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Norfolk birding (114 Viewers)
- Thread starter Edward woodwood
- Start date
dwatsonbirder
Well-known member
Carry on up the drive until you hit the beach then turn right, walk about 400m and turn left towards the dunes. Im sure you'll be able to locate them, theres usually a few birders watching them!
James Emerson
Norwich Birder
Ta. And while I'm asking questions, does anyone have more precise directions for the Fakenham shrike than "east of Morrisons carpark", which is all that googling turned up? There's a lot of Norfolk east of that carpark
As vague as it sounds, you'd find it from that
Just south of the roundabout that you would use to get to Morrisons is a pull in on the east side of the road. Park here and go over a grassy mound onto a tarmac path (old road). The shrike has been mobile, so scan the trees as you go along in case its in one, otherwise there is an obvious hedge to the south of the path where it has been seen.
stablewill
Well-known member
Just in case it's not obvious (it should be), here's a map - the area marked red is the layby where it's recommended you park, the green line is the area to view from, looking South, or right as you walk from Morrisons, at the hedge marked yellow!
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Nottingham Panther
Active member
Evening everyone,
I received an email yesterday from 'The Ornitological Station Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, Gdansk' about a colour ringed Med Gull I saw at Titchwell on the Freshmarsh on the 2nd April 2011.
Red P97 is a Male and given this ring 'after 3rd Calendar Year' on the 20th May 2003 at Skoki Duze, Wloclawek, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland. It was 1262 km from where it was ringed with an elapsed time of 2874 days.
A quick trawl of the Internet revealed this bird has spent its Winters in NW Wales. It was with an unringed bird and i presume had paired up and on its way back to Poland to breed when i saw it. An interesting little piece of the jigsaw for this bird and an interesting link for Med Gulls between Norfolk and NW Wales Look out for it this Spring in North Norfolk when hopefully it may be in transit back to Europe. An e mail like this makes the effort worthwhile of reading any rings you see and submitting the details.
Hope this was of interest,
Steve
I received an email yesterday from 'The Ornitological Station Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, Gdansk' about a colour ringed Med Gull I saw at Titchwell on the Freshmarsh on the 2nd April 2011.
Red P97 is a Male and given this ring 'after 3rd Calendar Year' on the 20th May 2003 at Skoki Duze, Wloclawek, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland. It was 1262 km from where it was ringed with an elapsed time of 2874 days.
A quick trawl of the Internet revealed this bird has spent its Winters in NW Wales. It was with an unringed bird and i presume had paired up and on its way back to Poland to breed when i saw it. An interesting little piece of the jigsaw for this bird and an interesting link for Med Gulls between Norfolk and NW Wales Look out for it this Spring in North Norfolk when hopefully it may be in transit back to Europe. An e mail like this makes the effort worthwhile of reading any rings you see and submitting the details.
Hope this was of interest,
Steve
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O.Reville1989
I started off with nothing and I've still got some
Great info Steve! A Med Gull was present on my local patch recently but no leg ring was noted, will definitely keep an eye out in future for them!
Cheers
Oli
Hope you don't mind me asking for some advice here, but I have suddenly got the chace to visit Norfolk on Friday & Saturday.
Obviously going to visit Titchwell to try and see Coue's, where about on site has it been showing?
The Black Brant & Ross' at Burnham sound fantastic - but I have never been to Burnham. Is it 'Burnham Overy Marshes'? Is this a reserve? How much does it cost to enter? Any advice about where to head and where to look for the Brant and Ross', or are they very mobile?
Western Sandpiper at Cley is presumably pretty straightforward - has it been favouring a particular spot?
Lesser-White Front is my main motivivation for going - I love geese. Buckenham Marshes I've heard -but where is the best viewing from?
Also planning on going to Wolfreton and failing to see Golden Pheasant as usual - anyone seen one recently?
Also wondered if anyone knew anywhere where Rough-Legs have been reasonably reliable, anywhere where there is a Water Pipit, Pale-Bellied Brents, or any odd hybrid geese or ducks?
Also, anywhere where there is a decent chance of Chinese-Water Deer?
Thank you for any advice anyone can give me - really appreciate any info at all.
Obviously going to visit Titchwell to try and see Coue's, where about on site has it been showing?
The Black Brant & Ross' at Burnham sound fantastic - but I have never been to Burnham. Is it 'Burnham Overy Marshes'? Is this a reserve? How much does it cost to enter? Any advice about where to head and where to look for the Brant and Ross', or are they very mobile?
Western Sandpiper at Cley is presumably pretty straightforward - has it been favouring a particular spot?
Lesser-White Front is my main motivivation for going - I love geese. Buckenham Marshes I've heard -but where is the best viewing from?
Also planning on going to Wolfreton and failing to see Golden Pheasant as usual - anyone seen one recently?
Also wondered if anyone knew anywhere where Rough-Legs have been reasonably reliable, anywhere where there is a Water Pipit, Pale-Bellied Brents, or any odd hybrid geese or ducks?
Also, anywhere where there is a decent chance of Chinese-Water Deer?
Thank you for any advice anyone can give me - really appreciate any info at all.
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
Be careful with Rough-legs. On Monday a group of people told us that a buzzard on a post east of Lady Anne's Drive was one - somebody had even walked about a mile to confirm it - but it was immediately obvious as a Common. Especially when it got up and showed its tail. And then hey presto when we stopped to overlook Burnham Overy fields, exactly the same. I thought one guy was going to argue until he quietened down when I pointed out the Lapland Buntings flying 20m away that he and his mates had ignored. Then I got a grudging 'You might be right'.
