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

Norfolk birding (12 Viewers)

Damn the Weekend!!!

Boooo...hiss!!!

It's the weekend, which means work work work. No time for birding but i shall be out bright and early on Monday Morning when my weekend starts!!!
 
I'l be in Norfolk for the weekend so if anyone can find something good within viewing distance of the Dun Cow beer garden the drinks are on me!

Phil
 
but Subalpine Warbler still present :t:...

Cheers,

It certainly is Connor;) saw it this afternoon:t:

Finished work at 12.30pm today, went home, got changed etc, left 1.30pm arrived Cley Spy 2.15pm to collect my Nikon ED50 which they have mended:t::t::t: - its great having my scope back!

Arrived Holkham 3.15pm.

My friend Pete who I was meeting, couldn't wait:-C and went on ahead to see the Sub Alpine Warbler without me. It was a wonderful sunny afternoon, in fact I was too hot;) Had a nice Tree Creeper in pine tree by Meals House. Just before the cross tracks I had cracking views of Yellow Browed Warbler (4pm) in a sycamore tree, along with chiffchaffs and a possible Firecrest (can't count it). Now I can hear some of you saying how can you have a possible Firecrest, well if I had seen the eye/supercilium I would have known instantly, but all I saw was a flash of orange on head for a second, flitting through leaves, so can't count it. I found out later that is exactly where Pete had good views of one earlier, so I suspect it was what I saw. Anyway carried on, Jay flew over and lots of birds flitting about including long tailed tits, robins, blackbirds, blue tits, and a very very tired Redwing which was feeding almost next to your feet on the path! Got to the dunes and several people were sitting watching a Great Grey Shrike which I had brilliant views of flying (4.45pm)above me and out to sea, don't know if it was off for good! Reached viewing spot for Sub Alpine Warbler (my first one in Britain) and within a minute of arriving it showed (4.50pm), what an amazing bird, absolutely stunning. It seems to favour this little dell and people had been watching it all day. It does disappear for sessions every now and again though. The sun had gone out now, so not good enough light for my new digiscoping set up. On the way back Pete and I heard a Cettis Warbler!

Which way do I head tomorrow, Holme 'Where they have everything' or back to Holkham, hhmmmmm, will decide while cooking tea I think.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. No sign of Lesser Grey Shrike this afternoon.
 
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I am going to make my 1st visit to Holme on Monday, is
it possible to walk to Titchwell along the beach/dunes ?

No, you can't get over Thornham Channel (which seperates Holme and Titchwell), even at low tide. You can work along Thornham Bank from Holme Reserves to Thornham and then along main road to Titchwell though.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Yellow-broweds galore at Holkham Pines today.

Penny - the exhausted Redwing did revive after a nap with some vigorous foraging - looked like it was about to expire at one point!

No Brown Fly yet, though...
 
Yellow-broweds galore at Holkham Pines today.

Penny - the exhausted Redwing did revive after a nap with some vigorous foraging - looked like it was about to expire at one point!

No Brown Fly yet, though...

Hopefully, tomorrow at Holme, along with a couple of Bluethroats, oh and a Siberian Rubythroat!!!!:t: (that will do for the morning session anyway!)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Couldnt agree more ;). Will be at Holme early tommorow, tho would probably settle for just the Radde's o:D! May pop into Burnham Ovary early afternoon when things have quietened down a bit at Holme!!:t:

Cheers,
 
Not much to report here this evening, just a Chiffchaff and a different Common Redstart (male) to yesterday. 1000's of Pinks over during the day, mostly heading back toward north Norfolk it would seem...

James
 
The Shag was still present this morning at Pentney Gravel Pits. A Slavonian Grebe was amongst the Eiders close inshore early this afternoon at Titchwell.
Sue
 
Reasonable day at Holme today, although it was clearly devoid of new migrants.

Highlights were: 2+ Yellow-browed Warblers (1 ringed mid-day), 1 Ross's Goose (in with the Pink-footed Geese then flew east and was later seen at Holkham), 22 Brambling, 38 Siskin (including a single group of 28 east), 9 Redpoll, 1 female Redstart, 1 Fieldfare, 3 Greenshanks, 11 Rock Pipits, 3 Reed Buntings, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 5 Swallows, 35 Redwings, 1 Shag drifting east on the sea etc.

No sign of the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Wells from 5:30-6:20pm but 4 Yellow-browed Warblers present (3 along caravan park path, 1 near boating lake calling).

Full trip report on my blog soon...

Cheers,
 
Today was certainly different to last weekend!!!

Dull weather all day and not a glint of sunshine!

Had a short eared owl fly over car through Old Hunstanton!!! Arrived Holme 8.30am and parked by 5-bar gate and walked to Forestry. Had a nice male Stonechat sitting on bush. Sparrowhawk, wrens, robins, blackbirds and 3 greenshank. Walked down to observatory, grey wagtail flew over, 21 goldfinches, 2 curlews, yellow browed warbler in sycamore next to pond at observatory. Ross's Goose flying with Pink feet over Holme marsh. 16 Magpies!, 2 redpolls, great spotted woodpecker, 2nd yellowbrowed warbler, brambling, gannets, 1 razorbill, song thrush and barn owl. Lots of people waiting and hoping for the Radde's Warbler, but no luck.

