Norfolk birding (21 Viewers)

Penny Clarke · Nov 8, 2007

Arrived at Holme today 7.30am.

1 fieldfare sitting on wire on approach road, chaffinches, 2 blue tits. On broad water lots of coots, 2 little grebes, pochard, wigeon, teal, 1 little egret. 3 carrion crows. The only really fascinating thing today was when I watched 2 marsh harriers and 1 of them landed on the wind swept beach - for a split second I thought it was a peregrine - have never seen a MH do this! It was a fantastic sunny morning and there was no one on the beach but me!!!! - perfect. The sand was gusting across the white sands with beautiful skies. I walked along the Thornham channel right out to sea which was very low now and followed the sea west - saw 12 grey plover (some on beach and some flying past), 33 brent geese, 5 sanderling, 8 curlew, 3 bar tailed godwit and tons of gulls going past including a good number of great black backed gulls, no poms today though.

Went to Titchwell to see the waxwing (ha ha:-O) and no one had seen it all morning!!! 3 green finches landed in the carpark. Met some friends for lunch. Tons of chaffinches and sparrows were in a bush making a terrific noise near to the bird feeders, so unusually loud it sounded like an aviary! Usual waders on pools.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

Just woke up and listening to Radio Norfolk.

Have not heard about my end of coast yet, but the sea is over Cley marshes and lapping the road so the lady reporter said and OVER the road at Cley end! There were geese sitting on the road in front of Dunn Cow Inn wondering what to do!! Nobody will be photographing Lapland buntings at Little Eye today!

Homes have been flooded at Walcott but we don't know how bad yet.

How is your end Tim at Sea Palling?

Holme is fine, sea did not even quite reach the dunes when I just spoke to Jed (NOA warden)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/coast05/coastcams/

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

From Birdguides website:

'Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk is open to the public, although the boardwalk will be shut today at least, due to damage'

J Moss · Nov 9, 2007

Cley and Salthouse seemed ok this morning. Roads were open by 9ish, with the water not quite reaching the main road, except in a couple of places. Seawatching was possible from the ridge by arnolds marsh, as the footpath is out of the range of the water. Saltmarsh is completely underwater though, and had a couple of Kittiwakes and a pale adult Pom chasing Teal over the reeds!

I hope everyone is ok further along the coast, and fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Jason

Edward woodwood · Nov 9, 2007

we readied ourselves in the usual british way - several pints in the beach bar just yards from the raging sea!

our school was being used as an emergency centre so i'm off today!...seawatching this morning from the hide was very good - 13 Poms, 3 adults, the rest juvs, Bonxie and Arctic, 4 cars, three dogs and a house. Very rough seas though and not much chance of following Little Auks through the swells.

The sight of a fully-spooned Pom and two juvs close in over the raging sea as the sunlight hit them was rather awesome!

oh, and 25 Snow bunts north

EDIT, someone's had a Leach's and a Sabs (don't know the age) at Horsey. Don't think they've been recorded elsewhere in Norfolk today yet...

Nick Elliston · Nov 9, 2007

Tim Allwood said:
we readied ourselves in the usual british way - several pints in the beach bar just yards from the raging sea!

That's the way to do it Tim. Real style is the way that we Brits know best.

matt green · Nov 9, 2007

Nick Elliston said:
That's the way to do it Tim. Real style is the way that we Brits know best.

Indeed!

(thats not Tim btw!)

M

Edward woodwood · Nov 9, 2007

between 1:45 and 3:15

40 Little Auks south
1 Grey Phalarope south
5 Purple Sandpipers
1 Black-throated Diver

will bowell · Nov 9, 2007

'Cos you will all be bored to death of hearing about sea greats by this evening, here is a nice snow bunting for you to enjoy. Go to my blog http://willsadlib.blogspot.com/ for more and click each picture and let the images massage your eyes and pleasure your senses.....

Check it!

Will

postcardcv · Nov 9, 2007

J Moss said:
Cley and Salthouse seemed ok this morning. Roads were open by 9ish, with the water not quite reaching the main road, except in a couple of places. Seawatching was possible from the ridge by arnolds marsh, as the footpath is out of the range of the water. Saltmarsh is completely underwater though, and had a couple of Kittiwakes and a pale adult Pom chasing Teal over the reeds!

Does anyone know what the state of play in around Cley and Salthouse now? I was planning of doing a spot of birding there in the morning, but if it's all underwater I'll stay in bed instead.

