Norfolk birding (1 Viewer)

[postcardcv]

Saw the dead Pied at Cley NWT this morning - one very noticable feature was the completely white outer tail feathers and much white on the adjacent inner, both sides...also see pomskua's earlier post.

any chance you could get some photos of this bird, I doubt I can get over there tomorrow but would be interested to see it... if not pop it in the fridge and I'll take a look at the weekend.

 

[Ilya Maclean]

I have no real clue what to look for but the first pic seems to show the white trailing edge of the outer 2 tail feathers going right round to the base..this is a pro feature right?

True of adult spring females, but not of 1st winters (which the bird clearly is). A lot of discussion of ID on this thread:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=123179

Given present knowledge it would be very very hard to clinch a semi-collared in the field. However, the patterning of (conceiled in the field) feathers on the nape, forehead and rump are apparently 100% diagnostic, so catching it would sort it. However, the article in Birding World in which that is suggested, doesn't consider hybrids, which do occur, although I think looking at those feathers would tell you if it was a hybrid.

That said, I'm almost certain we're deaing with a standard Pied Fly here, as one of the best field features is which primary the pale bases start on. From Postcardcv's photos you can clearly see it's either P6 or P7 (numbered from outermost - i.e. at bottom of folded wing), which is usual for Pied Fly. On a Semi-collared it would normally be P3 or P4

 

[jimmyg]

Exciting atmosphere at the sluice today, with a lot of migrants going through. I knew it was going to be good when I arrived and had 5 buzzard sp. - 2 I managed to confirm as Buzzard, with a further one looking good for honey, but having not brought my scope I couldn't be sure... the report of honey at Welney when I got back was gutting! Raptor wise I also had 4 sparowhawk, 2 kestrel and a hobby through. Several yellow wagtails flew over, and I had 2 grey wagtails with 4 kingfisher at the sluice gate. A green sandpiper flew down the river (only the second one I've seen there) and a little egret was a bit unusual. Warblers were thin on the ground - I had a few bushdivers which I couldn't clinch, and a possible redstart. Pishing attracted a green woodpecker and 2 horses, but the pos. redstart wouldn't play ball. However, perhaps the most exciting event was the huge numbers of hirundines going through - a good 2000 or so, mainly swallows. Interestingly a fellow birder walking parallel to me along the ouse (I was on the ouse relief channel) managed to miss this passage almost entirely! A great afternoon, solidifying the sluice's status as a well-used inland migrant pathway. It is interesting that most birds choose to follow the man-made ouse relief channel rather than the natural older river ouse...

 

[Penny Clarke]

With Thrush Nightingale being seen again at Holme along with red rumped swallow and wryneck in the dunes, dotterel and Icterine Warbler at Titchwell, I really wish I had this week off!!!!!!

 

[postcardcv]

With Thrush Nightingale being seen again at Holme along with red rumped swallow and wryneck in the dunes, dotterel and Icterine Warbler at Titchwell, I really wish I had this week off!!!!!!

I went to try for the thrush nightingale today, with reports at 8:30 and 10:30 I thought it was looking good... but it turns out that the 8:30 report was a re-trap and the bird was only seen by two of the birders on site at 10:30 and they failed to mention it to anyone else at the time!!! I gave it a couple of hours before giving up and heading for the dunes to try for the wryneck. I couldn't give it long and failed on this too... it was looking like a bad day until the red-rupmed swallow flew by us! No time to do Titchwell today so hope the ictrine and dotterel hang about for a few days.

 

[Connor Rand]

Had a good bash of Holme this evening in the hope of the Thrush Nightingale but no joy. 2 Redstarts and a Cetti's Warbler the highlights. Well done on the swallow Peter.

Cheers,

Connor

 

[Penny Clarke]

I went to try for the thrush nightingale today, with reports at 8:30 and 10:30 I thought it was looking good... but it turns out that the 8:30 report was a re-trap and the bird was only seen by two of the birders on site at 10:30 and they failed to mention it to anyone else at the time!!! I gave it a couple of hours before giving up and heading for the dunes to try for the wryneck. I couldn't give it long and failed on this too... it was looking like a bad day until the red-rupmed swallow flew by us! No time to do Titchwell today so hope the ictrine and dotterel hang about for a few days.

