Norfolk birding (3 Viewers)

[Reader]

Two Red Breasted Geese showing reasonably Snettisham RSPB this afternoon + pale bellied Brent Goose, 2 male Wheatears, 4 Shorelark and Willow Warbler singing in coastal park with 7 Chiffchaff.

Cheers, Connor

I was at Snettisham late yesterday afternoon trying yet again for the Black-eared Kite (and failed - yet again). As I was walking past the Rotary Hide I watched a flock of Brents take off and managed to photograph one of the R B Geese in flight. I didn't find the second one though.

John

 

[Reader]

Had good views of the drake Green Winged Teal :bounce: today at Titchwell from Parrinder hide till at least 2:00 pm. Little Gull, Cetti's Warbler and 4 Chiffchaffs also present.

Male Ring Ouzel reported back at Holme today in dunes near the golfcourse by the lone beach hut...

Connor

I was there from about 9am until mid-day. I was taking images of the G W Teal around the 10:30am time. Was you there then?

Here are a few images I managed of the G W Teal. The fourth image is of an Eurasian Teal. Apart from the obvious vertical stripe on the G W Teal also note the different facial pattern on both of them.

John

 

[Rob Smallwood]

I'm going to Norfolk tomorrow (Sunday) and plan to visit Snettisham in the morning hoping for the Black Kite in particular.

Recent sightings seem to have been from the far end near the silo.

Assuming it shows again in the same area is it best going to the main reserve car park and walking south, and roughly how long is the walk.

Would it be visible from beyond Wolferton if in the same area?

 

[SueBryan]

I'm going to Norfolk tomorrow (Sunday) and plan to visit Snettisham in the morning hoping for the Black Kite in particular.

Recent sightings seem to have been from the far end near the silo.

Assuming it shows again in the same area is it best going to the main reserve car park and walking south, and roughly how long is the walk.

Would it be visible from beyond Wolferton if in the same area?

Hi Rob
If you are wanting prolonged views you need to park in the RSPB car park and walk it! It is about one and a half miles to the pumping station. Luckily you can bird watch all the way and is probably your best bet for a sighting of it. The Red-breasted Geese have bee seen too.
If you have onlly limited time, it is being seen early morning from Wolferton cliff top which is only a short walk but you cannot guarantee a sighting from here. However this area is good for Wood Lark, Stonechat and with a little luck Goshawk.
Sue

 

[Reader]

I'm going to Norfolk tomorrow (Sunday) and plan to visit Snettisham in the morning hoping for the Black Kite in particular.

Recent sightings seem to have been from the far end near the silo.

Assuming it shows again in the same area is it best going to the main reserve car park and walking south, and roughly how long is the walk.

Would it be visible from beyond Wolferton if in the same area?

I stood by the pump house, where it had been sighted feeding in a field at 2pm yesterday. One thing I did notice was a church fairly high up and looking at the o/s map I would have thought it was the church at Wolferton. That looks to be really high up but whether you can see down onto Snettisham from I wouldn't know. If you can then it is in a lofty position and i would have thought that a lot of area could be watched from there.

Another place it has been seen on the odd occasion is Wooton Marshes but the more reliable site has to be the far end of Snettisham.

Good luck if you go for it. I missed it by 20 minutes yesterday.

John

 

[SueBryan]

Well done to the Norfolk Ornithological Association who opened Hempton Marsh (near Fakenham) today with new boardwalks and hides. Great to see another nature reserve up and running.
Sue :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Happisbirder]

Well done to the Norfolk Ornithological Association who opened Hempton Marsh (near Fakenham) today with new boardwalks and hides. Great to see another nature reserve up and running.
Sue :clap: :clap: :clap:

Always good news Sue. More info here...

http://www.noa.org.uk/Hempton Update.htm

No birding today, was at work this morning and afternoon spent in garden doing hedges, lawns, pruning/tidying etc. But not too tidy.

6 Redwings just down the lane on trip home from work.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

James

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Thanks Sue!

