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

Norfolk birding (11 Viewers)

waxwings thirded

they were showing very well in tall trees off Dussindale and playing around on peoples roof tops. They are very mobile though.
 

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The Killdeer was found by the county recorders! who were out looking for the smew. About 15 people saw the bird (including Connor and Irene - well done you two, I am very jealous!)

I reckon 15 people is the absolute max - there can't have been more than about 6 or 7 cars there when it flew straight over the birders' heads calling.... and kept going, unfortunately. Stunning bird, and a reminder of why I pay for a pager subscription. Dad and I were about 20 minutes away, and got there for under 10 minutes of pretty good views - with any other news provider, the few minutes delay would have resulted in a dip.

Great find for Dave and Jacquie - they must've done quite a double take when it appeared in their field of view! Hopefully it'll reappear tomorrow or in the next few days, though it's a massive area with limited access so I wouldn't hold your breath.

Also good to see 2 redhead Smew, a pair of Goosander, Grey Wag and a Green Sand in the area.
 
Oh, and for anyone Killdeer-hunting tomorrow - the grid ref for the bird today was approx TF614154, >here<.If you switch to aerial photos of the area, you can see a drainage channel running into the Ouse Relief Channel to the west, under a bridge on the minor road (Thiefgate Lane). The Killdeer was feeding on the muddy fringes to the east of the bridge.
 
Kildeer

About 15 people saw the bird (including Connor and Irene - well done you two, I am very jealous!)

I hope you get another chance David. We were very lucky in arriving about 5 minutes before the bird flew off ... which may have had something to do with Connor uttering the words 'I'll get my camera out'! Kiss of death really! We didn't deserve our jamminess as we'd been at Saddlebow in the morning and driven past that spot without bothering to stop and look - oops.

It's intriguing to think how long the bird may have been in the area unnoticed, and is another illustration of how much must get missed.

There was a notice for roadworks starting in the area from today I think, but in the excitement I didn't notice which road it was referring to. Good luck to anyone searching today.

Regards,
Irene
 
There have been a few dead Fulmars turning up recently along the east coast, and we're keen to get our hands on them. This is mainly to have a look at their stomachs, as their contents are used as a measure of plastics pollution in the North Sea. So if you do find any dead Fulmars then we'd love to have them! If you can freeze them then that's good, but if not, drop us an email and we'll try to get them picked up.

To report birds, email [email protected]

Mark Grantham
BTO
 
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Had a most enjoyable day around the Winterton,Martham, Waxham and Horsey areas yesterday - apart from large numbers of Cormorants and a count of 10+ Red Throated Divers on the sea things were relatively quiet from Winterton Dunes!

Moved onto Martham Broad where just after we pulled up at the staithe we watched a large number of Pinkfeet over the Horsey area and were surprised to make out the white dot that later scoped turned out to be the Ross's...not bad considering it must have been about a mile and a half distant!!

Two Kingfishers and a Jack Snipe was flushed on the path leading to the broad, which unfortunately turned out to be completely birdless apart from the Marsh Harriers patroling the reed bed. Our last port of call was to try and get a better look at the geese and hopefully the Ross's, at this point we chanced aproaching a local landowner for permission to access a private road to get a better view of the area...despite a barn blocking the exact area where we wanted to view the Ross's from it occasionally showed while flying between two fields. Last sightings while watching a distant Barn Owl and Hen Harrier a total of 23 Cranes flew over towards Somerton area, what a fantastic area and I only wish it was easier to get to on good ole public transport!!

Matt
 

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The two redhead Smew are still viewable from the bridge south of Saddle Bow main rd, also two green sandpipers in the ditch to the East. Unfortunatly no sign of the Killdeer in the area this morning, a few birders were looking with no joy. There is a lot of suitable habitat over there and with this rain there are too many muddy puddles in the middle of fields to check! hopefully it'l turn up somewhere, whether its Norfolk or not is anyone's guess!

B
 
Titchwell January 12th

Today's highlights

Whooper swan - 2 adults on grazing marsh pool early morning only
Ruff - 14 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 5 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 9 on fresh marsh
Pintail - 60 on fresh marsh
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh islands
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Snow bunting - 40 on beach east of boardwalk

Paul
 
Hope you 'appreciate my comments' !

"Took some poor photos of two Golden Pheasants at Wolferton today. Would appreciate comments on age, sex and origins!"

Dave: I would have said you are somewhere in your thirties and robustly male. However, no idea where you hale from- unless the saltire is a clue. (Are you having difficulties remembering these things ?)

Hope this helps, John.
 
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I haven't yet connected with Common Crane in Happisburgh in the 2¼ years I've lived here (despite their annual wanderings) but 3 in a field at Ingham this morning puts them within a mile and a quarter of the parish year list. C'mon...

