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Norfolk birding (19 Viewers)

Thanks for the reply lads. I havent been down your way for about two years and I always get a special buzz about it! Pity I didnt get the Sparrow but Im sure another one will turn up knowing how regular they are!!!
 
Geoff Pain said:
I was quite shocked to see how the shoreline had changed at Cley(by the coastguards) and at Salthouse.Are they intending to push the shingle back or leave it as it is?
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Interesting question! I have heard from a few people that the shingle bank is no longer going to be maintained - but I don't know the details, or what will happen to Cley NWT, the A149 and the coastal villages.

It would seem very strange for the NWT to splash the cash on a flagship visitor centre when the reserve in front of it will at least change dramatically, or at worst, be ruined.... Luxury seawatching hide, possibly?!

Seriously, though: does anyone know the details of what will be happening? All I've heard is basically no more than persistent rumour and hearsay...
 
jason-t-71 said:
Thanks for the reply lads. I havent been down your way for about two years and I always get a special buzz about it! Pity I didnt get the Sparrow but Im sure another one will turn up knowing how regular they are!!!
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Sorry, maybe I'm missing something... but there's basically no weather-related reason not to come down to Norfolk this weekend and see the sparrow, if the possibility is still there for you. The flooding on the washes and some muddy paths are not unusual, and the weather forecast is currently very good...
 
dbradnum said:
Interesting question! I have heard from a few people that the shingle bank is no longer going to be maintained - but I don't know the details, or what will happen to Cley NWT, the A149 and the coastal villages.

It would seem very strange for the NWT to splash the cash on a flagship visitor centre when the reserve in front of it will at least change dramatically, or at worst, be ruined.... Luxury seawatching hide, possibly?!

Seriously, though: does anyone know the details of what will be happening? All I've heard is basically no more than persistent rumour and hearsay...
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The shingle seabank will be left to recede naturally. I fear Cley marshes will change as time passes and the new visitor centre will be the mecca for sea-watching in years to come! Some of the locals already have some good sea birds on their visitor centre lists amassed during the recent storms!
Sue
 
Tim Allwood said:
not sure about the wisdom of building that 'visitor' centre
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Errr... no, nor me. Surely madness, given how many other reserves could have benefited substantially from that type of money? And what was wrong with the old one? Terminal lack of panini- and latte-making machinery?

<sarcasm/>
 
Tim Allwood said:
the shingle is being left as far as i am aware

the next spring tide / surge could be interesting

not sure about the wisdom of building that 'visitor' centre
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Exactly my thinking too.

dbradnum said:
Errr... no, nor me. Surely madness, given how many other reserves could have benefited substantially from that type of money? And what was wrong with the old one? Terminal lack of panini- and latte-making machinery?

<sarcasm/>
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This is virtually what I was saying the other week to some mates as we past by the Centre. I can't really see the sense in that building myself.

John
 
dbradnum said:
Errr... no, nor me. Surely madness, given how many other reserves could have benefited substantially from that type of money? And what was wrong with the old one? Terminal lack of panini- and latte-making machinery?

<sarcasm/>
Click to expand...

In the grander scheme of things I agree - madness. All about where pots come from. My understanding is they got most of the cash from European Regional Development Fund, the East of England Development Agency and the the DTI Clear Skies Initiative. They're not really conservation funds - more sympathetic rural development funds. As someone who works in conservation, I know it often pays to apply for what you think you can get, rather than what you think actually needs doing unfortunately.

I think the centre itself will be safe for a while, being up on a hill. Just wonder about the road. Environment Agency tend to be quite good at protecting roads and stuff though.

Another interesting angle on it all though is that the Government is legally obliged to maintain the North Norfolk SPA in a favourable status - if they don't they can get done in the European courts and fined shed loads of money. I.e. if it can be demonstrated that sea-level rise will affect designated features of the SPA (i.e. waders & ducks), then EA has to use its compulsory purchase orders to buy other appropriate habitat and have it managed to compensate for loss.

Big project I’m hoping I’m about to embark on soon at BTO which should see major developments on this. Can’t say too much at the mo, except that it would probably be happening already if Natural England hadn’t had their end of year money frozen by Defra. It’s amazing what implications the cock-ups in HLS payments have, but watch this space….
 
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Not surprised that there are a whole range of convoluted funding schemes behind this, so I guess we should take some comfort from the fact that the new centre will hopefully raise more money for the NWT, which can then be ploughed into reserves that aren't underwater!

Ilya Maclean said:
Another interesting angle on it all though is that the Government is legally obliged to maintain the North Norfolk SPA in a favourable status - if they don't they can get done in the European courts and fined shed loads of money. I.e. if it can be demonstrated that sea-level rise will affect designated features of the SPA (i.e. waders & ducks), then EA has to use its compulsory purchase orders to buy other appropriate habitat and have it managed to compensate for loss.

Big project I’m hoping I’m about to embark on soon at BTO which should see major developments on this. Can’t say too much at the mo, except that it would probably be happening already if Natural England hadn’t had their end of year money frozen by Defra. It’s amazing what implications the cock-ups in HLS payments have, but watch this space….
Click to expand...

