripe and distinct crown stripe. An education, shows you shouldn't rely on one call from one tape as all birds vary
 
Well it won't take very long to post this evening!!! (will try and lengthen it out!)

Plan for today was: look for Green winged Teal from Dauke's Hide at Cley and then poodle over to East Runton to look for Pallas's Warbler.

Freezing cold this morning!

Arrived at Coastguards, Cley at 8.50am - nothing on sea whatsoever, re-parked and walked to Dauke's Hide. A peregrine had apparently put everything up from Simmond's, waited for all the teal to come back;) and then scanned every one I could - no sign of Green winged Teal! Few marsh harriers floating about.

Got a phone call seconds before the pager bleeped 'Pallas's Warbler at East Runton' to tell me I was in the wrong place! - as I drove over there I just had a feeling that I was going to 'dip' again. In fact I didn't even bother running down the track, just speed walked instead;) - you just instantly know that you have missed out again by people's body language - no bins were raised, no smiley faces (apart from two and you know who you are!;)) and very despondent expressions!!! Yes I 'dipped' again. Only good bird was a stunning male Bullfinch sitting in a hawthorn the other side of the railway track through the gap next to the Pallas's sycamore tree! Also a redwing here. I basically then wasted most of the day, refusing to leave until I had lost all hope. After lots of pishing and walking about and gazing into sunny sycamore leaves I decided enough was enough. Walked off along a path which went west from the railway bridge and ended up a kissing gate where a NT sign read 'Inkleborough Hill' - which was a lovely surprise, as I have always wanted to climb up here, so off I went and climbed right to the top and sat on the seat to marvel at the awesome view over the coast. You can see soooo much from here - I could see 3 birders in the field at West Runton, presumably looking for the short toed lark, Beeston Bump, Cromer Church etc etc. I did not see many birds on route only a few robins, a jay, a long tailed tit flock (nothing with them) and a few great and blue tits. Walked back to re-join others STILL hoping for the Pallas's. Had a chat with Sue and then walked back to car and had a very late lunch - I can't really remember what time it was, around 2pmish I think. I suddenly noticed a public footpath sign dead opposite following a caravan park with lots of gorse and bushes on the right so decided to take a little wander. This path looked potentially brilliant - it passed a couple of allotments, a grassy field and then lots of scrub and bushes at the top - the path stopped at the precarious cliff edge!!!:eek!::eek!: as I walked to the top I flushed at least half a dozen blackbirds, robins and blue and great tits. Also watched a couple of redwing in a bush too.

Walsey Hills - stopped in the carpark to chat with Pete S. and Graham. Listened to a Cettis Warbler.

Popped up to Cley Visitor Centre briefly and as I left had a quick look at the sightings board which read 'Shorelark' so I queried this with the man on reception and apparently someone had reported a single shorelark with snowbuntings at the end of the East Bank about an hour ago (which makes it around 3.45pm)

Dauke's Hide NWT

On route to the hide I had 6 Swallows skimming around together. The weather had turned horrible in the afternoon and it was grey and cold and dismal - matched my mood right now. Anyway it all turned roses;) and thanks to Andy Johnson who brilliantly picked out the Green winged teal for me;):t: 5.15pm. Being as I had no cheese scones I did offer half (note I said half) of my Ripple bar but he politely declined. The day had been saved - one new year tick!!!:t: M.G and E.M then arrived in the hide and Mark picked out a 2nd Winter Caspian Gull on Simmond's Scrape!!! Now 6.30pm and time to go home.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

WEATHER LOOKS GOOD FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY!!!!
 
