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

Norfolk birding (18 Viewers)

Very commendable John. We're doing something similar to help with some new kit at our youngest's school...

The sea here this morning, 07:30 - 08:30, was so dire I almost considered jumping over the cliff! What was interesting was brought to my attention by some close in Gulls; a Grey Seal had caught, and was devouring, a sizeable Ray's Bream. I couldn't recall seeing one before but suspected that's what it was, my suspicions soon confimed at home thanks to a Google image search.

James
 
70 Taiga Beans on Cantley this morning from about 11am. Also three with c100 White-fronts in the NE corner of Buckenham Marshes at c10am.
Cheers
Jono Leadley
 
After failing to see the RN Duck last weekend, I avoided a return trip and instead headed inland for a trundle round Great Moulton. Lots of good habo and plenty of good farmland stuff. Thrushes in abundance. No sign of any Bullfinch, a bird I have seen here in the past. Although I still need a genuine Fudge Duck on the list, I'm glad my lack of ambition halted a lengthy trip to West Norfolk today; nice to just have a wander and admire the local offerings in a lovely part of the county.
Cheers,
Jim.
 
Flying a Kite

Had a window tick this afters. Sent email to message service re bird that had just slowly drifted west past my south-facing window.

It was a kite sp., but full into the sun and I couldn't get any colour, just jizz.

I reported it as prob. Red. The message still hasn't appeared- just as well it wasn't something really good !

The pager then went off for one over Kelling Heath, 20 mins later.

This now makes 149 for my house list.
 
silly question but are there any groups in Norfolk which studies Gulls? I've looked around on the internet and found nothing so I'm guessing there aren't any.

Robert
 
two little ducks

I set off late so as to get to Snettisham after the rain had stopped. Succeeded as the sun came out just as I approached the village.

Most birders were on the way back by the time I got there.

Sixty snow buntings past me as I trudged to the Rotary hide. No one in hide so carried on. A dog walker had one of their two dogs on a lead. The other, grey faced, walked through the spot the shore lark had been.

Could not see fudge duck from Shore Hide. Grumpily went back to Rotary hide and was put onto the roosting ferruginous on the green spit.

Fudge duck 250 for year, a few of these in Suffolk (not bothered about numbers seen outside of Norfok and Suffolk).

To Welney, for American wigeon arrive at hide 230. Gripped off by all until bird picked up on far side from Observatory hide at 3. Distant, not the best marked drake either.
 
Jono L said:
70 Taiga Beans on Cantley this morning from about 11am. Also three with c100 White-fronts in the NE corner of Buckenham Marshes at c10am.
Cheers
Jono Leadley
Click to expand...

I also had a walk at Buckenham this morning, but from dawn. c20,000 corvids leaving the roost was a fine sight. Most unexpected bird was a Red Kite over Buckenham Carrs early on. I counted 81 White-fronts but many hidden. At 0820, a flock of 78 geese came up out of the carrs and flew east - most at least looked like Beans but they soon sank into the marshes towards Cantley. I can't be sure that all 78 were Beans though. Also 2 Peregrines. I was also told of a recent report of GN Diver on the river here, but I didn't see it this morning.

A bit later, NE of Ludham, 37 Bewicks and 3 Whoopers in a field, but worryingly, not a single juv bird amongst them.

Cheers

Andy
 
I was talking with a friend of mine earlier who has very recently been to Buckenham. He too saw 2 Peregrines; a male and female, perhaps a pair. They were both feeding on the same Teal carcass which the female had been seen to kill by drowning. One of his companions, a retired reserves warden who has spent a lot of time with Peregrines on northern moorland, had apparently never witnessed a pair of them sharing a kill, it seems this may be rather unusual behaviour.

James
 
Extremely busy, but FANTASTIC, lucky day!!!!!!!;):t:;)

Did my morning shift at hospital, left at 1pm, got to Welney just after 1.30pm, rang Dave Appleton on route who just happened to be on site - Yesssss!!!!! FANTASTIC - LUCKY ME!;) Text message from Dave to say 'on view now'. Chucked wellingtons on and ran through centre, over bridge and puffing and panting into hide. THANK YOU HUGELY to the birders sitting to Dave's left who had picked up the American Wigeon and got Dave onto to the AW and THANK YOU equally to Dave who let me look through his scope - very distant and certainly would not have been able to view properly with my Nikon ED50! Watched the American Wigeon between 1.45pm and 2pm in the sunshine. Walked back to car in a relaxed, smug state of mind and cruised back to King's Lynn to start work on the ward for 2nd shift at 3pm!
That was the jammiest tick of the year!!!!!!!!!!!:t:;)
Now making my county list 260 for Norfolk.
Look out Stuart!!!!! - 7 to go or is that 6?;) - MEOW!:cat:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. Also thank you to Irene B. for updating me in the morning before I got to Welney.
 
Last edited:
David Norgate said:
Congratulations, Penny, on getting to 260. No mean feet when you work as long hours as you do! And no dodgy birds on your list either!;)o:);)
Click to expand...

