Norfolk birding (13 Viewers)

[93Birder]

On the topic of Barn Owls, I managed a poor count of no more than 10 Barn Owls in the whole of 2014. So far this year I've managed 5. 2 around the Yare, 1 North of the Yare & 1 near Ludham. This is just general birding as oppose to specifically out looking for them.

 

[C B Allen]

No posts on Norfolk thread for 3 days now ...
Was interested to know how Barn Owls seem to be fairing in other parts of the county? The winter of 2013/14 was disastrous for them in my neck of woods (east norfolk/suffolk border). Despite a good breeding season this summer - they still seem to be extremely thin on the ground. Has anyone noticed a recovery on their patches? I suppose it may take several years for numbers to get back to anything like they were.

P.S. Paul - where are you!? Has Titchwell been washed away and I missed it?

Sounds like we're in the same part of the world, so, as you know the 4 or 5 weeks of constant strong, cold easterlies in March/April 2013 decimated the local Barn Owl population. Certainly where we are near the junction of the Yare & Waveney valleys we could easily have lost 75% of our birds (sadly we picked up the emaciated body of one of our breeding pair at that time).

Through the rest of 2013 we only saw occasional owls but by spring 2014 there was at least one pair resident locally, which ended up nesting in our neighbours barn/owl box. Sadly I suspect the female was lost at some point as my neighbour brought me 4 dead close to fledging owlets she had found under the nest box (the male was still present).

On the plus side 2014 was clearly a big vole year & those remaining local pairs seem to have had a good breeding season. We know of a pair about a mile distant on Haddiscoe island that fledged 6 of 6 and 6 of 7 from their 2 broods (some compensation for the vandalised/robbed nest close by), and in recent weeks I have had up to 6 owls hunting over Thorpe marshes in the evening. Also, on my regular evening "daddy-taxi" runs between Haddiscoe & Bungay we normally reckon to see between 3 and 5 barn owls en route, so the south Norfolk population does seem to be recovering well. Also - at least locally - Little & Tawny owls didn't seem to suffer so badly as they have continued to be around in good numbers throughout the last few years.

Chris A.

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Great Northern Diver at Strumpshaw Fen this morning, flying around and briefly on Reception Broad...

 

[Paul Eele]

P.S. Paul - where are you!? Has Titchwell been washed away and I missed it?

Its nice to be missed Michael

No, Titchwell is still here but I haven't been here since last Friday. Updates will resume

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell January 15th

Today's highlights

Hen harrier - 2 ringtails to roost this evening
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Woodcock - 1 in scrub between carpark and visitor centre
Water pipit - 2 on drained grazing meadow pool
Spotted redshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 25 on drained grazing meadow pool

Paul

 

[jimbob]

Great Northern Diver at Strumpshaw Fen this morning, flying around and briefly on Reception Broad...

Same aa Rockland bird im guessing David. Which means.......its left Rockland. Bugger.

Still, good patch tick for yourself!

 

[ben_lewis]

Same aa Rockland bird im guessing David. Which means.......its left Rockland. Bugger.

Still, good patch tick for yourself!

I think it returned to rockland after its jaunt at the fen. It just did a couple of laps of strumpy, went down briefly in front of reception 'plunge washed' and then headed back towards Rockland. There is still hope for you on Saturday!

I suspect it was actually quite annoying for David, rather than a good patch tick...see his blog and you'll understand!

 

[StewB]

I think it returned to rockland after its jaunt at the fen. It just did a couple of laps of strumpy, went down briefly in front of reception 'plunge washed' and then headed back towards Rockland. There is still hope for you on Saturday!

I suspect it was actually quite annoying for David, rather than a good patch tick...see his blog and you'll understand!

I arrived at Rockland at around 11.15 to learn that the GND had headed off down the dyke towards the river. By the time I got to the river it had disappeared around the bend towards Strumpshaw! Fortunately, just as I was giving up it came back. When I left at about 11.40 it was still on the river, but back near the entrance to the dyke.

 

[jimbob]

I arrived at Rockland at around 11.15 to learn that the GND had headed off down the dyke towards the river. By the time I got to the river it had disappeared around the bend towards Strumpshaw! Fortunately, just as I was giving up it came back. When I left at about 11.40 it was still on the river, but back near the entrance to the dyke.

