Norfolk birding (2 Viewers)

[David Norgate]

Steve, love your pics, particularly the juv Montagu's Harrier, very evocative and captures the site beautifully

 

[stevetb]

Thanks Connor, Penny and Ruralchill.

Here's a few more:

 

[dan pointon]

Had superb if not slightly distant views of the Marsh Sand this morning - flanked by two Greenshank allowing immediate comparisons with this similar species. Also found a Buff-breasted Sand while I was there, typically hadn't bothered bringing my camera, though I seem to remember one guy taking pics? If you read this could you drop me a PM as it disappeared shortly after.

Cheers

D

 

[Happisbirder]

Hi all,

Several rather heavy showers through here yesterday afternoon dropped a few Willow Warblers and 6 Spotted Flycatchers in the Happisburgh/Lessingham area. 30 mins watching the sea at Walcott early pm was fairly quiet with 4 Arctic Skuas south and a juvenile Med Gull north along the beach...

James

 

[kittykat23uk]

got the monties on monday and yesterday had a nice little trip to Breydon water, rewarded with a lovely (if distant) spoonbill and a med gull as well as a huge roost of avocets, lapwings and godwits.

 

[Songkhran]

got the monties on monday and yesterday had a nice little trip to Breydon water, rewarded with a lovely (if distant) spoonbill and a med gull as well as a huge roost of avocets, lapwings and godwits.

Glad you enjoyed Breydon KK, the big roosts and sheer scale of bird no's are amazing.

Good luck Dan Pointon, i met you while being hassled by 'Trinny' at the DBB Owl, hope you find the fotos,

Apologies to Pyrtle for coming down the 'tanks' for probably the quietest seawatching days this year, i know its not my fault but i kind of felt responsible - unless you bagged the mega once i left oo

 

[PYRTLE]

See you down there Friday, just one dark arctic skua east at 1950 and a few gannets

 

[matt green]

Can anyone confirm the buzzard in the pics below, the bird was observed from the birdhide at Pensthorpe overlooking the wader scrape and marshes beyond. Considering our close proximity to the Swanton Novers watchpoint we thought it might be a Honey Buzzard?

Two birds were seen in total but views were very far off..hence the distant record shots!!

Could also use some help with the wader, seen at Cley from Dawkes hide!

Many thanks..

Matt

 

[David Norgate]

Hi Matt,
Common Buzards have bred near the wader scrape this year and have seen feeding in the area o your photos, so I'd go for Common (can't tell fromthe photos,but they 'feel' common)
The wader is a Wood Sandpiper (with its head well down on its shoulders!)notice the spangled back

Hope you are keeping well, maybe we could meet up again sometime,

David

 

[Songkhran]

mate, the first one looks like a Northern Mockingbird, the second one Caspian Snowcock, as Rural says the third is a nice shot of a Wood Sand

sorry couldn't catch you at the centre, hope you had a good day

 

[matt green]

mate, the first one looks like a Northern Mockingbird, the second one Caspian Snowcock, as Rural says the third is a nice shot of a Wood Sand

sorry couldn't catch you at the centre, hope you had a good day

LOL!!! I'm going to have to get my birding companion to upgrade her camera equipment (I was just happy to watch!!!!)

Thanks for the ID's David and Pomskua..

Dave, things are a bit quiet in the village at the moment but as soon as I get our annual winter surplus of Owls I'll PM!!!!

Matt

 

[Connor Rand]

Tried at Rush Hills for the Marsh Sand for an hour and a half or so before dusk but no joy. Apprantly it had been showing mid-afternoon but had moved 'right' out of view, and although we couldn't find it it was presumably lurking somewhere (perhaps on another scrape or behind the right-hand reeds). Several claims of Buff-breasted Sandpiper this evening in front of the hide. We had a juvenile Ruff in front of the hide. This was an interesting bird, which at first (and perhaps second!) glance looked good for a Buff-breasted Snd but on closer scrutiny was actually a small juv Ruff purely on structure...

Cheers,

Connor

 

[dan pointon]

Tried at Rush Hills for the Marsh Sand for an hour and a half or so before dusk but no joy. Apprantly it had been showing mid-afternoon but had moved 'right' out of view, and although we couldn't find it it was presumably lurking somewhere (perhaps on another scrape or behind the right-hand reeds). Several claims of Buff-breasted Sandpiper this evening in front of the hide. We had a juvenile Ruff in front of the hide. This was an interesting bird, which at first (and perhaps second!) glance looked good for a Buff-breasted Snd but on closer scrutiny was actually a small juv Ruff purely on structure...

Cheers,

Connor

Indeed Connor I also saw this bird; well, a rather small Ruff anyway but the upright posture of this bird & the size were still fairly obvious. Compared with the Buff-breast which was barely larger than the Dunlin and had a much more horizontal posture as it moved amongst the Dunlin and short grass. On a different note how is the submission of your recent AGP going?

