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Norfolk birding (16 Viewers)
- Thread starter Edward woodwood
- Start date
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
2 Mandarin, 2 Womandarin
At Felbrigg Lake this afternoon, it was almost as wet above ground as in the lake itself; hence, no camera, no shots.
Squelching around, I managed quite easily to see 4 Mandarin right out on the Lake; usually they’re hiding amongst the roots. One drake seemed to have the attention of the 2 ducks; the other drake was, perhaps too old, past it- not the man(darin) he used to be !
At Felbrigg Lake this afternoon, it was almost as wet above ground as in the lake itself; hence, no camera, no shots.
Squelching around, I managed quite easily to see 4 Mandarin right out on the Lake; usually they’re hiding amongst the roots. One drake seemed to have the attention of the 2 ducks; the other drake was, perhaps too old, past it- not the man(darin) he used to be !
At least 10 ringtail hen harriers in the Warham Greens roost this afternoon including one striking bird with an left outer tail feather that was all white. 2 marsh harriers and 2 peregrines were also kicking about the saltmarsh.
2 adult whoopers between Syderstone and South Creake this afternoon.
Paul
2 adult whoopers between Syderstone and South Creake this afternoon.
Paul
Attachments
Bit of a drive around yesterday afternoon, nothing really planned. Ended up at Wroxham Broad first off, large Black-headed Gull roost but I could not manage to pull anything good out of the midst. Better at Barton Broad, 10+ Goldeneye. Driving to Happisburgh a female Sparrowhawk flew across the road in front of us, and on arrival at the coast a couple of skeins of Pinks passed overhead. Pleased with a venture out into the broads to locate my own birds, but clearly should have gone to Cockshoot.....although no sign of the female Ferruginous there today, as per RBA.
Cheers,
Jim.
Cheers,
Jim.
Titchwell January 18th
Today's highlights
Water pipit - 2 on fresh marsh
Twite - 40 on brackish marsh
Lapland bunting - 1 on brackish marsh
Snow bunting - 35 on beach
Velvet scoter - 6 offshore
Long-tailed duck - drake offshore
Scaup - female on fresh marsh
Pochard - 80 on fresh marsh, a reserve record
Paul
Today's highlights
Water pipit - 2 on fresh marsh
Twite - 40 on brackish marsh
Lapland bunting - 1 on brackish marsh
Snow bunting - 35 on beach
Velvet scoter - 6 offshore
Long-tailed duck - drake offshore
Scaup - female on fresh marsh
Pochard - 80 on fresh marsh, a reserve record
Paul
Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
mickster1978
Active member
Norfolk trip
Hello all,
I am new on here and wondered if anyone could provice any thoughts -
Heading up to Norfolk for a long weekend birding next week and was keen to get some ideas of decent places to go and at what times.
I was planning on Titchwell, Cley, Snettisham etc, but didnt know what the best times of day might be for these places.... Read a fair bit of this thread and see there is some decent stuff around, but any advice on particular locations, nice birds around that are not at the usual sites etc would be greatly recieved.
Cheers
Hello all,
I am new on here and wondered if anyone could provice any thoughts -
Heading up to Norfolk for a long weekend birding next week and was keen to get some ideas of decent places to go and at what times.
I was planning on Titchwell, Cley, Snettisham etc, but didnt know what the best times of day might be for these places.... Read a fair bit of this thread and see there is some decent stuff around, but any advice on particular locations, nice birds around that are not at the usual sites etc would be greatly recieved.
Cheers
Titchwell January 19th
Today's highlights
Pale-bellied brent goose - 1 with brent flock
Scaup - female on fresh marsh
Water pipit - 2 on brackish marsh
Shorelark - 9 on brackish marsh
Twite - 40 on brackish marsh
Snow bunting - 25 on beach
Mealy redpoll - 1 by visitor centre
Hen harrier - ringtail to roost in main reedbed
Velvet scoter - 2 offshore
Whooper swan - adult in field by access road
Paul
Today's highlights
Pale-bellied brent goose - 1 with brent flock
Scaup - female on fresh marsh
Water pipit - 2 on brackish marsh
Shorelark - 9 on brackish marsh
Twite - 40 on brackish marsh
Snow bunting - 25 on beach
Mealy redpoll - 1 by visitor centre
Hen harrier - ringtail to roost in main reedbed
Velvet scoter - 2 offshore
Whooper swan - adult in field by access road
Paul
James Emerson
Norwich Birder
Are there any species in particular that you want to see?
If you go to Snettisham then you probably want to work it so that the tide is coming in, that way the birds are getting closer! When the tide is fully out birds are spread out across the mud and can be quite distant. If you go early morning you may see thousands of geese leaving their roost in the Wash. Cley and Titchwell are less time dependent, although if you want to see birds offshore at Titchwell then its best to go near high tide.
The whole North Norfolk coast has a footpath along it, so there are lots of places you can look for birds that aren't as busy as the reserves, but if you're only here for the weekend it may make sense for you to concentrate on the areas you mentioned. I'd recommend calling in at Salthouse beach car park to see the Snow Bunting flock, and if you get time the Holkham area is always productive.