Brill thanks Stew.

Photobombed by GND! Poor David!

 

[NoSpringChicken]

I don't usually watch the One Show (honest) but when we switched the telly on tonight it was on and an item was just starting featuring Mike Dilger at the Buckenham corvid roost. It has been featured many times before on tv but there was some great footage of the birds and it is probably available on iPlayer now.

Ron

 

[john miller]

No posts on Norfolk thread for 3 days now ...
Was interested to know how Barn Owls seem to be fairing in other parts of the county? The winter of 2013/14 was disastrous for them in my neck of woods (east norfolk/suffolk border). Despite a good breeding season this summer - they still seem to be extremely thin on the ground. Has anyone noticed a recovery on their patches? I suppose it may take several years for numbers to get back to anything like they were.

P.S. Paul - where are you!? Has Titchwell been washed away and I missed it?

Not sure about the 2013/14 winter being a disaster, what was a disaster was the weather early in 2013. The birds went into the breeding season weak and out of condition, the season was one of the poorest for success rate.. In contrast 2014 was superb for them, told that some even had two broods. At the moment there seems to be no shortage of owls on the North coast and unless we have a long period of bad weather in Feb we should have another good breeding season.

John

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell January 16th

Today's highlights

Twite - 40 west along the beach towards Thornham Point late morning
Spotted redshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 4 on fresh marsh
Bittern - 1 in flight over reedbed
Chiffchaff - 1 near Island Hide

Paul

 

[harrier1234]

Addition to Titchwell today Greenshank - tidal, 4 Marsh Harrier and 1 RT Hen Harrier to roost.

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Great day in North Norfolk!

Martin & I snatched a day together in North Norfolk: a great decision!


Starting off at Sparham Pools, we failed to locate the Great White Egret, but a flock of 5 Bullfinches (all male!) and two Goosander were some compensation. From there we moved up to the coast, picking up a diurnal Barn Owl and a covey of ten Grey Partridge on the way.


The famous lay-by at Burnham Norton produced distant views of Short-eared Owl and Rough-legged Buzzard, as well as Common Buzzard and Barnacle Goose. Titchwell was not over-productive, although there were some nice waders, including Grey Plover, Spotted Redshank and both Godwits. The sea was really quiet, but we added Red-breasted Merganser to the year list!


We drifted home via New Holkham, where - with incredible good fortune - we picked up ten or more Red Kites and three Buzzards going intro roost: they appeared and vanished in minutes!

Plenty of pictures on my blog!

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell January 17th

Today's highlights

Twite - 25 briefly on the fresh marsh this morning, 10 with linnets on the volunteer marsh this afternoon
Snow bunting - 40 along the beach towards Thornham Point
Velvet scoter - 2 offshore
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh, 1 in reedbed
Kittiwake - 1st winter briefly on the fresh marsh this morning
Spotted redshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 45 on drained grazing meadow pool
Woodcock - 1 in scrub from Meadow Trail
Avocet - 7 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Shrike!

Great day in the Brecks: the Shrike continues to delight (when you manage to connect!) and there were Hawfinches over the border at Lynford Arboretum!

[Oooops! I should've said 'Up the Road' See below!]

 

[petehasset]

Great day in the Brecks: the Shrike continues to delight (when you manage to connect!) and there were Hawfinches over the border at Linford Arboretum!

Hi David
Nice pic of the Shrike , I also managed a few pics of the Shrike & also some pics of the Hawfinch at Lynford , Bullfinch's were also showing well at Lynford

 

[StewB]

Great day in the Brecks: the Shrike continues to delight (when you manage to connect!) and there were Hawfinches over the border at Linford Arboretum!

Over the border? Lynford and its arboretum are in Norfolk..

 

[MJB]

Over the border? Lynford and its arboretum are in Norfolk..

You've just ruined David's Suffolk (enemy) list!:-O
MJB

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Oooops!

My bad! (As our American friends occasionally say!)
It was a typo, honest: I was probably thinking of the fabulous home made bubble and squeak at Brown's!

On reflection: when the 'Cley Casuals' (which was my County Birdrace team) won the event we started at Lynford, with Nightingale, Nightjar and Long-eared Owl, followed by a dawn chorus that included Hawfinch, Firecrest, Turtle Dove and Crossbill: how things have changed...