Norfolk birding (26 Viewers)

HarassedDad · Oct 6, 2009

rob lee said:
Was it before the 7th of June ?

whoops, apologies - it was 8th june 2008, the perils of relying on my fading memory.

Had my first skein of pinkfeet over the Acle straight yesterday -always a harbinger of autumn - and around a hundred starlings over yarmouth town hall doing a mini Bill Oddie display in the evening.

I'll work that Norwich walk up with a few more sites and post it seperately.

sacha · Oct 6, 2009

Brian Stone said:
Not what I'm seeing. Southern Scandinavia appears to be in the grip of pretty strong W-NWlies with several fast moving fronts going through. Great for seawatching somewhere on the Norwegian coast I expect but no good for departing migrants.

You are probably right! I'm just trying to convince myself there will be more than a few Meadow Pipits when I walk up the point tomorrow!

Songkhran · Oct 6, 2009

Quite a quiet day today apart from some excellent views of Firecrests at Wells Wood. We were able to keep up with the flock which virtually consisted entirely of (fire)crests - had at least 4, 3 males, 1 female, presumably recent breeders rather than migrants?
Holkham quiet (tranquil) - Eider, 2 Arctic Terns, Rock Pipit, Chiffs dotted here and there.
Some interesting mammal and late insect highlights, Stoat, Common Seal, Hornet, plenty of Red Darters and Migrant Hawkers, lots of Red Admirals, 1 Painted Lady, lots of Toads about after the rain.
A big roost of Pied Wagtails at Stiffkey Fen, up to about 80, 1 Grey Wagtail, plenty of Little Egrets, on the way back a rare sighting, a Noctule, the only one Ive ever seen in Norfolk apart from one flying about with Swifts in broad daylight when i lived in Norwich. Finally a Redwing flying over at dusk, did i say quiet?

Elmore_Birder · Oct 6, 2009

HarrasedDad, thanks hugely for that detailed response. I'll give that a go sometime. While walking i discovered the route from UEA to Eaton and Marston Marsh last year but havnt been any further. People i've met have mentioned on a few occasions about the lesser-spotted woodpeckers in the area but no sign yet. Nothing special has popped up on my travels so far, but i've managed cetti's warblers, siskins, redpolls, cuckoos etc. All birds that are far from the norm for me. Thanks again, Steffan.

RobLucking · Oct 7, 2009

Andy Musgrove said:
Whitlingham is free unless you want to pay to park a car in the car park. Always seems an odd thing to do, as you can park along the road for free. It's a decent enough little site as long as you don't get your hopes up too high - not everywhere in Norfolk is stiff with rarities! (Mind you, I've always considered that the '96 Black-and-white Warbler sucked all the rarity potential out of the site for years!)

Cheers and good luck!

Andy

Report in EDP today that the road running through Whitlingham CP is being widened, resurfaced, having speed bumps added and will be given clearway status to prevent people from parking on the verge.

sacha · Oct 7, 2009

Nice day out today.
Started at 8.30 am with adult Sabine's Gull and Scaup past Cley - not much else other than 1 Kittiwake, 2-3 distant Arctic Skua, 2 Sandwich terns.
Walked up to Blakeney Point - Highlights being:
30 Snow Buntings mobbing a Bonxie that flew low over the shingle, one other Great Skua, 2 Redwings (on shingle), 2 Stonechats, 1 Rock Pipit, a seperate Snow Bunting flew West, Whimbrel, Greenshank, a few Skylark Linnets and M.Pipits over.
But as Brian rightly predicted it wasn't as good for migrants as I thought it would be! It was worth a try though

Tractorboy69 · Oct 7, 2009

rob lee said:
Attached photo is of West Runton cliffs looking rare this morning. Perhaps the eagle-eyed amongst us will spot what is lacking in the photo. I will post the answer later on. As you can tell i`ve nothing better to do with my time at the mo.

Rob

I think the answer is that the vent pipe from the back of the toilets has been 'photoshopped' out!

Regards

Simon

Tractorboy69 · Oct 7, 2009

Not a lot happening migrant wise around the patch today, but a notable occurrence was a Gannet which landed on the sea close inshore off West Runton and then decided to haul itself out onto the rocky foreshore and join the roosting gulls and cormorants for a while before deciding that the sight and noise of about 30 school kids who arrived to go rock-pooling was too much to take and flew off strongly east.

It was excellent to see one up so close, with the intricacy of the patterning on the feathers something that you just don't appreciate when they are passing by out to sea.

Simon

rob lee · Oct 8, 2009

Excellent Gannet shots Simon & i`d like to say congrats on being the first to get the answer right but unfortunately its not quite right. Its actually a flag pole & it was picasa`d out.

Oooh so close. On a more serious note, nice to see some finch migration this a.m with Chaffinch, Greenfinch & Goldfinchs all on the move also the odd Dunnock & 2 Jays looking like they were thinking about it. Also found a Barred Warbler, but sorry folks its off limits & i didnt see it the second time around.

