Norfolk birding (126 Viewers)

[Penny Clarke]

Hey Penny when are we going to see your pics? Super posts:t: but would love to see more of your photographic efforts :t:

Heres hoping

Hi Kevin

Thank you!

Re: pics - I get into a terrible of habit of filling a 2MB card up before transferring onto my Mac and when I do, it takes ages to copy and then have to re-size the pictures and then saving to web for BF, takes too long, sometimes I make the effort! Exactly why I have not done my Birdfair thread yet - which I took over 500 pics of!!! Most of my photos are rubbish anyway - get the odd good one, but most are record shots!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[rob lee]

grey, with orange around head ,bit of white on wing and a large grey bill. with Bullfinches initially feeding on berries. John

http://kellingnaturegallery.fotopic.net/

The cynic in me makes me think why was`nt it just a juv/1st W male Bullfinch, apart from the apparently larger size. The fact that the observer had to look it up in a field guide doesnt exactly inspire confidence either.
Hopefully i`ll be proved wrong tommorow.
To answer Frootshoots earlier post, I have heard that the 2008 report is hoped to be out next month.

 

[Emma]

Just got back today from a long weekend on the North Norfolk Coast and it was lovely to see and hear the Pinkfeet going over Holkham and Wells again! We counted around 400 of them on Holkham Freshmarsh yesterday afternoon and were treated to a super 'fly over' at dusk en-route to their evening roost! They didn't land at Holkham so I presume they landed in the Wells area? There must have been 1500+ in this group and this morning at Wells several skeins went over towards Holkham, looks like their numbers are now starting to build up!!:t:

 

[Kevin Groocock]

Hi,
Just thought I'd say thanks to all the norfolk birders I have met and who have helped me enjoy the past 3 years in the county. Having spent the past 3 years with the RSPB at Titchwell and in the Broads I have finally got a full time post as Warden of Sandwich and Pegwell Bay in Kent with the wildlife trust. (Fan-tailed Warbler on the first day cant be bad!)
So thanks for good birds and great company to all those who know me, I'll be back!

Good luck and best wishes for your new post :t:

 

[robinchittenden]

Possible Pine Grosbeak

Here's the email I received from the observer of possible Pine Grosbeak. Apart from broadcasting the news on Birdline East Anglia, as a report of a possible Pine Grosbeak, I contacted a few local birders so they could check it out.

I think you will agree the report sounds interesting.

'just returned from a walk to Kelling Quag. On top of hedge about 300 - 400 yds past school on left (towards the sea) saw a large finch-like bird, temporarily with a small number of bullfinches. They flew off, leaving this bird feeding on berries. It was a grey/green colour with a yellow/brown head & upper chest. It was larger than the bullfinches and appeared quite 'fat'. It's bill was bullfinch-like and appeared dark grey. It had some white markings on its wings but no particularly obvious wing-bar (like a chaffinch, for example).
Heard no song/call.
Was still there when I left - looked quite settled.
The only bird I can find on Google, or in my bird guides, that resembles it is a first winter male/female Pine Grosbeak. There's a picture in the Photographic Guide to the Birds of Britain & Europe which is pretty close (although the bird that I saw wasn't so 'fluffed-up').
Anyway - have never reported a bird before, so hopefully have done the right thing'

A competent report considering its from someone who says has never reported a bird before. Let's hope the bird is re-found whatever it is.

Best regards

Robin Chittenden

 

[Richard Abr]

No sign

According to Birdguides no sign of possible Pine Grosbeak in 2.5 hours of searching this morning.
Richard

 

[Nick Elliston]

Anyone know if the Glossy's are still at Caister St E?

 

[dendroica]

After a couple of mistimed visits (and plenty of fruitless river bank scouring), I managed to catch up with 2 of the 3 Glossy Ibis yesterday afternoon. Fantastic views in the sunshine as they fed very effectively in a pool adjacent to Stoke Holy Cross Mill.

This morning yielded an altogether less satisfying result when, cutting through to Drayton, a casual glance across the marshes revealed what looked like a large white heron on the marshes. "Holy cow" I thought, as I brought the car to a quick stop, simultaneously remembering the report of GWE at nearby Costessey last week. Anyway, cursing the lack of optics, something didn't "feel" quite right after staring hard at the "white blob with long neck" . A quick journey home to fetch bins and scope and I was back. Thankfully the bird was also still there and a glance in bins raised the pulse; yes, it looked good then it walked out of sight. Getting the scope up, the bird emerged and the disappointment was complete - it was a leucistic Grey Heron! It was slightly off white with a faded "normal Grey Heron" head pattern and the upper mandible was dark. Curses!! Maybe next time?...

Mike

 

[dendroica]

Anyone know if the Glossy's are still at Caister St E?

Yes - one south of Caistor St.Edmunds, flew north near new diggings mid-morning.

 

[Nick Elliston]

Thanks dendroica.

 

[Jono L]

Vids

Apologies for posting this on here, but you will see why...
We have been having a clear out of videos at Norfolk Wildlife Trust and have some left if anybody is interested. They are:

Gulls - double video by Bird Images (Paul Doherty) x1
Bill Oddie's Guide to Birdwatching x3
Birds of Britain and Europe by Bird Images (Paul Doherty) vol 4 and vol 3
Rare birds in 2001 by Alan Shaw
Birdwatching in Goa
Birdwatching in Mallorca
and a couple more.

