Norfolk birding (6 Viewers)

[Geoff Pain]

Re Hoopoe: Yep, last Hoopoe I saw was at Holme, can't remember the year either.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

The last Hoopoe I saw,infact the only Hoopoe I've seen,was at Holme.The date 14th September 1995.

 

[Ilya Maclean]

Probably been mentioned before, but things looking very good for rare stuff in Norfolk from tomorrow onwards. My guess is that Thursday's the day to pull a sicky from work;-):

http://www.uea.ac.uk/~e039/ilyabirding.htm#outlook

 

[Connor Rand]

A few bits and pieces on the pager, with Ring Ouzels at Choseley (3), Snettisham Coastal Park and Sea Palling, Groppers at Snettisham Coastal Park (4) and Salthouse and Redstart at Sea Palling.

Connor

 

[Penny Clarke]

Now going out to find something good, being as it has been raining all day and sun now out!

 

[J Moss]

Cor, that sounds good. Luckily though, I dont have to pull a sicky I'll be more than happy with a Hoopoe somewhere in the dunes...

Jason

Probably been mentioned before, but things looking very good for rare stuff in Norfolk from tomorrow onwards. My guess is that Thursday's the day to pull a sicky from work;-):

http://www.uea.ac.uk/~e039/ilyabirding.htm#outlook

 

[Connor Rand]

Great-grey Shrike at Searles Golf-course, Hunstanton South Beach, in paddock 6:53pm.
A nice find for someone...

Connor

EDIT: 70 Sedge Warblers at Snettisham Coastal today and 37 Arctic Terns over Welney WWT (RBA). The forerunners maybe?!

 

[Penny Clarke]

Well - it was definately worth going out:t:

Snettisham Coastal Park 6.20pm until dark!

The place was alive with birds, Sedge Warblers everywhere, at least 5 grasshopper warblers reeling, 1 male common white throat, 1 male lesser whitethroat and 1 cuckoo calling! Loads of swallows coming in, 2 reed buntings, willow warblers and chiffchaffs singing, chaffinches everywhere, flock of 9 linnets, 2 goldfinches, hedgesparrows, both male and female blackcap, snipe drumming, egyptian geese with 7 goslings, 1 little egret, teal, pochard, shelducks, greylags and canada geese. I couldn't see the gargeney anywhere though. The fog came down over the marsh which looked beautiful against the yellow rape fields. A grasshopper and sedge warbler with still singing together at 8.30pm! I was half expecting a barn owl to set the scene but didn't see one. On the way home in the fog a woodcock flew over Dersingham Bypass.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[ChrisBish]

RBA pager - Black-eared Kite south over Eccles/Sea Palling at 7.20am, plus Hooded Crow south (surely should say or hybrid?!), singing Gropper, 2 Avocet over, male Redstart, Black Redstart, 2 Ring Ouzel, 3 Tree Pipit over and ringtail Hen Harrier.

Was thinking of heading over that way, clearly got up too late! May go anyway...

Chris

 

[Connor Rand]

Several reports of Black-eared Kite, Black Kite and either/or this afternoon. Surely credentials of these birds getting poorer...

Great-grey Shrike still in horse paddock by Searles Holiday Club, Hunstanton South Beach, this morning. Later (c. 4:30pm) relocated (by dad) at Heacham North Beach.

Directions: From Hunstanton South Beach- take main track (or top coastal path) south towards Heacham. Towards the Heacham Beach car-park end the bird was in the shrubby area just before caravans on left.

From Heacham North Beach- Park in main beach carpark and walk north to Hunstanton. Bird is in shrubby area on right after caravans.

Also Black Redstart on chalet 43.

Cheers,

Connor

 

[Connor Rand]

Popped down and saw the Great-grey Shrike this evening, very nice bird it was too (pic attached). Also a look around the surrounding area produced a White Wagtail and the Black Redstart still on chalet 43.

Connor

 

[sacha]

It was quiet around Cley and Kelling today - Les Whitethroat, Sedge warblers, plenty of Sand Martins at Kelling and a few swallows... Wader numbers increasing slightly. Greenshank and Whimbrel etc seen
....Looks like the London Zoo kites are staying with us for the summer...this could make wild May ones tricky to take too seriously. Still, as someone said in a previous thread , always nice birds to see/find whatever the origin!

