Norfolk birding (3 Viewers)

[Steve Lister]

I am planning on having a day looking for colour-marked Pink-feet in N Norfolk on Thursday (8th) and would welcome any tips on exactly where birds have been feeding recently or in the next few days.
My last visit resulted in me reading six collars at Holkham but I could not find any feeding flocks out on the fields.
Thanks in anticipation...
Steve

 

[Connor Rand]

An incredible days sea-watching at Holme NOA o. Was kindly given a lift in by Ray Roche and the following is a break-down of the days sea-watching:

10:10-11:25am
367 Kittiwakes west, 2 Little Auks (one east picked up by R. Roche, one west picked up by myself), 3 Pomarine Skuas west, 1 skua sp west, 10 Goldeneye, 60 Wigeon, 10 Great-crested Grebes, 16 Common Scoters, 20 Gannets, 11 auk sp., 4 Razorbills, 3 Red-throated Divers, 1 male Eider, 5 Little Gulls, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers west

Between this and the following sea-watch visitors rptd 28 Pomarine Skuas west and 100's of Kittiwakes!

12:05-12:20pm (Gore Point dunes)
5 Pomarine Skuas, 22 Kittiwakes, 18 Brent Geese.

12:45pm-1:00pm (Coastal Path)
1 Pomarine Skua

2:00pm-3:00pm
18 Pomarine Skuas west (6 ads, 2 with full tail spoons!), 3 Arctic Skuas west, 1 Great Skua west, 1 Skua sp. west, 240 Kittiwakes, 1 Fulmar west, 1 Little Gull east

3:00pm onwards:
At least 5 Pomarine Skuas, many more Kittiwakes

So a rather good day, with the site count being 60 Pomarine Skuas and my total being 21! Also a good count of Kittiwakes with 1100+ seen (I had a least 730+).

Otherwise it was fairly quiet, altho viz-mig was reasonable early on with 3600 Starlings west, 156 Woodpigeons, 43 Greenfinches, 25 Chaffinches, 43 Siskin, 2 Redpolls, 2 Yellowhammers, 1 Grey Wagtail, 13 Pied Wagtails, 55 Skylarks, 1 Brambling, 5 Redwings, 11 Goldfinches, 5 Blackbirds, 5 Fieldfares, 8 Snipes, 5 Rock Pipits, 30 Meadow Pipits, 3 Carrion Crows and 7 Jackdaws.

2 Jays, 3 Stonechats and a Little Egret were also present, while 2 Woodcocks were flushed, one from the forsestry, one from the NOA reserve.

The reason for a break in sea-watches around mid-day was because myself (and several other Holme regulars) left the reserve to look at a Long-eared Owl at a nearby (and private) site just slightly further around the coast. It showed well... (photos soon on my blog)

Cheers,

Connor

 

[Ilya Maclean]

Popped up to Cley for about an hour and a half before dusk. Well worth the visit. Seawatching 14:50 - 15:40 produced 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Black-throated Divers, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Little Auk, 13 Pomerine Skuas!, including at least 5 adults with spoons, 3 Velvet Scoters and stacks of common stuff, including at least 200 kittiwakes. Also 1 Yellow-legged Gull on the north scrape

 

[Dave Hawkins]

POMtastic day!

What a day for Poms at Titchwell

Between 10am and 3pm we had 45 Poms 8-P (around 25 with spoons (including one scope-filling group of seven, six of which were spooners)

At 2.45 pm and having to pack up to paint my garage door (I was supposed to start it at noon!), 2 Poms gained height on the beach and flew directly inland down the west bank path...last seen heading for Choseley Barns!

Also had 5 Bonxies, 5 Arctic Skuas, 1300+ Kittiwakes, 11 Little Gulls, 1 BTDiver, 5 RTDivers, 1 Puffin, 1 Little Auk, 3 female Scaup, 6 Velvets, 1 Woodcock, 3 Slavs, 2 RNGrebes, 2 LTDucks.

Absolutely brilliant!

Dave Hawkins

PS The garage door can wait.......

 

[Andy Benson]

Purple sandpipers showing really well at Sheringham this afternoon, fine party of 8 Pom Skua's 1520 and 3 Velvet Scoter that were reported all along the coast.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Purple sandpipers showing really well at Sheringham this afternoon, fine party of 8 Pom Skua's 1520 and 3 Velvet Scoter that were reported all along the coast.

Fantastic photo of Purple Sandpiper:t:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Yesterday - 2nd November

12.30pm Holme Marsh Reserve - 2 redwings, several blackbirds, several flocks of starlings going west, wren, great tit, great spotted woodpecker, 2 greenfinches, robin. 2 little grebes were chasing each other round in the water continuously, which was very amusing to watch and one caught a fish almost as big as itself! 2 snipe flew over, 2 carrion crows going west.

Went home for a while - family birthday celebrations and then later on went out at just before 4pm with both my sisters to watch the starlings roost at Titchwell. We sat in the Fen hide and did see good numbers of starlings making small formations, but they were distant, not close to the hide like I remember last year. But fantastic views of 2 marsh harriers that came right in front of the hide, also a Cettis Warbler burst into a short song! The most amazing spectacle then occurred - suddenly we could hear the sound of Pinkfeet - we couldn't see them to begin with, but then suddenly they came into view, in their thousands over the hide and going out to the sandbanks in the wash - the entire skies were filled with tons of 'v's of geese, I have never seen this many before, it was incredible!

Todays notes will follow shortly......

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Today - 3rd November - Holme and other sites

Beautiful sunny morning and unforgettable days birding

Arrived Holme Marsh Reserve at 8.00am.

Several blackbirds bouncing about on path, 2 redwings, marsh harrier, 4 long tailed tits, stonechat on brambles on otherside of water, blue tit, good views of 2 water rails, teal, mallard, moorhens, coots, 12 jackdaws going west, more blackbirds, 2 little grebes chasing round pool, kingfisher shot past, peregrine (10.20am) went right over hide and a sparrowhawk, kestrel, stock dove.

Then left here to go and view a Long Eared Owl at a private site, further along the coast (new year tick:t. Also, elsewhere in a massive reed bed in mid Norfolk (again private), awesome views of a Bittern in the sunshine. Have some digiscoped shots of owl and bittern and will add to my post later or tomorrow.

Just about got back in time to join others for late seawatch at Holme which produced 3 kittiwakes, 4 razorbills sitting on sea, 2 female eiders, 1 arctic skua and 5 Pomarine skuas (1 adult). Lots of waders on shore, 2 fieldfare sitting on wire opposite NOA carpark and 1 barn owl at 4.45pm. Excellent day's birding!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Spent 6 hours roving in 'my' 10km square for the Bird Atlas today. Not best placed for observing sea passage, but a flock of 25 Kittiwakes heading W inland suggested that something was going on elsewhere.

Other highlights of the survey work included repeated sightings of a 2nd cal year male Hen Harrier, a small flock of Twite and a female Merlin sitting in a field. 6 Whooper Swans overhead flying S was nice, but probably not much use for the Atlas!

 

[Connor Rand]

A good afternoon sea-watching off Holme NOA. 16 Pomarine Skuas were seen (all juvs!) including several really close. A Grey Phalarope weaved its way through the surf at 3:40pm and a Black-throated Diver was on the sea. 24 Kittiwakes flew past, as did 9 Velvet Scoters with many 100's of Common Scoter, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and 10 Goldeneye.

 

[postcardcv]

Purple sandpipers showing really well at Sheringham this afternoon, fine party of 8 Pom Skua's 1520 and 3 Velvet Scoter that were reported all along the coast.

nice purple sand - where at Sheringham was it?

 

[Edward woodwood]

spent the day around Sea Palling, Eccles and Waxham

at least 16 Poms, 1 Arctic and 8 or so unidentified skuas a bit too far out to be sure of

couple of Little Auks, 1 Sooty Shearwater

4 Purple Sands

good numbers of divers - all RTD

20 Cranes, 8 Whoopers

9 Eider, 2 Goldeneye, a few Mergs, couple of Shags, at least 500 Common Scoters north, 200 bernicla Brents, 20 Cranes , several wigeon, Gadwall and two possible Scaup but again too far to clinch. And Ilya had a male Hen Harrier near Sea Palling.

 

[will bowell]

Had a pleasant 'non-birding' day in Norfolk. Managed 4 Dovekies from Cley, picked up the Grey Phal there as well- failed to get any Poms, passage was over by the time I got there. My first Snow Bunt of the winter flew over as well.

Lap Bunts at Salthouse were rather brilliant, though didn't have the time nor the light to slaughter them (with a lens). Good to see a few friendly faces I hadn't seen for a while though.

