Norfolk birding (11 Viewers)

[Touche]

The British Marine Life Study Society website is an excellent resource for those with an interest in oceanic extralimitals.

The chronology of UK Swordfish records is intriguing. The nearest I could find to Norfolk was a 3m specimen washed up on the Lincs coast in 2001.

Cheers, Rob.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Lets hope there is never a cure for AID's found in east Norfolk, it would never get out.

Regards, Kieran

Yea...about that......:t:

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 11th

Today’s highlights

Snow bunting – 1 east along beach
Med gull – 1 on fresh marsh
Brambling – 5+ on feeders

20,000 mixed gulls on beach at moment feeding on razorshell wreck

Paul

 

[Stratton Birder]

Three Waxwings in Norwich at the Hall Road, Sandy Lane Junction by Homebase this morning.

 

[stuart white]

Today’s highlights

Snow bunting – 1 east along beach
Med gull – 1 on fresh marsh
Brambling – 5+ on feeders

20,000 mixed gulls on beach at moment feeding on razorshell wreck

Paul

Any franklin's in there !

 

[RobLucking]

A colleague photographed a swordfish on the beach between Snettisham and Heacham a couple of weeks ago, probably after the Holkham specimen.

 

[DavidNorfolk]

The general belief in marine biology/climatology is that we are going to expect more sightings of these tropical/sub-tropical species around British waters at the expense of our traditional temperate species which contiunue to head north. I still regard my best ever Cley sighting as a young basking Sunfish just a few metres off the shoreline at the end of the East Bank c. 10 years ago. I've since spoken to people involved in marine surveys and they tell me, although unusual, these sightings are fairly regular these days around our coasts - more so the south and west coasts but increasing northwards and the east. Exciting on one hand but somewhat alarming on the other if the trend continues...

 

[Penny Clarke]

The general belief in marine biology/climatology is that we are going to expect more sightings of these tropical/sub-tropical species around British waters at the expense of our traditional temperate species which contiunue to head north. I still regard my best ever Cley sighting as a young basking Sunfish just a few metres off the shoreline at the end of the East Bank c. 10 years ago. I've since spoken to people involved in marine surveys and they tell me, although unusual, these sightings are fairly regular these days around our coasts - more so the south and west coasts but increasing northwards and the east. Exciting on one hand but somewhat alarming on the other if the trend continues...

When my sisters and I went shrimp netting with father at Holme we used to catch seahorses fairly regularly - obviously put them straight back, but remember how exciting it was when we caught one! This was approximately 38 years ago!

Penny:girl:

 

[PYRTLE]

Probably a cold weather movement bought a family party (7) of whooper swans to Pat's Pool,Cley along with at least one scaup I'm told.Also water rail and 2,000 pinkfeet at dawn. Marvellous

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 12th

Today’s highlights

Waxwing – 11 west @ 10:45, 2 briefly on East Trail @ 15:00 then flew west
Whooper swan – 2 west @ 09:45, 5 west @ 14:30
Bewick’s swan – 14 west @ 11:30, 2 west @ 13:30
Glaucous/Iceland gull – 1 reported from beach but not identified to definite species
Med gull – 5 on beach
Goosander – drake east over fresh marsh
Hen harrier – 1+ ringtail at roost
Red crested pochard – female on Patsy’s reedbed
Snow bunting – 27 on beach

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Any franklin's in there !

Who knows mate, not had chance look myself yet... White winger reported today but not ID'd to species and upto 6 meds about

Paul

 

[stuart white]

The broads

A freeezing day in the broads proved very prodcutive

Strumpshaw - lots of ice, a Water Pipit, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch & 2 redpolls.
Buckenham - 65 Taiga Bean Geese (2 with neck collars) & Cetti's Warbler + Short-eared Owl & Barn Owl over towards rockland
Horsey mill - c1000 Pink-feet
Sea Palling - Velvet Scoter with 200+ Common Scoter (all female & a few juvs)
Hickling roost - 3 Merlins, male Hen Harrier, 40+ Marsh Harrier, 2 Barn Owls, Short-eared Owl, 500+ Pink-feet, Kingfisher & finished with 4 Cranes.
Lovely !

 

[Redbridge]

A freeezing day in the broads proved very prodcutive

Strumpshaw - lots of ice, a Water Pipit, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch & 2 redpolls.
Buckenham - 65 Taiga Bean Geese (2 with neck collars) & Cetti's Warbler + Short-eared Owl & Barn Owl over towards rockland
Horsey mill - c1000 Pink-feet
Sea Palling - Velvet Scoter with 200+ Common Scoter (all female & a few juvs)
Hickling roost - 3 Merlins, male Hen Harrier, 40+ Marsh Harrier, 2 Barn Owls, Short-eared Owl, 500+ Pink-feet, Kingfisher & finished with 4 Cranes.
Lovely !

Wow, that Hicking roost is excellent.

 

[DavidNorfolk]

Probably a cold weather movement bought a family party (7) of whooper swans to Pat's Pool,Cley along with at least one scaup I'm told.Also water rail and 2,000 pinkfeet at dawn. Marvellous

That must have been the same 7 Whoopers I had fly over me at Salthouse then around 11:30.

I've been trying for Shorelark for the past few weeks but not caught up with any. Has anyone else had them recently?

