Norfolk birding (8 Viewers)

[PYRTLE]

Blimey Kayn, calm down! My point is that divulging info on these birds will have little or no effect on their breeding success. We didn't lose Red-backed Shrike as a breeding species because of newbie birders disturbing their nests! If we want to encourage Monty's breeding in the UK then we need to address much bigger issues!
PS Seen plenty of Monty's thanks - just empathising with Hensona. I am assuming he is relatively new to the hobby and needs encouragement/info.

Michael,

Do you think we should not be careful of passing on information to what are in essence strangers, about scarce breeding birds? As I write now, there are a variety of agencies watching a suspicious person's activities around fenced off breeding birds - this puts pressure on limited organisations, police and volunteers involved in species protection. I'm sure that any known breeding r.b.s. areas are cloaked right now until the eggs hatch. I totally support any newbie's coming into birding - I do not encourage the immediate targeting and pursuit of the rarer species just for tick purposes.

Cheers, Pat

 

[Michael Stowers]

Michael,

Do you think we should not be careful of passing on information to what are in essence strangers, about scarce breeding birds? As I write now, there are a variety of agencies watching a suspicious person's activities around fenced off breeding birds - this puts pressure on limited organisations, police and volunteers involved in species protection. I'm sure that any known breeding r.b.s. areas are cloaked right now until the eggs hatch. I totally support any newbie's coming into birding - I do not encourage the immediate targeting and pursuit of the rarer species just for tick purposes.

Cheers, Pat

I agree that caution is always advised in these circumstances. However, there seems to be a pervasive attitude that it is a cardinal sin to want to view these rare breeders. In the late 70/80s my friends and I had the privilege of seeing Monty's, Red-backed Shrike, Golden Oriole, Golden Pheasant, Honey Buzzrd, Cettis (when they were rare), Nightjar, Nightingale etc at their breeding sites. They remain some of my most exciting and memorable birding moments and helped to engender a life long love of birding and appreciation of the importance of conservation. We were just kids, but other, more experienced, birders were willing to share their knowledge with us. On this Forum clearly less experienced folk ask for a good place to see Nightjar or Nightingale, and there is a all too familiar response of 'not telling you ... best interests of the bird etc'. A considered PM giving sensible info would, I believe, be a much more appropriate response. As I said earlier - egg collectors seem to have their own sources of info and tarring everyone with being a potential threat could easily put off many younger birders.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell May 30th

Today's highlights

Black tailed godwit - 190 on fresh marsh
Sanderling - 10 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 11 on fresh marsh
Barn owl - 2 hunting around the reserve
Med gull - 2 west
Avocet - 93 on fresh marsh
Wheatear - 1 by Parrinder Hide
Pintail - female on fresh marsh
White faced whistling duck - 1 on fresh marsh, wary and unringed

Paul

 

[john miller]

I agree that caution is always advised in these circumstances. However, there seems to be a pervasive attitude that it is a cardinal sin to want to view these rare breeders. In the late 70/80s my friends and I had the privilege of seeing Monty's, Red-backed Shrike, Golden Oriole, Golden Pheasant, Honey Buzzrd, Cettis (when they were rare), Nightjar, Nightingale etc at their breeding sites. They remain some of my most exciting and memorable birding moments and helped to engender a life long love of birding and appreciation of the importance of conservation. We were just kids, but other, more experienced, birders were willing to share their knowledge with us. On this Forum clearly less experienced folk ask for a good place to see Nightjar or Nightingale, and there is a all too familiar response of 'not telling you ... best interests of the bird etc'. A considered PM giving sensible info would, I believe, be a much more appropriate response. As I said earlier - egg collectors seem to have their own sources of info and tarring everyone with being a potential threat could easily put off many younger birders.

In the late 70s you could view all the rare breeders with info gained over the grapevine and not too many birders about. Now such sites can be too well known. I have seen at least 12 birder/photographers within 10yds of a schedule 1 birds nest whilst the bird was trying to feed young. Anybody interested can get info without asking for it to be put in the public domain. Going back to the start of this thread, how can anyone live within a 10min drive of Monties and not know where they are. I probably pass through one of the areas only a few times during the season and always see one on at least one occasion.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 1st

Today's highlights

Black tailed godwit - 224 on fresh marsh this morning
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 12 on fresh marsh
Greenshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 1 on saltmarsh this morning
Short eared owl - 1 hunting over the grazing meadow
Hobby - 1 over reserve

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 2nd

Today's highlights

Red necked phalarope - 1 on fresh marsh all day although mobile
Bittern - several flight records today
Black tailed godwit - 280 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 12 on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard - 14 on Patsy's reedbed
Barnacle goose - 2 west this morning

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 3rd

Today's highlights

Red necked phalarope - 1 still on fresh marsh today
Red crested pochard - 4 on Patsy's reedbed
Little gull - 12 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 1 over late afternoon
Montagu's harrier - ringtail over reedbed mid afternoon

Paul

 

[Ridgeback]

Cuckoo

Hiya

Haven't heard a Cuckoo for at least a couple of years but this afternoon I heard one over Stradsett, I wonder if I will have to wait another 2 years before I hear it again.