 

[Penny Clarke]

Birding at Flitcham, NOA Hempton Marsh, New Reserve and Holme

Bird of the day - my 2nd wheatear

Started at Flitcham at 9am, 2 stock dove, egyptian geese, greylags, canadas, wren, robin, blackbird, mute swan, greenfinches, chaffinches, linnets, redwings, lapwings, 1 song thrush, shelduck, coot, moorhen, red legged partridge, black headed gulls, great tit - no sign of little owls, the oak tree was totally in overcast at this time, lots of jackdaws, and pair of mute swans in courtship. A coot collecting nesting material going backwards and forwards across the water.

Arrived at NOA's New reserve at Hempton at 10am meeting a friend in the carpark (see NOA website for directions etc, free for members and £3.00 permit for visitors, 2 volunteer wardens there). Absolutely fantastic, very impressive. Boardwalk through marshes/river surrounded by old mature trees: willows, alder etc etc, a scrape hide and a woodland hide and a viewing platform, beautiful place and only 20 miles from me! Saw several marsh tits here, sparrow hawk and usual finches, plus long tailed tits, someone else had seen water rail and kingfisher earlier in the morning. Apparently they get willow tit here and also lesser spotted woodpeckers! It adjoins Sculthorpe Moore (Hawk and Owl Trust). Left here to go to Sculthorpe Moore - wrong time of day now though, for woodland stuff. Not much about apart from a pair of lovely bullfinches in the sunshine.

2.30pm - Drove to Holme next and a couple of hundred yards down the beach road just off A149 in the first horse paddock you come to on left, stopped here to look for a wheatear that my mother had seen first thing in the morning. Loads of redwings, about 100 at least were feeding on the field along with pied wagtails and 2 lovely yellowhammers, suddenly Pete (my birding pal) spotted the wheatear, fantastic this was my second this year (first on 17th March at Gore Point) - good little spot this horse meadow, always has been. Anyway carried on through village and along the Firs road saw a song thrush singing its heart. Went to Observatory for a while and then back to Hide on carpark as someone had reported a Jack Snipe!!! We couldn't see it, but did see a common snipe, 150 black headed gulls, 2 avocets, 2 pochard, 1 little egret, 20 brents, 2 tufted ducks 1 redshank, canada geese, ruddy duck. Walked back along the bank at HBO and saw a goldcrest flitting about. Left here, went back to mothers for chinwag and cup of tea and then to sunny hunny for chinese!! Another lovely day. I do wish it would warm up though!!!!!

Best Wishes Penny :girl:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Has nobody seen anything in Norfolk today??!!!!!

Just come back from work and looking forward to reading posts on here!!!!!


I have an excuse, have been at work all day!!!!!!

 

[Karl J]

7 Cranes N over Acle about 7.30 this morning

and about half hour before - 1 Barn Owl & 1 Marsh Harrier on Stokesby levels

 

[Connor Rand]

Red Kite went through Holme Village today, with it or (presumably) the same reported at Snettisham/Dersingham Bog. Sandwich Tern reported at Titchwell RSPB on the freshmarsh and later flying past on the beach although no sign of the Green Winged Teal. Told that Willow Warbler was still singing at Snettisham Coastal Park, Red Breasted Geese were still present at Snettisham RSPB and a male Hen Harrier was around. Unfortunately I didnt seen any of this :eek!: however, I did see this at Holme:

1 Redpoll west, 3 Siskins west, 3 Tree Sparrows west, 50 Linnets, 30 Greenfinch and 20 Goldfinch (finch movement was good :bounce: ) Also 10 Redwings, 10 Avocets, 17 Black Tailed Godwits and Common Snipe, 1 male Wheatear, 1 Short Eared Owl, 1 Merlin, 12 Goldcrest, 2 Reed Buntings, 3 Chiffchaff and a Fieldfare.

At Titchwell RSPB: 2 Spotted Redshanks, 2 Little Gulls, a cracking male Brambling and a Cetti's Warbler.

Connnor

 

[Penny Clarke]

1 Redpoll west, 3 Siskins west, 3 Tree Sparrows west, 50 Linnets, 30 Greenfinch and 20 Goldfinch (finch movement was good :bounce: ) Also 10 Redwings, 10 Avocets, 17 Black Tailed Godwits and Common Snipe, 1 male Wheatear, 1 Short Eared Owl, 1 Merlin, 12 Goldcrest, 2 Reed Buntings, 3 Chiffchaff and a Fieldfare.

