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Norfolk birding (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Edward woodwood
- Start date
Songkhran
Well-known member
patch update
Things been ticking along nicely since the weekend but with no major surprises.
Theres been a pair of Ring Ouzel recently ranging around the whole of Blakeney up to Morston, we had them in the morning near Morston then seen in the afternoon back on the Freshes. The Yellow Wag flock has stayed at a fairly constant 20 throughout the week but water levels are fairly low so not pulling in too many waders, first Lapwing ckicks now hatching. Day counts of 16 Wheatear in the whole area on tues, 7 today just on the Freshes. A brief Fieldfare on Friary Hills today before flying off East. Saltmarsh full of Whimbrel. Good no's of singing warblers, 4-5 Grasshopper Warbler, Reeds now in in numbers, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Blackcap prominent.
Things been ticking along nicely since the weekend but with no major surprises.
Theres been a pair of Ring Ouzel recently ranging around the whole of Blakeney up to Morston, we had them in the morning near Morston then seen in the afternoon back on the Freshes. The Yellow Wag flock has stayed at a fairly constant 20 throughout the week but water levels are fairly low so not pulling in too many waders, first Lapwing ckicks now hatching. Day counts of 16 Wheatear in the whole area on tues, 7 today just on the Freshes. A brief Fieldfare on Friary Hills today before flying off East. Saltmarsh full of Whimbrel. Good no's of singing warblers, 4-5 Grasshopper Warbler, Reeds now in in numbers, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Blackcap prominent.
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Dipped on the Bee-eater twice!!!!:-C:C
Got home from work and sat at the kitchen table with my head in my hands as I felt really ill with a horrible cold since last Sunday and now turning into a seriously sore throat and hacky cough. Mobile rings from a friend of a friend to tell me that Chris Everitt has found a Bee-eater.... sitting on wires.
I will do just about anything for a Bee-eater and even though I felt like hell the thought of seeing another Bee-eater in Norfolk was incredibly exciting. Flew upstairs, grabbed scope, camera and bins and flew out of the door, breaking speed limits to get there! Chris Everitt saw the Bee-eater at 5.45pm on wires and on a tree along the Docking to Brancaster road B1153 by a sugarbeet concrete pad approx 1/4 mile from the A149 at Brancaster. I arrived a few seconds past 6.20pm - 'it was on the wire about 30 seconds ago, don't worry it will come back.... its been doing a circuit several times'. Chris last saw it fly towards a tree near the A149 which he reckoned we could see, but all I could see was a fuzzy dark blob in the rainy gloomy conditions. I was like the devil possessed as the minutes ticked by - how incredibly:C frustrating!!! (thats not actually what I said!) Pager goes off 'Bee-eater over RSPB Titchwell Visitor Centre 6.40pm...... off I flew and Jim S and Paul (warden) informed me I had missed it and that it had flown in the direction of Thornham. I drove as far as Holme and went all round the village searching all the telegraph wires in vain. Went back up to Thornham boat house to find several birders high on a bank also searching in vain. Carried on my search round lots of back roads until 9pm - only just home and not a happy bunny!:C
Week off for birding this Saturday - hurrah!!!!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Got home from work and sat at the kitchen table with my head in my hands as I felt really ill with a horrible cold since last Sunday and now turning into a seriously sore throat and hacky cough. Mobile rings from a friend of a friend to tell me that Chris Everitt has found a Bee-eater.... sitting on wires.
I will do just about anything for a Bee-eater and even though I felt like hell the thought of seeing another Bee-eater in Norfolk was incredibly exciting. Flew upstairs, grabbed scope, camera and bins and flew out of the door, breaking speed limits to get there! Chris Everitt saw the Bee-eater at 5.45pm on wires and on a tree along the Docking to Brancaster road B1153 by a sugarbeet concrete pad approx 1/4 mile from the A149 at Brancaster. I arrived a few seconds past 6.20pm - 'it was on the wire about 30 seconds ago, don't worry it will come back.... its been doing a circuit several times'. Chris last saw it fly towards a tree near the A149 which he reckoned we could see, but all I could see was a fuzzy dark blob in the rainy gloomy conditions. I was like the devil possessed as the minutes ticked by - how incredibly:C frustrating!!! (thats not actually what I said!) Pager goes off 'Bee-eater over RSPB Titchwell Visitor Centre 6.40pm...... off I flew and Jim S and Paul (warden) informed me I had missed it and that it had flown in the direction of Thornham. I drove as far as Holme and went all round the village searching all the telegraph wires in vain. Went back up to Thornham boat house to find several birders high on a bank also searching in vain. Carried on my search round lots of back roads until 9pm - only just home and not a happy bunny!:C
Week off for birding this Saturday - hurrah!!!!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
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Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
Titchwell April 30th
Today's highlights
Iberian chiffchaff - male singing and showing well during morning becoming more elusive in the afternoon.
