[Penny Clarke]

Had the best Monday morning EVER on a working week!!! Every week 2 therapists from our team have to work a late shift resulting in one per month each and so today I worked from 12pm until 8pm which mean't I could go birding this morning!


After doing a double shift yesterday I didn't set the alarm, but woke up at 7am and ended up at Holme by 9amish. On the way down to the reserves, 3 Goldfinches were on teasels half way down the Firs Road. I had to leave by 10.30am to get back to work, so I had an hour and a half to see and attempt to get a better photograph of the Arctic Warbler! (ha ha) Beautiful sunny morning, sea right up the dunes again and to my surprise quite a few birders on site for the Arctic Warbler. I was soooo lucky to both see and photograph it again, in fact I saw it more or less straight away at 9.15am and got some half decent shots (pre the sun coming fully out of course!). I havn't seen any photographer get any prize winning shots yet though - its a little devil to photograph which actually is what compels me to keep going back to get the perfect shot! It seemed alive with birds this morning and I so wished I didn't have to leave to go back to work (must find myself a rich sugar daddy, so I can go birding, photograph, start painting again etc etc!)

Bumped into Bas Harding whilst there who showed me his NOA permit - it was the first one he had ever bought he said - he had never had to pay in all the 65 years he had been coming to Holme! He smiled and said he was going to get it framed! Also bumped into Barry Jarvis (long time NOA member). Walked back to car via the observatory - on route I saw something I had never seen, which equalled seeing the Arctic Warbler again - alongside the steps up to the main bank (from obs.) I suddenly spotted a common lizard lounging on blackberries, a good few feet off the ground - it was the perfect Macro shot and where was the macro lens..... in the car!!! It simply looked stunning, it glittered in the sunshine and set against black and red blackberries it would have been a masterpiece - there was no way I had time to go back to the car for the macro lens, so stood back and took a record shot (at wrong angle) with the 300mm lens - how frustrating! Anyway, I continued along the main bank and stood with others to attempt to see the Barred Warbler which had been showing 'a couple of minutes ago', so Barry J. told me! Missed the barred warbler as HAD to leave for work now - it was now 10.35am and the supermarket I had intended on going to would now have to be scrapped! Stopped at Old Hunstanton shop to grab a vege pasty which I ate on route back to King's Lynn and made it to work on time! No sign of the Red necked Phalarope today.

Best Wishes Penny

These pictures taken on Saturday 11th September.

More pictures on blog and more to come!

[rlass and me]

morning all
well we are back home after a hectic couple of weeks
1st day out went to cley decided to walk round the out side of NWT reserve
1st bird we spotted Marsh harriers what a great raptor
walking upto wards beach met a nice guy with a very big camera stopped for a chat told us about the little egret so off we plodded and their it was
what a great start to our holiday

walked round the reserve spoke to various folk who told us what was around
then went in to NWT centre both became members as it seemed the best option

over our time in norfolk
tree creeper frielbrigg
bearded tits godwits curlews and sandpiper curlews stint spoonbills avocets red shanks snipe, love the shellducks cormorants kesrtel wheater all at cley oh forgot the ring plover
hobbys
black swans
sedge warbler cley but looking at a photo on here might have been artic stood only 5feet from it
purchased the book best bird watching sites in norfolk really helpful
also a dvd on birds
will be back next may and september
thanks to everyone who I spoke to at cley for pointing out alot of these birds

yep meant bearded in my excitement to tell you put crested sorry

[john miller]

Originally Posted by rlass and me

morning all
well we are back home after a hectic couple of weeks
1st day out went to cley decided to walk round the out side of NWT reserve
1st bird we spotted Marsh harriers what a great raptor
walking upto wards beach met a nice guy with a very big camera stopped for a chat told us about the little egret so off we plodded and their it was
what a great start to our holiday

walked round the reserve spoke to various folk who told us what was around
then went in to NWT centre both became members as it seemed the best option

over our time in norfolk
tree creeper frielbrigg hall
crested tits godwits curlews and sandpiper curlews stint spoonbills avocets red shanks snipe, love the shellducks cormorants kesrtel wheater all at cley
hobbys
black swans
sedge warbler cley but looking at a photo on here might have been artic stood only 5feet from it
purchased the book best bird watching sites in norfolk really helpful
also a dvd on birds
will be back next may and september
thanks to everyone who I spoke to at cley for pointing out alot of these birds

I hope you meant Bearded Tits!!!

