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

Norfolk birding (13 Viewers)

A bit off topic I know, but just across the border Lowestoft is having a bit of a purple patch at the moment: Yesterday I tried for the Pallas at Corton (dipped), then purple sand and Rock Pipit at the Ness. Then Black-throated diver in Lake Lothing, followed by Glaucous gull at the roost in Carlton and two barn owls at carlton marshes.
http://home.clara.net/ammodytes/ is a useful link.
 
Richard's Pipit again

A friend of mine has just found a Richard's Pipit at Terrington marshes, probably of eastern race (dauricus).

Have just relocated the Richard's Pipit at Terrington Marshes (or found another one), while carrying out a bit of roving recording for the BTO Atlas (luckily I wasn't doing a TTV!). Managed to get reasonable 'scope views eventually, good enough to rule out any confusion species I think. Virtually silent (not helped by rather blustery wind), did hear a faint 'schreep' early on and got a hint of a long hind claw. Looked Skylark size and very long-tailed in flight; notably long-legged when seen on the deck. Very obliging, feeding at distances down to 10m in the rough grass and tideline debris on the seaward side of the seawall about 1/2 mile W from Ongar Hill car park along the Peter Scott Walk, approx grid ref TF573257. Meadow and Rock Pipits in the vicinity, but none so obliging as the Richard's. Unfortunately left my camera at home.

Earlier on had the square's regular 2nd cal male Hen Harrier hunting the coastal fields, plus a single Twite overhead.
 
Prob Richard's Pipit at 3:40pm and again at 4:10pm Ongar Hill at TF573255. First time flushed from rough grass on side of seawall, second time in flight over tideline debris. Looked good but couldnt nail it as didnt call and didnt get it well on the deck to clinch ID.

Connor
 
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Any sign of the Rough legged Buzzard that was regularly reported over near Great Yarmouth a few weeks back? I know it hasn't been on RBA recently and just wondered if anyone was looking.

Thanks

Tim
 
Little Egrets are quite scarce in this corner of the county so it was nice to see one feeding by the freshly dredged drain behind 'The Star' PH at Lessingham yesterday. It flushed as I walked past and settled in the edge of a harvested sugar beet field to the south of the pub.

James
 
I actually saw a male Golden Pheasant at Wolverton Triangle today!!!!!! (first time I have ever seen one here) at 8.30am - was extremely pleased as this has added another year tick, along with Bewicks Swan yesterday and tree pipit which I forgot to add, oh and a water pipit today makes 235 for year (that does include red tailed hawk and eagle owl which I know doesn't count, but I am counting it!!! After looking twice in disbelief that I was actually looking at a golden pheasant, a car came past and stopped to ask me 'was I looking for golden pheasant?' 'Yes I replied I have just been watching one!' and the man said he had also been watching round on the other road!, so it was obviously a good morning for them.

Carried on to Ongar Hill, Terrington Marsh - what an out of the way, desolate place! Lots of curlews feeding in fields on route to the carpark. Wasted alot of time here and dipped on the Richard's Pipit. I arrived at 9.15am and there were 2 cars in the carpark. I walked straight out to the seabank and turned west along the Peter Scott walk. There were loads of shooters in the fields to my left making a load of racket, which I am sure did not help my chances of seeing any birds! I walked to the area where it supposed to favour, saw rock pipits, skylarks, 3 little egrets and 5 turnstone in tidal pools, along with brent geese in the distance and tons of waders - I walked way beyond that to a barn with cows in and had lovely views of 2 fieldfare, a redwing on telegraph wire and yellowhammers and chaffinches feeding from puddles in muddy farm track. The wind was very strong, it is so exposed here! Connor rang me to say the RP had come on the pagers at 9.25 (I think) - now unless someone else had been there early and gone back a different way to carpark, I did not pass another birder!!! In fact the first people I saw, was on my return (around 11am), a couple who had not seen it, a single man and then 2 men together and a single woman and no one had seen it! When I got back to carpark, 2 twitchers who had come from Oxford then went out to see it, I wished them good luck, I don't know if they saw it or not, a very long way to come to see a very elusive Richard's Pipit!!

I then made my way to Welney again (went yesterday and joined WWT). Had lunch in the carpark and then went to main hide and had close up views of a female Scaup and mid distant views of a female Smew and then spent the next half an hour getting really cross with my digiscoping bracket which I think had cross threaded and now does not work!!!! Then I went to the Lyle hide seeing a Water Pipit on route, but no sign of the Red Crested Pochard which has been seen recently but not today! On the way back a Barn Owl crossed a dyke.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
There was a Red-crested Pochard at Titchwell RSPB on Christmas Eve Penny but I don't know whether it has been seen since.