Garganey - drake on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard - 2 pairs on fresh marsh
Greenshank - 2 on saltmarsh
Red necked grebe - 1 on pool to right of Fen Hide although elusive
Spotted redshank - 1 in summer plumage on saltmarsh
Grasshopper warbler - male reeling in reedbed
Turtle dove - 1 near Fen Hide
Arctic tern - 3 over fresh marsh with a common tern last night
Paul
Today's highlights
Iberian chiffchaff - male singing and showing well during morning becoming more elusive in the afternoon.
Garganey - drake on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard - 2 pairs on fresh marsh
Greenshank - 2 on saltmarsh
Red necked grebe - 1 on pool to right of Fen Hide although elusive
Spotted redshank - 1 in summer plumage on saltmarsh
Grasshopper warbler - male reeling in reedbed
Turtle dove - 1 near Fen Hide
Arctic tern - 3 over fresh marsh with a common tern last night
Paul
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Wood chat at Cley today ?
With hopes high, after birds in the area in the last few days, I set off for West Runton this morning. They were soon dashed, as little of any substance was seen. Gramboro’ proved similar, with two visits- the second occasioned by my dropping part of my camera somewhere on the site. I was lucky to be able to retrieve it.
Friary Hills was more promising, with a brief ‘burst’ of Cuckoo (my first of the spring), though fewer Yellow Things in evidence than hitherto and no sign of the Whinchat. Most of the flava were females, some of which could have been interesting. Frustration reigned, when I learned that another birder, 50m away and in his and my line of sight, had been watching a female Redstart for 5 minutes- without alerting me.
I did not see this until much later- my 2nd visit here. This is when I snapped the Fieldfare, in smart sum plum.
A long stroll along the front at Warham Greens gave me just a Barn Owl.
A drive up the Cley Beach Road produced this fine male Whinchat- although, since it’s not on gorse, shouldn't it be called ‘Wood etc.’ No ?
At 1745h, on my way home, I glimpsed a condor-sized bird being mobbed by geese, flying low past the beach shelter. It was a Crane, presumably, the same one that’s been hanging around for a few weeks now.
A varied, if unusual day.
With hopes high, after birds in the area in the last few days, I set off for West Runton this morning. They were soon dashed, as little of any substance was seen. Gramboro’ proved similar, with two visits- the second occasioned by my dropping part of my camera somewhere on the site. I was lucky to be able to retrieve it.
Friary Hills was more promising, with a brief ‘burst’ of Cuckoo (my first of the spring), though fewer Yellow Things in evidence than hitherto and no sign of the Whinchat. Most of the flava were females, some of which could have been interesting. Frustration reigned, when I learned that another birder, 50m away and in his and my line of sight, had been watching a female Redstart for 5 minutes- without alerting me.
I did not see this until much later- my 2nd visit here. This is when I snapped the Fieldfare, in smart sum plum.
A long stroll along the front at Warham Greens gave me just a Barn Owl.
A drive up the Cley Beach Road produced this fine male Whinchat- although, since it’s not on gorse, shouldn't it be called ‘Wood etc.’ No ?
At 1745h, on my way home, I glimpsed a condor-sized bird being mobbed by geese, flying low past the beach shelter. It was a Crane, presumably, the same one that’s been hanging around for a few weeks now.
A varied, if unusual day.
Attachments
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Paul Woolnough
Well-known member
Titchwell passage birds
Iberian Chiffchaff in the trees along the meadow trail in evening. Supercilium, wing formulae and general colouration subtly different from common chiffchaff nearby. Only called briefly at 7pm: chiffchaffchiff <pause> with the final flourish fading away to nothing.
Garden warbler seen and blackcap heard in the Meadow Trail bushes.
Plenty of swifts with hirundines (house martins as well as swallows) over the water. Mixed parties not individuals and typically in advance of passing dark clouds. Drift migration in action.
Iberian Chiffchaff in the trees along the meadow trail in evening. Supercilium, wing formulae and general colouration subtly different from common chiffchaff nearby. Only called briefly at 7pm: chiffchaffchiff <pause> with the final flourish fading away to nothing.
Garden warbler seen and blackcap heard in the Meadow Trail bushes.