Check ya badself!
Will
p.s. was in Norfolk on Friday as well and was gutted to find out that future ex-mrs bowell, Keira Knightley, was present and showing well at Cley when I was there.... dipped!

 

[matt green]

Had a pleasant 'non-birding' day in Norfolk. Managed 4 Dovekies from Cley, picked up the Grey Phal there as well- failed to get any Poms, passage was over by the time I got there. My first Snow Bunt of the winter flew over as well.

Did you get a decent shot of the Grey Phal? (thought I recognized you from somewhere!)

Lots of Poms later in the afternoon btw, they were great

M

 

[jimbob]

Had 3 hours at Happisburgh today between 11 and 2pm, fantastic seawatch, only letdown was no Poms. However, here is a breakdown:

2 Little Auk
1 Guillemot
5 Velvet Scoter past around 11.30- anyone else watching the east coast connect with these?
150+ Common Scoter
5 Red Breasted Merganser
1 Goldeneye
3 Gannets way out
1 Black Throated Diver
3 Red Throated Diver
1 Woodcock in off, whizzed straight past me, wow!
220 Brents through
Pair of Stonechat
Kestrel mobbed at sea by Gulls.
4 Turnstone

Some nice chats with locals and birders, glorious day to be out (maybe a little too glorious for november?!)
Cheers,
Jim.

ps probable Short Eared Owl over the house in Norwich earlier in the week.

 

[Paul Eele]

Following the good seawatch day off Titchwell yesterday, today was even better. 51 poms west in 3 hours also 1 fulmar, 1 little auk, 3 goosander, 81 kittiwake, 3 slavs, 1 scaup and 3 velvet scoter. Grey phal briefly on the sea before continuing west at about 11:30.
Also around the reserve today - snow bunting at Thornham Point, water pipit, 105 ruff, and 2 whoopers over the fresh marsh and 3 twite (2 ringed) on the brackish marsh. Good numbers of small birds around the carpark area including at least 45 siskin and 3 lesser redpoll.

After I managed to see 201 species at Titchwell in 2005 another yearlist competition has been raging this year between some of the Titchwell regulars. The magic figure was reached by at least 2 of us today so lets hope a few things can come our way.

Paul

 

[J Moss]

Doesn't seem particularly necessary for me to post a sightings list for today as there is little one-upmanship involved, what with everyone having pretty top days birding (is there ever?) but here it is;

Salthouse nearly before anyone else got there, at 7:15. Seawatch till 9:15 produced:

6 close Pomarine Skuas
20+ Skua species, far to distant for me, although not for some others. Apparently alot of them were Poms.
140+ Common Scoter. No Velvets along this stretch though.
7+ Red Throated Divers
15 Eiders
2 Goldeneye
1 Kittiwake

Also 1 Grey Phalarope (lifer) just off shore which slowly drifted along to Cley.

3 induvidual Snow Buntings flew over during the duration of the watch, as well as 3 induvidual Lapland buntings, along with one on the deck.

Swiftly left the ridge as the throngs got wind of the Phal and started legging it down to the waters edge...

2/3 Richards Pipits east of Gramborough Hill that were found by a group. Mostly seen in flight, but I got a nice view of the head of one through the grass. Also another 2 Lapland Buntings. The buzz of a lifer kept me from collapsing on the beach to sleep, along with a coffee from the nice guy at the coffee van. Work at 12 was pretty tortuous, but I got through...

Jason

 

[Ilya Maclean]

BTW - For anybody who's missed this weekends bonanza of poms and little auks, Tuesday should bring another load in. I'd imagine there will be a few more little auks as the NW winds are a bit stronger than they were on the weekend. Patch tick of Cetti's Warbler near my house in Norwich this morning, in full song.

 

[will bowell]

Did you get a decent shot of the Grey Phal? (thought I recognized you from somewhere!)

Lots of Poms later in the afternoon btw, they were great

M

Ah, well you should have said something and then I met have said something familiar like "Check ya badself" and the penny would have clicked (a mixed metaphor the Doctor would be proud of), but since I don't say that these days in real life ('cos BF isn't real life) that wouldn't have worked... might have said mungus though, still say that..... gawd I'm rambling.

Anyway... dunno if I have really... bit distant for my set up and difficult to digiscope.... speaking of which. I really want a new lens... anyone want to buy me one?

Will

 

[Penny Clarke]

Will - you will have to add new lens to Santa's List!!!

Blimey, everyone's seen some good birds today - I have been at work ALL day!!!

Well done:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl: