Norfolk birding (1 Viewer)

[Andy Musgrove]

Twas hard work persuading my boys that they were enjoying themselves this morning, in the biting NE wind at Horsey. After finding very little (apart from fair numbers of Gannets offshore), we retired to Winterton cafe for hot chocs. I'd stuggled to summon much enthusiasm for the Woodchat (having been in Spain last month), and there'd been no news on Birdguides, but it was worth a look whilst we were there. And we found it, and very nice it was too - always nice having a good bird entirely to yourself!

 

[Penny Clarke]

Vivien (sister) decided to come birding with me - well for a walk anyway!!! Followed the public footpath east, half way along the road to Thornham boathouse (where I went on Sat) and walked round the copse and along Green Lane and then back along the path. By the footbridge next to the copse it was very sheltered - in fact the only sheltered spot away from the fierce north east winds blowing today - a flurry of birds flitting about in a scyamore included chiffchaffs, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, long tailed tits, chaffinches, greenfinches, blue and great tits. A little egret sat in the marsh just past the boat house/pond. Also two linnets sat in a bramble bush. Took Vivien back to parents.

Holme Reserves - had a hot chocolate at The Firs house and then walked to the NWT Forestry where I watched a Ring Ouzel along with a Wheatear. Also a nice surprise of a Garden Warbler singing and seen. Walked all the way along the top Coastal path to Holme Bird Observatory and back round to NOA carpark and drove back via Brancaster home to King's Lynn.

Don't think I picked a good week for birding - better get on with some jobs I think!

 

[ChrisBish]

Lesser Whitethroat now in Swardeston area and my first Hobby of the year yesterday evening.

Chris

 

[davethebird]

A garden tick

Last week the journey home from the supermarket produced a female Monty so it would be hard to better it. Nothing this week until I walked into the lounge and spotted a Hawfinch on the feeders. Unfortunately it only stayed for a couple of minutes although it flew NW over the garden about an hour later.

I managed to grab a couple of shots for my records.

Dave

 

[Penny Clarke]

Last week the journey home from the supermarket produced a female Monty so it would be hard to better it. Nothing this week until I walked into the lounge and spotted a Hawfinch on the feeders. Unfortunately it only stayed for a couple of minutes although it flew NW over the garden about an hour later.

I managed to grab a couple of shots for my records.

Dave

Wow - what a fantastic bird to drop in the garden!!!! Lovely picture!

 

[Vespa]

Last week the journey home from the supermarket produced a female Monty so it would be hard to better it. Nothing this week until I walked into the lounge and spotted a Hawfinch on the feeders. Unfortunately it only stayed for a couple of minutes although it flew NW over the garden about an hour later.

I managed to grab a couple of shots for my records.

Dave

Monty on the way home from Supermarket? Hawfinch in back garden on return?
Could only happen in Norfolk! You lucky people! :-O

 

[davethebird]

Monty on the way home from Supermarket? Hawfinch in back garden on return?
Could only happen in Norfolk! You lucky people! :-O

True Tom - I feel privileged that in 5 years my garden list has added Dark-eyed Junco, Red-footed Falcon, Common Crane, Hawfinch, Med Gull, Waxwing, Firecrest, Red Kite, Hobby and a supporting cast of 90+ other species. Add a couple of Arctic Redpolls, an American Golden Plover, Snow, Bean and Ross's Geese in fields round the village and this is a pretty respectable list for an inland village.

When I work in the garden I keep the binoculars and camera close to hand.

Roll on tomorrow. :t:

Dave

 

[Vespa]

True Tom - I feel privileged that in 5 years my garden list has added Dark-eyed Junco, Red-footed Falcon, Common Crane, Hawfinch, Med Gull, Waxwing, Firecrest, Red Kite, Hobby and a supporting cast of 90+ other species. Add a couple of Arctic Redpolls, an American Golden Plover, Snow, Bean and Ross's Geese in fields round the village and this is a pretty respectable list for an inland village.

When I work in the garden I keep the binoculars and camera close to hand.

Roll on tomorrow. :t:

Dave

Nice one Dave, you have a bird on your garden list that isnt even on my life list! I think the highlight of my garden list this year is a Redwing!! I may have a bird on my garden list which isn't on yours though - any ideas?

 

[sacha]

Nice one Dave, you have a bird on your garden list that isnt even on my life list! I think the highlight of my garden list this year is a Redwing!! I may have a bird on my garden list which isn't on yours though - any ideas?

RN Parakeet by any chance haha .. I still haven't seen one of those in Norfolk!

Walked the point today - Highlight was an Osprey causing havoc amongst the gulls over Blakeney Harbour at 12.00.

Not much else in N winds - 20+ Little Terns now in, yellow wag, Grey Partridge, stonechat, 3+ Wheatear (mainly females passing now), a Hobby over Cley and a few swallows and sand martins through.

Finished in the afternoon with nice summer plumaged Temminck's Stint at Cley

Sacha

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Whitlingham

Took 3 hours to go clockwise around the Great Broad from 750am.