I'm sure there are Rough-legs there, but plenty of sloppy birders too.
Steve
Dave Appleton
Well-known member
I've not been for the Redpolls at Titchwell yet but understand they're in the trees not far from the visitor centre when they're seen. I think there might be some more specific info on here somewhere, or ask at the visitor centre failing that.
There is a public footpath running from the A149 (or alternatively the car park at Burnham Overy Staithe) to the dunes - no charge. The Pink-footed Goose flocks can be anywhere in the area and the Ross's Geese may or may not be among them. They get about and aren't always predictable, but sounds like the Ross's have been seen regularly in this area recently. Brent Goose flocks are often viewable from this path too, I assume that's where Black Brant has been seen. Careful checking of Brent Goose flocks could turn one up anywhere.
Western Sand - someone might have more up to date info but when I saw it early in its stay it was most regularly seen from the three hides at the centre (including Dauke's Hide). At that time at least it wasn't always there and was most reliable fairly early.
See this post for Lesser White-front directions. There are other posts above that might tell you more recent info.
I think there are recent posts above regarding the Golden Pheasants too - I've not seen them very recently but haven't spent long looking.
Rough-legs are regularly reported anywhere between Burnham Overy and Wells. Some chance of seeing Water Pipit at Cley - not sure off hand if Titchwell has had any lately (check Paul's posts above). Pale-bellied Brent Goose can turn up in any Brent Goose flock along the coast - there have been a couple at Cley recently that I've seen and have been reported frequently, but careful scanning of a few different flocks anywhere is likely to turn up one or two.
For hybrid geese there are a few around... Red-breasted Goose x Barnacle Goose has been at Buckenham recently, but has also been seen at Whitlingham and Strumpshaw; possible Snow x Barnacle has been among feral Barnacles at Buckenham for years now (I initially identified it as Snow x Barnacle on the basis of its size but am starting to have doubts based on bill length and neck length - it may be a very large Ross's x Barnacle); something we think is probably Ross's x Lesser White-front is long-staying at Whitlingham. I think there's still at least one Barnacle Goose x White-fronted Goose at Raynham Lake - there has also been one at Flitcham but not seen it there recently. Photos of some of these here.
For hybrid ducks there has been at least one Ferruginous Duck x Pochard in the broads recently (often at Ranworth Broad) and a Ferruginous Duck x Tufted Duck at Wroxham Broad. Keep your eyes out at Cley too. A Green-winged Teal x Common Teal has been reported at Strumpshaw lately, but I've not seen that. There were 3 Mallard x Muscovy Duck hybrids at Tattersett last year - not seen them lately but not looked often. Photos of some of these here.
Chinese Water Deer - most often seen in the Broads. I saw one at Buckenham recently.
C B Allen
Chris Allen
The LWFG is generally in the Buckenham/Cantley area with the Taiga's - probably best to check with RBA/pager on the day to see where best as the geese can be quite mobile and - unfortunately - often quite distant. I would be amazed if you didn't see Chinese Water Deer in the same area as they are pretty abundant in this part of the broads these days: for example we had 2 or 3 just walking from Strumpshaw reception to Fen hide on Sunday and I can guarantee seeing them on Thorpe/Haddiscoe marshes at any time (just scope from the New Cut bridge on the A143 at St.Olaves for a start)!!
If you haven't connected with a Rough-leg in N.Norfolk by the time you try for the LWFG then one has been present on Haddiscoe island for the last month or so (along with a good selection of other raptors/SEO's etc.). It's well worth checking the Lowestoft Lounge Lizards website for updates on this area (http://home.clara.net/ammodytes/home.htm).
Best of luck!!
Chris A.
sacha
Well-known member
Pretty much all of the wintering birds mentioned are quite mobile and not easy to connect with all on a one off weekend trip.. But with luck you should see a few of those listed.
The Western Sand can be on any of the scrapes at Cley.
The Rough legs apparently do sit around the dunes West of Holkham, I haven't seen then yet this winter. As mentioned above be careful as there are plenty of Buzzards in the area.
Burnham Overy - park in largish lay-by that overlooks marshes West of the west end of Holkham pines and from there scan towards sea.. Lots of Geese, I was lucky to find a 'good' Black Brant in amongst the Brents from here. Probably the bird that is often at Wells.
The two Ross's can be anywhere where large numbers of Pink feet are.. Normally near Lady Anns Drive ( fee to park here but not at Burnham lay-by )
There is also a third Ross's that accompanies some feral Barnacles in the Cley area sometime)
The Arctic Redpoll- very mobile but path leading to marshes just behind visitor centre is where it was yesterday... Took some finding and not on view for long each time I saw it.
Chinese Water Deer - they have spread to N Coast now . There was one in marshes West of Titchwell main path looking towards Thorham yesterday. Strumpshaw Fen hide I find is the best place to see them.
Good luck with all the birds and let us know how you get on on here
Sacha
Rob Smallwood
Well-known member
but where are you typing?!
Good point well made Rob!! The deer was on the saltmarsh at Titchwell. A known individual (damaged ear) shows well most evening.
Today's highlights
Coues’s arctic redpoll – 1 still present
Red necked grebe – 1 offshore
Snow bunting – 20 on beach
Mandarin – female on fresh marsh
Chiffchaff – 3 wintering birds on Meadow Trail
Bittern – 3+ in reedbed this afternoon
Paul
Does anyone know if the snow bunts are performing at Salthouse this winter? I fancy getting out birding tomorrow and might start there.
