Norfolk birding (2 Viewers)

[O.Reville1989]

Grey Partridge and Turtle Dove this evening with Jonny P.
Also the Marsh Harrier pair near by have returned.

 

[Johny121]

Montagu's Harrier, Grey Partridge and Turtle Dove this evening with Jonny P.
Also the Marsh Harrier pair near by have returned.

Barn owl too

 

[Brian2]

Jealous of those Turtle Doves in the garden....still I suppose I should be happy with my garden list even if it doesn't include Turtle doves and the thought of you hearing their song every morning makes it no easier....well done you.
Nice visit to Winterton today to spend some time with the Little Terns (from a respectful distance of course) Great to see them coming and going and doing so well.
Norfolk is a couple of hours form home in Essex but always worth the trip


briansbirding.blogspot.co.uk

 

[Lightthiscandle]

I need to get out more!
I'm part way through a garden bird list with photos taken from the garden!
http://birdsoftheheath.blogspot.co.uk/p/photographic-garden-bird-list.html

 

[Alison Allen]

Hey all,
With the recent plan of Defra to cull UK Buzzards I thought I would make you all aware of something myself and Johny Diego Prochera found this afternoon in Norfolk.
I have posted on my blog about our finding of an undamaged dead Chicken on the edge of a field in an area where Pheasants and Partridges are being fed for shooting.
My views on this situation and the full details are on my blog.
Please read and raise awareness of the hideous lengths British farmers are still going to.
Thank you

http://dippedconnection.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/post-work-birding/

Oliver. I'm a farmer. I find your post deeply insulting. Apart from the fact you have yet to have any proof the chicken has been poisoned, you have no right to tar all farmers with the same brush when poisonings on farmland are isolated incidents. I think an apology is in order.
Alison

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Crossbills at Strumpshaw

I found seven Crossbills at Strumpshaw this evening, just as I was about to leave. They were feeding right at the top of the tall conifers in the woods near the Reception and they looked stunning in the evening sunlight. The photos are not great as it was a bit of a stretch for my lens.

Ron

 

[Tideliner]

Oliver , cases of posioned baits raptors in Norfolk unlike many other parts of the country are rare. You should know that proof is needed before claiming this. You took the right course of acrion in reporting it to the police and let them deal with it.


However you should be aware that the dumping of unwanted pet chickens is quite common in Norfolk , though their survival rate is nil in the wild.


I have had about 25 dumped by the reserve in the past few years. Some have persisted for a month or so , but most die within a week. I would not be surprised if such a bird wandering would be attracted to pheasant food. As for its death if by the hand of man it would probably have a broken neck or at the least head damage from a blow. Given yesterdays wet cold weather i would have thought this might be a more likely cause of death.

 

[Johny121]

Hi Tideliner, these ideas have run through our minds, I'm apparently going to be contacted by a wildlife liaison officer tomorrow who I can discuss this incident with further, personally as sad as the dumping of chickens is to me I hope it is this and not the deliberate poisoning. Oli and myself will gladly let anyone interested know the outcome!

Kind regards,

Johny

 

[Lightthiscandle]

The photos are not great as it was a bit of a stretch for my lens.

Ron

On the contrary, Ron: the photos are terrific! Well done! Fabulous find!
David

 

[Alison Allen]

Hey all,

Please read and raise awareness of the hideous lengths British farmers are still going to.

I don't see you qualifying your statement here. It says "British farmers" which to me implies all of us. There is obviously the odd bad apple but the vast majority of farmers I speak to around here appreciate the wildlife on their land even if they don't know a lot about it. Marsh Harriers, Hobbys and Buzzards have all increased hugely on the farmland around here in the last 10 years, and a lot of that land is part of a large shooting estate.

Alison

 

[Johny121]

On the contrary, Ron: the photos are terrific! Well done! Fabulous find!
David

Agreed! no need for such modesty, great pics

 

[jimbob]

Hey all,
With the recent plan of Defra to cull UK Buzzards I thought I would make you all aware of something myself and Johny Diego Prochera found this afternoon in Norfolk.
I have posted on my blog about our finding of an undamaged dead Chicken on the edge of a field in an area where Pheasants and Partridges are being fed for shooting.
My views on this situation and the full details are on my blog.
Please read and raise awareness of the hideous lengths British farmers are still going to.
Thank you

http://dippedconnection.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/post-work-birding/

Oliver,
first of all I applaud your enthusiasm and wish to do the right thing, which you have done in reporting this. However, I do agree with Alison in that your post could be suggesting that you believe all British farmers are culpable. Perhaps rephrasing your words to "the lengths a minority of British farmers MAY be going to" would have been more appropriate. If I had little knowledge of farming practise in Britain and read your post on the thread, one could (wrongly) assume that this sort of thing is commonplace. As yet, you have no evidence either way. From a farming family myself, folk I know in the business encourage biodiversity on their land.

It is always great to hear your reports out and about in Norfolk, but as Chris Mills has said on your blog, some discretion is advised when dealing with certain species. Clearly you recognise this as the species in question has been removed from your post, but remains in the reply from Johny. Hey, no hard feelings here, but some sinister sods no doubt trawl the net for any evidence of rare breeders. Best not to give them a head start.

Keep at it in the field, and I look forward to your next report.

Cheers,
Jim.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Thanks for the comments on my photos David and Johnny.