Plenty of swifts with hirundines (house martins as well as swallows) over the water. Mixed parties not individuals and typically in advance of passing dark clouds. Drift migration in action.
James Emerson
Norwich Birder
My housemate had a quick look today and couldn't even find the burnt patch referred to
The Woodchat Shrike was still present at around 17.30 today in scrub along the bank up to the houses c400 yards south of the Hermanus restaurant. At Barton there was 35+ Common Terns, 20 GC Grebes, loads of hirundines, Kingisher and Cetti's warbler.
davethebird
Well-known member
The Titchwell Iberian Chiffchaff
Although the bird has not been seen today, I hope this will be of interest to some.
As always the best clue to the ID is the song and this bird did sing at times although not as persistently as the Colney bird when I was there on Friday. The song was similar to the earlier bird with a rattle, slight flourish and a trill.
I have attached sonograms of the two calls and a shot taken just as the bird was calling. The legs are not clear but were dark brown, definitely not black. The overall tone was greener than the Colney bird.
I might have had a better image but for the 2 birders in white bush hats (why top subdued clothing with a white beacon?) who decided to push past on the path when the bird was just feet away. The bird did not like the intrusion and retreated to the back of the group of willows.
Dave
Although the bird has not been seen today, I hope this will be of interest to some.
As always the best clue to the ID is the song and this bird did sing at times although not as persistently as the Colney bird when I was there on Friday. The song was similar to the earlier bird with a rattle, slight flourish and a trill.
I have attached sonograms of the two calls and a shot taken just as the bird was calling. The legs are not clear but were dark brown, definitely not black. The overall tone was greener than the Colney bird.
I might have had a better image but for the 2 birders in white bush hats (why top subdued clothing with a white beacon?) who decided to push past on the path when the bird was just feet away. The bird did not like the intrusion and retreated to the back of the group of willows.
Dave
Attachments
mr.sim
Honourable founding member of the "day late" gang
Birding Bob
Robert Williamson
I had cracking afternoon birding around the Titchwell area which brought me 1 lifer and 5 year ticks. From Lynn we (my granddad a.k.a. driver) went to see the Dotterels Jim Swalwell found earlier in the Pea field near Choseley. Arrived at the field he told me to go to but they must have gone as I checked every where but then whilst getting into the car I saw a group of birders looking into the field on the opposite side of the road. Got into the car and motored round and finally got onto them both!! From there we moved onto Titchwell where I added Hobby, Garganey, RCP, and Little Tern to my year list. Robert
tootsietim
Tim Rollins
A glorious evening at Surlingham
Swallows and house martins feeding over the water as gadwall and mallard dabble in the shallows past a pure white swan. A barn owl quarters the reedbeds while a chinese water deer browses at the edge, disturbing a lapwing. The songs of reed and sedge warblers fill the air, punctuated with cetti's and cuckoo while the mesmeric reeling of grasshopper warbler drifts over the river. The scrub behind me brings forth willow warbler and chiffchaff with blackcap and whitethroat for good measure while somewhere in the thicket a wren tries to outdo the cetti's for volume. A pied wagtail, then a reed bunting add to the mix and a pair of herons flap slowly westward. A small group of first summer black headed gulls intrude on the scene, noisily declaring their presence, but don't stay long. As I return towards the church, blackbirds and robins start the evening chorus, a mistle thrush chatters away in alarm at my passing and somewhere, in the distance, a green woodpecker yaffles.
And to think, there are people who don't do birdwatching.
Swallows and house martins feeding over the water as gadwall and mallard dabble in the shallows past a pure white swan. A barn owl quarters the reedbeds while a chinese water deer browses at the edge, disturbing a lapwing. The songs of reed and sedge warblers fill the air, punctuated with cetti's and cuckoo while the mesmeric reeling of grasshopper warbler drifts over the river. The scrub behind me brings forth willow warbler and chiffchaff with blackcap and whitethroat for good measure while somewhere in the thicket a wren tries to outdo the cetti's for volume. A pied wagtail, then a reed bunting add to the mix and a pair of herons flap slowly westward. A small group of first summer black headed gulls intrude on the scene, noisily declaring their presence, but don't stay long. As I return towards the church, blackbirds and robins start the evening chorus, a mistle thrush chatters away in alarm at my passing and somewhere, in the distance, a green woodpecker yaffles.
And to think, there are people who don't do birdwatching.
