Norfolk birding (4 Viewers)

[Grando]

Cheers Hamish, that's great. I guess it's been there, furtive, all this time.

 

[willowgrouse]

... I guess it's been there, furtive, all this time.

It was, at one point, also commuting between the east end of Scolt and Overy Dunes, and may well be doing the same now

 

[Ridgeback]

Hi all

I have noticed that Norfolk pages have been very quiet recently apart from my daily postings from the reserve.
Just wanted to check and see if people are still finding them useful, don't want to be filling up the forum pages if they are not?

Paul

I would certainly miss your notes Paul as I don't get a lot of spare time to get to Titchwell and it 's nice to be informed what's about.

One thing I have noticed I'm not getting my daily email anymore.

Keep up the good work

Cheers

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell November 30th

Brief update on yesterday, didn't get time to post

Long tailed duck - 43 offshore
Velvet scoter - 17 offshore
Black throated diver - 2 offshore
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Scaup - 4 females offshore
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Eider - 36 offshore
Jack snipe - 2 on grazing meadow

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 1st

Today's highlights

Hen harrier - male hunting over Thornham Marsh this morning
Short eared owl - 1 over Thornham Marsh this morning
Long tailed duck - 10 offshore
Velvet scoter - 4 offshore
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Scaup - 2 female offshore
Jack snipe - 2 on grazing meadow
Water pipit - 2 on grazing meadow
Spotted redshank - 3 on tidal pool
Chiffchaff - 3+ onsite including showing plumage features of tristis although no call heard
Bittern - 1 in flight over reedbed

Paul

 

[crapbirder]

Thanks for the reply. I try to keep bird news going through the reserve or my personal twitter feeds where possible during the day and then post a roundup at the end of the day

Paul

Though not a paid up member of PEAS (Paul Eele Appreciation Society), I nonetheless appreciate the occasional mention of Marsh Harrier roost numbers. Not always easy to be certain but some idea of sex and age of the roost occupants would be even more appreciated by those with an interest in fluctuations of the make-up of harrier roosts in North Norfolk.

 

[Paul Eele]

Though not a paid up member of PEAS (Paul Eele Appreciation Society), I nonetheless appreciate the occasional mention of Marsh Harrier roost numbers. Not always easy to be certain but some idea of sex and age of the roost occupants would be even more appreciated by those with an interest in fluctuations of the make-up of harrier roosts in North Norfolk.

I will send you over a membership form

We tend to only count the harrier roost on a monthly basis although if I want to get out of the office for a while we will do them at others times. Most counts it is pretty difficult to tell the age of harriers as there is lots happening but we do count 'obvious' males. Generally speaking, our roost is made up of female types with only small numbers of 'obvious' males. The 31 we counted last Monday only included 5 males.

All the data is submitted through the national harrier roost count scheme.

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 2nd

Today's highlights

Black throated diver - 3 offshore
Grey phalarope - 1 on beach mid morning although mobile. Last seen heading towards Thornham Harbour @ 10:45
Long tailed duck - 30 offshore
Velvet scoter - 15 offshore
Red necked grebe - 1 offshore
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Scaup - 4 female offshore
Shag - 1 offshore
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Spotted redshank - 1 on tidal pool
Avocet - 18 on tidal pool
Goldeneye - 51 roosting on fresh marsh last night
Lapland bunting - 1 at Thornham Point
Water pipit - 1 on grazing meadow
Chiffchaff - tristis type bird still present but still no call

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 3rd

Today's highlights

Black throated diver - 2 offshore
Long tailed duck - 41 offshore
Red necked grebe - 1 offshore
velvet scoter - 14 offshore
Scaup - 3 female offshore
Hen harrier - male hunting over saltmarsh this morning
Water pipit - 2 on grazing meadow
Spotted redshank - 3 on tidal pool
Greenshank - 3 on tidal pool

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 5th

Today's highlights

Long tailed duck - 56 offshore
velvet scoter - 10 offshore
Black throated diver - 2 offshore
Great Northern diver - 4 offshore
Red necked grebe - 1 offshore
Water pipit - 1 on grazing meadow
Jack snipe - 12 on grazing meadow
Spotted redshank - 2 on tidal pool
Marsh harrier - 36 to roost

Paul

 

[John Marchant]

Rough-legged Buzzard at Choseley Barns

Pale Common Buzzard in the trees SE of the barns this afternoon. Is there a Rough-leg as well?