Nice to see you today Sue;).

Met a lovely couple today who were on holiday from Lancashire, he was a BF member Gavin ? (can't remember his second name), brilliant photographer and showed me some cracking pics of the Sub Alpine Warbler he had taken!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
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Got to holkham a 8:30 this morning. The walk to Burnham dunes producing a number of Redwings, Siskins and 2 Yellow Browed Warblers (7 reported today!), along with the usuals. Minus the Subalpwarbler, I figured the dunes deserved a good look-over, so spent 3 hours bush bashing. Didn't turn upmuch, bar lots of Mippits and 3 Stonechats. However, it ended nicely with the Great Grey Shrike turning up, and a female Redstart. However, with the dunes being quiet, I thought I'd treat myself to a Barred Warbler. Headed to Kelling where the warbler was showing well every so often. However, at around 1 it was chased down the lane... by another Barred Warbler! Was a bit surprised, but I think I can remember that 2 have been reported previously. Spent my last 45 mins at Salthouse, starting with a coffee from the new coffee guy. It was nice. Had a Red Throated diver and Razorbill on the sea, 3 Stonechats and 2 Bernicla Brent Geese in with the Wigeon. Then off to work at 5.

Jason
 
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The new coffee van at Salthouse Beach car park is a most welcome development. I was speaking to the chap who operates it yesterday and he said it seems to be paying off. The coffee (normal £1, with latte & cappuccino) is of very good quality and he is thinking of providing small eats. He was most put out that, for family reasons, he had to leave in the middle of the Blithely Invisible Skulker twitch last Sunday- thus did not cash in on all the ecstatic (?!) birders.
 
Spent the day birding the section from Wells to Holkham (and back!)

Started the morning with 2+ Ybrows close to the caravan park/end of lake area - a further Y brow on way to Lady Anne's Drive and then 3+ Y brows close to 'crossroads' area of Holkham. In fact saw more YB Warblers than Chiffies today:t:

5+bramblings over, 40+siskin, 1000's redwings through in the morning

On way back to Wells met a birder who said he had seen a shrike along Lady A's Drive (probably GGrey he said) - i stopped at the food van to get something to eat and mentioned this to a birder there and within a few minutes the bird was seen hunting insects in the closest cow field! - we spent about 5mins checking the features and soon realised it was the Les Grey!!! - crowd soon gathered around - i phoned it out and then left to look for more birds.

What a surprise - i thought this bird had long gone - and i didn't get a chance to see it last week.
On way back to Wells had 1 redstart and then headed to Warham Greens to look for the earlier C Rosefinch - no sign but 2 ring ouzels flew along hedge.
Great day out with few birds but good quality stuff
B :)
 
Finished work at 1pm, so after quick cat nap and lunch decided to meet up with some friends at Kelling Water Meadows and to see some birds.

Watched a lovely Red Necked Phalarope (4.30pm), dipped on the Barred Warbler, 2 Red Poll over and in the street where you park your car, in someone's garden a Black Redstart flitting about! - two new year ticks!:t:

Left here and went to Holkham to finish up with watching thousands of Pinkfeet and Little Egrets coming in to roost. No sign of Lesser Grey Shrike in the semi dusk though!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Had a visit from Ilya this weekend

a fairly quiet late afternoon on Sat at Waxham then off to hammer the local yoof at pool, drink a few beers and listen to some indulgent pub rock guitar band.

Sun morning and up and out quite early. First Yellow-browed found within 30 mins in the village, two more followed shortly after and then Ilya spotted a distant Great Grey Shrike - possibly the one from last weekend, maybe not. Siskins everywhere, two Grey Wags over and my first Kingfisher in the village Black Red, another Yellow-browed and a Firecrest (not seen by us) added to the mix. Up to Happisburgh and four Wheatears, no Snow Goose butanother random chancing upon a Great Grey Shrike around the Grub Street area.

Rounded the day off with a couple of punks, a few Lap buntings including one stunning close range bird

Cracking day's birding.

Tim
 
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Made a rare trip to Norfolk last weekend. Based in Sheringham with wife and son.

Started at West Runton on Saturday; seawatching while eating cheese toasties: Gannets, a few Little Gulls, 1 juv Arctic Tern and a few Razorbills were all going east; 4-5 Red-throated Divers passed in both directions; Brent Goose parties heading west. On land a Goldcrest was on the slipway having just arrived; an adult Mediterranean Gull at the carpark and an unseen Snow or Lapland Bunting went over but unfortunately call rather faint.

A bit later walking the beach west from Sheringham a couple of Shags on the sea with 5 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots and a Common Seal lingering close in.

Sunday morning was beautiful. 3 Turnstones were on the beach and a Purple Sandpiper was feeding around the beach huts. This spent most of the time behind the huts but was amazingly tame and ran inches past me at one point. Another recently arrived Goldcrest was on the seafront before finding it's way to the nearest vegetation.

Beeston Bump provided a nice Snow Bunting, a Wheatear, a few Redwings and a couple of Stonechats. There were more Redwings and Goldcrests at Priory Gardens along with Common Darters, Migrant Hawkers, Comma butterfly, Silver Y and Vapourer moths.

Finally lunch at Weybourne beach produced much the same as the previous day on the sea but more Little Gulls with about 16 passing.
 

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