Norfolk birding (1 Viewer)

[jimbob]

It felt like it was gonna be good this morning when the 3rd bird I looked at as I walked the dog along the lane was a Yellow-browed Warbler! By the time I returned home I'd seen Redstart, Pied Fly, Blackcap, 5+ Chiffchaffs and 10+ Goldcrests.

The Melodious is a real county blocker. It's a bit strange seeing it on the pager in lower case and Raddes in capitals; it can only be about the 4th or 5th of the former in the county compared to c.40 Raddes.

Lesser Grey Shrike at Sheringham too; looks like it's going to be a good few days...

James

Well done James, gotta say im a bit envious! Hope to get out and about this weekend. Which will mean 'dipping' my own birthday party for a bit should something extra special turn up. Ill get em all p*ssed and hopefully they wont notice! Good luck over the next few days folks, anything could turn up by the looks of it.
Cheers,
Jim.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Hi all,

For anyone going for the Shrike tomorrow another alternative to the pager advice would be to park on The Leas at Sheringham as this is marginally a shorter walk than from the Weybourne end & is also free ! Please also be aware that this is private land so please stick to the footpath. Attached is a photo of the Shrike coughing up a pellet.

Wow!!!!! fantastic shot:t::t::t:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Melodious Warbler is the 'big one'! Only two previous records of birds trapped in 1957 - it's more of a 'first' than a blocker! A superb Norfolk tick for anyone lucky enough to see it (me being one of them!!!).......

Yep - both caught and ringed by Richard Richardson - one at Walsey Hills and one at the 'Chalkpit' in Cley on the 7th June and 5th September 1957. My father photographed the bird on 7th June and still has the photo.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. My friend Pete saw it this evening (lucky him!!!)

 

[Songkhran]

The Weather

after attempted prediction after prediction it seems alot of people are giving up on working out the weather and when it will bring about a fall - see demise of rarometer or this http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1296353#post1296353

I find it very difficult to work out what its going to do even when it looks like a classic so ive gradually developed my own much simpler way of working if there will be a fall of passerines :-

1. Falls very regularly seem to happen the day after big seawatches (and seawatches are easier to predict - Northerlies ideally NW)

2. Even when the weather seems excellent there needs to be a slight change, saw the sky go black today and rained for about half and hour. In Spring the opposite happened we had NE winds for weeks and had nothing but the day these conditions lifted and the sun broke out was the day the Black Lark arrived.

3. The origin of the winds seems important. Even though the theiry goes that if we have high pressure birds will fly straight through, if the origin of the winds is central Russia etc (how it is a the moment), surely birds flying from there will pitch down at the first sight of land.

4. If the weather has been unusual then seems likely something is about to happen (not often we get too many Indian Summers like we have at the moment.

5. Falls almost always happen in the afternoon then the next day night migrants from the original fall arrive in the morning.

6. there is a big chance that anything from E to NE will always produce regardless of highs/lows 'whats happening on the continent'.

7. If you start over analysing weather charts theres a good chance you'll miss out because you start thinking things will happen at a specific time - and you'll inevitably be wrong

got one precious day to hunt down something big tomorrow, just hope it comes together.

 

[sacha]

Melodious Warbler is the 'big one'! Only two previous records of birds trapped in 1957 - it's more of a 'first' than a blocker! A superb Norfolk tick for anyone lucky enough to see it (me being one of them!!!) 2+ Yellow-browed Warbler and Pied Flycatcher Walsey Hills as well.

I had no idea how rare in Norfolk they are! might have to pop back for a look if it sticks around tomorrow (unlikely!). In between looking for other fall left-overs.

 

[dbradnum]

Thanks all for your help re Sheringham. I will be checking out the area the week after next, and will be sure to let you know if I find anything.
Cheers
Jono

Hopefully you will - tonight there's a Sibe Stonechat at the pigfarm I mentioned, and a Lesser Grey Shrike along the coast west of town. Sheringham's obviously not a bad place to be headed with your bins!

 

[Happisbirder]

Hopefully you will - tonight there's a Sibe Stonechat at the pigfarm I mentioned, and a Lesser Grey Shrike along the coast west of town. Sheringham's obviously not a bad place to be headed with your bins!

Click here for a finders account and photos of the Siberian Stonechat...

James

 

[sacha]

G G Shrike was showing well this morning at Wells, but not as many migrants there as i expected.. 1 spot fly, a few chiffchaff. Decided to check Warham Greens as nothing had been reported from there for a while. Just as i was giving up and driving back down the access road i heard a yellow brow! It was showing well and its the first time i have found one from a moving car!
Also here 1 redstart , 1 chiff, 1 willow warbler (very grey possibly northern), 1 whitethroat.
With all the eastern birds that are turning up further north its only a matter of time before we get a mega here in Norfolk.

 

[jimmyg]

With all the eastern birds that are turning up further north its only a matter of time before we get a mega here in Norfolk.

I hope so! In between failing to find rares at Holme yesterday I did a 1hr seawatch and got up to find that I was covered in rust-coloured dust... I don't know where it came from, but I do know that rares came with it. Keep a look out, autumn has really kicked off!

