Norfolk birding (12 Viewers)

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell March 26th

Today's highlights

Hen harrier - adult male west over reserve
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Black tailed godwit - 240 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 2 on saltmarsh
Brambling - female on feeders

Bittern - 2 booming males in reedbed from Fen Hide yesterday afternoon

Paul

 

[NickPatel92]

Nice water pips, but aren't those gulls, Lesser blacks?



No I'm pretty sure that they are Yellow-legged because if u look at one of the photo's the 2 black-headed gulls have jet black heads and they defintly are not med gulls so i think its just the photo.

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

If the gulls you were watchin were Yellow legged gulls, they would look like the one on the left below, yet i think yours look more like the one on the right below - Lesser black backed gull. )not my picures)

Cheers.

 

[ben_lewis]

In case anyone was wondering about the Nordic Jackdaw at Heacham earlier today, I have put some pics up on the Q&A thread
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=137616

Ben

 

[Tractorboy69]

Nice selection of pictures:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Thanks Penny

Regards

Simon

 

[Tractorboy69]

Weybourne Waxwings

5 Waxwings showing well on and off in Pine Walk, Weybourne today.

They are feeding on a good supply of apples so should hang around for a few more days hopefully.

In Weybourne (which for anyone who doesn't know is c2 miles west of Sheringham), turn south off the A149 by the Church, then take the left hand fork in the road towards the station, and then Pine Walk is on your left just after the sharp right hand bend.

Regards

Simon

 

[Tideliner]

I am undertaking a bird survey at Witton ( 6 miles east of Norwich , between Lt Plumsted hospital - A 47 , Blofield Hall , east to the village of Blofield) over the next year and I wondered if anyone has any recent records for this area.

My target species are
Bittern
Cettis warbler
Breeding Barn owl
Breeding Marsh Harrier
Bearded tit
Woodcock
Any additional species records would be welcome.

Records of water vole , badger and Gt crested newt would also be useful.

Thanks in advance

Tideliner

 

[ashleyandbarry]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I recently joined the RSPB after visiting Titchwell Marsh last weekend, and we would really love to continue visiting RSPB reserves, but as we don't have a car, we're wondering if anyone would ever like to share a journey? We'd be more than happy to contribute to petrol costs! Thanks

 

[James Emerson]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I recently joined the RSPB after visiting Titchwell Marsh last weekend, and we would really love to continue visiting RSPB reserves, but as we don't have a car, we're wondering if anyone would ever like to share a journey? We'd be more than happy to contribute to petrol costs! Thanks

I don't drive either, so can't help you there, but I have visited Strumpshaw, Buckenham, Berney Arms and Lakenheath RSPB reserves all by train (albeit some stops are only used at weekends) so that gives you a backup


In the past few days I have seen Grey Wagtails at three different locations around Norwich, newly arrived migrants or birds moving back to breeding grounds? At Whitlingham today a male Mealy Redpoll was with a Siskin flock, a Black Swan was on the Great Broad and there were some interesting hybrid geese mixed in as well. Still no Sand Martins or migrants (other than Chiffchaff) though. :-C

 

[ashleyandbarry]

I don't drive either, so can't help you there, but I have visited Strumpshaw, Buckenham, Berney Arms and Lakenheath RSPB reserves all by train (albeit some stops are only used at weekends) so that gives you a backup

I was reading that the Berney Arms reserve is right outside the train station. How far are those others from the nearest station? I think we need to get bikes lol

 

[matt green]

I was reading that the Berney Arms reserve is right outside the train station. How far are those others from the nearest station? I think we need to get bikes lol

I wouldn't bother with Berney Arms, get the train to Sheringham then the coasthopper and you can get anywhere on the north norfolk coast between hunstanton and cromer. Ask for a bittern rover ticket at norwich train station and you get a return train ticket + unlimited coasthopper bus travel for the whole day (about £7ish!!)

Matt

 

[James Emerson]

I was reading that the Berney Arms reserve is right outside the train station. How far are those others from the nearest station? I think we need to get bikes lol

Buckenham has a station at the start of the main path, however last I looked there were only two trains a day that stop there each way on Saturdays. What I do is get the train to Brundall and walk to Strumpshaw, and if I feel adventurous keep walking past Strumpshaw to Buckenham. You can also get the train to Cantley and walk from there to Buckenham.

Berney Arms - can be a lot of hassle for little reward, you can get a similar range of species by getting the train to Great Yarmouth and walking back along Breydon Water.

Lakenheath - similar deal to Buckenham. The station is only about 10 minutes from the reserve, but there are only a couple of trains, and again only at weekends.

I would second Matt's Coasthopper suggestion, the current price is £7 for all day Bittern Line trains and buses. As well as Titchwell, Cley is NWT but you get a discount for arriving via public transport, and Holkham is free.

 

[RobLucking]

Hi

Berney Halt is right next to the reserve. Probably a half-hour walk from the halt down to Berney Mill? It's a while since I've done it. Be aware that the Norwich to Yarmouth train only stops a couple of times a day and that its a request stop - you need to ask the conductor to stop! You can either get a train back from Berney or walk down to Yarmouth to pick up the train there. Berney is an excellent reserve and relatively underwatched so who knows what you might find!

Buckenham and Cantley can be accessed from Brundall station. Bikes would be handy though and would save a walk either end! Lakenheath is also easily accessible by train but best on Sundays and Bank Holidays when three trains a day stop there - check www.rspb.org.uk/lakenheath.

Can thoroughly recommend the train to Sheringham/Coasthopper combo - I used to do it regularly from Norwich when I lived in the city. Most of the main sites - Titchwell, Cley, Holkham etc have bus stops next to them.