Penny.
They are the best pics of the Arctic I have seen. Well done.

John

[petehasset]

Originally Posted by john miller

I hope you meant Bearded Tits!!!

Penny.
They are the best pics of the Arctic I have seen. Well done.

John

great pics Penny , I saw the Artic Warbler for the 1st time yesterday it look rather cute ,

[ben_lewis]

Hi all, there has been a juvenile Marsh Harrier at Strumpshaw with 2 wingtags, Left white 36 and Right pale blue.
The bird has been tagged as a chick on the Isle of Sheppy, would be interesting if this bird is recorded elsewhere in Norfolk this winter, keep an eye out.
Other than that I spent 5 mins in reception hide and saw Bittern, Otter and Hobby, not bad!

[Penny Clarke]

Originally Posted by john miller

Penny.
They are the best pics of the Arctic I have seen. Well done.

John

Thank you very very much John!

More going on blog tonight!

Best Wishes Penny

[Penny Clarke]

Originally Posted by petehasset

great pics Penny , I saw the Artic Warbler for the 1st time yesterday it look rather cute ,

Thank you Pete

Its certainly striking - I am becoming quite addicted to photographing it, might go again this week!!!

Best Wishes Penny

[Penny Clarke]

Monday shots of Arctic Warbler now added to blog, not worth adding here as not as good as shots taken on Saturday! Also added loads of photos to earlier postings. STILL have Fair Isle to do!

Best Wishes Penny

[peteh]

As noone managed to staple the Cley Wryneck to the ground a few days ago, can someone superglue the arctic warbler to a branch for friday please. :P

[Paul Eele]

Today's highlights

Spoonbill - 1 on fresh marsh
Curlew sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Little stint - 8 on fresh marsh
Dunlin - 50 on fresh marsh
Wheatear - 2 on fresh marsh
Hobby - 1 over carpark
Bittern - 1 on pools alongside main path

Paul

[dendroica]

Cracking views of the male Red-backed Shrike at Winterton today, faithful to the scrub on the left hand side just past the village hall. Apart from this feat of dirty twitching, the north dunes held c.5 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, a Swift battling into the strong wind,1+ Hobby and a trickle of hirundines (mainly Swallow). The south dunes had 3-4 Willow warblers, 2 Chiffs, Redstart and a "tacking" warbler that refused to give itself up. Also quite a few (15+) Red Ads...

[Happisbirder]

Yesterday's surface pressure charts looked very interesting; the deep low that tracked around the northern Scottish coast appeared to 'sink' southwards into the North Sea. Given the huge numbers of Leach's Petrels that were recorded in the NW yesterday (plus good numbers of LTS, Sabs, Balearics etc.,) north Norfolk could be in for some rewarding seawatching over the next couple of days. If you're lucky enough to be able to get out there... GO!!!

Atb,

James

[Paul Eele]

Today's highlights

Lapland bunting - 3 on fresh marsh from Island Hide although elusive
Little stint - 6 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 40 on fresh marsh
Wheatear - 1 on fresh marsh
Pink footed goose - several groups (50, 30, 20) east over reserve
Peregine - 1 hunting over reserve throughout the day

Paul

[stuart white]

Some more interesting skua action at Cley today, not many seen, I think the main passage was between 7-8am. We had 2 nice juv poms both pale and intermediate phase birds and a few arctics and greats through the day, also a Black Tern hanging around the reserve. One of the highlights was to be found in north hide. Look at this monster pair of binoculars, I felt quite inadequate!

[firefox32]

Hi all.

Can anyone please tell me what seawatching conditions look like tomorrow?

Thanks.
Fox.