At Titchwell RSPB: 2 Spotted Redshanks, 2 Little Gulls, a cracking male Brambling and a Cetti's Warbler.

Connnor

Sounds like you had a good day Connor :t:

 

[Happisbirder]

Quite chilly on the coast here this afternoon but glorious sunshine. Thrushes evident with two meadows holding Redwing and Fieldfares; 6 & 2 respectively at the end of my lane and c.80 & 10 just into East Ruston parish.

James

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell today

Not quite there with spring yet - it looked nice from the office but there still was a biting NE wind although there was a few signs of spring through.

6-8 sand martins through and now loads of chiffchaffs singing. Highlights today included coal tit on the feeders and at least 2 singing bramblings around the centre (1st time I have heard them in the UK). No sign of the GW teal since Friday although it has been mobile and elusive so could be still about somewhere. Over 120 avocets now present with the 1st pairs nest scraping, 2 adult med and 2 1st winter little gulls around the reserve.

Had the red kite over my house yesterday while having lunch which was a nice addition to the house list

Paul

 

[Penny Clarke]

After Work Twitch For Serin!!!!! (Dipped!) Plus weird thing in sky!!!!

A friend informed me that a female Serin had been seen at Heacham South Beach today, so left off work dead on 5pm, flew home, grabbed scope and bins and got down to Heacham carpark just after 6pm (turning into a bl**dy twitcher now!!!)

After parking car, spoke to another birder called 'Mark' who first found it as a 'possible' this morning. Someone later confirmed it and after speaking to other birders there, don't think it has been seen since 2.15pm. Someone else had seen 2 female black redstarts and a wheatear.

Started walking between the chalets, along private road, west of carpark, loads of linnets and pied wagtails, 2 mistle thrushes, a robin, blackbirds, meadow pipits. Freezing cold!!!

I then saw something really, really weird I was looking back over to chalets on left (inland) and a white blob type thing (no I have not been drinking and fairly mentally stable!!!!) with a tail suddenely came into my vision, high in sky and plumpted down to earth, disintigrating just before landing. Goodness knows what that was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps David (BF Tranquilty Base) will be able to help me out here please?

Got as far as green chalet (last one, surrounded by buckthorn) where it was first seen and a stonechat popped out! Walked back along dune path for short distance, watching about 60 oystercatchers fly in and land on the shore on the incoming tide. I then walked back along path through chalets, walked up main beach path (carpark) and then back again along dune path, behind chalets - it paid off, as I saw the wheatear (my 3rd this year!) near the chalet which was two tone blue. Continuing along the dune path I saw 2 sanderling, 6 turnstone and 3 grey plover with 9 purple sandpipers!!! foraging amongst the seaweed - beautiful. Turned back again at end of chalets and walked again along path between chalets back to carpark. Almost at the last chalet I saw 1 female black redstart!!!!! And a hedgesparrow rounded it off as I got in car at 7.45pm

Best Wishes Penny :girl:

 

[teamsaint]

yesterday was April 1st Penny Still desperate for my first Wheatears, hopefully these dreadful winds will stop and then they'll be pouring through.

 

[postcardcv]

according to birdguides the female serin is at Heacham again this morning... anyone know what the ground is like there, how easy would it be with a pushchair?

 

[SueBryan]

yesterday was April 1st Penny Still desperate for my first Wheatears, hopefully these dreadful winds will stop and then they'll be pouring through.

I spent several hours at the green chalet and beach area yesterday looking for the Serin. The statement 'showing well' is just a little over optimistic to say the least. The green chalet is the old toilet block at the old campsite and is an excellent place to look for Ring Ouzel in the coming weeks. It is also good for Linnet and Wheaters (Northern first and later on Greenland)
Sue

 

[SueBryan]

according to birdguides the female serin is at Heacham again this morning... anyone know what the ground is like there, how easy would it be with a pushchair?

Once you have navigated the first part of the sandy track from the car parking area by the seafront (you may need help on this bit) by the chalets (about 100m) you will be fine, as once through this bit you will be on hard track followed by hard grass. (about 1/2 mile walk)
Sue