Norfolk birding (1 Viewer)

[Michael Stowers]

Time was when you daren't set foot on the reserve unless you knew the name of every hide and pool. If you were told there's a Bittern showing well on Pat's and had to ask where that was you'd be ejected before you could put the caps back on your Swifts.

Thank you - that made me chuckle! Swift Audubons were the height of sophistication when you were 14 in the late 70s!! Most of us had a massive pair of 10 x50s, ones that your Grandad had in the war - probably last used on HMS Hood!

 

[Andy Stoddart]

Norfolk Bird Recorder

From 1st January 2015 Chris Allen will be taking over from Dave and Jacquie Bridges as bird recorder for Norfolk.

Full details of the new recording arrangements are contained in the ‘Notes for Contributors’ section of the new 2013 Norfolk Bird Report.

In summary, the preferred method of routine record submission will be via BirdTrack but records can also be submitted as now via spreadsheet. However, records of national and county rarities (with appropriate supporting documentation) should be sent direct to Chris.

Chris can be contacted at [email protected]

 

[Penny Clarke]

Fabulous morning's seawatch at Sheringham. Full update on blog shortly. But wished I hadn't raced after the Surf Scoter... distant dot in the troughs and spoilt my walk out to Gramborough!

I hate computers. Had just written most of my blog post and it had taken ages and firefox crashed, lost it all and got to start again!

 

[93Birder]

Fabulous morning's seawatch at Sheringham. Full update on blog shortly. But wished I hadn't raced after the Surf Scoter... distant dot in the troughs and spoilt my walk out to Gramborough!

You weren't missing much at Gramborough anyhoo! 2 Goldcrests and a Jack Snipe which flew out on to the main marsh.

 

[Tarsiger]

Time was when you daren't set foot on the reserve unless you knew the name of every hide and pool. If you were told there's a Bittern showing well on Pat's and had to ask where that was you'd be ejected before you could put the caps back on your Swifts.

I well remember being told (about 13-14 yrs old) that it wasn't the done thing to carry a fieldguide; my Peterson never left the house after that!

 

[Happisbirder]

Fabulous morning's seawatch at Sheringham. Full update on blog shortly. But wished I hadn't raced after the Surf Scoter... distant dot in the troughs and spoilt my walk out to Gramborough!

I hate computers. Had just written most of my blog post and it had taken ages and firefox crashed, lost it all and got to start again!

Just a suggestion... type your post in a Word type document then 'cut and paste' it into your web browser. You'll find it's much better on the ol' blood pressure... :storm:

Atb,

James

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell October 23rd

Today's highlights

Sorry for the last of updates recently but we have been without internet access for the last 7 days!

Whooper swan - 1 in/off sea early morning
Richards pipit - 1 west along beach at 8am and dropped into the dunes but no further sign
Little stint - 3 still on fresh marsh
Yellow legged gull - adult on fresh marsh this morning
Yellow browed warbler - still 2 birds in the Meadow Trail area
Purple sandpiper - 1 reported feeding on the peat beds at low tide

Paul

 

[Archie Opteryx]

I well remember being told (about 13-14 yrs old) that it wasn't the done thing to carry a fieldguide; my Peterson never left the house after that!

Got told that too, but these days I have the courage to have one in the car

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Canada Goose

Couple of photos of the Richardson's / Cackling Goose at Holkham today....

 

[willowgrouse]

Couple of photos of the Richardson's / Cackling Goose at Holkham today....

Well done for getting some images. I could be wrong, but the head and neck structure do suggest that's a parvipes lesser Canada goose

 

[Tideliner]

I would agree willowgrouse likely to be parvipes or at least one of the medium sized races.I have kept both cackling and Richardsons canadas in captivity and both are a lot smaller than the bird in the photo and their bills shorter.

The big problem with canadas is the races see to change every time I read an American paper on them, a few years ago there were over 20 races , but now lumped down to half a dozen. But thats probably changed as I type this!

I would give it a 50\50 chance of being wild.

 

[sacha]

It was found by James McCallum who put it out as parvipes. Some confusion later as just mentioned as 'lesser Canada'
Looks good for parvipes rather than any form of Cackling from the photos

I think 50/50 wild is very conservative estimate.. My glass is half full an I would go with 70/30 wild..

We will never know so do not want to start a (is it wild debate!)

It will be 90/10 wild once If see it in my notebook

 

[Lightthiscandle]

At the time there was a certain amount of confusion: a small Canada Goose was initially seen on the sea by people ( but not me!) looking for the SS. When Martin Read and I got back to his car there were three or four birders scoping a flock of Pinkfeet to the east of LA's Drive. At a range of around 400m, I was just surprised to be able to find and photograph the '...small Canada goose in with those geese'.

I freely admit I am far away from being an expert in the various races of CG, so when I returned home to write up my blog and post the photos on here, I labelled the the bird as described on every online news service at the time (including the RBA map on this forum!) The yellow triangle for Holkham was tagged:

Richardson's Canada Goose
Cackling Canada Goose
Surf Scoter
Red-necked Grebe.