 

[Ilya Maclean]

Did Blakeney Point today, followed by a walk from Wells to Burnham Overy, but didn't get too much except for sore feet. Timed it a bit wrong with Blakeney, as there was evidentally a huge fall (at Wells) after the rain. Blakeney would have been better for the fall.

A few common migrants, Ring Ouzel, Peregrine, 2 Yellow Wags and a Grey Wag on Blakeney, the latter according to Andy Stoddarts book, suprisingly rare on Blakeney with only 3 previous spring records (i.e. much rarer than Red-throated Pipit!!!).

Mostly common stuff at Wells-Burnham: my 1st Lesser Whitethroat, Garden warbler, Whitethroat and Reed Warblers of the year. Also a Tawny Owl being mobbed by Jays. Stacks of Blackcaps and Phylloscs, including a singing presumed hybrid Willow Warbler x Chiffchaff. Started off like a half-hearted Willow Warbler and then devolved into "Chiffchaff", before going back to Willow Warbler song, but not finishing properly. Was able to see the bird well and got some good notes I won't bore you with.

Hobby on the way home.

 

[ChrisBish]

Headed over to Sea Palling this afternoon and arrived at the paddocks to see a Black Kite being mobbed by a crow directly overhead. The male Redstart was still in the paddocks and a Wheatear stopped off briefly, while Tim found a Short-eared Owl, which perched for a while to preen, although partly obscured. Meanwhile the Kite lingered, reappearing after a heavy shower before slowly heading south.

A dash to Bacton produced the Black-eared Kite while a second Black Kite was in the Sea Palling area by the time I got back there. While the kites were entertaining and enjoyable to watch, surely 3 in one afternoon condemns them to the escape theory?!

After watching the second Black Kite disappear, I teamed up with Ruralchill for a bit to enjoy several Whimbrel with a Bar-tailed Godwit and a stunning male Whinchat at Waxham, along with another Wheatear. I then spent an hour or so between Horsey and Somerton which produced a further 3 Short-eared Owls, 5 Yellow Wagtails over and a Barn Owl to round off the evening. However, the Cranes tormented me by calling nearby but not showing!

Chris

 

[firstreesjohn]

Ilya:
Where is the info for the 'huge fall at Wells', please ? I didn't experience anything of the sort further east along the coast.
Many thanks, John.

 

[Ilya Maclean]

Ilya:
Where is the info for the 'huge fall at Wells', please ? I didn't experience anything of the sort further east along the coast.
Many thanks, John.

Based on my own observation, but perhaps "huge" wasn't the best word to use, but it was "big". It was also very patchy - in some places not many migrants at all, followed by some "hotspots". In one small area (less than 30 m x 30m) for example I had c. 30 Willow Warblers / Chiffchaffs, 11 Blackcaps, 14 Goldcrests, 2 Treecreepers, 1 Garden Wablers, 11 Dunnocks, 6 Robins, 15 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. Obviously in a place like Wells it's a bit trickier to discern genuine falls from accumulations of migrants over a longer period, that happen to congregate and prime, sheltered feeding locations (often joined by resident tits etc).

The patchy nature of falls is something that often happens along the Norfolk Coast. I've twice been on Blakeney with huge (genuinely huge) falls, one (early April) involving 3,000+ thrushes and the other (early Sep), involving 100s of redstarts and pied flys, 5+ Wrynecks, 2 RB Shrikes, 2 Greenish Warblers, Great Snipe, 3+ Barred Warblers, RB Fly, Iccky etc etc. On both occasions I had friends birding nearby, who reported scatterings of commoner migrants but nothing like the numbers or species on Blakeney.

In sunny weather, I think the "falls" can also be very short-lived. I remember birding around Gramborough Hill after a day of ideal Spring conditions for eastern vagrants, except with no rain most of the day. In the late afternoon there was a short, sharp thunderstorm. Immediately afterwards, every bush was covered in migrants, but they only stayed for about 20 minutes.

 

[firstreesjohn]

Thanks Ilya.

Yes, that was 'big', possibly even bigger than big, but not big enough to be huge, I agree. At least my mind is now at ease that another mega had passed me by.

