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

Norfolk birding (6 Viewers)

Presumably the Subalpine Warbler at Eccles a few weeks ago (news of which has just hit the info services) was a Western; the pager message didnt elaborate.
 
Just dropped a blog, but a brief summary here.
Headed out on my first proper migrant hunt of the Spring yesterday, hitting up Hemsby and Caister. Saw nothing. Disheartened. Decided I had earnt myself a twitch, so went and had a look at the Hoopoe at Waxham!
Much better goings on at the patch, including Redwing in song, Little Ringed Plover, Sand Martins, a Water Vole and some Bats. That's more like it! Off out again this morning.
Can't say the charts look ideal over the next few days, no doubt it will all kick off once I return to work!
Cheers,
Jim.
 
Small arrival of birds at Titchwell this morning.

Willow warbler - 3 singing around carpark
Sedge warbler - 6+ in reedbed
Swift - 1 west, 2nd earliest reserve record
Swallow - 1 west
Sand martin - 5 west
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh

Paul
 
willowgrouse said:
If you ever think that you have got to the bottom of that one MJB, try working out what abmigration is supposed to be ;)
Click to expand...

Male and female birds from different breeding grounds, but sharing wintering grounds, pairing up and going together to one or other of the breeding grounds - usually referring to duck species. (Peter Berthold again, p40 in Bird Migration - a general survey, 2nd edn)
MJB
 
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Titchwell April 11th

A decent selection of birds today and nice to see some summer migrants at last!

Today’s highlights

Osprey – 1 west @ 16:30
Red kite – 1 west @ 12:10
Red necked grebe – 1 offshore
Sedge warbler – 7+ singing in reedbed
Willow warbler – 4 singing around reserve
Swallow – 40+ west
Swift – 1 west (2nd earliest record)
Long tailed duck – 3 offshore
Velvet scoter – 4 offshore
Wheatear – 10+ around reserve
Short eared owl – 1 hunting over saltmarsh
Red crested pochard – pair on fresh marsh

Paul
 
Blakeney Point

Highlights today: Merlin at Halfway House, Blakeney Point and loads of wheatears and swallows. 5 Ring Ouzels at 'The Hangs', Cley this morning and a Short-eared Owl this evening from Daukes Hide, Cley. Eddie said there were still 4 Ring Ouzels at 'The Hangs' this evening.

Full update on blog.

Penny:girl:
 
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Barton Board

O.Reville1989 said:
Not had any Little Tern past the North coast recently despite a few sea watches. Could well be a miss ID? Not sure what with though.
Click to expand...

Quite possibly. My sightings some hours after the little terns were reported.

I saw three terns on the broad. Two came closer and landed on a green raft. One clearly had the mainly red bill of a common tern. Could not see this on the second bird.

Later the two terns came back and in good light conditions the red on both bills could be seen.

The third tern was always distant. Bird looked smaller than the other two terns. Bill looked dark. When it joined the other terns it was the same size.

I was looking out for little terns and and having confirmed the ID it was self evident from the birds behaviour they were common terns all along.
 
tern i.d.

Paul Woolnough said:
...The third tern was always distant. Bird looked smaller than the other two terns. Bill looked dark. When it joined the other terns it was the same size.

I was looking out for little terns and and having confirmed the ID it was self evident from the birds behaviour they were common terns all along.
Click to expand...

I would venture to suggest that if it was self evident all along that they were common terns you didn't really need to get yourself all confused over the size and bill colour
 
abmigration

MJB said:
Male and female birds from different breeding grounds, but sharing wintering grounds, pairing up and going together to one or other of the breeding grounds - usually referring to duck species. (Peter Berthold again, p40 in Bird Migration - a general survey, 2nd edn)
MJB
Click to expand...

Cheers MJB. So, if I understand this correctly, the arrival in north Norfolk of hybrid young from Black Brant x D-B Brents are a result of abmigration in the adult Black Brant and migration in the D-B Brent
 
willowgrouse said:
I would venture to suggest that if it was self evident all along that they were common terns you didn't really need to get yourself all confused over the size and bill colour
Click to expand...

I was trying to find the reported little terns and was unaware any common terns were present.

It is easy to be wise after the event. Two other birders arrived after my first sightings of the terns.
Was a single little tern present? No.
 
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ID or not ID that is the question

Initial thoughts were that distant terns were little, as reported. When seen better and things thought through ID changed to common tern.

Saw the two LRP's at Thorpe Marshes Norwich this lunchtime, at long last.

Plus my first serin since 1996 in Lowestoft tonight.

Forgive me, but the hardest ID's are of those who do not use their real name on BF.
 
A nice trip out today to see the Hoopoe at Waxham also produced my first Willow Warbler, Swallow and Sand Martins (2) of the year, along with a male Ring Ouzel just south of the holiday camp. A Peacock butterfly was also a first for the year, as were common lizard and grass snake in the dunes.
I then went on to Winterton where 4 Wheatear increased my year list further. Finding pools with water in proved challenging and only newts (common presumably) were seen. Highlight of the day was the rather grumpy Adder that hissed at me several times but refused to perform for a photo. After countless visits to the dunes this was the first time I had seen Adder at Winterton despite the signs that always tell me to beware of them!

An enjoyable day - I'll have to tear myself away from the gardening more regularly!!!

Chris
 
willowgrouse said:
Cheers MJB. So, if I understand this correctly, the arrival in north Norfolk of hybrid young from Black Brant x D-B Brents are a result of abmigration in the adult Black Brant and migration in the D-B Brent
Click to expand...

Possible result. Don't forget the presence of many feral/non-migrant bernicla of uncertain origin in UK and elsewhere in northern Europe...
MJB
 
Kettle of raptors over the A149 between Holkham and Burnham Overy Staithe about 30 minutes ago.
As well as I could pick up there were 3 Buzzard, 2 possibly 3 Red Kite (One too high to get a positive ID), 2 Marsh Harriers and another bird which was possibly a Ring-Tailed Hen Harrier (too high to be 100% but did pick up what I thought was the ringed tail!).
Managed to pull over to see the Red Kites leave the group and begin courting (Which would further suggest there was only 2 birds present) to the North of me at low altitude.
Great sight but unfortunate that I left my bins/scope/camera at home!
 
MJB said:
Possible result. Don't forget the presence of many feral/non-migrant bernicla of uncertain origin in UK and elsewhere in northern Europe...
MJB
Click to expand...

I'm aware that a few non-breeders often over-summer but I wasn't aware of any breeding populations in the UK, either feral or "non-migrant". Are there any?
 
tonyfenn said:
thinking of going for the rouzels at Cley 2morrow, where is 'the hangs?' please
Click to expand...

The hands is located behind Walsey Hills. The easiest way to reach it from Cley is to head along the road that heads east out of Cley village past The Three Swallows Pub, it eventually reaches Holt. About a mile out of Cley there is a sharp right hand bend with a small road heading off to the left. Parking a few hundred yards down here and walking across the open area to the left (behind a green gate) will lead you to the hangs.
I have attached a map file for your reference. I have added where the Ring Ouzel were yesterday and where I believe they were reported today (Apologies if I have got todays location wrong).
Oli
 

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