And all of this is much more promising... fingers crossed!
 
J Moss said:
Out on the bike today checking out the Barsham area that Mark mentioned for Tree Sparrows. 3 hours sadly didn't produce any. Couple of good Yellowhammer flocks, one with c5 Brambling knocking around in there. 100s of Chaffinches in the fields didn't produce anything else out of the ordinary. Couple of Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 3 Golden Plovers, lots of Stock Doves and a close flying Barn Owl all added to a nice ride.

Headed down to my probable Long Eared Owl site at about 4:30. 1 Barn Owl swept past and settled on a fence post beside me as I walked down the path. Sat against a bank for half an hour or so, waiting for it to get dark, and at around 17:00 a Long Eared appeared above the horizon and fluttered about for a bit, before gliding out of view. Amazing! Little Owl buzzed over my head in the semi-dark and a Tawny Owl "ho-ho-hwooooo"d from nearby. Unbelievable! Owl fest!!!!

Jason
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Sorry you didn't catch up with them.

I have seen them round the back of East Barsham Hall and the barn/house in West Barsham.....i'm sure you will find them before i get up there but i will try and get a multimap postion for the barn in February.
 
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Thanks Mark. I'll be back out tomorrow looking. I dont suppose you could describe the barn that you mean? Is it right on the edge of the road, or further out into the farmland? I came across several old barns, and there are a few farms set back, with private, no access roads leading to them.

Jason

Edit: will check the hall as well tomorrow.
 
J Moss said:
Thanks Mark. I'll be back out tomorrow looking. I dont suppose you could describe the barn that you mean? Is it right on the edge of the road, or further out into the farmland? I came across several old barns, and there are a few farms set back, with private, no access roads leading to them.

Jason

Edit: will check the hall as well tomorrow.
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As you go into East Barsham you will come to a church on the left and a turning just before it on the left.If you get to the White Horse Inn further along on the left you have gone 100 yards to far.

Anyway turn left at the Church and keep going down this lane....the fields on the right are good for Grey and RL Partridge btw.......at the junction turn right.This is where i can't remember where the road is.I think somewhere along here is a right hand turn with a converted barn behind some high hedges.The Sparrows hang about in the hedges either side of the road and on the owners roof.Sorry i can't be more specific but my memory is rubbish.
I can't picture it in my head but if i was in the car i could go straight there.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
Braydon is good at the moment, the tides are at a reasonable hour and the high river level has pushed everything in at high tide. I had pintail at 20yds today with good views of all the usual waders. A merlin was putting stuff up regularly, but it's a bugger to get on to - you can see the flocks go up in sucession left to right, but it's really tricky trying to spot that little missile in among them. Had 25 Whooper's fly over towards Caistor while I was there, which was unexpected.

Incidently the RSPB's running a boat trip from Yarmouth on Sunday 3rd Feb - don't know if there's any places left though. Booking is via the Strumpshaw office.
 
kittykat23uk said:
Why? What else is about (I don't have a pager)? Got tomorrow off, so will probably head up to UEA to see if I can see the hawfinches (no luck so far). Does anyone know if they are still around or if the Goosanders are back (didn't see any last weekend). Also a friend from Bird forum coming at the weekend to twitch the sparrow if its is still at Cley. Is there anything else we should look for?

thanks

Jo.
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Goosander at Sparham Pits last weekend - 3 drakes 2 redheads.
 
I will probably be coming to Norfolk this weekend and would love to see a bird which has so far eluded me - the Twite. I remember that Thornham Harbour used to be a reliable location and I was wondering if that is still the case or is there anywhere else I should be looking.

Regards

Dave
 
DJW said:
I will probably be coming to Norfolk this weekend and would love to see a bird which has so far eluded me - the Twite. I remember that Thornham Harbour used to be a reliable location and I was wondering if that is still the case or is there anywhere else I should be looking.

Regards

Dave
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Hi Dave,

I'm sure that some of the locals will be able to give you the straight gen, but some pals and I did look for Twite at Thornham when we were up there a couple of weeks ago and we couldn't find any....


Good luck.... Ray
 
DJW said:
I will probably be coming to Norfolk this weekend and would love to see a bird which has so far eluded me - the Twite. I remember that Thornham Harbour used to be a reliable location and I was wondering if that is still the case or is there anywhere else I should be looking.

Regards

Dave
Click to expand...

They have been at Brancaster Harbour this year. (Although you could still see some if you are lucky if you walk the seabank betweem Thornham and Holme) they seem to like the puddle near the 90 degree bend by one of the gates.
Sue
 
Today at UEA

Was at UEA Campus at 8 am this morning hoping to find either those tricksie goosanders or hawfinches. A stroll around the broad revealed a fleeting glimpse of the kingfisher, but not much else, and then to my disappointment I found the UEA ringing group in the rabbit enclosure! Still, I managed to get a lovely view of a male bullfinch and a walk in the woods round the back of the enclosure also produced a nice redwing. Back round the other side of the broad I caught some reasonable shots of a flock of siskins feeding on the alder.

A few photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/sets/72157603681736458/
 

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