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Beautiful Sunny Day:t:
Started off at 8am at Boston Sensory Garden, opposite the bowling club on Hunstanton Cliffs. 2 Adult Gannets going east along the sea at 8.15am. Several goldfinches in the gardens along with chiffchaffs singing in a sycamore tree. Several woodpigeons and pied wagtails feeding on the bowling green. Fulmars soaring magestically against complete blue skies over the cliff top and 2 starlings feeding on the grass - their irridescent colours twinkled in the sunlight and looked good in my lens! By the lighthouse: house sparrows, a Common Whitethroat sitting on a cliff top bush, posed perfectly for my camera. Heavy passage of swallows along the cliff tops, all going west.
Jamesons corner/public footpath which joins up with Thornham Bank (shortly after the Farm Shop between Holme and Thornham) - Not too much here really but blackcap, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff, jay, carrion crows, several orange tips and speckled woods. At the end of the path looking across the field below Thornham Bank were 9 Avocets, 2 Canada Geese and several lapwings.
12pm - walked somewhere new and very ashamed that I have never done this walk before - it was beautiful and will be a regular walk of mine now. Take the road to Thornham Boathouse and just before it on the right is a public footpath that goes off through the reedbed. Follow the path, passing a small pond on right, lots of shrike-like bushes here, gorse, hawthorn etc etc, go over a small footbridge (ditch running underneath) and turn left, following the copse of trees around to eventually meet up with 'Green Lane' - turn right and walk along tarmac road, passing a caravan park on left and when you reach the left hand corner (Church Street joins Green Lane), walk straight ahead (copse now on right) following footpath again and then take next branch off left to walk over footbridge and back to car. Barn owl seen carrying prey, Sedge warblers, linnets by the pond, Chiffchaffs, black caps, long tailed tits. Around the end of the copse of pines, sycamores, hawthorn etc is a boat house with large pond - there was a heron fishing in the middle of it! Behind this big copse (east of it) is a beautiful white house/manor. When I got back to the car, which I parked half way up a slope opposite to the public footpath I sat in my deckchair in the glorious sunshine to eat my sandwiches.
Thornham Shop which has been closed for a food number of weeks is now open as 'the village Deli, cafe and store' see: 'villagedelithornham.com' - I had a look in there and basically every item is ridiculously expensive, but it all looks inviting for the tourists, with picnic tables outside etc. On the playing field adjacent to it I searched for a hoopoe (there's got to be one eventually!) but only found 2 Mistle Thrushes with beaks full of worms.
The car ambled to Choosely - well Chalk Pit Road to be precise!!! and joined a small crowd to watch two distant Dotterels at 3.15pm. A good number of wheatears here also - I counted at least 9.
I was drawn to the tree and wires on the Brancaster/Docking road to re-live my Bee-eater dip. I looked at the empty tree and then imagined what the Bee-eater would have looked like perched on the wire over the road.....:-C Anyway in the stony field surround the sugar beet pad were at least 5 beautiful Wheatears, along with red legged partridges.
I didn't know where I was going next - all I know is, I didn't want to go home yet - turned right when I reached Brancaster - massive mistake - cycle race going on and all cyclists, family, friends etc all parked at the Jolly Sailers and the traffic there was like being in the middle of a city in rush hour!
I eventually escaped and ended up at Stiffkey Fen - not a great deal here but I noted a massive number of Swallows, House Martins and Swifts filled the skies and were skimming over the fen.
Actually arrived back in King's Lynn in daylight - very unusual for me!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Started off at 8am at Boston Sensory Garden, opposite the bowling club on Hunstanton Cliffs. 2 Adult Gannets going east along the sea at 8.15am. Several goldfinches in the gardens along with chiffchaffs singing in a sycamore tree. Several woodpigeons and pied wagtails feeding on the bowling green. Fulmars soaring magestically against complete blue skies over the cliff top and 2 starlings feeding on the grass - their irridescent colours twinkled in the sunlight and looked good in my lens! By the lighthouse: house sparrows, a Common Whitethroat sitting on a cliff top bush, posed perfectly for my camera. Heavy passage of swallows along the cliff tops, all going west.
Jamesons corner/public footpath which joins up with Thornham Bank (shortly after the Farm Shop between Holme and Thornham) - Not too much here really but blackcap, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff, jay, carrion crows, several orange tips and speckled woods. At the end of the path looking across the field below Thornham Bank were 9 Avocets, 2 Canada Geese and several lapwings.