Does anybody know what kind of tree it is? Those cones look fantastic and I could almost fancy one myself - a bit like corn on the cob. I am sure many birds will find them irresistible.

I have been enjoying watching the Spotted Flycatchers in the woods over the past few days but when I arrived this morning I was surprised to find a special Jubilee event taking place at that very spot, with lots of activity taking place. I didn't see the Flycatchers there at all today but hopefully they will return. I did, however, see one on the wires by one of the cottages on the Buckenham road.

Ron

 

[Penny Clarke]

Whilst photographing greenfinches, goldfinches and a pied wagtail drinking from a large puddle on the edge of a field high on the Brancaster to Docking road, where I could see the whole coastline, 4 White Storks passed by me by I see, when I just looked at RBA!!!!:eek!:

Full update on blog.

Penny:girl:

 

[C B Allen]

It would be easy to argue about interpretation but I understand where you are coming from.
I apologise for making you think I meant ALL British farmers, it was not meant as such.
I will edit my post so that it is clarified, blaming heat of the moment for any offence caused.
Apologies again
Oli

Oliver, I've read your slightly updated comments on BF. And the (presumably) somewhat less amended comments on your blog - I must remember that most dead rabbits, pheasants, chickens, corvids, deer etc, I find without obvious injuries have probably been laid out as poisoned baits ... and that the adjoining landowner deserves to be hung from the nearest tree!! Whilst I commend your enthusiasm (too sad that there seem so few active young birders these days), perhaps you might occasionally count to ten before typing as you do seem to feel the need to express an opinion on everything whether or not you have anything meaningful to add ...

If - after scientific analysis - your dead chicken proves to have been poisoned I'll be only too happy to apologise for my scepticism and join in condemning the landowners action. In the mean time we'll continue to actively encourage all native wildlife on our land & encourage our neighbouring farmers to continue to do likewise.

Chris A.

PS. Glad to see you finally ticked Wood Warbler - albeit in Wales -recently ... we all make mistakes

 

[ben_lewis]

I was surprised to find a special Jubilee event taking place at that very spot, with lots of activity taking place. I didn't see the Flycatchers there at all today but hopefully they will return.

Ron

Hi Ron,
Nice one on the photos of the crossbills, I heard one at lunch time in the pines but failed to track it down. Up to 20 flew over my house (Brundall) during the week so there may be a few more around somewhere. The tree is a Norway Spruce, planted many years ago for harvesting by the estate.

I understand your concern for the event in the Spotted Flycatcher spot, this clearing is our education area so twice a week there are up to 30 kids in this area learning about the outside world. The SF's seem to be ok with it as the education events have been occurring since before the SF's arrived, I have found them to become quite habituated to human activity in the past. They return after each school visit at least. I suspect (hope) they will nest nearby but are using that area just to hunt.
Keep on enjoying Strumpshaw, its in full bloom at the moment!

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Thanks Ben. That is very reassuring to hear. I have just remembered that a couple of years ago they nested at the Reception, so they must have become used to human activity. As you say, Strumpshaw looks magnificent at the moment (or any other time, come to that.)

Ron

 

[Shaky09]

Thanks for your very kind comments, guys! Let me know if I get boring....

We've lived here for 16 years or so and it's taken that long to
a) Get the planting right
b) Develop a feeding strategy.

Linda puts out £30-worth of food a week: OK, we get the odd rat, but the visiting bird population has steadily increased each year. Also, the borders are full of Centranthus, Achillea, Sweet Williams , Lupins etc that attract insects....
But I reckon you're doing really well for an urban garden Shaky: don't give up - one day you'll look out and see a Waxwing!

Well funny u should say that but I did have a couple of waxwings in the tree about 5 houses down from me last year but as hard as I tried to lure them they wouldn't come to my berries held in my hand! Me and baby george were greeted to not just the usual pair of gold finches this morning but a whole family! 3 young were resting in the hedge tops
watching mum and dad tuck in to the feeders. Very nice way to start the day.
And as for the pictures .....keep em coming, u can never get bored of the sight of a turtle dove
Shaky

 

[Locostella]

On a serious note, stereotypes of British farming can be a very negative ones. As it can with other industries like: the racially intolerable (police), Perverts (Catholic Chruch), the overpaid (British Nurses), the professional poker players and bacon sandwich makers (Fire service) and not of course forgetting, the greasy, disgusting excuses for bi-pedal primates (the McDonalds staff).

As you can see I have bracketed the more bearded lefty terminology, I'd hate to upset any of the soap dodgers (Hippies)

This ground breaking trailer for a soon to be released documentary says more than my ill informed words ever could. A powerful, moving piece from the BBC as I am sure you will all agree. Maybe after this short clip some people will think twice before labelling them all with the same brush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDTiFkXgEE (strong language throughout)

"I ride with the Hassett, and if there is one thing I have learned, you don't hassle him"

 

[O.Reville1989]

http://raptorpersecutionscotland.wo...-firearms-offences-at-holkham-estate-norfolk/

Just incase anyone needs reminding why reporting suspect carrion such as the one found yesterday by myself and Johny Prochera is so important this article should clarify it.
In hindsight I should have just posted this article as my evidence for being concerned about what we found yesterday.
Until evidence comes to light, if it does, I will leave this topic for now so as not to disrupt harmony in the forum.