Norfolk birding (13 Viewers)

[Penny Clarke]

Hi Penny

I think I was the "lady" (long time since I have been called one of them ) looking at the merlin - just to set the record straight it wasn't me that spotted it in the first place, it was our group leader Steve (I'm not that clever)- we were up on a trip from Essex for the day. I will claim the red throated diver though! So you can count me as a BF tick if you like................:-O

Ahhhhhhh..... pleased to meet you Viv:t: I guessed you were all in a group, which part of Essex? (I used to live in Colchester and went to Fringringhoe Wick quite a bit)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Penny Clarke]

For anyone who did or did not see today.

Major

NOW Major!!!!!! You are just rubbing salt in the wound!!!!!!! (lovely picture though)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Penny, do you have your own blog because I would really like to see some of your photos?

Hi James

No I don't but I was thinking about starting one (something else on my list of things to do!!!) I will send you a link when I do. Are you at college yet?

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Afternoon everyone.

Am i glad there's a picture of a Richards Pipit at Gramborough Hill, Salthouse on this thread (cheers John !). My Girlfriend and i saw this bird Wednesday morning..................

CONGRATULATIONS Steve on your find:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Viv Connett]

Ahhhhhhh..... pleased to meet you Viv:t: I guessed you were all in a group, which part of Essex? (I used to live in Colchester and went to Fringringhoe Wick quite a bit)

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

We were from all over but I live near Maldon - we go to Fingringhoe and Abberton quite a lot, also Old Hall Marshes:t::t:

 

[jimmyg]

Hi James

No I don't but I was thinking about starting one (something else on my list of things to do!!!) I will send you a link when I do. Are you at college yet?

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

Hi Penny, looking forward to seeing them!

Yes I am at college and have just had my first two lectures. Haven't had time to go out birding yet, but a visit to Port Meadow is hopefully on the cards (once of finished/started my essay on the merits of a philosophy of science... I signed up for biology, not this torture!).

 

[Nottingham Panther]

Afternoon John and all,

John, i agree the trip from the 'hinterland' is a drag but more than worth it when you find things like a Richards Pipit - just need to sort the self belief out now I see by your location, you've made the sensible decision and moved to Norfolk, you lucky so and so !! By the way, i'm sure you know the Nottingham Panther tag is a reference to the (in my opinion !) the best professional Ice Hockey team in this country NOT me stalking Pipits on all fours Although, watching the Panthers lose last night in Sheffield, i'm not so sure they're the best anymore !!

Also the Richards Pipit at Annesley Pit top, Notts was seen the same day as the Salthouse bird so i'm refuting any allegations i trapped the Norfolk bird and took it home !!

Thanks for all the pointers r.e numbers to ring in case i find anything else in the future. It is reassuring when you are out and about that someone could be around to confirm/correct id's. The numbers are now in my mobile phone.

Thanks for the Congratulations Penny, finding your own good bird is such an adrenaline rush (and in my case nervewracking at the same time !) I got a taste of what someone feels like when they find something really rare and i can't wait to get out in the field and find something good again !!

Best Wishes to all

Steve

 

[Songkhran]

for anyone who gets the chance visible migration could be very good early tomorrow morning, looks like high pressure with a SW wind = cloud cover, with a NW further up the North Sea, things certainly started to move this afternoon while watching the WP, around 320 Chaffinch in flocks up to 50 in around 40 minutes + a lap bunting, starlings, meadow pipits and another bunt which er um probably was a Yellowhammer.

also Thursday maybe looking good for a bit of a sneaky seawatch, maybe first few lil' auks coming through and chance of Owls in off.

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

 

[Happisbirder]

Had some family visiting so joined the masses on the north coast to show them a few birds.
Started out at Holkham, soon down to the t shirt, unreal weather for this time of year. On inspecting a tit flock, a Firecrest appeared! Well chuffed with that, views down to a few feet. At the end of the pines, a distant GG Shrike also, saw one in the same place last year. Light was bad so no way of putting a race/origin to it. Shrikes are great birds, really interesting to watch. Any one see the possible Steppe out at Hickling? How does ir differ from a traditional GG?
Buzzard, Hobby, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk bought up the raptor count.