James
 
Had a walk around Whin Common and Denver Sluice this morning. At Whin Common I finally caught up with the Water Rail which a mate saw last saturday. Also 120 Golden Plover low over the village.
At Denver Sluice there was less wildfowl (according to James' record from there yesterday). Managed 2 male Goldeneye, 12 Goosander, 13 Mallard (looked proper), 7 Wigeon and 2 Tufted Ducks. 22 Whooper Swans in the fields nearby and 109 Golden Plover North along with 19 Lapwings.

If anyone is planning on visiting Denver Sluice in the near future: the access road through Denver Village is completely closed for roadworks (don't know how long for, sorry) so access is only from the Downham Market end where you can park in the old Thurlow Nunn car park along the A1101. Just in case anyone is planning on visiting...

Happy birding
Sim
 
John,
your comments are much appreciated, it's just a shame that they are not all completely true (I'll let you work that one out for yourself)! As to origins, materntal connections, otherwise completely southerly!

Glad to here your trying to keep Connor off the straight and narrow!

Sorry you couldn't sleep,
speak to you soon

David
 
Titchwell January 13th

Today's highlights

Whooper swan - 2 adults on grazing marsh pool
Snow bunting - 23 on beach
Woodcock - 1 roosting in scrub near visitor centre
Scaup - 1 offshore
Velver scoter - 4 offshore
Jack snipe - 1 on fresh marsh islands from Parrinder Hide
Avocet - 6 on fresh marsh
Black brant - adult with brent on fresh marsh
Hen harrier - ringtail over reedbed at dusk
Short eared owl - 1 hunting saltmarsh late afternoon

Paul
 
Titchwell January 14th

Today's highlights

Purple sandpiper - 1 on beach mid morning
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Jack snipe - 1 on fresh marsh islands
Hen harrier - ringtail over saltmarsh in morning
Whooper swan - 1 on Thornham grazing marsh. These birds seem to be mobile and disappear during most of the day. Not sure if they are roosting here and feeding elsewhere.
Woodcock - 1 roosting in willow scrub near visitor centre
Avocet - 5 on brackish marsh
Long tailed duck - 2 offshore
Velvet scoter - 2 offshore
Bittern - 1 in reed fringe in NE corner of fresh marsh, 2nd bird in flight over reedbed
Brambling - male on feeders

Paul
 
Sculthorpe

An enjoyable, if foggy, afternoon at Sculthorpe produced the following:

1 Nuthatch
5 Marsh Tits (including 2 singing - thinking it's spring when I'm still in my winter plumage)
1 Barn Owl
3 Water Rail
20+ Brambling (some coming into very smart plumage)
A fantastic flock of at least 150+ Siskin feeding in the Alders by the river, and with 2 Lesser Redpolls among them. There could easily have been more as the flock was actively feeding.
and 1 male Golden Pheasant that presumably is one of those that had fallen off the back of a lorry.

A little story for you ... remember how annoying it can be when dear old Joe Public calls every birder a twitcher? Well, here's a variation on the theme which I rather like.

A non-birding friend of my husbands at his lip reading class has a habit of choosing the wrong word for many situations. Apparently, he accosted a group of birders in Holkham Park last weekend with the greeting 'Ah, so you're a group of flashers then?'!! It's not recorded what the response was... So, there you go ... I've often wondered what we really should be called! Very handy to have another term to use innit?!;)

Irene
 
An enjoyable, if foggy, afternoon at Sculthorpe produced the following:

1 Nuthatch
5 Marsh Tits (including 2 singing - thinking it's spring when I'm still in my winter plumage)
1 Barn Owl
3 Water Rail
20+ Brambling (some coming into very smart plumage)
A fantastic flock of at least 150+ Siskin feeding in the Alders by the river, and with 2 Lesser Redpolls among them. There could easily have been more as the flock was actively feeding.
and 1 male Golden Pheasant that presumably is one of those that had fallen off the back of a lorry.

A little story for you ... remember how annoying it can be when dear old Joe Public calls every birder a twitcher? Well, here's a variation on the theme which I rather like.

A non-birding friend of my husbands at his lip reading class has a habit of choosing the wrong word for many situations. Apparently, he accosted a group of birders in Holkham Park last weekend with the greeting 'Ah, so you're a group of flashers then?'!! It's not recorded what the response was... So, there you go ... I've often wondered what we really should be called! Very handy to have another term to use innit?!;)

Irene

Well done Irene, some nice birds there. Haven't seen Brambling well for ages! I do often get called a twitcher by the public but I've never been called a flasher! Imagine it's quite embarrassing...
 
Non birders, when I tell them about birding tend to say 'you're not one of those twitchers are you?' which I then have to go about explaining what I do and the differences between twitchers, birders, birdwatchers and and so on!!!!
 

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