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Norfolk birding (56 Viewers)

Thanks Stuart for the reminders of the key features. Have no chance of getting over in the next few days but ID reminders are always useful especially when one reaches a certain age!

Hugh
 
Titchwell November 10th

Today’s highlights

Yellow browed warbler – 1 on Meadow Trail, now been present for a month
Hen harrier – male and ringtail to roost
Marsh harrier – 13 to roost
Spoonbill – 2 on fresh marsh

Paul
 
No Sign of the melodious this afternoon, last seen c9.30am. Just 3 Waxwings, chiffchaff and a lovely male Black Redstart.

A friend saw a Common Whitethroat at waxham this afternoon, just checking the last 3 bird reports its the latest by at least a month ?!
 
No Sign of the melodious this afternoon, last seen c9.30am. Just 3 Waxwings, chiffchaff and a lovely male Black Redstart.

A friend saw a Common Whitethroat at waxham this afternoon, just checking the last 3 bird reports its the latest by at least a month ?!

Per 'The Birds of Norfolk' by 1998 only 2 November records - Marham Fen 16th November 1968 and Horsey 10th November 1987. One Feb record (at Scratby).

Anyone manage any photos of the Hume's today? - if anyone knows please post or PM me.

Atb,
 
Evening all,

Does anyone have any information on the Desert Wheatear reported today?

Kieran,

male showing fairly well until dusk on the beach at Thornham harbour. Park in Thornham harbour carpark. Bird was at the east end of the dune system that runs from the Holme direction along the tideline.

Best bet for access it to walk back along the coastal path towards Holme and walk onto the beach over the dunes or at the Firs.

Atb,
 
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Kieran,

male showing fairly well until dusk on the beach at Thornham harbour. Park in Thornham harbour carpark. Bird was at the east end of the dune system that runs from the Holme direction along the tideline.

Best bet for access it to walk back along the coastal path towards Holme and walk onto the beach over the dunes or at the Firs.

Atb,

Thanks Con,

From what I can see from the weather forecast, cloud is building through the night. Be nice if it sticks.

Kieran
 
Contender for 'least likely bird to be found at a twitch': Golden Pheasant, Happisburgh Cricket field. Reported from earlier today, per RBA.
Cheers,
Jim.
 
Visited today and met the helpful chap Tractorboy69, saw either a YBW or a HLW and got this shot

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leighcaudwell/6330928653/in/photostream

Light at the scene was difficult and only a fleeting glimpse so definitive ID not yet set.

Leigh, it's a shame the light was so poor but not a bad shot. I would favour YBW over Hume's as it's got a fairly prominent median covert bar and yellow wash to the face and vent sides. Hard to be sure 100% sure though. Was it calling?
James
 
I was with the couple who 1st spotted the Golden Pheasant & saw it myself & reported it 2 RBA

I also saw what I assume was the same bird this morning, in the driveway to Thatchers, while dipping on the Melodious Warbler (I had to leave for work at 8.00 am, it was first seen this morning at 8.05 - typical! Mind you there was only me looking up to about 7.45 - a big area for one pair of eyes, an elusive bird and not much time).

Anyway... the Golden Pheasant... it shows a few anomalies for pure Golden Pheasant so I assume it's a hybrid with Lady Amherst's Pheasant (probably backcrossed with Golden Pheasant). Firstly and most obviously the ruff is too white, as it would be on Lady Amherst's Pheasant (orange on Golden Pheasant). Secondly the legs appear greyish (as in Lady A's) rather than yellow (as in Golden). The crown is also paler yellow than is normal for Golden Pheasant, though I'm not sure why that would be as hybrids usually show a redder crown - maybe there is another explanation for the anomalies other than it being a hybrid?

. A couple of pretty rubbish photos of this bird on my website.

I might have another go for the Melodious in the morning but will have to leave even earlier. Failing that I'll be hoping it stays until Saturday. Not just a Norfolk mega but a UK bogey for me.
 
Visited today and met the helpful chap Tractorboy69, saw either a YBW or a HLW and got this shot

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leighcaudwell/6330928653/in/photostream

Light at the scene was difficult and only a fleeting glimpse so definitive ID not yet set.

Difficult to tell from the pic. Seems to show pale cheeks, good for Hume's, as well as dark legs & bill, but median wingbar seems quite strong for that species. Was the bird calling? How was it behaving?

I'd be interested in seeing any other pics of the Hume's. I was unable to get shots of the bird I found on Tues at Bawdsey.There was a Yellow-Browed in the same area today, but behaving quite differently to the Hume's. I also failed to get shots of that too!

EDIT I initially viewed the photo on my phone and so everything looked darker. As James says the 'tweaked' version of the photo seems to show a Yellow-browed.
 
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Leigh, it's a shame the light was so poor but not a bad shot. I would favour YBW over Hume's as it's got a fairly prominent median covert bar and yellow wash to the face and vent sides. Hard to be sure 100% sure though. Was it calling?
James

I didn't hear anything nor did Tractorboy if I recall, to be honest, my very limited, only recently started photographing birds knowledge, means I can just about tell a duck from a dunnock !

Difficult to tell from the pic. Seems to show pale cheeks, good for Hume's, as well as dark legs & bill, but median wingbar seems quite strong for that species. Was the bird calling? How was it behaving?

I'd be interested in seeing any other pics of the Hume's. I was unable to get shots of the bird I found on Tues at Bawdsey.There was a Yellow-Browed in the same area today, but behaving quite differently to the Hume's.

I'm sure Tractorboy will be able to give you a much more meaningful report than I could, didn't get any other shots where the bird was visible due to twigs and bits of leaves being just in wrong place for the other shots I tried for, no time to choose better positions.
 
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Per 'The Birds of Norfolk' by 1998 only 2 November records - Marham Fen 16th November 1968 and Horsey 10th November 1987. One Feb record (at Scratby). Anyone manage any photos of the Hume's today? - if anyone knows please post or PM me. Atb,

Connor,
I can remember the mild interest (by today's standards) raised by the identification of a Common Whitethroat at Welney about 25 years ago on or around 7-8 December, but sharp frosts over the next few days put paid to it. I didn't discover the bird, but was shown it by some birders from Norfolk; they mentioned it had been around for some time. It was in the bushes behind the old tea-room.

Obviously the discoverers hadn't sent in their record to the then County Recorder, but I wonder if it was mentioned in the old small-format book published by the Castle Museum?.

That was long before the modern buildings, of course when you had to keep wiping the condensation off the windows!
MJB
 
The Golden Pheasant has been in the garden at 'Thatchers' for a few years now and can often be heard calling unseen from the leafy depths. When I first heard about it (2007/2008?) it had been seen about a mile or so further south so perhaps it's a bird that has wandered in from a collection somewhere...

James
 

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