Connor
 
what an out of the way, desolate place!

Oi! That's my Atlas square you're talking about! ;)
Actually, I can see where you're coming from. But it's definitely got potential, provided the weather's not too harsh.

Richard's Pipit showing well this afternoon (1400-1500), fairly approachable, feeding unconcernedly either in tideline debris (lower path along the edge of tideline on the sea wall just past the gate is a favoured area) or up on top of the sea wall further along.

Also 1 Merlin, male Marsh Harrier, 40-odd Twite over and a Barn Owl quartering the field by the car park at dusk.
 
Hi all,

I am thinking of heading to the coast to look for the snow buntings and was wondering where the best spot for them would be. I know most people see them near Salthouse but I usually go to Cley so am not so familiar with the footpath to Salthouse. If I come by the coasthopper bus what stop would I need?
 
Hi all,

I am thinking of heading to the coast to look for the snow buntings and was wondering where the best spot for them would be. I know most people see them near Salthouse but I usually go to Cley so am not so familiar with the footpath to Salthouse. If I come by the coasthopper bus what stop would I need?

Hiya Kitty

The bus stop is almost opposite the footpath that leads to Salthouse marshes and the beach, you can't miss it ..just look out for the shelter at Salthouse village outside the old post office or ask the bus driver to let you know when you get there!!.

Regarding best place to look for Snow Bunts, they work they're way up and down the beach between here and Cley so as long as you've got the time to wait for them along the shingle ridge either spot should produce good views of them, Salthouse end probably a bit better for prolonged views as it's generally a bit quieter!

Matt
 

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Oi! That's my Atlas square you're talking about! ;)
Actually, I can see where you're coming from. But it's definitely got potential, provided the weather's not too harsh.

Richard's Pipit showing well this afternoon (1400-1500), fairly approachable, feeding unconcernedly either in tideline debris (lower path along the edge of tideline on the sea wall just past the gate is a favoured area) or up on top of the sea wall further along.

Also 1 Merlin, male Marsh Harrier, 40-odd Twite over and a Barn Owl quartering the field by the car park at dusk.

Good to hear its still there mate, will be heading up there again on the 1st of Jan! ;)

Connor
 
Good to hear its still there mate, will be heading up there again on the 1st of Jan! ;)

Connor

Maybe see you there then Connor! Thought I would start off with Golden Pheasant, being as I was lucky the other day, have a plan for 3/4 of the day, then wing it;) after that. I am going to sacrafice news year's eve and go to bed early and do a MASSIVE bird twitch, could really do with a co-rally driver, but I supposed as last year, I will be flying about by myself!!!!!;)
 
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Oi! That's my Atlas square you're talking about! ;)
Actually, I can see where you're coming from. But it's definitely got potential, provided the weather's not too harsh.

Richard's Pipit showing well this afternoon (1400-1500), fairly approachable, feeding unconcernedly either in tideline debris (lower path along the edge of tideline on the sea wall just past the gate is a favoured area) or up on top of the sea wall further along.

Also 1 Merlin, male Marsh Harrier, 40-odd Twite over and a Barn Owl quartering the field by the car park at dusk.

Hi Ben, sorry!!!!;););) - well it is if you are on your own as well!!! apart from the shooters in the field to left I did not see another birder until late morning!
 
Did you go for the Pallas's Warbler in the end Penny?

Connor

Ahhhhh yes, NO I didn't, had an off day today - bascially I changed plans and had a disgustingly lazy day. I had one of my odd, mad days and ended leaving Lynn at 3.10pm and arrived at Cley Spy at precisely 3.55pm (good job no one was with me!!!) just before they closed to take back my FSB-6 digiscoping bracket which jammed permanently yesterday at Welney and they exchanged for me, which I am very pleased about. Then it was dark, so my year list ends on 235 but really its 233, cos apparently I can't add red tailed hawk or eagle owl - why not!!!!!????;););). Unless of course something magically appears outside the window at work tomorrow!

Have a great day on Jan 1st Connor, maybe see you about.

Did you go birding today?

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Have a great day on Jan 1st Connor, maybe see you about.

Did you go birding today?

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Thanks, although change of plan means I'm more likely to go out on Jan 2nd. I didnt go birding today either. God job you didnt head to Suffolk Penny, no sign of the Pallas's all day!

Connor
 

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