If you go to Snettisham then you probably want to work it so that the tide is coming in, that way the birds are getting closer! When the tide is fully out birds are spread out across the mud and can be quite distant. If you go early morning you may see thousands of geese leaving their roost in the Wash. Cley and Titchwell are less time dependent, although if you want to see birds offshore at Titchwell then its best to go near high tide.
The whole North Norfolk coast has a footpath along it, so there are lots of places you can look for birds that aren't as busy as the reserves, but if you're only here for the weekend it may make sense for you to concentrate on the areas you mentioned. I'd recommend calling in at Salthouse beach car park to see the Snow Bunting flock, and if you get time the Holkham area is always productive.
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
New photos added to my blog.
Titchwell January 20th
Today's highlights
Twite - 46 on fresh marsh
Shorelark - 9 on brackish marsh late morning
Scaup - female on fresh marsh
Pochard - 81 on fresh marsh, reserve record
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Velver scoter - 5 offshore
Snow bunting - 10 on beach but mobile
Whooper swan - 1 in field by access road
Paul
Today's highlights
Twite - 46 on fresh marsh
Shorelark - 9 on brackish marsh late morning
Scaup - female on fresh marsh
Pochard - 81 on fresh marsh, reserve record
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Velver scoter - 5 offshore
Snow bunting - 10 on beach but mobile
Whooper swan - 1 in field by access road
Paul
Last edited:
ben_lewis
Well-known member
Jim, I saw them too, they flew right down the Yare valley and over Strumpshaw at 4.30ish. It looked like a pretty good sized flock for the area, about 1500 strong at least. I last saw them heading towards Buckenham. My other half also saw them while sitting on the sofa at home in Brundall, a proper armchair yeartick for her!
Paul Woolnough
Well-known member
Pink feet over Norwich
I too saw a flock, north of Norwich City Centre, roughly following the river Wensum. Must have been 4.45. I was at the north end of Magdalen Road.
A builder I passed there said to his colleague "there are some geese going back to the Arctic". I looked up and watched the flock. I told them what the geese were.
Have seen pink-feet over Norwich before but not for years.
I too saw a flock, north of Norwich City Centre, roughly following the river Wensum. Must have been 4.45. I was at the north end of Magdalen Road.
A builder I passed there said to his colleague "there are some geese going back to the Arctic". I looked up and watched the flock. I told them what the geese were.
Have seen pink-feet over Norwich before but not for years.
Thing
Idiosyncratic
They are probably moving from the Wash or N Norfolk Coast in responce to the mild temperatures engouraging the first growth of grass ( spring bite ) on the marshlands of the Broads. But pink feet are a highly mobile species East Scotland one day , The Ribble estuary the next , then a few days later in Norfolk only to return to Scotland a couple of weeks later and perhaps revisit Norfolk later in the winter. They move in responce to three main factors , food availabity , disturbance and the weather.
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Even more spring in the air
More squirrelly frolicking today, in the sun.
More Wood Pigeons being very friendly with each other.
More Great Tits singing.
Wells Woods continued to hold a number of Bullfinches- as did Abraham’s Bosom the tew Smew.
A selection of 16 Redpolls allowed some close approaches and the photographic studies below. One was quite white, with a limited amount of streaking, but did not allow a good shot. One was very dark and red. They are not the easiest things to snap- making for an amount of neck ache, whilst waiting for them to clear the intervening twigs, etc.
The Black-headed Gull in the car park had an interesting head pattern.
More squirrelly frolicking today, in the sun.
More Wood Pigeons being very friendly with each other.
More Great Tits singing.
Wells Woods continued to hold a number of Bullfinches- as did Abraham’s Bosom the tew Smew.
A selection of 16 Redpolls allowed some close approaches and the photographic studies below. One was quite white, with a limited amount of streaking, but did not allow a good shot. One was very dark and red. They are not the easiest things to snap- making for an amount of neck ache, whilst waiting for them to clear the intervening twigs, etc.
The Black-headed Gull in the car park had an interesting head pattern.
Attachments
stuart white
Well-known member
Breydon Water
Quite a spectacle yesterday on Breydon around midday, we estimated c15,000 Lapwings, 10,000 Golden Plovers and 20,000 Wigeon all fairly close to the bridge out on the mud. All very rough estimates. Talking to someone tonight it made sense, they had been night feeding with the full moon and were having a break during the day on breydon. Probably the biggest number of Plover & Lapwing I've ever seen in Norfolk at one site.
Quite a spectacle yesterday on Breydon around midday, we estimated c15,000 Lapwings, 10,000 Golden Plovers and 20,000 Wigeon all fairly close to the bridge out on the mud. All very rough estimates. Talking to someone tonight it made sense, they had been night feeding with the full moon and were having a break during the day on breydon. Probably the biggest number of Plover & Lapwing I've ever seen in Norfolk at one site.
