Norfolk birding (2 Viewers)

[Penny Clarke]

Anyone know anything about 'possible singing male Spectacled Warbler' at Holme on Sunday?!

Just found out via 2 different people that the person who saw it was not sure enough and was not happy to submit the record - it has not been seen since apparently.

Best Wishes
Penny:girl:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Has anyone seen any wheatears along the coast yet, apart from the one that was at Salthouse/Cley recently?

There's still not quite enough time to get home from work and go out again to the coast to go birding in the week - looking forward to longer, lighter evenings!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[mr.sim]

One at Thornham Point on Monday 16th - see post #5984 by Paul Eele...

 

[Penny Clarke]

As promised here is my picture of impaled Common Lizard that the Dersingham Great Grey Shrike had stored for lunch!!!!

(in relation to my post no. 5887) http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59348&page=236


Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. Corrected my original ID of common newt!!!! Really weird as looking up at this in the tree at the time I would have bet my life on that being a common newt, because of tail shape, orange belly and also I thought the feet looked quite webbed etc and I must admit I did not notice any scales until I have just studied my photo properly!!! I never thought I would ID a Common Lizard and a Common Newt incorrectly!!!!!! Just about sums my day up!!!

 

[James Emerson]

Has anyone seen any wheatears along the coast yet, apart from the one that was at Salthouse/Cley recently?

There's still not quite enough time to get home from work and go out again to the coast to go birding in the week - looking forward to longer, lighter evenings!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

So far this week I have managed to not find any Wheatears at Burnham Overy (although one has been seen there) on Sunday, and none at Waxham-Horsey on Tuesday, so good luck with the hunt

 

[Happisbirder]

So far this week I have managed to not find any Wheatears at Burnham Overy (although one has been seen there) on Sunday, and none at Waxham-Horsey on Tuesday, so good luck with the hunt

A couple of local birders had one out this way on Sunday. A Sandwich Tern passed offshore too..

James

 

[ben_lewis]

Today's highlights

Lesser redpoll - 1 in trees around visitor centre

Paul

Hi Paul, was this the 'mealy redpoll' that went out on the bird news services yesterday?

Still no Wheatears on the East coast as far as I have seen, been walking parts of it most mornings. I did have an extreamly well marked male stonechat with huge white braces and a white rump, I'm thinking it was probably a continental race bird. Anyone seen many of these before, are there any features that would make me certain?? I have a very dodgy photo taken through my bins.

Also had a great white Egret fly East over the Stalham area (possibly towards Hickling?) late evening yesterday, a nice surprise!

Ben

 

[Paul Eele]

Hi Paul, was this the 'mealy redpoll' that went out on the bird news services yesterday?

Also had a great white Egret fly East over the Stalham area (possibly towards Hickling?) late evening yesterday, a nice surprise!

Ben

Hi Ben

It was a lesser redpoll, I don't know where they got mealy from. All the info I put out said lesser.

Paul

 

[Phil Carter]

As promised here is my picture of impaled Common Newt that the Dersingham Great Grey Shrike had stored for lunch!!!!

(in relation to my post no. 5887) http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59348&page=236


Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Pretty sure that is a lizard.

Phil

 

[Birding Bob]

Hi all

Does anyone have any info of the possible Snowy Owl at Great Snoring plz.

Regards

Robert
http://robertsnorfolkbirding.blogspot.com/
http://robertnorfolkmothing.webs.com/

 

[David Norgate]

Robert (and anyone else interested) see:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=137086

 

[NickPatel92]

As promised here is my picture of impaled Common Newt that the Dersingham Great Grey Shrike had stored for lunch!!!!

(in relation to my post no. 5887) http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59348&page=236


Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Hi Penny,

the Shrike's meal is definitely a Lizard, probably Common, but i haven't seen an under-belly like that before. Great pic as well.

cheers.

 

[rob lee]

Hi Ben
Here are a couple of (poor) pics i took of a rubicola Stonechat on Beeston Bump last week, dont know how it compares to your bird but the pale rump sounds good for one. As you can see they tend to be more washed out below than "our " birds with the breast colour being less extensive & the upperparts less black & like you said with a pale rump. I think some birds can be trickier but ones like this stand out a mile amongst hibernans.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Hi Penny,

the Shrike's meal is definitely a Lizard, probably Common, but i haven't seen an under-belly like that before. Great pic as well.

cheers.

Hi Nick

Yes you are right!!!:t:

Now corrected my original ID of common newt!!!! Really weird as looking up at this in the tree at the time I would have bet my life on that being a common newt, because of tail shape, orange belly and also I thought the feet looked quite webbed etc and I must admit I did not notice any scales until I have just studied my photo properly!!! I never thought I would ID a Common Lizard and a Common Newt incorrectly!!!!!! Just about sums my day up!!!

Thanks to Phil Carter who also thought this was a lizard as well.

I emailed an old friend who pointed out scales on photo, which is bl**dy obvious really!!!!!!!:-O:-O

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[firstreesjohn]

A shrike decides 'impale' !

I'm still not sure why your lizard is doing jazz hands, when 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' is so obviously a pop track.

 

[Irene Boston]

the Shrike's meal is definitely a Lizard, probably Common, but i haven't seen an under-belly like that before. Great pic as well.

According to a friend who knows far more about reptiles than me, the odd tail shape may be due to it breaking off at some point and being in the middle of it regrowing. The orange belly indicates it's a male coming into breeding colours, which can be quite bright apparently .... or would have eventually been quite bright had it not been for a certain shrike getting it and impaling it on a tree!

Irene

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell March 20th

Today's highlights

Spotted redshank - 2 on reedbed pool
Black tailed godwit - 170 on fresh marsh
Bittern - 1 'grunting' in reedbed
Tree sparrow - 1 singing by visitor centre
Brambling - 1 on feeders
Cetti's warbler - 5 singing males in reedbed
Red crested pochard - pair on brackish marsh
Snow bunting - 1 at Thornham Point
Hen harrier - ringtail east over saltmarsh this afternoon

Paul

 

[Penny Clarke]

Black redstart at Brancaster golf club house along with the black necked grebe at Gypsy Lane still, I notice on RBA pager.

Great White Egret over Roydon and at Stiffkey too - same one maybe.

Have a good weekend everyone:t:

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell March 21st

Today's highlights

Sand martin - 1 west
Swallow - 1 west
Chiffchaff - 5 singing around reserve
Tree sparrow - 1 on feeders
Brambling - 4 on feeders
Siskin - 20 in trees around visitor centre
Black tailed godwit - 316 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh
Woodcock - 1 in scrub along Meadow Trail
Spotted redshank - 2 on saltmarsh

Paul

 

[mr.sim]

Had a cracking morning at Denver Sluice today! We counted 5 Chiffchaffs on the way there/back and I arrived slightly earlier than James. Very unfortunate for him as I got a very good selection of raptors minutes before he arrived. First, a stunning Goshawk whcih circled several times whilst drifting south then headed off strongly. Then I looked up again and immediately saw a Common Buzzard and a male Sparrowhawk which both flew through South. Shortly after James arrived we got another Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel south, as well as a resident Kestrel hunting.

Totals of raptors moving south were;
Common Buzzard 1
Goshawk 1
Sparrowhawk 2
Kestrel 1

Did anyone else note a similar passage of raptors? I notice there was a Goshawk at Waxham...

Also the odd Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, but only in very small numbers. We started late at about 10:30 so we might go down again earlier tomorrow to see what it can produce!