 

[postcardcv]

I went out for the lesser grey this morning, a much longer walk than I expected made worse by trying to get the pushchair along a very bumpy path... when I got to the right place I found that the bird had been flushed a few minutes earlier. I was not impressed after 45 minutes I gave up and headed back along the path, thankfully the bird was on show half way back to the car... glad I saw it but not sure why someone felt the need to go in so close and flush it.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

I got up early this morning and spent an hour and a half before work walking along Warren Road in Hopton and then back along the beach. I was hoping to find the place thick with migrants but, needless to say, it wasn't. Plenty of tits, finches etc. but no Flycatchers or Redstarts to be seen anywhere. The most interesting thing was a couple of female Wheatears on the beach. Ah well, it was a very nice walk anyway.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell September 25th

Today's highlights

Red flanked bluetail - unconfirmed report of a 1st winter at the Meadow Trail/Main Path junction briefly early afternoon but no further sign despite an extensive search
Redstart - 3 along main path early morning
Pink footed goose - 60 roosting on fresh marsh early morning, 20 east over reserve
Wheatear - 1 at Thornham Point, 1 on brackish marsh
Brambling - 2 at Thornham Point, 2 on feeders
Goldcrest - 20+ at Thornham Point
Robin - 15+ at Thornham Point
Hen harrier - ringtail in/off at Thornham Point @ 07:45
Pied flycatcher - 1 in carpark
Red necked phalarope - 1 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[HarassedDad]

Yarmouth cemetary had a yellow browed today, along with willow warblers, redstarts and pied flys. In view of the reported red breasted fly yesterday, it might be interesting that I got talking to a lady with a pushchair (non-birder) who told me she'd had a funny bird in her garden yesterday - "a bit like a robin, but it moved funny and had a big head". Garden was in Corton apparently.

 

[Connor Rand]

Got halfway to to Wells Wood and suddenly though to myself 'what on earth are you doing!' Quickly turned round and had a pleasant evening at Holme in the fading light. I managed 3 Yellow-browed Warblers (2 found at the west end - 1 by the entrance to the caravan park and 1 in the paddocks opposite the caravan surrounded by sycamores. Also saw 1 of the ones found earlier by the NOA carpark - at least 4-5 birds reported in the recording area today), 1 Redstart and 1 Brambling, as well as excellent numbers of Robins (70+), Goldcrests (45+) and Song Thrushes (20+).

Additionally a Red-breasted Flycatcher reported in the area of the carparks and along the edge of the pines from 4:00pm onwards, but light had faded too much for me to search for it by the time I found out...

 

[Winterdune]

The Weather

In Spring the opposite happened we had NE winds for weeks and had nothing but the day these conditions lifted and the sun broke out was the day the Black Lark arrived.

The winds were basically East in the week before the Lark, (very slightly ESE) and stretched right across Europe. I would say they were classic conditions.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Got halfway to to Wells Wood and suddenly though to myself 'what on earth are you doing!' Quickly turned round and had a pleasant evening at Holme in the fading light. I managed 3 Yellow-browed Warblers (2 found at the west end - 1 by the entrance to the caravan park and 1 in the paddocks opposite the caravan surrounded by sycamores. Also saw 1 of the ones found earlier by the NOA carpark - at least 4-5 birds reported in the recording area today), 1 Redstart and 1 Brambling, as well as excellent numbers of Robins (70+), Goldcrests (45+) and Song Thrushes (20+).

Additionally a Red-breasted Flycatcher reported in the area of the carparks and along the edge of the pines from 4:00pm onwards, but light had faded too much for me to search for it by the time I found out...

Very sensible Connor - very annoying that the light fades so quickly in the evenings now. Can't really afford to waste it travelling in a car. RBF sounds interesting!:eek!: I REALLY wish I had booked this week off instead, soooooo frustrating to be at work all week. Roll on Saturday morning and which/where do I start!!!!!!!?????? so many choices. And I wonder where the possible Red flanked bluetail at Titchwell is now....hmmmmm....

Just been looking at RBA website, the amount of rares today is incredible!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Jono L]

Hopefully you will - tonight there's a Sibe Stonechat at the pigfarm I mentioned, and a Lesser Grey Shrike along the coast west of town. Sheringham's obviously not a bad place to be headed with your bins!

Awesome! I hear there is a Blyth's Reed too down the road. It is all going off big style! Well done all the finders, let's hope there are a few more to be found yet!
Cheers

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell September 26th

Today's highlights

Pied flycatcher - 1 in carpark
Red necked phalarope - juv on fresh marsh
Pectoral sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Yellow legged gull - 1 on fresh marsh
Curlew sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[mr.sim]

Hi
James and I are going to be on the Norfolk coast tomorrow. We are probably going to start at the Blyth's Reed. Does anyone have directions on how to get to the bird please?
Also, does anyone have information on how to get to the Little Bunting at Weybourne and the Radde's at Burnham Overy.
Any help on any of these birds is gratefully recieved
Thanks
Sim

 

[Penny Clarke]

Awesome! I hear there is a Blyth's Reed too down the road. It is all going off big style! Well done all the finders, let's hope there are a few more to be found yet!
Cheers

Here, here:t::t::t:

Roll on dawn tomorrow!!!!!!