Happisbirder · Nov 9, 2007

Whilst driving the girls to school this morning I rounded a bend on a narrow road in East Ruston and was astonished to see a Grey Phalarope standing in the middle of it! Naturally, it instantly took flight and flew through a gateway over a field but, despite searching, it couldn’t be found on the return journey. The only, and somewhat slight, disappointment involved is that it was about 20 metres outside the Happisburgh parish boundary. |=@| Still, mustn’t grumble…

I also managed to spend from 12:30~13:20 watching the sea. On arrival I raised my bins and in my view was a flock of 20 Little Auks zipping south over the surf. By the time I had to leave I’d tallied 162 south, mostly really close in and in small parties. One was seen further out flying west. Several even dropped onto the sea for brief periods, looking like little bottles bobbing in the water. Scrutinising the Common Scoter flock ('guesstimated' at c.1200 in recent days) was difficult in the conditions but nothing else was seen with them save for a single Teal and the occasional Little Auk. Also seen were 4 Grey Plover and single Bar-tailed Godwit west and 1 Red-throated Diver and a handful of Gannets and Kittiwakes east.

James

Edward woodwood · Nov 9, 2007

AGP 'reported' at Waxham between Brograve and dunes in stubble. No further details

Tim

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

postcardcv said:
Does anyone know what the state of play in around Cley and Salthouse now? I was planning of doing a spot of birding there in the morning, but if it's all underwater I'll stay in bed instead.

Have been photographing along the coast today including Cley area - will post some pictures this evening, only just got home.

Had a photography day rather than birding, started off at Sunny Hunny (Hunstanton) where I could hardly stand for the wind! Moved onto Thornham Coal Barn, then Burnham Overy, then Wells next Sea for fish 'n' chips on quay which I shared with starving starlings, it was amazing, I could almost touch them - they were queued up on the wall waiting for chips, got my best ever pics of starlings! Moved onto Holkham to snap pics of fallow deer and then onto Cley to snap Windmill and took tons of pics of marshes and East Bank/Salthouse.

There were several snow buntings at end of East Bank, 10 minutes before I got to end (4.30pmish), but I didn't see them! but I did hear a water rail and a cettis warbler! Really weird walking along east bank with what looked like the sea to your right full of roosting gulls!!!

5pm this evening - the only way to get to Cley beach is via East Bank, the road to Cley Beach carpark is closed and so is the road to Salthouse carpark (don't know if water will have subsided by morning, I doubt it with another high tide in morning - higher than today 7.2). The marshes are flooded completely, east of the East Bank, including Salthouse. It looks really weird as the sea has made several massive gaps through the shingle at Salthouse and you can see the sea crashing on the shore from the coast road!!!!!!! The Salthouse road to carpark is completely immersed in water almost up to the main road!!! Finished up with photographing the plastic, black swan and mutes/ducks in the pond just past Dunn Cow, which is not a pond anymore as its part of the new ocean on marsh!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

See: http://norfolkornithologistsassociation.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

for Holme seawatching and Walsey Hills Seawatching.

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

Pics from Norfolk coast today: all straight from camera, have not got time to colour correct etc - seawatching in morning!

From left to right: Hunstanton Seafront, Thornham Coal Barn, Burnham Overy Staithe, Fallow deer at Holkham and hungry starlings at Wells quay.

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

From left to right: Sandbags at Wells, Cley Windmill, last 3 pics: Cley marshes from Visitors Centre.

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

From left to right: 2 more pics from Cley Visitor Centre

more pics to come....

matt green · Nov 9, 2007

Love the Starlings queing for chips!

Burnham Overy Staithe is one of my favourite spots so thanks for posting:t:

M

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

From left to right: First 3 pics: The East Bank at Cley, taken from the hide on top of Walsey Hills, pic 4, taken from East Bank looking back towards A149/Walsey Hills, pic 5, East Bank.

Penny Clarke · Nov 9, 2007

From left to right: 1st 2 pics East Bank looking towards coast road, 3rd pic, collapsed shingle ridge at end of East Bank, pic 4 road to Salthouse Beach Carpark! (the last 2 pics was taken at 5pm):gn:

Good seawatching tomorrow everyone.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S and very last picture the swans and ducks in pond adjoining seawater just after Dunn Cow Pub at Salthouse.

NoSpringChicken · Nov 9, 2007

Excellent report and photos, Penny. I will have a proper look at them at work tomorrow on broadband rather than 56k at home! There's certainly is a lot of water round there. Thanks for posting.

Ron

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