Thank you David:t: I am aiming for 270+ by 31st December:-O - my plan: when everyone else has to do family stuff over christmas (which I don't and am single and free as a bird;)) I will be hard core birding, finding desert wheatears etc oh and maybe a snowy owl or two!!!:-O
 
Frootshoot said:
I was talking with a friend of mine earlier who has very recently been to Buckenham. He too saw 2 Peregrines; a male and female, perhaps a pair. They were both feeding on the same Teal carcass which the female had been seen to kill by drowning. One of his companions, a retired reserves warden who has spent a lot of time with Peregrines on northern moorland, had apparently never witnessed a pair of them sharing a kill, it seems this may be rather unusual behaviour.

James
Click to expand...

That is fab - I have seen them regularly together over the last several weeks, though not feeding on the same carcass. I have seen them on adjacent gateposts and sparring over the marshes. Great birds. :t:
 
RL Buzzard?

On the pager yesterday is a report of a RL Buzzard King's Lynn at TF 605 235 - which puts it at Lynn Point area. I know nothing further than that but if anyone should be lurking in that area ...

Well done Penny, glad you got it yesterday and an excellent total given how little time off you get.

Irene
 
Year Listing
There are no dodgey birds on my list thankyou very much !! I saw it and it was one, I didn't ID it so can't really count it but on a yearlist I don't think it matters. John counted red kite on his garden list but only retrospectively. I'm not going to win or get near the record (I think that honour will go to Dave A or Robin) and if anyone finishes one behind me we'll call it a draw. How's that ?
Finally got good views of the american wigeon today, took 2.5 hours for the pesky thing to come out of hiding. Seems to favour the area right of straight out just right of the line of wind turbines, viewed from the main hide.
 
Thank you for rising to my comment Stuo:) I agree with what you are saying (to some extent!) I think (hope) you are aware of my views!!

I do wonder if people look at their year lists in retrospect and compare it the accepted records in the bird report.

I, for one, am glad I didn't equal or beat the record last year, as looking at the report I shoul probably not be happy with some of the birds I had on my list! Black Kite is one, where the view was taken that no birds would be accepted as wild, due to the London escapees (although there was little 'proof' that these were involved - like to know what the Suffolk report said). The Hoveton Ferruginous Duck is not in there at all, although the finders consider it to be probably the same as the ringed Strumpshaw bird (not proven!!). Finally there is no comment on the parakeet I saw in Thorpe - I will confess that I couldn't be sure it was a Ring-necked on my view (sound familiar!!) So, all in all, probably best to leave it at 275 (still with one on call only!!)
 
Titchwell December 7th

Today's highlights

Great Northern diver - 3 offshore
Black throated diver - 1 offshore
Long tailed duck - drake offshore
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Avocet - 10 on fresh marsh
Teal - 359 on fresh marsh
Lapwing - 781 on fresh marsh
Twite - 52 on brackish marsh

Paul
 
Are there any particularly good areas to see bearded tits in Norfolk, ive been struggling to some this year so far.

thanks eco:t:
 
eco said:
Are there any particularly good areas to see bearded tits in Norfolk, ive been struggling to some this year so far.

thanks eco:t:
Click to expand...

A walk along the East Bank at Cley would give you a pretty good chance of seeing one, or probably a few come to that.

They don't particularly perform well in windy conditions, staying low down in the reeds, but with the forecast of high pressure sitting over us this weekend, that would be a pretty good time to try for them.

Best bet of seeing them is to walk slowly along the bank listening out for their calls and then waiting for them to fly and watch where they land then scan the reeds where they go down and you'll hopefully get decent views.

Regards

Simon
 
Bearded Tits are regularly see along the main path at Titchwell, East bank at Cley and I have had some good views from the Fen Hide at Strumpshaw. They are best in calm, bright weather and it is worth listening out for their metalic 'ping' call.

Hopefully others might be able to suggest other sites.

(cross posted with Simon!!)
 
stu_white said:
Year Listing
There are no dodgey birds on my list thankyou very much !! I saw it and it was one, I didn't ID it so can't really count it but on a yearlist I don't think it matters. John counted red kite on his garden list but only retrospectively. I'm not going to win or get near the record (I think that honour will go to Dave A or Robin) and if anyone finishes one behind me we'll call it a draw. How's that ?
Finally got good views of the american wigeon today, took 2.5 hours for the pesky thing to come out of hiding. Seems to favour the area right of straight out just right of the line of wind turbines, viewed from the main hide.
Click to expand...

At the end of the day Stu, you were involved and now could significantly contribute to the acceptance of a first for Norfolk, would have been great to have got every feature and called it out there and then getting everyone on it but things don't always work out like that, this happens time and time again with seawatching - its not easy esp with really tricky stuff like Brunnich's, you were out there Friday morning birding not listing and I was in the city buying trainers :-O - Good on yer :t:
 

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