Also lots of good sites around Norwich. UEA Broad used to be my local patch. Whittlingham CP is also good.

Rob

I was reading that the Berney Arms reserve is right outside the train station. How far are those others from the nearest station? I think we need to get bikes lol

 

[Penny Clarke]

After being very ill and at home since Monday I was itching to get out today but the day was taken up with other priorities and by the time I got home/very late lunch it was 4pm - and with strong north winds and rain I decided not to bother:-C - I can't remember the last time I have not been birding on a Saturday!:eek!:

Not working tomorrow as I usually do so I hope to have a hardcore birding day! MUCH better weather forecast for Sunday!

Best Wishes
Penny:girl:

 

[Dave Hawkins]

Titchwell Marsh raptor passage

In a determined watch to find an early osprey goiing through the reserve today, between 10.30 and 14.00 we had no less than 22 common buzzards :t: going high west or south west over the reserve. This included a group of 4 but sadly ....no osprey :-C Surely, we'll have one later on this week......

Other highlights today were a swallow west, a pair of med gulls and 300+ black tailed godwits

Dave

 

[Happisbirder]

I bet you were a bit bleary eyed after all that sky staring! What were the chances of these birds being migrants heading north as opposed to wandering birds from Norfolk's growing population of birds? No sign of any Buzzards over here today when I've looked up but a Peregrine slowly drifted south at 1:05pm...

James

 

[jimmyg]

In a determined watch to find an early osprey goiing through the reserve today, between 10.30 and 14.00 we had no less than 22 common buzzards :t: going high west or south west over the reserve. This included a group of 4 but sadly ....no osprey :-C Surely, we'll have one later on this week......

Only managed to get out to the sluice at about 3pm today, but caught the tail end of the Buzzard passage with about 10 birds. Unfortunately they weren't following the river so weren't easy to keep track of... might've missed a few. If I'd managed to get out earlier maybe I'd have nailed the Saker

 

[Irene Boston]

Snettisham Coastal Park

On Ken Hill Marshes this evening from Snettisham Coastal Park embankment wall, a ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Barn Owls, pair of Ruddy Duck .... and hardly any people (very unusual!).

 

[Penny Clarke]

My mother had a Swallow sitting 'burbling' away like she had never heard before! sitting on a wire next to Ringstead Church at 10.30am today.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Dave Hawkins]

Migrants or local wanderers?

.....What were the chances of these birds being migrants heading north as opposed to wandering birds from Norfolk's growing population of birds? No sign of any Buzzards over here today when I've looked up but a Peregrine slowly drifted south at 1:05pm...

James

Yes, a tough call to know definitively if they were long distant migrants or local wanderers. |:S|

Roughly two thirds of them were picked up way off east and continued steadily west (most at great heght). The remainder headed off steadily south west.

Speculation....the ones heading south west could see Skeggy and didn't fancy the Wash crossing so cut the corner inland down towards Snetts and Kings Lynn.

When I got home, we sat in the garden in the sunshine and had a pair of buzzards calling over the house! :t:

Dave

 

[Penny Clarke]

Stunning, Sunny Day

Started the day at Kelling Heath where we saw nothing but tons of dog cr*ap, not even a stonechat but was rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of a lovely Common Lizard scurring through the undergrowth.

Weybourne - Pine Walk - lovely views of the 4 Waxwings here eating buds from a very tall tree (don't know what type of tree) at 12pm along with 3 Siskins and Goldfinches. Stopped at Weybourne station for loo stop and watched the steam train leaving - several greenfinches, goldfinches and house sparrows here.

Beeston Bump - lots of the areas of bushes have completely been ripped out and have been ploughed up:-C - could not understand why this had been done - but bumped into someone local that said it has been done to grow poppies?!!! BUT the ploughed area south/west of the 'PIT' did produce 2 Black Redstarts for us at 1.40pm!!! they looked so beautiful in the sunshine. Also 2 foxes who had been sunning themselves in the middle of the Alexander close to the cliff edge ran away into the undergrowth! Saw no stonechats here at all which surprised me.

Sheringham Cemetery - never been here before or noticed the sign before - what a beautiful place - the daffodil/tree lined drive up to the cemetery held housesparrows in the hedges and in the trees a good flock of linnets, goldfinches and greenfinches. Only saw a robin in the cemetery though.

Salthouse - walked up to Little Eye and saw nothing apart from usual avocets, redshanks, black headed gulls on the sea and meadow pipits and skylarks.

Walsey Hills - 1 Adder basking on the bank. Tons of midges up by info centre produced 2 goldcrests and 1 Chiffchaff (more pictures!). A Marsh Harrier glided overhead for my camera.

East Bank, Cley - 5.15pm - Nothing exciting apart from beautiful evening light and loads of general waders, greylags, shelduck, redshanks, 3 ringed plover, lots of black tailed godwits and some bar tailed godwits, avocets, ruff, grey plover. On the shore several turnstones and a few oystercatchers and a big number of black headed gulls on the sea. No sign of any wheatears, martins/swallows or the gargeney or sandwich terns!

Daukes Hide, NWT, Cley - Cetti's Warbler burst in song along path to hides, several marsh harriers gliding round, 7 Pied Wagtails on the muddy scrape, 1 little egret. Loads of teal, shelduck, teal, mallard, redshanks, avocets, black tailed godwits. Took my best ever sunset picture through the reeds! Still birding at 7.45pm - brilliant! Left here and got home 8.45pm!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. Met a nice couple today at Kelling Heath - one a BF Member - Nottingham Panther I think he said his BF name was.