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

Norfolk birding (17 Viewers)

Cley has suffered similar inundations in the past and recovered but one wonders how many more times they'll spend large amounts of money to bulldozer-up the shingle bank to protect what is a relatively narrow strip of flat land.
 
Very interesting pictures, Penny

Presumably the flooding of the fresh water? lagoons spells very bad news for the local wildlife, was talking about this earlier about the Strumpshaw reserve so the effects must be pretty similar regarding the situation with Kingfisher, Bittern etc?

M
 
To add to your pics. Penny
1Salthouse Beach from the Heath
2 From Kelling Hard taken at low tide
3From kelling Beachcarpark Shingle should be same height allthe way along
$ Veiw Kelling Beach to Salthouse and Walsey hills inthe centre
 

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another blistering seawatch at sheringham
slow start with just a few little auks and poms but poms gradually picking up through the morning and total up to 2.30pm of around 75 all going east, about 5% sub ads.
at 11.30 the floodgates openned and we then had about 1000 lil auks in about 1 1/2 hours, flocks of up to 25. There was literally too much to look at and it has its perils, i was looking east and in a rather bored way called 'scoter' , noone looked, just when my subconscious was meeting my conscious thought that this was indeed an interesting bird, two pale patches either side of eye, big, triangular bill, no white on wing, someone shouted ad pom and i got distracted, i picked it up again flying away, a small short winged bird with very white belly, unable to get anyone else on it, but only people who saw it were not in my part of the shelter, with realisation that it was 1st win fem Surf Scoter i had to apologise to the regulars who thankfully were very forgiving - repeat a hundred times, when seawatching if anything looks unusual wake up, start shouting no matter what.
Also had first self find stormy, few sooties, arctic skuas and frostbitten finger.

Seawatching from the visitors centre produced, 1 grey phal on the sea.

On a serious note i saw the devastation at Cley, and although i'm probably raging against an unstoppable element i think more could have been done by government/ forecasters. I watched the news the night before and the correspondent at yarmouth when asked if salthouse/ cley was going to be ok said that ' as far as they knew the fences had not been breached' they obviously were making it up and did not have a clue. I then heard a minister say that they only knew about the sea surge / winds on thursday morning, i thought their forecast was pathetic, worse than a Michael Fish wet dream, any birder could have told them this was going to happen this time last week. They are now all wiping their brows and saying that was a close one, and washing any environmental damage under the carpet. There could have been more warning and possibly with the advanced sluicing system at Cley maybe something could have been done.
 
Don't you just hate technology - after spending 5hrs seawatching off Titchwell and putting all the info into my dictaphone if have just got home to find that it has decided to wipe its memory - I won't repeat what has just come out of my mouth!!!! :C
I can remember a few things though - 40+ little auk, female surf scoter west at 11:40, 1 pom, 1 arctic, 4 LT ducks, purple sand and 25+velvet scoter. Also on the reserve, juv hen harrier and 210 pintail on fresh marsh.

Paul
 
Hi Penny

I enjoyed reading your account of your day, interesting to know what happens on a birders day out.

Super pictures of all the Norfolk area (though the water is around in more unusual places at the moment). Still love to visit Norfolk myself in the near future. So your pictures give an idea what to expect here ;)

Arthur: the same applies to your pictures too.

Love the Starlings - beautiful array of colours that they have. All your other pictures too, and the areas that they show.

As for your Waxwing - I think it is a great shot :t:

Paul: Yes Dictaphones can be silly sometimes. Had a tape chew on once and that was not so good either.

Regards
Kathy
 
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A cracking morning all round at Holme NOA today with a wide variety of stuff, despite not being able to locate the female Surf Scoter! Totals in 5 hours 30 minutes (7:05-12:50am) (highlights in bold)

