Norfolk birding (3 Viewers)

[Leigh Caudwell]

Does anyone know if the snow bunts are performing at Salthouse this winter? I fancy getting out birding tomorrow and might start there.

They were active up and down the beach at Cley on the 8th Jan. I think about 30 were seen together by others, I saw a dozen or so, feeding frenzy a few hundred yards west of the beach car park.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leighcaudwell/6661056741/

 

[ornithom]

Had a brilliant day out in Norfolk yesterday (11th Jan). Group of 13 Snow Buntings at Hunstanton Clifftop car park plus Common Scoter on the sea. Titchwell's Arctic Redpoll showed for us, along with Long-tailed Duck and Merganser on the sea, hundreds of Golden Plover and brief views of the Ross's Goose flying over. Didn't quite find the Shore Lark/Rough Legged Buzzard at Holkham nor the Western Sand at Cley but the roost at Stubb Mill had Barn Owl, 3 Cranes on the deck, Marsh Harrier and Woodcock. Plus some Winter Moths on the return in the torch light.

Just wished to say thanks to those that we met particularly at Stubb Mill viewpoint for pointing stuff out to us.

Regards

Steve T

 

[firstreesjohn]

Does anyone know if the snow bunts are performing at Salthouse this winter?

Although Peter has now answered his own question, I’ll say, for others’ benefit, that they are- but sporadically. It was nice to see him again, after a lengthy gap, and avail myself of the use of his mobile hide, from which the snaps below were taken.

Seed is not regularly being put down, so the birds are not habituated to, it seems, any kind of movement, whether in or out of cars. They are very flighty and can be seen at either western or eastern ends of Salthouse Beach car park, or further afield- but on the shingle !

There were about 20 today, with a couple of very white ones.

Wells Woods held a calling Chiffchaff and flash-past Firecrest- both hard by the Dell.

 

[dendroica]

Managed to get out for a few hours today. The adult Lesser White-front was giving acceptable views along with the Bean and White-fronts. Also had an amazing encounter with a Stoat which ran past my stationary vigil, totally oblivious of my presence and also saw three or four Chinese Water Deer as well as quite a few Hares.

After having my fill of geese, I popped to Ranworth area and on arrival at "The Malsters" I was both annoyed and gripped to hear that the Aytha flock had been flushed by an Otter (!) and all of the flock had returned minus the R-n Duck. Damn. A very helpful chap suggested that I might try the boardwalk to the old reserve centre. This I did, noting only a handful of Siskin and 3-4 Lesser Redpoll on the walk to the centre. Luckily the Ring-necked Duck was immediately located on the main broad and showed really well. Also two 'Ferruginous Ducks' in the channel which runs away from the centre. One of these was definately a hybrid (restricted and dirty white undertail), but the other one had large, brilliant white undertail and appeared ok-ish. However, they were both at the far end of the channel and I didn't get a good look at the bill or headshape and it soon faded away into the reeds. With that, it was time to depart for the school pick up.

 

[postcardcv]

Although Peter has now answered his own question, I’ll say, for others’ benefit, that they are- but sporadically. It was nice to see him again, after a lengthy gap, and avail myself of the use of his mobile hide, from which the snaps below were taken.

Seed is not regularly being put down, so the birds are not habituated to, it seems, any kind of movement, whether in or out of cars. They are very flighty and can be seen at either western or eastern ends of Salthouse Beach car park, or further afield- but on the shingle !

Good to see you down there today John. The flock really was very different to previous years - very mobile and very flighty... in the three hours I was there I had them in close for a total of ~4 minutes and they were flushed by cars, dogs, people, gulls and turnstones! Definitely not the easy target they were over the last few years but still gettable.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell January 13th

Today’s highlights

Coues’s arctic redpoll – still present
Mealy redpoll – 1 present
Common crane – 8 reported over the reserve @ 13:00, no direction given
Red crested pochard – (returning?) pair on fresh marsh then in reedbed
Mandarin – female on fresh marsh
Bittern – 1 over reedbed
Pochard - 94 on fresh marsh was a reserve record by 1!
Spotted redshank - 6 on saltmarsh
Barn owl - 1 hunting grazing marsh
Chinese water deer - 1 (damaged ear) feeding on saltmarsh at dusk

Paul

 

[Leigh Caudwell]

Good to see you down there today John. The flock really was very different to previous years - very mobile and very flighty... in the three hours I was there I had them in close for a total of ~4 minutes and they were flushed by cars, dogs, people, gulls and turnstones! Definitely not the easy target they were over the last few years but still gettable.

Nice pics there!

 

[john miller]

Although Peter has now answered his own question, I’ll say, for others’ benefit, that they are- but sporadically. It was nice to see him again, after a lengthy gap, and avail myself of the use of his mobile hide, from which the snaps below were taken.

Seed is not regularly being put down, so the birds are not habituated to, it seems, any kind of movement, whether in or out of cars. They are very flighty and can be seen at either western or eastern ends of Salthouse Beach car park, or further afield- but on the shingle !

There were about 20 today, with a couple of very white ones.

Wells Woods held a calling Chiffchaff and flash-past Firecrest- both hard by the Dell.

Sorry John, but seed has been put down regularly since before Christmas, when the first birds started to appear. Presume there has been so much natural food on the shingle, that seed put out at various times since end of Oct has failed to attract them. If they behave as in past years they will be getting tame in a week or so, often feeding within feet of people at the coffee van.

