Norfolk birding (2 Viewers)

[norwichbirder87]

So I went to Sheringham today... it was bleeding cold.

11.30-14.00 produced:

31+ Red-throated Diver- 27+ east, 2+ offshore and 2 west
1 Great Northern Diver- east
1 Red-necked Grebe- east, nice and close in
2 Skua sp.- very distant at 13.20... probably Poms but not certain
2 Common Scoter- male and female east
3 Razorbill- 3 separate birds east
1 Bar-tailed Godwit- east
6 Gannet- all very manky juvs east

Not too bad for a couple of hours in December but was really hoping for a Little Auk or some closer Skuas. Couldn't find a Purple Sandpiper amongst the Turnstone though up to 2 have been reported this week.

Cheers,

Will

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 3rd

Today's highlights

Hen harrier - male around reserve still
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Snow bunting - 30 on beach
Yellow legged gull - adult roosting on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 1 on tidal pool

Paul

 

[Andy in Norfolk]

Can anyone provide the latest county species total please - I'm struggling to find it !

 

[stuart white]

I reckon with Steppe grey shrike it's 437, or 438 if you count Indigo bunting which I certainly do

 

[willowgrouse]

Indigo Bunting ... Boo-hoo!

I reckon with Steppe grey shrike it's 437, or 438 if you count Indigo bunting which I certainly do

It is of course entirely up to you what you count on your own list Stuart, but Indigo Bunting is most definitely NOT on the County List as it has never been accepted as having occurred in a wild state within the county.

I don't think the Southern Grey Shrike has been accepted as yet, though it surely will.

So it can only be 436 max

Are you also counting other things as yet not on the list? Eastern Subalpine?

 

[Michael Stowers]

It is of course entirely up to you what you count on your own list Stuart, but Indigo Bunting is most definitely NOT on the County List as it has never been accepted as having occurred in a wild state within the county.

I don't think the Southern Grey Shrike has been accepted as yet, though it surely will.

So it can only be 436 max

Are you also counting other things as yet not on the list? Eastern Subalpine?

UKIP400 - 1,278 (1,279 if you count Emu)

 

[James Emerson]

Can anyone provide the latest county species total please - I'm struggling to find it !

There's bound to be something I've overlooked, but:

Last county checklist was published in 2010 (Dye & Fiszer) and stood at 427 by the end of 2008.

Since then, 2009 (0 additions)
2010 (2 additions) - Alder Flycatcher (accepted by BBRC this year) and Wilson's Petrel
2011 (4 additions) - Spectacled Warbler, Sandhill Crane, Rufous-tailed Robin and Western Sandpiper. Plus 2 - American Herring Gull from 2004 accepted by BBRC, and Siberian Stonechat elevated to species level.
2012 (0 additions)
2013 (0 additions)

So provided I haven't missed anything at the start of 2014 (and currently) the Norfolk list was 435.

This year there has been Great Knot, Steppe Grey Shrike and Short-toed Eagle, all in circulation now so technically not on the list yet, would take it to 438.

In addition Cackling Goose is at BOURC for admission to the British and Norfolk list. Brunnich's Guillemot, Egyptian Vulture & Yelkouan Shearwater have all been under consideration for a while.

Eventually Subalpine Warbler may be split into S Warbler, U Warbler, B Warbler etc etc.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Hi James,

I believe Eastern Black redstart from Wells has recently been accepted too (November 2003)?

Cheers.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi James,

I believe Eastern Black redstart from Wells has recently been accepted too (November 2003)?

Cheers.

Not (yet) on the British List

 

[Mark Batten]

Eastern Black Redstart is a decent call for a split given DNA variation and not just UKIP 400 criteria. Has there been an accepted Brunnicks accepted anywhere on the basis of a fly past? As for the Y. shearwater, has the photographed Berry Head bird been accepted yet? Difficult decisions.

 

[James Emerson]

Hi James,

I believe Eastern Black redstart from Wells has recently been accepted too (November 2003)?

Cheers.

Hi Dan.

Yes it has, but it's not a full BOU species at the moment. The record was also only assigned to Eastern Black Redstart group (of three supspecies) rather than a particular one, so even if Eastern Black Redstart were elevated to full species it wouldn't necessarily make the grade depending on the exact taxonomic decision.

 

[willowgrouse]

...

Eventually Subalpine Warbler may be split into S Warbler, U Warbler, B Warbler etc etc.

I believe this split is imminent - at which point there will be much scrabbling through notebooks (remember them?) as both Eastern and Western have occurred in the county, but Moltoni's has not (or at least not proven)

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Cheers Phil & James, I wasn't aware of this. I generally don't keep lists, so as a result I don't always keep up to speed with BOU/BBRC. It's certainly a distinctive looking bird, would be interested in seeing images of females from the same region. All the best.

 

[Mark Batten]

I believe this split is imminent - at which point there will be much scrabbling through notebooks (remember them?) as both Eastern and Western have occurred in the county, but Moltoni's has not (or at least not proven)

On the basis of a recent Birdwatch article based on subalps id on DNA analysis this year there could be a bit of a problem being confidently id in the field.

 

[willowgrouse]

County List

For those rarity hunters out there the following is a fascinating list of species that are on the county list in the shape of a corpse, or that have been recorded but not seen by anybody currently alive:

black-capped petrel, little shearwater, ruddy shelduck, Steller's eider, golden eagle, gyrfalcon, Baillon's crake, Allen's gallinule, little bustard, Caspian plover, sharp-tailed sandpipier, solitary sandpiper, sooty tern, scops owl, Tengmalm's owl, White's thrush

Also, a list of single occurrences seen only by the finder (s) and perhaps a fortunate few:

Eleonora's falcon, calandra lark, Marmora's warbler, Syke's warbler, white-winged lark, grey-cheeked thrush, rock sparrow, white-throated sparrow, yellow-browed bunting, rose-breasted grosbeak

I have made a concerted effort to try not to bury anybody before their time so its possible that one or two may be in the wrong list...

 

[PYRTLE]

Great views of a male merlin this morning perched aloft an elder bush North of Bishop's hide (Cley) before rocketing off after some meadow pipits. White goose with pinkfeet feeding west of the Letheringsett to Glandford road this morning.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

I believe this split is imminent - at which point there will be much scrabbling through notebooks (remember them?) as both Eastern and Western have occurred in the county, but Moltoni's has not (or at least not proven)

Sadly no addition in the offing, the split is only two way and its Sub-alp and Moltoni's (not sure what the official names will be) Eastern remains part of Sub-alp.

Bit gutting as I was hoping it would be an armchair tick, guess I will have to wait a few(?) more years for that

 

[willowgrouse]

Sadly no addition in the offing, the split is only two way and its Sub-alp and Moltoni's (not sure what the official names will be) Eastern remains part of Sub-alp.

Bit gutting as I was hoping it would be an armchair tick, guess I will have to wait a few(?) more years for that

Thanks for clearing that up, albeit a negative result

 

[Tim P]

Saw that a Goldie was seen at wolferton triangle this week anyone else had any luck with these here or elsewhere in the county recently

 

[Andy in Norfolk]

Thanks for ideas on the up-to-date county list guys. A big increase on the 277 in 1846 then.