We would welcome a donation for each and we would ask you to collect from NWT, Bewick House just across the road from Norwich Station, as they are not really worth posting out. They are however great videos if you still have a VHS player!

If you are interested, please pm me to arrange collection.
Cheers
Jono

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Nothing to do with birding but we were in the Tower Hide at Strumpshaw on Saturday when this lot turned up right in front of us and began to line themselves up in preparation for an aerobatic display nearby. Well, they have got wings but I don't know what species they are. It made a change from the Shovelers, Mallards and 8 (!) Grey Herons.

Ron

 

[nigelblake]

G-BOTH is Anglia Flight Centre's Cessna 182Q Skylane, G-BABD is a Cessna 150L & G-BUCA is a Cessna A150K both are also from Anglia flight centre, they had displayed at Marshall's I believe.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

G-BOTH is Anglia Flight Centre's Cessna 182Q Skylane, G-BABD is a Cessna 150L & G-BUCA is a Cessna A150K both are also from Anglia flight centre, they had displayed at Marshall's I believe.

Wow, thanks Nigel. I really didn't expect to get such good info about planes on a birding forum. I was forgetting you are the man for planes as well as stunning bird images.

Ron

 

[James Emerson]

Yes - one south of Caistor St.Edmunds, flew north near new diggings mid-morning.

I'm going looking for the Ibis after work tomorrow, but they haven't been reported in the evenings since Saturday. Does anyone have any ideas (or unreported sightings) of where they might go? I'm probably just going to see how much of the river I can see south of Caistor St Edmund Roman Town, but wondered if anyone has checked the area around Marston Marshes or south of Trowse?

Thanks,
James

 

[matt green]

Just got back today from a long weekend on the North Norfolk Coast and it was lovely to see and hear the Pinkfeet going over Holkham and Wells again!

The Pinks are quite a spectacle aren't they, my love for the Brents aside I'm rather keen on them myself! ..guess many Norfolk birders tend to take them for granted and pay more attention to seeking out those rarities in the woods etc certainly the impression I tend to get!!

Eitherway, great pics and glad you enjoyed your visit! (probably more enjoyable watching them trickle in this time of year on a pleasent evening rather than standing at the bottom of Lady Ann's Drive in a blinding gale mid november!!!

Matt

 

[firstreesjohn]

Kelling Pine Grosbeak

Not able to access the internet later last night, this is the first time I've been able to post this snap. I thought of calling it a photo, but it's not worthy of that appellation.

It's a pic I took in Uppsala in Sweden, a few winters ago. Was it cold ? Yes ! Very, very. That dead cold that seeps through your clothes and into your soul.

I wouldn't enlarge it, as it's almost better quality as a thumbnail.

Anyway, I hope the impression it conveys, to those who haven't seen one, is useful. Here is plumpness and fluffiness, in addition to the 'colour combination'- that last may be a slight exagerration, too.

 

[jalethbridge]

Hi,
Just thought I'd say thanks to all the norfolk birders I have met and who have helped me enjoy the past 3 years in the county. Having spent the past 3 years with the RSPB at Titchwell and in the Broads I have finally got a full time post as Warden of Sandwich and Pegwell Bay in Kent with the wildlife trust. (Fan-tailed Warbler on the first day cant be bad!)
So thanks for good birds and great company to all those who know me, I'll be back!

Excellent, hope you enjoy the new posting! Are you able to do anything about the "black-hole" effect that this area currently has regarding bird news? I fully understand that some birders refuse to release news about what they have seen, and that there is not a lot anyone can do about that, but it is getting beyond a joke in the Sandwich Bay area. Ultimately we're all in this together; if I ever find anything on my cracking inland zone 3 patch, the news goes out immediately.

Jonathan

 

[Nick Elliston]

James

I had a look for about an hour after work yesterday but no sign. There were several other birders there and none of them had seen them. Where you suggest is a good place to start but there is an area between Caister and Stoke where there is no river access.

Would also suggest Stoke Holy Cross mill where they have also been seen.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Tuesday - hardly worth posting really but....

Started off at the House on the Hill at Blakeney and the public footpath opposite, nothing of note apart from a kestrel and a few blue tits, great tits. Although I did notice a good number of house martins flying low, west.

Cley Church - went to visit RAR's gravestone, which I do so occasionally and had a lovely surprise of a nest of 3 Swallows in the church porch being fed still by parents - they were so big, they were virtually falling out of the nest! As I sat photographing them, a group of people arrived who had come to visit the church - several people were very interested in watching them and one particular lady was more interested in them than going in the church! She sat outside chatting to me instead and was fascinated by the swallows.

Walsey Hills - nothing of note apart from a rat blue tit, great tit and hedge sparrow.

Kelling Water Meadows/Quags - spent a long time here, understandably but no sign of anything really apart from a great spotted woodpecker which errupted from behind a small row of trees behind hedge not far along the path on left hand side, a chaffinch or two, teal, meadow pipits.

Dauke's Hide, NWT - finished off the day sitting with E.M. watching a good number of gulls roosting, great black backed, lesser bb, black headed and tons of wigeon etc. Couple of marsh harriers floating about. Several house martins and swallows flickering through the skies along with a Sparrowhawk for company!

It was so dead generally, not even bothering to go out today - jobs at home, unless of course the pager bleeps up with a MEGA!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl: