Norfolk birding (48 Viewers)

David Norgate said:

I am interested to know if the Ferruginous Duck at Barton Broad was seen well enough to know if it was ringed or not(!)

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Tideliner said:

Why o why do people have to walk along the top of the sea walls and marsh top when you will get so much closer to the birds if you creep down the creeks out of sight.

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David Norgate said:

And here I was, Tideliner, thinking you wanted to share some of your birding highlights with us I did really enjoy your write-up and think it is a shame that there are not more posts sharing people's experiences like this (except for the party political broadcast in the middle)! I remember Stu's write-up of the day he found a Hoopoe and Kentish Plover, really showed his enjoyment of the whole experience!! Oh for the day we can all share the positives of the different aspects of our hobbyo

PS except suppression, late news, misidentification, fraud......:-O:-O

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Tideliner said:

I will never forget the words of one of my mentors Pete Gotham back in the 1970s when scopes first started to fall into widespread use " I know why you need these new scopes , standing on top of a sea wall you frighten the birds so far away you need then to find them again ".

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Tideliner said:

I thought I would spend a tide on the North Coast yesterday and it was a cracker. Clear bright sunshine and the snow making everything look so much brighter than normal. It was very cold as I crept down a gutter to the main creek only disturbing a pair of redshank. I set up a small hide below the marsh top in the side of the main creek just as the tide started to drop. In a short while a mix of dunlin , redshank and curlews gathered very close to me. It was great watching the curlew feeding within a few feet of me , mainly taking ragworm and small shellfish. There were jack snipe everywhere , perhaps 20 of them, sometimes fliting across the creek and at others landing on the saltmarsh close by. Some brent joined them along with a dozen teal , the drakes looking stunning in their winter plumage. More and more brents came in to the creek until there was at least 500 within 30 yards of me with some coming so close that they saw me or rather the outline of me behind the hide and wary swum off a few yards , but never panicked. Then a succession of pinks started to fly overhead along with a couple of small parties of white fronts. For over an hour the geese came past , I guessed they were moving up from the Broads. As the tide drained out of the creek in came the wigeon … about 100 along with a couple of stunning drake pintail , a goldeneye and my first scaup of the year. Red necked grebe and lots of little grebes fished the declining pools , with a small group of little egrets.

After an hour I saw someone else walking down the bottom of the main creek 400 yards off. A wildfowler. He set up a hide like mine and kept out of sight . He did have a few shots at the duck , but they just swirled around and resettled a few hundred yards further off. The birds in front of me never moved.

The whole 5 hours I spent in the hide the draining creek was alive with birds all feeding or resting with no idea I was so close to them. There were rock and water pipits too and just above my head on the marsh top 42 snow buntings. It was spell binding , that was until a couple of birders in dark clothing wandered across the marsh top putting everything to flight. Why o why do people have to walk along the top of the sea walls and marsh top when you will get so much closer to the birds if you creep down the creeks out of sight. They stood frightening everything off for 500 yards in full view and had no idea I was there only 50 feet from them. Having done their damage at a time when feeding time is so important to wetland birds they wandered off back to the top of the sea wall and stood in full view of everything deterring most birds from coming back.

Finally they left and after a long wait a few birds started to return. Perhaps the best part of the day was when I squeaked a hen harrier within 10 feet of the hide . I dare not move , it was so close. As the light started to go I carefully packed up the hide and crept back up the side creek and made my home along the bottom of the sea wall , privileged to have been witness to the activities of so many birds that never knew I was there.

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black kite 1964 said:

Spot on Dave The buzz from seeing good birds, watching migration, or god forbid, finding something rare, keeps you going through the lean times!

The feeling you get from other people seeing something you have found takes some beating!! I do not really get the suppression stuff! As for the fraud, it just makes me feel sad for the individual(s) concerned. For those who make identification mistakes, (ie everybody) -including Norfolk mafia (see American Plover, no offence Steve!) we all respect each other as birders doing our best to indentify birds - which is not always easy? To intentionaly con people (whether for kudos or financial gain) ranks as birding's equivalent of paedophilia!

On a positive side Cley had a great year. The middle of May was a real highlight with citrine wagtail, kentish plover -to name but a few. The passage of black terns however took some some beating, on a night when Cley was alive with birds and birders.

For those who released news on good birds throughout the year (you know who you are!), a big thank you from the people who saw them thereafter - including me! For all those (for various reasons) who choose not to release news (you also know who you are!) perhaps you should choose not to see only peoples birds in the future - seems only fair!! There really are too few rare birds around to keep them secret? There will always been the selfish idiots whose behaviour spoil things for birders when news of a rarity breaks! However the vast majority of birders that I have met in Norfolk are decent people enjoying a great hobby!

A plea for 2010! enjoy the hobby for what is is! Treat for fellow birders with respect - not always easy! Help beginners and youngsters - we were all novices at one time - that includes the great and the good of birding!

Most of all, if you find a good bird, report it so that everybody can see it - it will give you a great buzz!

:t:

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upstarts1979 said:

Hi Black kite
I probably know you from my times spent at cley late 70's early 80's and echo your all your sentiments especially re all birders and respect of them.
Could you elaborate on the 'con' I am intrigued (no birders name obviously)

cheers John

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upstarts1979 said:

Hi Tideliner
with all that activity did you take any photos sounds like you would be able to get some quality pics with a small camera with a x10 zoom or similar. A lost opportunity or have you got them all stashed away.
20 Jack snipe - is a massive total. Is this usual for that area or a result of cold weather movement. My local patch has one of the largest gatherings inland but never reached more than 12 though.

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Tideliner said:

.........

And Rob since when did birders keep to footpaths ?

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Des! said:

Over to Norwich tomorrow ooo

Anyone know what's showing / shown at Whitligham Broad & Strumpshaw Fen?

Cheers! & Happy Christmas!!

Des

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