 

[MICK SAUNT]

Colour-ringed Stonechat
Sparkling male Stonechat along coast path at Sheringham BO on Saturday with the obligatory decorations. Green over metal on right leg and yellow over black on left - an itinerant from Salthouse/Kelling or a refugee from Weybourne?

Mick

 

[Robert S J Smith]

Lift wanted: Buff-bellied Pipit

Anyone heading out from West Norfolk tomorrow for the buff-bellied pipit? Would of coarse be willing to share fuel costs!

All the best,

Rob

 

[Nick Moran]

Black-bellied Dipper on the River Thet showed very well again today during my lunch break.

No sign in Thetford since then (6/12), despite a steady stream of dippers to the bridge by The Bridge... and now there's a bird at Narborough! Will be interesting to see if the Thetford bird reappears and/or if photos of the Narborough one surface that are good enough to determine whether or not they're one and the same.

With James' Ring-neck still fresh in my mind and the recalling of a conversation I had with David Norgate about keeping tabs on the Marlingford Wigeon flock after the presence of last winters Yank, I headed over. Small groups of Wigeon were present in the same field (south of the Bawburgh road leading into Marlingford) that hosted the the Great white Egret and American Wigeon last year. Quickly a drake American Wigeon was found, on water just east of the dirt track. The bird was with five Eurasians, but the small group soon flew to join a larger group towards the south east corner.

Tried and failed for the American Wigeon on Tuesday morning, though I didn't really know where to look (and much of the floodwater was frozen). Is the 'farm track' that keeps being mentioned the one that runs south towards Algarsthorpe Farm from the minor road at TG139092? If so, the sign on the gate reads 'Private'... what's the deal, please?

Also tried and failed for the Whitlingham Ring-necked Duck, though I did see a female Pochard(-type) with the best approximation to a Ring-necked Duck face pattern that I've ever seen! I realise James's was the real deal but it's worth keeping this bird in mind if you're looking for the Ring-necked Duck - it certainly had me thinking positive thoughts for a few seconds. It also appeared to prefer its own company and behaved more furtively than the other Pochards, though I know that's almost certainly subjective/inadmissible!

On Salthouse Heath, the fungus (pictured below) attracted my attention. It seems to resemble most closely Guepiniopsis buccina (looking in my newly-acquired ID guide), but that’s probably wrong- as it’s “very seldom recorded.” (James: to the rescue!)

To my knowledge Guepiniopsis buccina hasn't been found in Norfolk, although it does look similar to your picture. I'm pretty sure that this fungus is the Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica). It is starting to go over, hence the orange colour at the edges. It is typically found in late autumn on gorse, so that fits.

That would tie in with my recent observation of 'Yellow Brain Fungus': http://www.ispot.org.uk/node/306676

 

[David Norgate]

Tried and failed for the American Wigeon on Tuesday morning, though I didn't really know where to look (and much of the floodwater was frozen). Is the 'farm track' that keeps being mentioned the one that runs south towards Algarsthorpe Farm from the minor road at TG139092? If so, the sign on the gate reads 'Private'... what's the deal, please?

No 'deal' here, Nick. That is the correct track. The bird was located from the road, by the entrance to the track, just to the east of the farm. I saw it on Wednesday to the west, between the farm and Marlingford village when it was on the river bank and then flew back towards the farm, pitching down out of view south of the river (reported with no reference to the track). The 'Private' sign has no relevance to the sightings, as these were made from the road.

The main issue here is parking. There is a small pull-in just east of Marlingford and a triangle area at the junction to the east, so not a lot. Hopefully people will be polite and courteous with their parking and viewing.

Last year it range up the valley to the Lake at Marlingford Hall, only part of which is veiwable from the church. It was the birds illusiveness and access problems that (I believe) lead to the bird being suppressed for a number of months (and also the previous year - again from what I have heard).

 

[James Emerson]

Also tried and failed for the Whitlingham Ring-necked Duck, though I did see a female Pochard(-type) with the best approximation to a Ring-necked Duck face pattern that I've ever seen! I realise James's was the real deal but it's worth keeping this bird in mind if you're looking for the Ring-necked Duck - it certainly had me thinking positive thoughts for a few seconds. It also appeared to prefer its own company and behaved more furtively than the other Pochards, though I know that's almost certainly subjective/inadmissible!

I think I saw the Pochard you mean on Sunday whilst trying to get closer views of the RN Duck. I considered female Pochard-type Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid (there was one earlier in the year), but in the end I thought it was probably just a well-marked Pochard. I see that the Ring-necked Duck was reported as showing well today - I am hoping someone will get some photos for posterity. I'll be having another look at the weekend unless its chucking it down, will put out news if it's still around.

 

[Locostella]

Last year it range up the valley to the Lake at Marlingford Hall, only part of which is veiwable from the church. It was the birds illusiveness and access problems that (I believe) lead to the bird being suppressed for a number of months (and also the previous year - again from what I have heard).

I am hoping that It will pay a visit to Bawburgh at some point over the winter.

Something that may be of interest to Norwich birders, is the news I have received from three separate sources, regarding Bittern wintering at Bawburgh pits. The first was from a very reliable source, but I had put it down to a one off record. But, since then I have been informed of sightings from at least three separate winters and a possibly second bird.

Are there any reliable wintering sites for Bittern in the 'Greater Norwich' area?

Regards, Kieran