Oh dear Peter, sorry you weren't lucky. I think it will be a very lucky person that does manage to see it, the area where it is, is quite dense cover. I am not holding much hope when I go down Saturday to try and see it!!!!! My father has just bought me an 'Audubon Bird Call' to replace the one I misplaced years ago - its brilliant and will be taking with me everywhere birding, its amazing how many sounds you get out of that! Might try and entice the nightingale out at the weekend! Well done on the red rumped swallow though!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:


See this link if anyone wants to buy one:

http://www.alanaecology.com/acatalog/Audubon_Bird_Call.html

 

[jimbob]

Not bird related, but RBA have just reported a Shark sp, several hundred yards offshore from Salthouse.
Jim.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell September 19th

Today's highlights

Little stint - 12 juvs on fresh marsh
Red necked phalarope - juv on fresh marsh
Pectoral sandpiper - 1 onm fresh marsh although elusive
Greenshank - 12 on brackish marsh
Osprey - 1 east @ 10:30
Common buzzard - 4-5 over reserve during day
Bittern - 1 in flight over reedbed from Fen Hide
Pied flycatcher - 1 in carpark late morning
Redstart - 3 at Thornham Point
Spotted flycatcher - 3 at Thornham Point
Red necked grebe - 1 offshore
Coat tit - 2 around feeders


Paul

 

[Happisbirder]

Hi all,

Went for a bit of a wander west of the village this afternoon; 3 Wheatears, 2 Pied Flys, Redstart, Blackcap and Yellow Wagtail providing the interest. In the garden at 3pm the hirundines again gave the game away as a Hobby passed over heading towards Lessingham. Also in the garden was a male Redstart with another, and a Willow Warbler, in the hedge opposite. A warbler calling this evening sounding like a Greenish in structure but Yellow-browed in tone was only a Chiffchaff. It occasionally called like a typical Chiffchaff but initially had me going.

Also had a reminder this evening that winter's a comin'. Hearing a familiar 'wink, wink' calling, I looked up to see c.100 Pink-footed Geese flying NW towards Bacton. I don't know if any have been in Broadland in recent days or whether these were birds arriving in the UK from a slightly unorthodox direction...

James

 

[mr.sim]

Snettisham Coastal Park this morning had 1 Hobby, 6 Grey Wagtails and a Sisking over along with a handful of Meadow Pipits and 2 Skylark. Massive passage of Hirundines with about 300 House Martin, 50 Swallow and a few Sand Martins.

Have a good Autumn

Sim

 

[jimbob]

The clear weather and light breeze made for a quieter day on the coast today. I didnt expect a great deal, but the bird on Orkney inspired me to get out there!
Happisburgh, walked the clifftop and doggetts lane. Stunning day. 4 Wheatear, 1 very elusive Lesser Whitethroat and a few Mipits were the only Passerines of note. On the sea of note, around 10 Eider, the first of the autumn and a sign of things to come.
Cheers,
Jim.

 

[matt green]

Any inland birders picking up on any autumn migrants? (we don't all bird on the coast yer know!!)

30/40 Golden Plover coming in to roost on a local field this evening is the first sign of autumn so far, had hoped to pick up on a stray Redstart or Flycatcher considering the numbers seen on the coast but no joy yet!!

Matt

 

[mr.sim]

Any inland birders picking up on any autumn migrants? (we don't all bird on the coast yer know!!)

30/40 Golden Plover coming in to roost on a local field this evening is the first sign of autumn so far, had hoped to pick up on a stray Redstart or Flycatcher considering the numbers seen on the coast but no joy yet!!

Matt

James and I did Denver Sluice this afternoon. 1 Hobby (south), 1 Marsh Harrier (south), 1 Common Buzzard (south) also a Sparrowhawk and Kestrel ( the latter two probably residents though).
James has done the sluice 3 times this week and had several raptors
Buzzard 5
Honey Buzzard 1 probable
Hobby 2
Sparrowhawk 3
Kestrel 2
Marsh Harrier 3
All going purposefuly south including the Kestrels and Sprawks.
So its looking good on the raptor front, because its on the Ouse, its a well known flight path for migrants.
Hoping a few of the Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers will filter inland...