Headed over to Cley and walked to Walsey hills. Many thanks to the birders there who quickly put me onto the Wilsons Phalarope, a lifer for me. Great birds, never tire of watching them spin. Views were sadly a little distant but good enough to confidently put a name to the bird, if you know what I mean.

Cracking day out, although I miss the peace and quiet of the east coast! Must get out there one day after school this week.
Cheers,
Jim

Oh yeah, the tranquility.....

T'was a lovely day Saturday when a wander around here turned up 2 Wheatears, a presumed pair of Stonechats, a few Siskins, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks through and, best of all, 5 Tree Sparrows flying quite low towards the village. A good bird to connect with out here these days. It's nice to have an Osprey stopping locally to refuel for a while too...

James

 

[Penny Clarke]

Flew home from work, grabbed camera and bins and continued flying to Heacham where I had fantastic views of the Great Grey Shrike this evening between 6.15pm and dark and got some fairly good pictures of it sitting in a hawthorn bush taken with flash!!! It was sitting on the wires near the last right hand chalet, west of the south beach carpark when I first found it.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Connor Rand]

for anyone who gets the chance visible migration could be very good early tomorrow morning, looks like high pressure with a SW wind = cloud cover, with a NW further up the North Sea, things certainly started to move this afternoon while watching the WP, around 320 Chaffinch in flocks up to 50 in around 40 minutes + a lap bunting, starlings, meadow pipits and another bunt which er um probably was a Yellowhammer.

also Thursday maybe looking good for a bit of a sneaky seawatch, maybe first few lil' auks coming through and chance of Owls in off.

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

Just when school life couldn't get much more stressful... 2 Spoonbills and an Osprey on the patch today. Ho hum, starting to think I'm missing a trick or two here...

 

[Penny Clarke]

Just when school life couldn't get much more stressful... 2 Spoonbills and an Osprey on the patch today. Ho hum, starting to think I'm missing a trick or two here...

I know exactly what you mean Connor, when I only had half an hour of light tonight to see the GGS. I really, really need to change my life so I can be out more, but I havn't quite worked out how to yet - anyone any brilliant ideas as how I can achieve this, please let me know?

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

 

[Andy Musgrove]

Catharus in Norfolk

Hi all

Anyone know anything about the report of a possible Catharus thrush sp in Great Yarmouth? (i.e. Grey-cheeked/Swainson's/Hermit/Veery). I could go first thing in the morning, and would prefer to do so than to hear about it upon getting to work in Thetford at 9 am!

Cheers

Andy Musgrove

 

[Andy Musgrove]

Ah - part answered my own question. Googling found this on birdcall...

NORF thrush sp. Gt Yarmouth, poss Catharus sp at South Denes off Admiralty Rd briefly early am only.

Ouch! Further info welcome

Ta

Andy Mus.

 

[cjay]

I have put the word out but there is a well known stringer in that area

 

[BobTag]

Weeks Holiday

Ah, what a week; Alder Flycatcher, Little Blue Heron, Scarlet Tanager, Philly Verio... None of which I saw, as I had a weeks holiday in Norfolk with the family!!

Wonderful weather for the family, but not great for finding birds. Stayed in Cley from Weds last week through to yesterday, and managed a few bits and pieces.

Saw the Wilson's Phal a couple of times, but always distant. Didn't spend too much time with it as I was more focused on trying to find my own bits (and it was my 4th in the UK and have seen loads in the States).

I would have found the Great Grey Shrike at Burnham Dunes on Sunday, but it's not easy getting the whole family out for a walk early enough! Still, cracking bird that I enjoyed locating it & watching on my own. A calling Lapland Bunting over was nice, as were the views of the late juv Hobby.

Dipped the Dick's Pipit at Salthouse, but only gave it an hour. Spent a lot of time (& many miles!) walking, searching and pishing during the week but no reward; not even a Yellow-brow for my efforts! Still, was amazing weather to be out searching round Kelling, Salthouse, Holkham, Burnham Dunes, Cley etc etc

Highlight for an inland birder were the sheer numbers of waders on the Cley NWT - Arnold's - Salthouse complex. From dawn to breakfast on Monday morning I clocked up 5 Little Stints, 5 Greenshank, 9 Spot'shank, 40+ Ruff, 300+ Blackwits, 100+ Dunlin etc etc. Wonderful stuff. Great views of the pair of Barn Owls by Cley mill nightly as well.