12pm - walked somewhere new and very ashamed that I have never done this walk before - it was beautiful and will be a regular walk of mine now. Take the road to Thornham Boathouse and just before it on the right is a public footpath that goes off through the reedbed. Follow the path, passing a small pond on right, lots of shrike-like bushes here, gorse, hawthorn etc etc, go over a small footbridge (ditch running underneath) and turn left, following the copse of trees around to eventually meet up with 'Green Lane' - turn right and walk along tarmac road, passing a caravan park on left and when you reach the left hand corner (Church Street joins Green Lane), walk straight ahead (copse now on right) following footpath again and then take next branch off left to walk over footbridge and back to car. Barn owl seen carrying prey, Sedge warblers, linnets by the pond, Chiffchaffs, black caps, long tailed tits. Around the end of the copse of pines, sycamores, hawthorn etc is a boat house with large pond - there was a heron fishing in the middle of it! Behind this big copse (east of it) is a beautiful white house/manor. When I got back to the car, which I parked half way up a slope opposite to the public footpath I sat in my deckchair in the glorious sunshine to eat my sandwiches.
Thornham Shop which has been closed for a food number of weeks is now open as 'the village Deli, cafe and store' see: 'villagedelithornham.com' - I had a look in there and basically every item is ridiculously expensive, but it all looks inviting for the tourists, with picnic tables outside etc. On the playing field adjacent to it I searched for a hoopoe (there's got to be one eventually!) but only found 2 Mistle Thrushes with beaks full of worms.
The car ambled to Choosely - well Chalk Pit Road to be precise!!! and joined a small crowd to watch two distant Dotterels at 3.15pm. A good number of wheatears here also - I counted at least 9.
I was drawn to the tree and wires on the Brancaster/Docking road to re-live my Bee-eater dip. I looked at the empty tree and then imagined what the Bee-eater would have looked like perched on the wire over the road.....:-C Anyway in the stony field surround the sugar beet pad were at least 5 beautiful Wheatears, along with red legged partridges.
I didn't know where I was going next - all I know is, I didn't want to go home yet - turned right when I reached Brancaster - massive mistake - cycle race going on and all cyclists, family, friends etc all parked at the Jolly Sailers and the traffic there was like being in the middle of a city in rush hour!
I eventually escaped and ended up at Stiffkey Fen - not a great deal here but I noted a massive number of Swallows, House Martins and Swifts filled the skies and were skimming over the fen.
Actually arrived back in King's Lynn in daylight - very unusual for me!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
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Tractorboy69
Well-known member
The brisk northerlies produced 4 Manx Shearwaters east past Overstrand this morning, along with a steady passage of Gannets and Auks.
Other highlights from the past week around the patch include Merlin, Green Sand, Whinchat and Red Kite. Full details and recent pics as always on my blog.
Simon
Other highlights from the past week around the patch include Merlin, Green Sand, Whinchat and Red Kite. Full details and recent pics as always on my blog.
Simon
Original PaulE
Well-known member
winterton
two hours driving,half mile walk through the dunes,three hours searching,howling winds ,driving rain,face sandblasted everytime you look up!!!! and for what a ten second flight view of a woodchat shrike
totally worth it
cheers
two hours driving,half mile walk through the dunes,three hours searching,howling winds ,driving rain,face sandblasted everytime you look up!!!! and for what a ten second flight view of a woodchat shrike
totally worth it
cheers
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
At Strumpshaw this afternoon, large numbers of Swallows and House Martins and a few Sandmartins were skimming over the river with one or two Swifts above them. There was also an immature Little Gull flying about in front of Fen hide for most of the afternoon. It was incredibly cold in the wind, though, and the ice warning alarm went off in the car on the way home!
Ron
Ron
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Who turned the Spring off ?
Having spent most of the last two days in bed, with a stinking cold, I felt it even more when I ventured out into the icy, Arctic blasts today.
Nonetheless, the most noteworthy sights were from the relative comfort of Cley's hide named after a senior ecclesiastic.
Certainly my best and most prolonged views for a long while of a spiffing drake Garganey and a nice, bobbing Common Sandpiper, which proved most difficult to snap.
One would have thought the Garganey had just concluded some kind of diet, the way it was voraciously pulling at its grassy feed. Then it went to sleep, almost out of view.
Having spent most of the last two days in bed, with a stinking cold, I felt it even more when I ventured out into the icy, Arctic blasts today.
Nonetheless, the most noteworthy sights were from the relative comfort of Cley's hide named after a senior ecclesiastic.
Certainly my best and most prolonged views for a long while of a spiffing drake Garganey and a nice, bobbing Common Sandpiper, which proved most difficult to snap.
One would have thought the Garganey had just concluded some kind of diet, the way it was voraciously pulling at its grassy feed. Then it went to sleep, almost out of view.
