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

Norfolk birding (43 Viewers)

Norfolk Bat Survey (www.batsurvey.org)

For those of you who always wondered what species of bats are in their local area, I wanted to let you about a new collaborative project that is going to run from mid-April this year, known as the Norfolk Bat Survey.

The idea is to give anyone in Norfolk an opportunity to take advantage of recent advances in technology for automating the capture and analysis of acoustic data for bats. By doing so, you will help us rewrite our understanding of bats in the county. In return for your help, we will let you know what species of bats were recorded.

To achieve this, we have set up a number of Bat Monitoring Centres across the county, from which you can borrow equipment for a few days to take part in the survey. Please note that this survey requires three different points, ideally at least 200-metres apart, to be surveyed on consecutive nights within a 1-km square.

If you are interested in taking part, you need to be quick in expressing interest, and reserving your 1-km square to survey at our online survey map. After selecting a 1-km square/s, you will be given a web link to a site where you can reserve a detector to use from the most convenient Bat Monitoring Centre to you.

Where’s your closest Bat Monitoring Centre?

Gaywood Library
Swaffham Library
Dereham Library
Attleborough Library
Long Stratton Library
Watton Library
Welney (WWT)
Titchwell Marsh (RSPB)
Sculthorpe Moor (Hawk and Owl Trust)
Sheringham Park (National Trust)
Oxburgh Hall (National Trust)
Wheatfen (Ted Ellis reserve)
Thetford (BTO headquarters)
How Hill (Toad Hole Cottage, Broads Authority)

[ Note we plan to set up 5 additional centres close to Norwich, Caister, Wells-next-the-Sea, Hethersett and Aylsham ]
 
Migration routes

ben_lewis said:
There were pretty large numbers of both Fieldfare and Redwing flying through Strumpshaw yesterday- they seemed to be following the railway line towards Yarmouth, I must have seen a combined total of 700 while at the pumphouse track in half an hr. They did this a couple of weeks ago too, but I then saw them piling back through West after another cold spell!!
Click to expand...

Fascinated by your observation about migrant birds following the Norwich to Yarmouth railway line. The railway takes a more direct route east-west, compared to the river Yare.

Pink-feet flocks often contain carrier species. I have seen snow geese with flocks in both north-west and east Norfolk during the course of one winter. The carrier species giving an indication of how flocks move about.

It is clear the flocks use the Wensum and Yare Valleys to move across the county. I observed such a movement over the last winter period, with a flock of pink-feet moving east over Norwich.
 
LEO and Garganey
Having failed to see a summer migrant so far this year, was finally tempted today by the Garganey at Bure Park with the added bonus of Long-eared Owl hopefully still being present.
A biting wind howling across the area but both target species still present. The Garganey occasionally vanished into the reeds but the owl showed well if distantly - fortunately it had the good sense to chose an inaccessible spot on the island!
A couple of record shots atttached.

Mick
 

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Stratton Birder said:
Hi Kieran.

If you had no awareness of the birds presence then you can most certainly claim it as self-found and tick it on your find list if you keep one and do not have Glaucous Gull on it already. It does take the edge off your find if you then discover subsequently that you are not the first person to observe it - I had a similar situation with a supressed Pec Sand many years ago - but just remember that initial feeling of pleasure and reward you felt at the time and that it was your own initiative that got you the bird.

Steve.
Click to expand...

Hey Steve,

I am sure I can just about squeeze it on, given the circumstances. Been trying hard to find a Glaucous Gull ever since this easterly settled in, around 1976 according to notes. Just missed the bird at Salthouse the other day by ten minutes but, luckily J.F made sure that one didn't creep by unseen.

Good show from Norgate finding the LEO in Yamouth today.

P.S! Furse, no Stonechat at lunch today, nor anything else well traveled.

Toodle-pip
 
Paul Eele said:
Today’s highlights

Long tailed duck – female on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard – female on Patsy’s reedbed
Ruff – 30 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank – 1 on Volunteer marsh
Woodcock – 1 in scrub near visitor centre

Paul
Click to expand...

Yesterday

Here's the Woodcock yesterday. Cheers to those who gave advice re the Snow Bunting, showed well eventually after various dog interventions, sure there have been plenty of pics previously, got the Purple Sand on the pond at Cley too, it flew off west... :t:

Be back Autumn hopefully ..
 

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Before heading home I braved a couple hours on the promenade at Hunstanton this morning. Of note was a Sandwich Tern heading east and a Slav Grebe on the sea, as well as a Little Gull over. Had a chiffy at Titchwell also yesterday as I was leaving.
 
Hi

We have several bird feeders at our depot in Bergh Apton.

Lately a Moorhen as been clambering onto the metal framework that they are suspended from and taking seed from one of them. Just when I was thinking that this might be unusual behaviour up strolls a Pheasent and does the same thing!

Paul
 

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O.Reville1989 said:
Very close to home! Wonder if it's someone we all know?
Click to expand...

I live there, and there are two men about that age whom I've heard declaiming against vermin and their dislike of 'townies', 'namby-pamby brigade' and 'know-nothing academics'. It's neither of them!

It will be interesting to find out just where the alleged offences took place. From my own raptor sightings over the last decade, I have two locations in mind, but I could be completely wrong.
MJB
 
paul1127 said:
Lately a Moorhen as been clambering onto the metal framework that they are suspended from and taking seed from one of them. Just when I was thinking that this might be unusual behaviour up strolls a Pheasent and does the same thing!
Click to expand...

Just for a minute there I was thinking that's one giant Moorhen ... !!

Interesting behaviour.
 
Local Patch Goshawk

Hello.

Took a spin out to Yarmouth with my ageing mate Nigel today. We had great views of male and female Garganey, sadly no Long Eared Owl though!! Even more pleasing was having a Goshawk pass over Lyng, only a few miles from home! Bonus!!

Johnny!
 
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Having, yet again, driven in the opposite direction to a Neagle, I had no great hopes for the day.

Arriving at Salthouse Beach car park, I was confronted by the huge and continued absence of summigrants. As I passed the time of day with a well-known local, 3 Snow Buntings (at least one male) flew from the W and pitched down on the eastern bank. I could see that they wouldn’t last long, as there were dog-people all around. In fact, though, they were jogged off, after two minutes and some poor shots.

Below is a recent ‘tick’ for the car park: Julian’s new coffee van. At present, it is sans decal, so is posted for ID purposes.

A lucky spot, just E of Wells, gave reasonable shots of a Red Kite, as it drifted into the wind.
 

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Great-Grey Shrike to myself this afternoon as it slowly worked its way closer and closer along the hedgerow.
Always surprises me just how small these birds are.
 

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WWT Welney

Hi Everyone,

Finally managed to see my first proper spring migrant of the year, a Little Ringed Plover at Welney. Still haven't heard a Chiff Chaff singing yet this year.

Also at Welney were :-
1 summer plumaged Black Necked Grebe , 1 Whooper Swan and 1 Marsh Harrier from the Observatory.
2 Female Scaup at Friends Hide.
Hares, 1 Roe Deer and 1 Barn Owl at Lady Fen.
1 Fox in farmland nearby.
A good selection of waders.
8 Fieldfare flew over the car park.

Near Denver, I had a close encounter with another Barn Owl.

Cheers

Steve
 
What is this?

I know it's not strictly birding, but I found this fish on E Runton beach today. Can anyone i.d.it? Also had dead razorbill nearby.
 

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