100 or more swifts early on.

At least 8 common whitethroats all around the Broad. FIVE reed warblers in a short stretch at west end of Great Broad and start of Little Broad. Two bullfinches flew over the river to the Gasworks from west of Outdoor Centre as I sat by the river. Two garden warblers one by Conservation Area and the other, a singing male seen well further east.

Terns - two common terns on the Great Broad settled on buoys. Arctic tern Whitlingham tick along the river west of Outdoor Centre. Arctic tern later re-appeared along the river just west of Thorpe Marsh. Then one of the common terns flew in close to it. Species differences were noted. The second common tern re-appeared having caught a fish on Thorpe Marsh lake.

No county year ticks but passed 100 for the year in and around Norwich.

 

[davethebird]

Nice one Dave, you have a bird on your garden list that isnt even on my life list! I think the highlight of my garden list this year is a Redwing!! I may have a bird on my garden list which isn't on yours though - any ideas?

Ring-necked Parakeet is a good guess - I did once have an Australian Superb Parrot but it wasn't accepted even though it looked pretty tired. RNP is on my Norfolk list as I once had one in off the sea at Holkham!

Slightly better would be Tree Sparrow - even the House Sparrows nesting in the hedges at the front of our house rarely get into the back garden.

Dave

 

[Birding Bob]

Arrived an hour before I had to start my work placement so walked to the visitor centre from the top car park (great decision) on the bank a Turtle Dove flew west past me and just west of the forestry in a small open area I got great views of 3 Ring Ouzels, 1Wheatear and 2 Yellow Wags. The day quietened down until midday when the pager went off with Osprey west over thornham harbour, so went to the closest high area I could think of and scanned over the marsh, dunes and beach but it must have already pass me. Before packing up and heading back I looked through the scope (looking inland) not looking at anything in particular and picked up a single Crane miles away heading east.

 

[Vespa]

Ring-necked Parakeet is a good guess - I did once have an Australian Superb Parrot but it wasn't accepted even though it looked pretty tired. RNP is on my Norfolk list as I once had one in off the sea at Holkham!

Slightly better would be Tree Sparrow - even the House Sparrows nesting in the hedges at the front of our house rarely get into the back garden.

Dave

Spot on Dave. RNP it is :t:

That's got to be one of the strangest 'in-off's of all time at Holkham.

Funny you should say that about the House Sparrows. I have a group three gardens along, but I have only ever seen one in my garden, which has to be less than 20 meters away. I have it down as a short range vagrant.

 

[tootsietim]

Spot on Dave. RNP it is :t:



Funny you should say that about the House Sparrows. I have a group three gardens along, but I have only ever seen one in my garden, which has to be less than 20 meters away. I have it down as a short range vagrant.

My nextdoor neighbour's hedge used to attract house sparrows, attracted to the peanut feeders, and yet for ten years I never saw one in my garden.
Then, one winter, I had upto a dozen sheltering in my hazel, they hung around long enough to be included on the big garden bird watch, then all disappeared. I haven't had any back for about three years, although they are in the area.

 

[Skimmer15]

I'm an American birder and I'm doing a trip around Britain, birding here for the first time. I plan to be staying in Norfolk for four nights in this coming week, and I wondred if there is anything special I should be looking for at this time. I have a couple of Where to Find Birds books, so I think I know all the major sites, and I plan to make my way around them. Any other suggestions? Are some sites especially good at this time?

I will be staying in a little place called Sharrington, near Melton Constable and Holt, and I have a rental car. If anyone would like to spend a day or part of a day showing an American birder around, please let me know, either by PM or email. [email protected] . I would be glad to pay for petrol, or we could use my rental car.

I arrive in Norfolk on Saturday afternoon, and I plan to depart on Wednesday morning. You can see the rest of my itinerary on my website: http://www.barry15.com/2010_Britain/ .

I'm looking forward to visiting some of the exciting birding sites in Norfolk.

Barry Brugman
USA

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell May 6th

Today's highlights

Wood sandpiper - 1 west @ 07:50
Red crested pochard - pair on fresh marsh
Garganey - drake on fresh marsh
Pale bellied brent goose - adult with brent flock

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell May 7th

Today's highlights

Garganey - drake on fresh marsh
Grasshopper warbler - 1 reeling in reedbed
Greenshank - 2 west

Paul

 

[Songkhran]

http://magicseaweed.com/msw-surf-charts2.php?chart=1&res=500&type=wind&starttime=1273190400

I'm ever the optimist right, but that is quite possibly the worst mid May forecast Ive ever seen :-O

 

[mr.sim]

http://magicseaweed.com/msw-surf-charts2.php?chart=1&res=500&type=wind&starttime=1273190400

I'm ever the optimist right, but that is quite possibly the worst mid May forecast Ive ever seen :-O

Let's just hope it's practising for Autumn

 

[mr.sim]

Bluethroat still showing well at Welney this morning despite the weather, also 11 Greenshank and a Wood Sandpiper.