Paul Eele · Oct 8, 2009

Titchwell October 8th

Today's highlights

Purple sandpiper - 1 on beach
Jack snipe - 2 from Island Hide
Peregrine - 1 hunting over reserve
Snow bunting - 15 on beach

Paul

Songkhran · Oct 8, 2009

Good day on the patch and surrounds today. Walked the Blakeney Bank 2 Stonechat, 3 Greenshank then a total surprise in the form of a Purple Sand feeding with a mixed wader flock on an exposed bit of mud on the Glaven (just past the bend were the Glaven starts running parallel with the coast if you are coming from Cley). A scarce bird in the Cley square and the first one Ive seen on the deck here for about 5 years. While i was trying to get a couple onto it two Bonxies flew East over, another bird new to patch (the sea is just a little too distant usually to see seabirds).
On to Cley, Curlew Sand on Simmonds and numerous Snow Bunting flocks along the ridge 21 over North, 4 by Arnolds and 15 by Gramborough. Gave sea a good grilling but pretty quiet despite onshore breeze, 6ish Bonxies loafing, 3 Arctic Skuas, RTD still in sum plum, Razorbill, quite a lot of passerines flying in though. Finished day with a Kingfisher along the Beach Road at Salthouse and a Barn Owl over the duck pond.

stuart white · Oct 8, 2009

stupid question, but I often hear the term cley square and wondered what the boundaries are ? does it include the point ? TG04 10km sqaure where is the middle square on an OS?

rob lee · Oct 9, 2009

Much quieter this morning with the best birds being of a maritime nature. Highlights being; Bonxie 6w, Puffin 1e, Arctic Tern 1jw, Velvet Scoter 1w & as we were about to leave a Balearic Shearwater east. Attached is record shot of yesterdays Barred Warbler.

dbradnum · Oct 9, 2009

stu_white said:
stupid question, but I often hear the term cley square and wondered what the boundaries are ? does it include the point ? TG04 10km sqaure where is the middle square on an OS?

I think I'm right in saying the SW corner is TG000400, and it then stretches 10km north and east from here. That makes the four corners :

SW: just SSW of Langham
NW: just east of the far end of Blakeney Point (west of Long Hills) ... so it appears that some of the point doesn't count, though God knows how you'd work it out in practice
SE: Holt rugby club, just N of A148
NE: just NE of Kelling Quags

Not a bad 'local patch'...

PYRTLE · Oct 9, 2009

A few redwings in off at Holme this morning, small flock of crossbills heading west from near Gore Point, several thousand pinkfeet feeding nearby, eight common buzzard including the dead ringer for a rough leg but managed to see its bare feet and tail markings, later this pm there were two pied flycatchers in the seaward side of the pine belt.

Elmore_Birder · Oct 9, 2009

Hi, does anybody know where abouts yesterdays Yellow-browed Warbler in Norwich was reported from? Thanks, Steffan.

jimbob · Oct 9, 2009

Steffan,
Colney lane in carpark of Norfolk and Norwich hospital. In birches with LT Tits, info from RBA. No news today although could well be in the area?
Cheers,
Jim.

James Emerson · Oct 9, 2009

jimbob said:
Steffan,
Colney lane in carpark of Norfolk and Norwich hospital. In birches with LT Tits, info from RBA. No news today although could well be in the area?
Cheers,
Jim.

A word of warning, the only time I have been escorted off anywhere whilst birdwatching was at the N&N hospital, when security decided that I shouldn't be on the site with binoculars! Colney Lane, the UEA sports fields and the woods behind UEA Broad are all decent sites to check in the area. I'm going to try and find one around Whitlingham tomorrow, will post if I have any luck!

James

stuart white · Oct 9, 2009

Lots of Firecrests

Wherever I seemed to go today I pished in a Firecrest, not that I'm complaining ! So easy when you get a nice tired migrant in low trees and bushes. And so easily pished compared to our resident birds.

Had a probable Sab's gull from winterton this morning, but just that bit too far out to nail.

The east coast was totally devoid of birders today, did yarmouth cemetery, winterton south dunes, waxham Shangri-la and the pipe dump down to waxham sands being careful to keep to the dunes! In 8 hours not a single other birder ? Strong SE winds with menancing cloud, I felt sure someone else would be out looking ?

Tractorboy69 · Oct 9, 2009

Cley Square

dbradnum said:
I think I'm right in saying the SW corner is TG000400, and it then stretches 10km north and east from here. That makes the four corners :

SW: just SSW of Langham

NW: just east of the far end of Blakeney Point (west of Long Hills) ... so it appears that some of the point doesn't count, though God knows how you'd work it out in practice

SE: Holt rugby club, just N of A148

NE: just NE of Kelling Quags

Not a bad 'local patch'...

Yep I think you've summed up the square nicely there David.

Obviously you can do the boundary on the point (or anywhere else) with a GPS if you really wanted to be 100% accurate but the edge of the square lies about halfway between the plantation and the tearoom/lupins area.

However in practice I think most people count the point as a whole as being in the square e.g although the Snowy Owl was initially found in the square, it had actually moved a few yards out of it by the time the few of us who got there in time (before it headed off to Warham) had legged it up there but I'm sure everyone counted it anyway, I know I did!

Although probably on paper the least productive looking, the SW corner around Langham has actually produced a few major goodies for the square in recent years with the likes of Dark-eyed Junco, Pallid Harrier, Bee-eater, & Ross's & Snow Geese!

The NE corner cuts through the middle of Muckleburgh Hill although the Bluetail refused to hop over the border despite being very close at times, but of course the BPoint bird made it onto the square list shortly after.

As you say not a bad local patch for those of us who have been lucky enough to live there at some point over the years, and I may be wrong but I think the Cley 10km square has probably had the most species recorded in it then any other 10km square in Britain. Not sure of the total number of species recorded but I've seen c340 in the square, and with some having seen over 350 it goes without saying what a very good area it is.

Simon

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