[dbradnum]

No better than average, I'd say:
http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/...ode=sheringham
suggests that there will still be a bit of a NW blow, but pretty clear, sunny conditions aren't ideal. Might be worth a quick look early morning to see if anything's happening, but personally I wouldn't travel much distance to seawatch on this forecast.

This is another good link to keep checking: http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-M...rts/1/wind/in/

[Tractorboy69]

Nice surprise today in the shape of an Osprey in Blakeney Harbour at c1200 (viewed from Stiffkey Fen). After tusseling with the local Marsh Harriers it was watched hovering over the harbour before diving down and successfully catching a fish which it then carried off NW towards East Hills.

Black Tern, 2 Curlew Sands, Wood Sand and a single Spoonbill on the fen itself, and then had the added bonus of the Tour of Britain going through on the way back to the car!

Simon

[Happisbirder]

It looks as if the low pressure that topped across Scotland yesterday was pulled into the deeper low over Scandinavia, therefore not coming further south than the Skagerrak. I'm sure had it come further into the North Sea more would have been seen here. Check out some of today's French and Dutch counts on Trektellen to see where the seabirds went in the reasonably fair weather conditions. The Met Office charts are showing quite closely spaced isobars in the northern sector of the North Sea for the next 24 hours, so tomorrow may be worth a couple of early hours. With the winds easing again on Saturday there's also the chance of some northward reorientation from the stuff that flew past Holland/France today. Still, a Storm Petrel and a few Long-tailed Skuas plus a nice passage of Bonxies must have made for a nice morning's watching...

Atb,

James

[Songkhran]

interesting what people are saying, and when there is stuff getting blown our way from 'over the top' all the better but ive always found seebirds are a lot easier to predict than smaller birds, anything with NW in it regardless of levels of sun, worth looking,

he says groggily awaking up and saying is it worth it, how hard are the masts chinking - we'll see in a couple of hours

was it worth it? well it was a fine morning with the sun breaking through the clouds and the chi rising off the sea - good to more juv Arctic Skuas about this year, a few Bonxies, thats about it<cleys certainly the best place in terms of nearness of the birds but this is tempered with the fact when its blowy you need some kind of shelter.
still yet to get LTS this year, (was on breakfast shift yesterday).

[rlass and me]

well reading all these posts it looks like rlass and me came down a week or so to early
we are going to book again for end of next may and september
hoping to see lots coming in and breeding and lots going back
monday we are going to a wetlands site (sutton cum lound)not to far from home
looks like visits upto scotland will be on hold for a couple of years

[PYRTLE]

Several skeins of pinkfeet coming in from the north west over Holme Dunes this afternoon, 13:30 ish, at least 300 plus birds, at different altitudes. Also steady numbers of arctic and great skuas heading west into the wash including a group of five bonxies and two arctic skuas at approx two hundred metres high and gaining height constantly.

[Paul Eele]

Today's highlights

Little stint - 7 juvs on fresh marsh
Pink footed goose - 635 east over reserve during the afternoon
Little gull - 2 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 1 on fresh marsh
Green sandpiper - 1 on fgrazing meadow
Greenshank - 6 on fresh marsh
Lapland bunting - 1 on fresh marsh although very elusive
Peregrine - juv on beach
Wheatear - 2 on brackish marsh

Paul

[firstreesjohn]

Yesterday afternoon, several small groups (20-30ish) of Pink-feet flew west, as heard/seen from Blakeney/Cley/Salthouse.

A Hobby flew west towards The Point, pursued by Merlin- sorry, a Merlin (!).

A Short-eared Owl was just west of the Cley beach car park, as were 3 Wheatears.

Also, single Red Admirals were coming in off. Today, an ivy bush at the southern end of Walsey Hills NOA held around 15.

[wolfbirder]

Seems like the Arctic warbler has moved on as no reports today?

Was hoping to rturn tomorrow to get this on my list!

[Penny Clarke]

Originally Posted by wolfbirder

Seems like the Arctic warbler has moved on as no reports today?

Was hoping to rturn tomorrow to get this on my list!

Just asked Sophie B. H.B.O. AW and she said no one has reported it today.

Doesn't mean to say its not there though, especially if not many people have been looking!

Best Wishes Penny