 

[Norfolkbirder]

Today's highlights Titchwell & Holme

Titchwell
Little stint - 14 juvs on fresh marsh 7am
Curlew Sand - 2 juvs
Red necked phalarope - 1 juv on fresh marsh
Pectoral sandpiper - 1 juv on fresh marsh mainly along eastern edge of marsh from first hide
Golden Plover c700
Ruff c50
Spot Shank - plenty!
Bearded Tit from 1st hide
Water Rail from first hide
Awesome light at 5PM lots of wonderful Lapwing & Avocet reflections!

Holme
2 Marsh Harrier & 1 Common Buzzard actually sat in bushes on the marsh!!
Siskin over, Redpoll over, Mipit many over, sev Grey Wag over (these were Connor's)
2 sum plum Red throat Diver just offshore & 2 Arctic Skua. In dunes 1 Redstart, 2 Wheatear & 1 strong candidate for 1st winter Marsh Warbler, found by Paul Stanncliffe & Mike Toms & Penny has some nice pics of it (post em soon Penny!) - pale tips on primaries, nice and evenly spaced, these tho are almost on a par with "fidecula" flys.

Ta Chris

 

[Connor Rand]

1 strong candidate for 1st winter Marsh Warbler, found by Paul Stanncliffe & Mike Toms & Penny has some nice pics of it (post em soon Penny!) - pale tips on primaries, nice and evenly spaced, these tho are almost on a par with "fidecula" flys.
Ta Chris

And there was me waiting for the photos first Write-up of my day on the blog, including stuff on the 'candidate' Marsh Warbler in the dunes for what its worth.

Highlights included 2 Redstarts, 6 Wheatears and 8 Song Thrush the pic of the grounded migrants (leaving aside the acro...) and 1 Redpoll, 1 Rock Pipit, 3 Siskins, 1 Brambling, 5 Grey Wags and 300 Meadow Pipits the pick of the viz-migging...

Please PM/email me thoughts on the acro once pics are posted.

C

 

[Penny Clarke]

Sorry can't post pics tonight, tooooooo tired. Been installing father's new laptop/connecting printer etc since 4pm and not long home!!!!! Now if it had been a Mac book it would have been done and finished in a hour tops!! BUT it was a PC laptop and I HATE PC'S with a passion, they NEVER seem to be logical. Wanted to get files off the old laptop and it would not recognise the pen drive I had bought over or a RW CD!!!!!! etc etc etc!!!!!!

Started off at Holme 8am 4 green finches sitting on wires on village - parked half way down by 5-bar gate and walked the NWT Forestry area. 15 goldfinches flew west, 4 blackcaps together in one elder, 3 song thrushes, 4 hedge sparrows, 1 great spotted woodpecker, robin, chaffinches, another 2 blackcaps, 3 wheatears, 1 male stonechat, 1 female and 1 juv stonechat, 15 curlew, 28 lapwings flew west over Holme church, several carrion crows on the move, 8 magpies sitting on the TELEGRAPH WIRES (that they are going to be taking down:C), 3 snipe, 1 chiffchaff, 22 pinkfeet came in off sea. No sign of the wryneck today.

At 9.15am along a path leaving the forestry area in a large bush a VERY interesting warbler was found by BTO Mike Toms and Paul Stanncliffe. They then left and Connor, Paul Laurie and I watched it for a while and I got LOADS of shots as it showed off in front of us! It didn't call at all. Ray R. came to join us BUT it seemed to disappear completely and no sign of it when I walked back through later either.

Photographed butterflies, spiders and crickets at the observatory, boiling hot now.

Walked back through Forestry to car watching 3 red throated divers directly in front of Gore Point sign along with LOADS of other waders including oystercatchers, turnstones, 2 little egrets etc etc, seals bla bla. Then tore moreself away to go and sort father's laptop out.

I will post pics on here, but will also be emailing them to a couple of top Norfolk birding experts to see what they think.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[postcardcv]

anyone got any gen on the reported izzy wheatear at Salthouse yesterday afternoon? I was at Salthouse at the time and counted 14 northern wheatear on the beach and around little eye, so am curious as to where this bird was seen.

 

[Mike Toms]

Penny

I'd be interested to see the photos of the acro once they're up. The bird was certainly brighter when it came out into the sunlight, being noticeably cold in dead light. If nothing else, it was an instructive session in getting to grips with these young acros.

 

[Connor Rand]

Hi Mike, thanks for posting,

comparison photos of other suspected/apparant autumn Marsh Warblers here and here (scroll down to 24th August)