This was, presumably RBA hedging its bets, rather than reporting two separate individuals! Incidentally, when we stopped for coffee at the Visitor Centre at Cley, the bird was on their notice board as a Richardson's CG....

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Rough Legs!

What a gorgeous morning! Linda and I decided to celebrate by doing our shopping at ASDA in Yarmouth, mainly because that allowed us to walk along the north shore where several Rough-legged Buzzards had been reported.

Two miles along, the only birds we'd seen were dozens of really confiding Little Egrets: always a joy. Half a mile further on we found Dave Holman and a few of the old guard (One middle-aged couple never says hello, despite having spent an hour chatting to Linda & me at the fabled Naumann's Thrush!) Someone pointed out a couple of RLBs perched on the bank a mile further on, so, in the absence of any attempt at conversation, we continued westwards.


Just as got within binocular range, a pair of walkers flushed both birds. They have as much right to be there as us, but it was frustrating!

After a short scan we turned back for the long return walk: virtually everyone else seemed to have left. Suddenly we picked out a well-marked bird approaching from the north east. As it grew nearer, it attracted the attention of firstly a Peregrine, then a Kestrel: talk about fighting above your weight!

Halfway back we bumped into Steve Smith and Dot Machin: what a delightful & knowledgeable couple! Fortunately, one of the RLBs decided to fly by so we could share the moment with them!

OK: the photos aren't great, but they were a pleasing reward for persistence and the readiness to walk a few miles!

 

[Stratton Birder]

We tried scanning for Rough-legged Buzzards from Burgh Castle remains this morning which appears to be no good for these as it is too far south but we did get a ringtail Hen Harrier and Great White Egret out on Reedham Marshes (albeit distantly). There was a further report of Great White Egret further down the river valley on Haddiscoe Island viewed from the 'mound' which could have been the same bird but as this came on the pager only shortly after we left and as our bird was fairly settled this may suggest that there are two in this area to look out for in the next few days. Certainly several around at the moment what with other birds today at Burnham, Cley, probably Hickling still and in Suffolk at Minsmere.

 

[Connor Rand]

We tried scanning for Rough-legged Buzzards from Burgh Castle remains this morning which appears to be no good for these as it is too far south but we did get a ringtail Hen Harrier and Great White Egret out on Reedham Marshes (albeit distantly). There was a further report of Great White Egret further down the river valley on Haddiscoe Island viewed from the 'mound' which could have been the same bird but as this came on the pager only shortly after we left and as our bird was fairly settled this may suggest that there are two in this area to look out for in the next few days. Certainly several around at the moment what with other birds today at Burnham, Cley, probably Hickling still and in Suffolk at Minsmere.

Great White Egret still at Lynn Point Saturday PM as well.

 

[Nick Moran]

From 1st January 2015 Chris Allen will be taking over from Dave and Jacquie Bridges as bird recorder for Norfolk.

Full details of the new recording arrangements are contained in the ‘Notes for Contributors’ section of the new 2013 Norfolk Bird Report.

In summary, the preferred method of routine record submission will be via BirdTrack but records can also be submitted as now via spreadsheet. However, records of national and county rarities (with appropriate supporting documentation) should be sent direct to Chris.

Chris can be contacted at [email protected]

Great news, thanks Andy.

For anyone submitting records online at [B]www.birdtrack.net[/B], local rarities automatically trigger a description form to be presented to the observer – see attached screenshot. On completion, the form is emailed directly to the recorder (sent from [email protected], copied to your own email address).

The basic details of the sighting (species, location, date, count) are auto-filled in this form, as highlighted in green on the screenshot (the details are made up in my example, before anyone asks!). As suggested by Frootshoot to Penny Clarke earlier in this thread, it's worth preparing/copying the meat of the description in a separate document first (there's a reminder about this on the form).

Note that if you 'BirdTrack' a twitched local rarity but it has not yet been logged in the system for a given date, you may still be presented with the form. In this case, please do not complete and click 'Send email' but instead just return to the Home page – otherwise the recorder gets multiple 'light' descriptions of the same bird. However, please do add any notes on your observation and/or links to photographs in the 'Comments' field; these are visible in full to the recorder.

If like me, you log most of your sightings via the BirdTrack App, local rarities are flagged in red but no form is presented. In this case, please download the one on the Norfolk Records Committee site (copy also attached here) and once completed, email to Chris.

 

[Abbeybirder]

just like to let people on here know I have just updated my blog with a review of my visit to Titchwell Marsh RSPB on 26th October with a full list of species seen link here -

http://www.birding.uk.com/forum/blogs/adrian-k/542-titchwell-marsh-rspb-visit-26-10-2014.html

 

[Nick Moran]

Mid October on Scolt

For another perspective on the arrival of migrants of a fortnight ago, I've attached a very basic comparison between three mid October days on Scolt 2010–14.

Grey = highest count, green = 'highlights', red font = exceptional count.

 

[postcardcv]

Anyone know where at Salthouse the grey phal is?