John



t birds started to appear. Numbers have only increased in the last week

 

[firstreesjohn]

often feeding within feet of people at the coffee van.

I sincerely hope not ! You're not saying that Julian's customers are in some state of decay ?

Seriously, I wasn't aware that this was being done, since the birds were not giving this impression.

Their habituation and increasing tameness will be most welcome and I hope it will be seed soonest.

 

[Mark Batten]

Get them nice and tame so i can come and get some shots.

 

[Yashca]

Thanks to all the information given a couple of days ago. Unfortunately the two people I had planned to go with both had to pull out, so we have rescheduled for next weekend. Hoping the Lesser White-Front sticks, and maybe a few new things will pop up. I may post nearer the time with any queries, and will post a review of my trip when it is over.

 

[FOOON]

Glaucous Gull, Sheringham, jiv flew past Crown Pub @1235, briefly on outflow on east promenade before flying west.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell January 14th

Today’s highlights

Coues’s arctic redpoll – 1 still present showing well at times feeding on the ground
Common crane – 2 reported west @ ca10:30
Black throated diver – 1 offshore
Long tailed duck – 4 offshore
Red crested pochard – pair on fresh marsh
Mandarin – female on fresh marsh
Pochard - 103 on fresh marsh, reserve record
Hen harrier – male over reedbed early morning, then over saltmarsh at dusk
Snow bunting - 60 on beach
Brent goose - large movement in from the NE this morning and into the Wash. At least 3000 birds in a couple of hours
Golden plover - 1400 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[firstreesjohn]

Day Z ! To be said the American way.

A flock of at least 100 very flighty Chaffinches, accompanied by around 10 similar Bramblings and a few Yellowhammers, inhabited the south-western edge of Holt Lowes today. A dog person strode through and they all dispersed to the treetops, for what seemed like a geological age. My first daisy of the year was by the small, southern pond.

Between Holt and Cley, there were dozens more on the mown verge by the sign to Bayfield Brecks. I also saw several isolated stalks of Ragwort flowering near here.

 

[stuart white]

We had an amazing day today, started at Fakenham where the GREAT GREY SHRIKE duly obliged.
Moving on to Holkham/Burnham Overy, several 1000 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Tundra Bean Geese, 4 Shorelarks, 2 Firecrests showed well in the holm oaks, Chiffchaff, ROSS'S GOOSE, c200 White-fronted Geese, 8 Barnacle Geese & 2 Lapland Buntings in flight.
Titchwell produced the ARCTIC REDPOLL with Lesser Redpolls, Water Rail, 2 Red-crested Pochards, 4 Long-tailed Ducks, Black-throated Diver & Slavonian Grebe.
Thornham/Home marshes held 4 Barn Owls and we found a ROUGH LEGGED BUZZARD late afternoon.
To finish the day at a site in central Norfolk we had close views of a hunting LONG-EARED OWL.
Don’t you just love Norfolk !

 

[Penny Clarke]

Nice Short-eared Owl hunting on the west side of Titchwell RSPB main path at 4.45pm.

Full update on blog.

Penny:girl:

 

[firstreesjohn]

Gorillas at Holkham

As I walked north along the boardwalk from Lady Anne’s Drive at Holkham, I saw 4 Gorillas coming towards me. This was a world and, obviously, site tick.

They were carrying some sort of high tech box (sound system, perhaps) and, when questioned, confirmed they were not Black Bears. (I hadn’t been quite sure.) I didn’t ask them what they were doing there, but they gave the appearance of being students and were, of course, in costume.

I’d thought they might’ve had something to do with the Archbishop of Canterbury (well, he is the Primate of All England), but did not ape my actions with the 4 Shorelarks and did not photograph them.

When I left the car, there was bright sun. Inevitably, when I started larking about with the camera, it was dull and grey. Typically, too, I heard them first, but just couldn’t see them. Went to alert some others and we flushed them- from close under our feet.

I didn’t get a sniff of the Firecrest, but it had been heard about 15 minutes before I arrived.

A Peregrine perched distantly.

 

[Dave Appleton]

...at Holkham, I saw 4 Gorillas coming towards me... They... confirmed they were not Black Bears. (I hadn’t been quite sure.)

Don't be daft John. You should have bee quite sure - you don't get Black Bears at Holkham.

 

[JamesA]

A nice mixed flock at Holkham on Saturday, around the holme oaks by the top of Lady Anne's, contained a firecrest, 3 chiffchaffs and, oddly, a willow warbler. Never called, but looked spot on. Good comparisons with the chiffchaffs. A few people saw it. Not heard of wintering willow warblers before but I think I'd heard something about this one, though I can't remember where...

As well as all the other stuff as already mentioned on here we also had a rough-legged buzzard west at Burnham Deepdale early morning.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

A nice mixed flock at Holkham on Saturday, around the holme oaks by the top of Lady Anne's, contained a firecrest, 3 chiffchaffs and, oddly, a willow warbler. Never called, but looked spot on. Good comparisons with the chiffchaffs. A few people saw it. Not heard of wintering willow warblers before but I think I'd heard something about this one, though I can't remember where...

This one?
http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2329694&postcount=14661

Ron