Little Auk 50 (48 w 2 e)
Pomarine Skua 13 (all west, 2 adults)
Skua sp. 9 (7 probable Pomarine, 2 probable Arctic)
Great Skua 1 (west)
Artic Skua 1 (west)
Red-breasted Merganser 16 (12 w 4 e)
Velvet Scoter 10 (8 w 2 e)
Fulmar 4 (all west)
Eider 2 (both west)
Gannet 25 (20 w 5 e)
Great-crested Grebe 24 (20 w 4 e)
Common Scoter 330+ (300 w 30 e)
Razorbill 10 (8 e 2 w)
Kittiwake 144 (all west)
Wigeon 20 (15 w 5 e)
Red-throated Diver 22 (20 w 2 e)
Diver sp. 1 (west)
Shelduck 140+ (all west)
Little Gull 2 (both adults west)
Red-necked Grebe 1 (west)
Auk sp. 10 (9 w 1 e)
Black-throated Diver 1 (east)
Teal 77+ (60 w 17 e)
Great Northern Diver 2 (both west)
23 Goldeneyes (21 w 2 e)
Shag 1 (west)
Small grebe sp. 1 (prob Slavonian west)
Med Gull 1 (adult winter west)
Mallard 4 (all west)
Shoveler 5 (all west)
Gadwall 9 (all west)
Brent Geese 130+

Itwas nice to see a good crowd at Holme, including fellow BF members Ben Rackstraw, Steve Lister and Reader! o:)

Other highlights at Holme NOA during the morning:

Lapland Bunting 5 (all west, 4 together)
Snow Bunting 10 (west along beach)
Woodcock 6 (including 2 in off sea)
Siskin 7(all east)
Rock Pipit 3 (all west)
Peregrine (1 on off sea)

A fall of Blackbirds was also observed, with many coming in off the sea. The final count was 50+.

Other highlights during the day away from Holme NOA:

1 Grey Phalarope on flood just west of iron road Salthouse (good to see you here Penny :t:)
1 ringtail Hen Harrier low over the A149 near Titchwell RSPB
1 Peregrine west over Thornham Harbour.

Phew! Cheers,

Connor Rand
 
I notice the Surf Scoter is on the NOA website for today!
I was hoping it was going to settle, but not sure now.
Over 100+ Little Auks from Sheringham this morning, but no identifyable skuas (I'll let Penny fill you in on the details! She does it so much better than me!)


Any comments from our east coast friends on the plover around Waxham (other than the obvious)?
 
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Hi Penny

I enjoyed reading your account of your day, interesting to know what happens on a birders day out.

Love the Starlings - beautiful array of colours that they have. All your other pictures too, and the areas that they show.

Regards
Kathy
Thanks Kathy;):t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Big seawatch post coming in a minute or two!!!!!!
 
another blistering seawatch at sheringham
slow start with just a few little auks and poms but poms gradually picking up through the morning and total up to 2.30pm of around 75 all going east, about 5% sub ads.
at 11.30 the floodgates openned and we then had about 1000 lil auks in about 1 1/2 hours, flocks of up to 25. There was literally too much to look at and it has its perils, i was looking east and in a rather bored way called 'scoter' , noone looked, just when my subconscious was meeting my conscious thought that this was indeed an interesting bird, two pale patches either side of eye, big, triangular bill, no white on wing, someone shouted ad pom and i got distracted, i picked it up again flying away, a small short winged bird with very white belly, unable to get anyone else on it, but only people who saw it were not in my part of the shelter, with realisation that it was 1st win fem Surf Scoter i had to apologise to the regulars who thankfully were very forgiving - repeat a hundred times, when seawatching if anything looks unusual wake up, start shouting no matter what.
Also had first self find stormy, few sooties, arctic skuas and frostbitten finger.

Seawatching from the visitors centre produced, 1 grey phal on the sea.

On a serious note i saw the devastation at Cley, and although i'm probably raging against an unstoppable element i think more could have been done by government/ forecasters. I watched the news the night before and the correspondent at yarmouth when asked if salthouse/ cley was going to be ok said that ' as far as they knew the fences had not been breached' they obviously were making it up and did not have a clue. I then heard a minister say that they only knew about the sea surge / winds on thursday morning, i thought their forecast was pathetic, worse than a Michael Fish wet dream, any birder could have told them this was going to happen this time last week. They are now all wiping their brows and saying that was a close one, and washing any environmental damage under the carpet. There could have been more warning and possibly with the advanced sluicing system at Cley maybe something could have been done.

Hi Pomskua

Is this list for yesterday????? (Friday), because I was sitting in the shelters at Sheringham today (IF thats where you were) and there was no Surf Scooter and no where near as many as 1000+ little auks?????!!!!!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny
 
A cracking morning all round at Holme NOA today with a wide variety of stuff, despite not being able to locate the female Surf Scoter! Totals in 5 hours 30 minutes (7:05-12:50am) (highlights in bold)

Connor Rand

Cracking list from Holme Connor - well done! I should have been there!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
I notice the Surf Scoter is on the NOA website for today!
I was hoping it was going to settle, but not sure now.
Over 100+ Little Auks from Sheringham this morning, but no identifyable skuas (I'll let Penny fill you in on the details! She does it so much better than me!)