I was also struck by just how many Cetti's there are in Norfolk now; they were everywhere! I recall reading that the UK Cetti's population is now the same as our Kingfisher population; I can believe it after last week!

Boy, you lot are so lucky to live in Norfolk.... Cheers, BT

 

[mr.sim]

Ha! We have a German Exchange student staying at our house at the moment. She looks just like you Penny!!! Sorry to stray from the birds topic...

 

[Songkhran]

hope people don't mind if i ramble on for a bit.

Still looks odds on for an ok seawatch tomorrow, reakon it will probably kick in when the wind swings to the NW although doesnt look like its going to go above 20mph.

Always think the period between mid Oct and mid Nov is the time that can produce very rare seabirds, however i wonder how many get missed because people arent prepared for them. Last year i saw two rare ones but IMO i messed up big time on both because i wasn't prepared or genned. The first one was the White-billed Diver, all i was able to do was call 'huge diver' then someone else called it as WBD. While it was going past (relatively close) i wasn't honing in on the important features, i was just looking at the whole bird - big, pale, big, pale (certain amount of panic i think) and only fleetingly looking at individual features - bill, thick neck, neck pattern, big feet etc. In the time available i think i spent too much time wondering what i should have been looking at rather than actually looking at them -bill, thick neck, neck pattern, big feet etc. To emphasise how tuned in you needed to be though the majority of the shelter missed the bird entirely because they were trying to get on a Storm Petrel! However ultimately the episode was disappointing as i felt i hadn't had that moment of knowing for sure it was a WBD and didn't sit very pretty as a 'lifer' (even though it was also seen at other points along the coast).

Only a few days later i had a 2nd bite of the cherry and probably ballsed it up even more. There was a massive passage of Poms so admittedly a big distraction so when i called a single Scoter in a half jokey bored kind of way it didn't illicit much response. I remember it looking short-winged almost in an Auk-like way, big triangular bill, Velvet Scoterish face pattern, but no white on the wings, i think at that point someone called 'Pom' and i was distracted, then got back on it as it was flying away, very pale belly, uniform dark wings, it was only after discussion with someone in the next shelter 9who had nailed it instantly) and someone on the top deck we piecing all the plumage features together that we realised it was a Surf Scoter (much to the chagrin of my neighbouring seawatchers). It was a nice bird to see but disappointing i didn't have my faculties about me to call it at the time.

Both birds at the time seemed very out of the blue but in hindsight i should have been prepared and expecting them. I'm absolutely sure i would have nailed them if i had been fully ready.

Guess the point of the this post is emphasising the need to be primed and poised for rare birds on a seawatch as you don't get long to nail them, it sounds ridiculous but i'm currently genning on Murrelets, Brunnich's and rare Petrels as they have been proved to be there in the past (a MEGA Petrel was reliably reported off Sheringham last year, PM me if you're intrigued!) But could people honestly call an Ancient Murrelet in a flock of Little Auks and get other experienced seawatcher onto it in the time it took to fly past, in doing so you get the word out and if its then recorded further along the coast, you've potentially got a first for Norfolk on your hands. Conversely i guess also the important thing to do because of the Surf Scoter accident is look at everything, every Gannet, every duck etc

Good luck seawatching in the next few weeks!

BTW Petrels Night and Day by the sound approach guys is absolutely superb.

 

[cjay]

I certainly agree with your "Ramble" it is always worth genning up on sea birds, This scientific approach is a great way of working out what may fly past and does help id the rarities much easier.

 

[Penny Clarke]

Ha! We have a German Exchange student staying at our house at the moment. She looks just like you Penny!!! Sorry to stray from the birds topic...

Oh dear!!! and she will drive you insane and chatter far too much:-O:-O:-O

P.S. Here's hoping for a MEGA this weekend in NORFOLK please:t:


Also see: http://www.freewebs.com/punkbirder/yankweather.htm

Perhaps I better cancel my Sunday shifts!!!!!!!!!!!!!