Cheers

D

 

[Connor Rand]

After a long day in the field yesterday (see http://connorsbirdingsite.blogspot.com/2008/08/chapel-point-and-surrounding-area-lincs.html) I didn't get out till late today, but Holme was very quiet. Wood Sandpiper and 2 Spotted Redshanks on Redwell Marsh, 2+ Whimbrels west, 3 Lesser Whitethroats and an Arctic Skua chasing terns offshore.

Cheers,

Connor

 

[HarassedDad]

HarrassedDad. I believe they were trying to reintroduce Silver-studded Blues to Kelling Heath a couple of years back. Any idea if they have been successful?

Ron

Sorry for the delay - been away. The re-introduction has been a tremendous sucess. Peak count for 2007 was 109, making it the second best site in Norfolk. The butterflies were originally introduced in 2001 - at various locations around the car park and the railway line. They have since expanded somewhat from these sites - but this is not a butterfly that moves far on its own (which is why we have to move them ourselves!)

More info here:
http://www.norfolkbiodiversity.org/actionplans/species/silversbbutterfly.asp
and here
http://www.kellingheath.co.uk/unique_environment/silver-studded_blue_butterflies.html

 

[Songkhran]

Just checked the Holme site and always intrigues me how sea passage along there is so different from what we get here. Big passage of Shearwaters 47 Sooty (+ 14 before i arrived) 2 Balearic (+ 2 after i left to go to work) and a handfall of Manx at Sheringham + a considerable passage Grey Plover + a few Goldies and Barwits and steady passage of Teal - absolutely everything going West. Very few Gannets, Fulmars and Arctic Skuas (which have all been numerous this autumn).

At Holme juv Long-tailed Skua and 1 Sabines both East few Gannets and Fulmars no waders, shearwaters and just a few Teal.

Not really looking for answers but always seems amazing how things differ on this stretch of coast.

Also noted last few days is an influx of Shags, a few coastal Kingfishers

worth checking this site for a comparison with whats happening across the channel and some great snaps http://seawatchcgn.free.fr/indx UK.html

 

[Connor Rand]

At Holme juv Long-tailed Skua and 1 Sabines both East few Gannets and Fulmars no waders, shearwaters and just a few Teal.

Not really looking for answers but always seems amazing how things differ on this stretch of coast.

Both goodies seen by a visitor, long before I was up unfortunately :eek!:

We always do badly in north-westerlies, as stuff is pushed further along the coast as oppossed to into the wash and out. Also, because of the direction and strength stuff fails to follow the coast and 'peels off'. Or at least this is what I think anyhow Good haul for Sheringham again then, always seems to do jolly well B (note twinge of annoyance for those of us further round the coast )

 

[Songkhran]

Both goodies seen by a visitor, long before I was up unfortunately :eek!:

We always do badly in north-westerlies, as stuff is pushed further along the coast as oppossed to into the wash and out. Also, because of the direction and strength stuff fails to follow the coast and 'peels off'. Or at least this is what I think anyhow Good haul for Sheringham again then, always seems to do jolly well B (note twinge of annoyance for those of us further round the coast )

I think one of the reasons Sheringham gets good counts is because its where the coast flattens out so stuff hitting the land at the point is unlikely to fly back out to sea or skim off the coast. However the main reason is the comfort element, the 'tanks' are raised and on solid ground, (the seats on the upper deck are even better) protected from the weather and attract crowds in, this could explain the higher numbers compared with surrounding areas.

you may be feeling a tad peeved but at least you don't have to put up with the inane 'wings, legs, blondes' comments by the bucket and spaders everytime you go seawatching. :-O:C

I've thought of the potential of other areas and considered watching from the pier at Cromer as i used to seawatching from a concrete arm on a marina when i lived down south but apparently the piers not very stable and anyway its in Cromer8-P8-P

Also the cliffs near Sheringham obs should theorically be better but the hide is set back from the cliff and cuts off close stuff. I think Cley and Blakeney are better for stuff going East like Skuas as this is where they first hit the coast and by far the most evocative and wild places to seawatch is the hide on the Point with sand blasting into your face. :t:

 

[PYRTLE]

"anyway its in Cromer"

I do hope you're not suggesting (also with appropriate smilies) that Cromer birders are window lickers!
Seriously I do think its both geographically a cut off point [HOLME] when seabirds are particular flying east to west they will not want to be funnelled or pushed into the Wash by northwesterlies so head for Skeggie from Blakeney Point, and as you said it flattens off a bit after rounding the horn at Mundesley.

 

[Norfolkbirder]

Holme

Hey Connor,

We praps didn't get the seawatch but we did have point blank views of Wood Sand & 2 juv Spotted Reds. We also did have a female Merlin in the morning chasing a wader for 3-4 mins off Gore pt which it eventually caught - all good stuff! We had 3 Arctics in the morning all along the tideline chasing Terns.

V. few passerines - 1 Yellow wag over, few Lesser Whites, Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffs but v. small numbers. Cn sand, Green Sand, 20+ Snipe with 20+ Whimbrel over, lots of Common Blues, Wall Browns & 100s of Migrant Hawkers made for a entertaining day.

Ta C