Any comments from our east coast friends on the plover around Waxham (other than the obvious)?

Hi Ruralchill

Just to let you know - The NOA website covers all birds seen at Holme, not necessarily by NOA staff, could have also been seen by an NWT warden?......

Will 'fill in' on details at Sheringham shortly!;)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Dave

the plover...

well it beats me, been 'reported' twice now. 12:30 today but not on news services until dark i think. I guess the observers haven't had phones with them to get someone to check it out...

I was too busy today and have birding withdrawal symptoms but i will go through the flock tomorrow. There was one in the same field last year i remember.
 
Sheringham today 7.10am - 1.40pm

Got up at an unearthly hour and arrived just in time for one of last bum seats in shelter at Sheringham next to the one and only Justin Lansdell and sidekick Andy Wilkinson and several other top birders. I had so many layers on today, I felt like the Michlin Man!!! A hugely entertaining day all round for for birds and Justin's infectious sense of humour!):t:

I didn't see as many as others, I consider myself quite sharp, but my goodness there were some eagle eyes in that shelter!!!

I think I am right in saying that some people probably had near on 150 Little Auks, maybe more, no 'Poms' today though, I think a few people had some skuas sp. that were so far out they could not be ID'd. A goosander was seen which I REALLY needed for my year list and I had a blonde moment and could not pick it up:C

It has taken ages to compile this list, had 5 pages of notes today in my little book (record for me!) now all written neatly and listed as follows:

SHERINGHAM

102 Little Auks
4 Great Northern Divers
2 Red Throated Divers
5 Great Crested Grebes
7 Red Breasted Mergansers
1 Red Necked Grebe
2 Auk sp.'s
5 Diver sp.'s
15 Goldeneyes
66 Shelduck
9 Gannets (all imm.)
2 Razorbills
1 Guillimot
33 Common Scooter
1 Velvet Scooter
97 Brent Geese
14 Mallards
86 Teal
34 Widgeon
13 Cormorants
1 Shag sitting on posts on beach!
2 Kittwakes
1 Little Gull
5 Turnstones (on beach)
1 Grey Plover
1 Curlew
1 Ringed Plover
1 Peregrine Falcon (9am)
1 Puffin (landed on sea close in 9.30am)
1 Purple Sandpiper (9.30am)
5 Snow Buntings (2 at 8.30am and 3 at 10.40am)



SALTHOUSE

1 Barn Owl (2.30pm)
1 Grey Phalarope (3.30pm)


Had a lovely piece of plum and something cake and big cup of scrummy hot chocolate at Cley Visitor Centre before going back to Salthouse to see Grey Pharolope in the 'new pools'!!! along with other Cley Birders and also Connor who had zipped along from Holme. Drove home before dark as my eyes were so tired!

Excellent day's birding.

Best Wishes Penny:girl::t:
 
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Well done Penny sounds like an excellent day! Puffin especially is really nice! Interesting about the skuas and the Kittiwakes, most of the ones at Holme were moving at first light... Did others in east Norfolk have many at all?

Got the Norfolk bird and mammal report today from Cley NWT. As always an excellent read!

Cheers,

Connor
 
Well done Penny sounds like an excellent day! Puffin especially is really nice! Interesting about the skuas and the Kittiwakes, most of the ones at Holme were moving at first light... Did others in east Norfolk have many at all?

Got the Norfolk bird and mammal report today from Cley NWT. As always an excellent read!

Cheers,

Connor

Thanks Connor - I am not working tomorrow, might pop to Holme for spot of seawatching!!!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Can any norfolk folk help ....
Are the Taiga Bean's settled at Cantley ?
Has the/a Black Brant been seen in the last 48 hrs ?
Same with the Richards Pipits ?

Thanks for your help
jason
 
Can any norfolk folk help ....
Are the Taiga Bean's settled at Cantley ?
Has the/a Black Brant been seen in the last 48 hrs ?
Same with the Richards Pipits ?

Thanks for your help
jason

Taigas not 'settled' but you might find them Cantley / Buckenham

Brant seen thurs Wells, before that Burnham Overy duines a couple of times start of Nov

1 Richard's seen Thurs morning, not since

The sea's good though!

Tim
 

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