 

[nigelt]

Hiya

Haven't heard a Cuckoo for at least a couple of years but this afternoon I heard one over Stradsett, I wonder if I will have to wait another 2 years before I hear it again.

Likewise! Mine today was at Hempstead (near Holt).

 

[redeyedvideo]

Apologies for the rather ambiguous post but in light of the recent conversations I thought I'd better not state the exact location.

Just back from one of the North Norfolk heaths and I was surprised to hear Golden Oriole singing, completely wrong habitat, plus double figures of Turtle Dove. It seems more have got through this year, maybe the shooting debate in Malta distracted the hunters for a while..

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 4th

Today's highlights

Bittern - male still booming in reedbed
Mud gull - 2 west
Hen harrier - ringtail briefly over the reedbed this morning
Spotted flycatcher - 1 in willows near visitor centre but elusive
Little gull - 9 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Grasshopper warbler - 1 singing on grazing meadow + 1 singing in main reedbed
Red crested pochard - 8 on Patsy's reedbed
Turtle dove - 2 along East Trail

Paul

 

[putnoebabes]

Iffy Golden Oriole

Apologies for the rather ambiguous post but in light of the recent conversations I thought I'd better not state the exact location.

Just back from one of the North Norfolk heaths and I was surprised to hear Golden Oriole singing, completely wrong habitat, plus double figures of Turtle Dove. It seems more have got through this year, maybe the shooting debate in Malta distracted the hunters for a while..

Have just read this post, it staightaway made me wonder whether you were hearing somebody playing a tape lure. On my Birdguides app, the Turtle dove track has a very prominent Golden Oriole singing in the background!!!! Cheers, Graham

 

[redeyedvideo]

Have just read this post, it staightaway made me wonder whether you were hearing somebody playing a tape lure. On my Birdguides app, the Turtle dove track has a very prominent Golden Oriole singing in the background!!!! Cheers, Graham

A valid point and something I'm always mindful of. Mine was the only car there at 5.00am and none had arrived by the time I left.

Although I didn't see the bird, the song was close enough for me to have seen if someone else was there. I didn't see another birder over my 4 visits and I would've taken a very dim view of anyone tape luring Turtle Doves if there had been!

I've seen Golden Orioles in Kent in deciduous woodland and in Spain where habitat choice is very different to the UK. I presumed it was a young male on passage yet to find the right habitat and a mate.

p.s. thanks to Paul Eele for the continued Titchwell updates.

 

[Steve Lister]

Today's highlights

Bittern - male still booming in reedbed
Mud gull - 2 west
Hen harrier - ringtail briefly over the reedbed this morning
Spotted flycatcher - 1 in willows near visitor centre but elusive
Little gull - 9 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Grasshopper warbler - 1 singing on grazing meadow + 1 singing in main reedbed
Red crested pochard - 8 on Patsy's reedbed
Turtle dove - 2 along East Trail

Paul

I know Med Gulls are not as unusual as they once were but sinking to calling them Mud Gulls, really Paul.

 

[crapbirder]

Apologies for the rather ambiguous post but in light of the recent conversations I thought I'd better not state the exact location.

Just back from one of the North Norfolk heaths and I was surprised to hear Golden Oriole singing, completely wrong habitat, plus double figures of Turtle Dove. It seems more have got through this year, maybe the shooting debate in Malta distracted the hunters for a while..

Assuming we are talking about the same anonymous North Norfolk heath, I spent 3 hours there in the afternoon but only found 3 Turtle Dove but they were very mobile and like the oriole, some may well have moved on before my arrival.

 

[Archie Opteryx]

Edgefield this evening...

Nice. :eek!:

 

[Paul Eele]

p.s. thanks to Paul Eele for the continued Titchwell updates.

No problem, I hope people find them of use

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

I know Med Gulls are not as unusual as they once were but sinking to calling them Mud Gulls, really Paul.

 

[crapbirder]

Edgefield this evening...

Nice. :eek!:

If you ask those who prominently display dead corvids in a recently seeded field, they will say it protects the growing crop by keeping others of their kind away. Opinion is divided on the effectiveness of the practice, some believe it works while others believe the corpses act as decoys and draw in other corvids for a feed.

Whatever we may think of the practice, it's yet another of those archaic but legal customs which really have no place in modern agriculture, in my view.

 

[Tideliner]

We may not like it , but its very common pratice on the farms around where I work and yes it does work very well and crop damage is almost non existant where is is used.