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 7th

Today's highlights

Long tailed duck - reserve record 61 offshore this morning beating the previous high of 50 on 2005
Velvet scoter - 25 offshore
Scaup - 3 offshore
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Water pipit - 2 on grazing meadow
Jack snipe - 1 on grazing meadow
Hen harrier - ringtail around throughout the day and roosting at dusk
Marsh harrier - 25 to roost
Spotted redshank - 3 on tidal pool
Greenshank - 3 on tidal pool

Paul

 

[Peewit]

Today's highlights

Long tailed duck - reserve record 61 offshore this morning beating the previous high of 50 on 2005
Velvet scoter - 25 offshore
Scaup - 3 offshore
Great Northern diver - 1 offshore
Water pipit - 2 on grazing meadow
Jack snipe - 1 on grazing meadow
Hen harrier - ringtail around throughout the day and roosting at dusk
Marsh harrier - 25 to roost
Spotted redshank - 3 on tidal pool
Greenshank - 3 on tidal pool

Paul

Good listing - I wish OH and I had Norfolk in mind for Xams but not this year.

 

[Paul Eele]

Good listing - I wish OH and I had Norfolk in mind for Xams but not this year.

You will have to come up in the New Year Peewit

 

[crapbirder]

Today's highlights, 5th December.
Marsh harrier - 36 to roost

Paul

Today's highlights, 7th December.
Marsh harrier - 25 to roost

Paul

My thanks for the increased frequency of Marsh Harrier roost number reports, much appreciated. May be entirely coincidental but the recent fluctuation in the numbers reported at Titchwell correlates with the peaks and lows noted at the Cley roost at the time when up to 50,000 Starlings were roosting in the reed beds.

While the Starlings were present, few harriers attempted to enter the usual roost area and on one occasion, the handful in the pre-roost gathering area, departed the scene and presumably roosted elsewhere.

 

[Paul Eele]

My thanks for the increased frequency of Marsh Harrier roost number reports, much appreciated. May be entirely coincidental but the recent fluctuation in the numbers reported at Titchwell correlates with the peaks and lows noted at the Cley roost at the time when up to 50,000 Starlings were roosting in the reed beds.

While the Starlings were present, few harriers attempted to enter the usual roost area and on one occasion, the handful in the pre-roost gathering area, departed the scene and presumably roosted elsewhere.

They are not always full counts. Many of them come from the sightings book and I can't be sure if they cover the whole roost

There has been harrier movements between the two sites in the past. The spotted bird of a few winters ago was seen at both sites

 

[crapbirder]

They are not always full counts. Many of them come from the sightings book and I can't be sure if they cover the whole roost

Sadly, an all too familiar story - no shortage of self-proclaimed keen birders but try getting them to do the mundane stuff like roost counts.

 

[Paul Eele]

Sadly, an all too familiar story - no shortage of self-proclaimed keen birders but try getting them to do the mundane stuff like roost counts.

Everyone enjoys their hobby in different ways.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell December 9th

Today's highlights

Waxwing - 1 in trees by visitor centre briefly @ 13:25 then flew west
Long tailed duck - 35 offshore
Velvet scoter - 8 offshore
Slavonian grebe - 1 offshore
Scaup - 5 offshore
Spotted redshank - 3 on tidal pool
Jack snipe - 1 on grazing meadow
Yellow legged gull - adult on fresh marsh this afternoon
Ruff - 50 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 11 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[Dawn Balmer]

BTO are looking for volunteers to take on monthly counts for the Wetland Bird Survey at Blickling Hall, Burntfen Broad,Salhouse Great Broad and Wolterton Hall Lake. If you're interested in helping out, please contact Heidi Mellan at BTO ([email protected])

Thanks