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Yellow-browed still knocking about with one still at Blakeney and one at Morston, lovely sunny walk along the coastal path and a dress rehearsal at the Dell
 
penny - i think i met you on sunday - if so i was the chap whose book you had a look at watching the redpolls. they were a great end to our week in norfolk, but sadly i spent the afernoon driving back to newcastle.

i must have at least seen some other bf people as i was in the car park when the little auk went over on sat as well.

if only we'd had another week free...

happy birding

mike
Nice to meet you Mike - glad you enjoyed your stay in Norfolk.:t:
 
Titchwell October 20th

Today's highlights

Bewick's swan - 4 adults on fresh marsh until dusk
Hen harrier - juvenile hunting over saltmarsh - 3 ringtails roosted in reedbed last night plus 8 marsh harriers
Jack snipe - 1 from Island Hide although elusive
Snow bunting - 12 commuting between fresh marsh and beach but mobile
Shorelark - 1 on brackish marsh
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Long tailed duck - female offshore

Paul
 
East Runton

Just had to have another look for the Pallas's Warbler, but no luck. Very strong winds today, no good for passerines really. Few robins, hedge sparrows, chaffinches, great spotted woodpecker, redwing. Had another look at the footpath on the opposite side of the road but nothing.

West Runton

1 Sparrowhawk landed in trees. One VERY nice person pointed out two Lapland Buntings (11.50am) flying in the stubble field just above our heads:t: No sign of the Short toed Lark, but lots of skylarks.

Walsey Hills/North Fallen Wood

Nothing at all apart from a Cetti's Warbler and a few robins and chaffinches.

House on the Hill, Blakeney.

Sat here for lunch - long tailed tit flock, few chaffinches. Weather horrible now, too windy for birds, getting bored so decided to have a little cat nap;) before going to Wells woods. A while later the pager bleeps up with Snow Goose at Docking/Brancaster. At last some action - time to go!!!!!!!:t:

Docking/Brancaster

3.15pm - fabulous views of the Snow Goose amongst thousands of Pinkfeet on the deck and in flight! I watched it until 4.30pm. Bitterly cold here, got some record shots too. The man who who found it had a massive great 500mm lens + 2 converters stacked and some fabulous shots, think he said he was going to put them on Surfbirds this evening. He said he was just taking general shots of the pinkfeet when he realised there was a snowgoose in one of his shots!!!! Thanks for phoning it in:t: Two new year ticks in one day has kept me happy;) No.1 and 2. Surfbirds county listers also joined No. 3 (me!) to tick the snowgoose;)

For anyone going tomorrow (directions from Paul King - thanks:t:) - from Wells/Cley etc direction take the turning left directly after the Jolly Sailers pub at Brancaster Staithe - follow this road over Brancaster Common at the top of the hill and when you get to a very small T junction, turn right, follow this road until you get a small crossroads of white signs with black writing. It was at this crossroads where I first watched the Snow Goose, but a bit later the whole flock moved further back and this is where I left it at 4.30pm. I turned left at this crossroads following the sign that said 'Sussex Farm' - the field now on your right is a ploughed/stubble field, the field after that on right is a beet field, pull over on the right, next to the beet field and view the field directly beyond the beet field and that was where the snow goose had settled along with thousands of pinkfeet. By the way please note the landowner was very quickly on the scene and asked people not to park near the junction.

Titchwell Church

Stopped here to have a look in the churchyard, nothing apart from robin and blackbird and loads of black headed gulls feeding in the adjacent ploughed field.

Thornham Boathouse

A fish n chip van was sitting at Thornham;) Sat at Thornham boathouse/harbour eating fish n chips. Another birder said he had been watched a Hen Harrier and a barn owl (I saw neither). Few redshanks about and I could see a MASSIVE gull roast on the shore near Thornham Point. I had a fascinating time watching loads of pied wagtails all gathering to roost in a boat!!!!!!!!!!

Last day of freedom tomorrow, but annoyingly I have to go into town to some jobs first which I will do as quickly as possible!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Snow Goose at Docking/Brancaster and in flight with pinkfeet.
 

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Welney Kingfishers

Spectacular displays from a pair of Kingfishers on Sunday pm. Up and down the Old Bedford river for a good hour just south of the bridge.
They even followed me onto the River Delph as I headed north towards Welmore Sluice.

Lucky me also saw my first Fenland Buzzard earlier in the day in Cambridgeshire as I headed up to Welney via Mepal. They are at last spreading further into Cambridgeshire.
 

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