GP at Wolverton (1 Viewer)

[West End Birder]

Hi all, I am off to the great Wolverton Triangle to try to see the mythical GP this weekend - what are my chances?!

If there are any nearby sites for Willow Tit and Tree Sparrow would be grateful if you could share via PM.

Thanks

Rob

 

[Farnboro John]

Hi all, I am off to the great Wolverton Triangle to try to see the mythical GP this weekend - what are my chances?!

If there are any nearby sites for Willow Tit and Tree Sparrow would be grateful if you could share via PM.

Thanks

Rob

Hi Rob,

When I've been there I've found that sitting in the car parked up is a good bet. Don't keep circling the triangle (can you circle a triangle?) endlessly.

Even better get the thermos out once you've parked halfway along one side or the other, and have a cuppa. And keep one eye on the mirror, there's no guarantee they will come out in front of you.....

There may still be Willow Tits at Sculthorpe Moor, I think that's the last place I've seen them in Norfolk. SM is also a good place for Marsh Tit, Bank Vole and if you are lucky, Harvest Mouse - all viewable from the Whitley Hide: for the mammals look at the reed edge next to the right hand feeder, where there is a mass of sunflower seeds on the ground. DON'T pay any attention to the plastic Golden Pheasants there.

Good luck

John

 

[West End Birder]

Thanks FJ. Just to make sure I get this right for the GPs it is either of the roads that are immediately off the A149 and not the bit beyond where they cross over - that is right isn't it. Any guesses which road is better, the north or south one?!!!!!

 

[D0c]

I saw GP while parked on the first road you get to coming from Kings Lynn, don't go over the crossroads stay on the A149 side. I parked about half way down.

 

[Viv Connett]

Saw and heard Willow Tit at Sculthorpe between Christmas and New Year. And the Golden Pheasants there are no longer RIP

 

[Locostella]

Thanks FJ. Just to make sure I get this right for the GPs it is either of the roads that are immediately off the A149 and not the bit beyond where they cross over - that is right isn't it. Any guesses which road is better, the north or south one?!!!!!

Best place to position yourself is at the vertex angle of the triangle, which is formed by the two roads meeting. Here is a small green you can pull your car onto and you can view for a reasonable distance down both roads. Also, you can use the hedge as some cover.

Kieran

 

[Farnboro John]

Thanks FJ. Just to make sure I get this right for the GPs it is either of the roads that are immediately off the A149 and not the bit beyond where they cross over - that is right isn't it. Any guesses which road is better, the north or south one?!!!!!

Yep. Its the two roads West of the A149 that meet (hence "the Wolferton Triangle"). Its up to you but I think halfway up the roads, not at the apex - still it won't take long to try all three options....

Good luck

John

 

[West End Birder]

Thanks all, just off there now!

 

[Steve Lister]

Thanks all, just off there now!

Let us know how you get on - I will probably be having a look tomorrow.

Failed last week.

Steve

 

[West End Birder]

Well what a story. Arrived there on Friday at 3pm parked up and waited and waited. Saw some Muntjacs (?) a mammal tick but not much else. This morning, I arrived there at 07:15 and stayed for 2 hours and again saw the Muntjac but nothing else. Severely depressed (lack of sleep not Golden Pheasant) went back to hotel for magnificent heart attack on a plate and to meet Mrs Birduder. She seemed genuinely sympathetic but nevertheless we were off to Norwich for some sight seeing.

I made a mistake getting out of King's Lynn and ended up at the roundabout by the Farmer's Inn. Mrs B suggested we go for one last circuit (I was surprised as she is not a birder (so in good company)) and off we went. We took the second exit and bugger me within 500 yds she shouted 'there there' - after a few panicky seconds, there in the rhododendron undergrowth was a fine male Golden Pheasant.

Now I know the purists reading this will be aghast at this 'hyperzonky mega crippler' (as Richard Millington might say) as a plastic bird but believe me it was awesome. I had a dodgy New Forest tick on my list and now I have a genuinely dodgy Wolferton one. Views weren't brilliant but good enough to see those colours, what a stunning bird.

Moral of the story, take your non-birdwatching partner with you at all times.

Many thanks to all of you for your totally incorrect advice ;-))))

I love days like that!

And Norwich was very nice too, I even wrote a Prayer Letter in the cathedral to God, thanking him for the GP - see my Twitter feed for the picture of it!

Regards

Rob

 

[Steve Lister]

I suspect we parked up behind you for half an hour or so. Then you (if it was you) went. We spent an hour there and never saw GP but then someone reported it at 11.20. Maybe that was you.

That's the way it goes. a friend drove round once on Thursday and saw one straight away.

Steve

 

[West End Birder]

Have you got a silver 5 series estate (mine is black 5 saloon)? If so then yes that was me in front. I reckon Mrs Birduder found the one we saw at just after 11 (was on the south side of the northerly road about 75% along) - I suspect that was the bird reported later (that was not me I just put a wetting myself tweet out)

Rob S

 

[Cal07vin]

Golden Pheasant

I was being driven in a silver ford focus estate and was the one to report that I had seen one to BirdGuides at 11:20am (approx). I did speak to a couple in a black car (can't remember the type) and told them where I had seen it! I recall the gentleman saying he had seen one at Sculthorpe before.

I posted my finding's on the Norfolk thread, which on hindsight it may have been more useful on here!

Anyway, pleased that others have managed to see this fantastic bird - although I was concerned with its authenticity - as it looked different from the book! After researching the colour variation of this bird, the race is a dark-throated form called 'obscurus', which is countable - I think!!

The attached photo date stamp is correct, although the exact time information is not!

 

[Farnboro John]

Glad you scored. Ten out of ten for effort!

Marion is also very good at finding them, must be something to this non-birding bit.

John

 

[West End Birder]

Cal07vin that is exactly the spot where Mrs Birduder saw it behind the rhodos. I have a black car but I have not seen one at Sculthorpe so not me.

FJ, what a belter!

 

[Cal07vin]

Cal07vin that is exactly the spot where Mrs Birduder saw it behind the rhodos. I have a black car but I have not seen one at Sculthorpe so not me.

FJ, what a belter!

It seems BD344 that where you & I spotted it, much be a good starting point for anyone else wishing to see this bird.

I was so pleased I called in on the way back home, I only half-heartedly expected to see one, certainly as we were on a limited time frame. We had only just turned onto the road to Wolferton when it was there on the grass verge - only going back in the vegetation when I opened the car door to take a few photos.

I'm sure I could have seen it for a much longer period had I just sat quietly in the car!

So pleased that others have been able to enjoy this fabulous bird. :t:

 

[binus1963]

re pheasant

i always call in at the triangle on way over norfolk coast even if only 15-30min on way to titchwell etc, i was advised by a chap once best time is early on after rain because they don't like the drips how true i could'nt say. we had two one weekend over christmas period and have seen them once before there but alas had a lot more miss's than hits, although seems to have been a lot of sightings recently.

 

[West End Birder]

What a bloody fantastic photo!

 

[Swindon Addick]

I saw one at about 4pm on Monday. By the looks of Cal07vin's photo I suspect it was the same spot. There had been rain all day, which had recently stopped, so there might be something in that suggestion.

Fantastic bird, and with a better claim to being from a self-sustaining population than any common pheasant I've ever seen.

 

[Steve Lister]

Fantastic bird, and with a better claim to being from a self-sustaining population than any common pheasant I've ever seen.

Not sure how much longer they will sustain themselves. Does anybody ever see more than the one male now ?

Steve