A pleasant trundle around Burnham Overy Dunes this afters revealed the paged male Redstart, feeding for long periods out in the open and perched in bushes just east of the boardwalk. This was not quite in full adult plumage- the one at Holme was much nicer. There was a Lesser Whitethroat in the same area.

A few Wheatears gained companions during the afternoon and included a male Greenland. 2 male Ring Ousels were in the middle of the dunes, halfway to the pines. Another Lesser Throat was almost in the pines.

The Sacred Ibis of dubious origins vaunted itself on one the pools on the freshmarsh, together with a Greenshank. Bearded Tits 'pinged' in the reeds.

 

[firstreesjohn]

Female Grey-headed Wagtail in field east of Beeston Regis church this morning, with c20 Yellows, until spooked by Sprawk and cleared by canine. This, and the cricket pitch immediately to the south of the church, are currently looking good for flavas. There were 5 White Wagtails on the latter, 'til evening. Wheatear near waggies and Lesser Whitethroat singing in area.

 

[Connor Rand]

A great spring day out today, with good numbers of common migrants on the long walk along Blakeney Point (Grasshopper Warbler near the West Bank, Artic Tern inland, Grey Wagtail west overhead calling, from halfway house, 43 Yellow Wagtails w, 3 Tree Pipits, 18 Swifts, 1 White Wagtail, 6 Wheatears, 4 Chiffchaffs) during the morning, followed by the Wryneck at Waxham, as well as a bonus 3 Common Cranes south and then inland overhead (+ Grasshopper Warbler) and then second helpings of the Great-grey Shrike at Heacham. Finished with distant views of 4 Dotterels at Choseley Drying Barns. Thanks to J.G for driving.

Cheers,

Connor

 

[Penny Clarke]

A great spring day out today, with good numbers of common migrants on the long walk along Blakeney Point (Grasshopper Warbler near the West Bank, Artic Tern inland, Grey Wagtail west overhead calling, from halfway house, 43 Yellow Wagtails w, 3 Tree Pipits, 18 Swifts, 1 White Wagtail, 6 Wheatears, 4 Chiffchaffs) during the morning, followed by the Wryneck at Waxham, as well as a bonus 3 Common Cranes south and then inland overhead (+ Grasshopper Warbler) and then second helpings of the Great-grey Shrike at Heacham. Finished with distant views of 4 Dotterels at Choseley Drying Barns. Thanks to J.G for driving.

Cheers,

Connor

Well done Connor!!:t: Sounds like a fantastic day, I love the Blakeney Point walk, must do that again soon. No bird news from me today as have been buying cameras etc from Warehouse Express, who were incredibly helpful and nice people in the shop at Norwich. Its been awful not going out today, but looking forward to BF Minsmere meet tomorrow:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. I see on my pager there is a Hoopoe at Waxham this evening on 'with no general access'

 

[Songkhran]

A dash to Bacton produced the Black-eared Kite while a second Black Kite was in the Sea Palling area by the time I got back there. While the kites were entertaining and enjoyable to watch, surely 3 in one afternoon condemns them to the escape theory?!

Chris

in between all the falling over and general joviality had some excellent raptor passage on incleborough Hill yesterday

Black-eared Kite W
Red Kite 2W
Hobby
Marsh Harrier 2W
Buzzard 2-3W
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Greenshank 2W
+ regular passage of hirundines and Swifts

(the inclebo massive got the Crane before i arrived).

pager reading was interesting last night appears there are at least 3 Black Kites in Suffolk + hybrid and at least 2 in Norfolk + 1 black eared (+ another two in Kent!). Some of the bird must be wild if only 4 escaped from the zoo (although the no. of escapes needs to be confirmed.

The black-eared we saw was structurally like a Black but in coloration like a Red (or slightly duller). It is a pretty distinctive bird which begs the question if this is a typical Black-eared why was the black-eared last year only separable from black based on minor plumage features. Having said that theres no reason why yesterdays this bird was not a hybrid!

It seems however the although some of these black are presumably escapes (one of the east coast birds is very tatty with some holes in both wings - not as a result of moult ), think we are also witnessing range expansion of wild blacks, (with possibly birds returning from last year.

One thing for sure its certainly brightening up the day when one of these birds drifts past.