Norfolk birding (216 Viewers)

[Johny121]

As I left Norwich at 6am this morning I nearly turned straight around, the wind howled and the rain was torrential. I had to dodge several branches up near Holt.

Glad I didn't however as I had a superb morning at Cley and even managed to stay dry as the carpark flooded and many others fled.

Totals from 7-10.35am: 75 aprx bonxies, 30 arctic skuas, 4 sooty shear, 10+ manx, 2 Gcrested grebe, 4 merganser, 5 RTD, 20+ Wigeon, 10+teal, 20+ Common scoter, 2 Knot, 3 Turnstone, 2 SEO in off, 1 Peregrine, 1 first winter Arctic tern, 4 Kittewake, 30+ Little gull, 2 cormorant, 1 Grey Phal and 1 Leach's Petrel which hung off the tideline for 5 minutes - crippling. More importantly it was a good laugh at times.

Until tomorrow!

 

[stuart white]

if anything Norfolk is the complete opposite, far too trigger happy

Shut it Josh you are a t0sser !! Is that rude enough for you
You'd have loved it at sheringham today, proper good seawatch
Lovely juv Sabine's gull past, brief Leach's that I totally missed
and some discussion over a small skua, but to add to the discussion was Mr. Appleton with his camera
We had a intermediate/pale phase skua with a darker obvious arctic, looked considerably smaller and colder coloured with contrasting rump and pale head. From pics the central tail projection looked rounded/blunt, surely a long-tailed ? He then photographed an obvious juv Arctic skua, also showed blunt/rounded central tail feathers !! #Minefield

 

[stuart white]

I agree with with the sentiment, but it's hardly an even playing field, is it? James, Andy and others who find good birds regularly -Stuart White for instance- work within the industry and have an awful lot of time in the field compared to the Dolly Parton brigade. Take nothing away from these guys, all superb field birders, no doubt; but It would be interesting to see the results if we were all given the same amount of hours per week on the coast. I am sure the statistics would be far less one sided.

Not meant as post to agitate, more a musing on the subject.

Good luck to everyone this coming weekend.

Kieran

Farking hell, just read your post, never mention my name in the company of those two, I am a complete amateur by comparison. Though apparently I am prone to self promotion

 

[Archie Opteryx]

Did have eyes on the sea off Gorleston on and off during the day, but anything outstanding avoided me. Best I could do was a this juvey Shag.

 

[Reader]

We are coming over to Norfolk in the morning. Hopefully it's as good as it looks like it will be.

John

 

[trevg]

I manage 2 hours at titchwell before dark 28 bonxie 3 arctic 5 Manx 1 sooty 22 kittiwake. Will be out all day tomoz tho and all next week. Good luck to all.

 

[DaveN]

Having just spent a few fairly uneventful days in Norfolk, today just blew myself and CliveA away.....almost literally!

Obviously with the weather conditions we knew it was going to be good. We made our way to the beach at Titchwell this morning at around 07.30. Before we even reached the beach we had 2 Arctic Skuas fly over so that was a good omen. Over the next 6 hours we amassed 140 Bonxies, 12 Arctics, adult Pom, 4+ Leach's (thanks to Paul Eele for getting us on the first one), 2 Sooties, 7 Kittiwakes, 2 Little Gulls, Little Tern, and 3 Lapland Buntings on the beach at the end of the boardwalk. Just wish we hadn't had to come back today!

There was plenty of other stuff that we just couldn't ID due to distance and/or the wind.

 

[john miller]

(I enjoy this thread the most when people get a bit hot under the collar. the best stuff this year was by far the name and shame at the Rosy Starling - but not only does it bring about lively debate but it also pushes the hobby forwards.

Unless people want a really conservative, fluffy 'lets be nice to everyone and challenge noone' non-progressive, non-political thread then big accusations of stringing, incompetent fieldcraft and miIDs are the only way forwards)

Josh
Are you having the same problem with Accipiters as you always had with small Skua`s.
(will that be contentious enough?)

John

www.kellingnature.zenfolio.com

 

[Bilvo]

Viz-mig

Before the rain started this morning I had 500+ Redwings in various flocks ranging from 30-70 birds in a 20 minute period from 8:40-09:00 this morning at North Burlingham, all heading South just below the cloud-base.

One of my favourite sights of the autumn watching large flocks of winter thrushes arriving :t:

I'm itching to get out birding tomorrow...!!!

 

[peteh]

Last year I had the choice of going to North Norfolk 12th to 20th or 19th to 27th of October. I chose the former which was completely dead, even worse than over here which is saying something. Typically, the week after was mind-blowing (for someone like me).
So this year i thought aha. Ill go 18th to 26th. Eat that Bird/Migration God.....
Looking at the forecasts makes me think I have managed to amazingly cock up the decision again! urgh.
Can you hold on to anything decent that comes in over the weekend for another week please.
Ta

 

[Jhanlon]

Last year I had the choice of going to North Norfolk 12th to 20th or 19th to 27th of October. I chose the former which was completely dead, even worse than over here which is saying something. Typically, the week after was mind-blowing (for someone like me).
So this year i thought aha. Ill go 18th to 26th. Eat that Bird/Migration God.....
Looking at the forecasts makes me think I have managed to amazingly cock up the decision again! urgh.
Can you hold on to anything decent that comes in over the weekend for another week please.
Ta

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASIAN-QUA...erals_EH&var=450189853666&hash=item232cf5da4f

if only!

Hope to make it to the coast one of the two days over the weekend. Sat looks good but very wet all day, so which might be the better? Early news of falls, scarcities etc would be much appreciated and might help with the decision!

 

[Mark Batten]

Unconfirmed report of one of the in Wells wood this pm. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...a=X&ei=whFYUpCdFYSp0QWghYDgCg&ved=0CD8Q9QEwAw Shirley one of many at the weekend.

 

[jimbob]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASIAN-QUA...erals_EH&var=450189853666&hash=item232cf5da4f

if only!

Hope to make it to the coast one of the two days over the weekend. Sat looks good but very wet all day, so which might be the better? Early news of falls, scarcities etc would be much appreciated and might help with the decision!

Similarly torn. Cannot wait to get out this weekend, but not sure how long I will last in heavy rain, be it sea watching or dune walking. I was thinking of making an early start tomorrow and seawatching until soaked on the east coast. Another problem arises, no shelter! When is it too wet to bird?

Perhaps Sunday will be mopping up day in more ways than one? Grounded migrants finally given a chance to feed.

Whatever the case, home I go to read up on Skua ID with a beer and an England win.

Cheers,
Jim.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell October 11th

Today's highlights, a cracking day for variety!

Green winged teal - drake on fresh marsh
Long eared owl - 1 roosting on fresh marsh island
Grey phalarope - 1 on fresh marsh but very mobile and not seen after 3pm
Snow bunting - 1 feeding in viewing screen at the end of Autumn Trail!
Yellow browed warbler - 1 briefly calling in carpark early afternoon
Jack snipe - 2 on Patsy's reedbed
Little stint - 2 on fresh marsh
Curlew sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 93 on fresh marsh
Yellow legged gull - 2 adults on site this afternoon
Med gull - adult + 1st winter on Patsy's reedbed
Bittern - 1 over reedbed

Not bad considering we spent 3hrs cutting on the fresh marsh this morning!

I am probably doing the wrong thing but I am heading to Cornwall next week in search of Yank rares so there won't be any Titchwell reports for a wee while.

Paul

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Sunday looks best if the forecast is anything to go by, loads of birds about today (thrushes, robins, goldcrest and finches) and our collective haul included leach's petrel, rouzel and 2 firecrest, though sadly we drove right past the rustic about 20mins before it was located. Ilm sure when the wind drops and the rain ends there'll be plenty for all.

 

[Reader]

I also managed to get Leache's Petrel, plus Grey Phalarope, Long-eared Owl and Green-winged Teal but overall the seabird fest we were hoping for didn't materailse.

John

 

[gclarke1]

Nearly missed this male Rustic Bunting as Nick Watmough and I drove back down the track towards the A149 from Garden Drove. Well done to Nick for seeing and ID'ing the bird. Great find. Pity it didn't show for those that came afterwards.

Cheers

Graham Clarke

http://grahamsphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/rustic-bunting-warham-greens-norfolk.html

 

[Shaky09]

Similarly torn. Cannot wait to get out this weekend, but not sure how long I will last in heavy rain, be it sea

Whatever the case, home I go to read up on Skua ID with a beer and an England win.

Cheers,
Jim.

After Kieran's arsenal mention and now this from jim I feel it would rude if I didn't take this opporturnaty to mention the mighty hammers victory over the old enemy , spurs last weekend (0-3)
It's what they call " a proper good spanking " !
Any way back to the birds. Ill be tied up with visiting family this weekend so I wish all of u guys who get out good luck on finding some rarerties !
Shaky

 

[Penny Clarke]

Nearly missed this male Rustic Bunting as Nick Watmough and I drove back down the track towards the A149 from Garden Drove. Well done to Nick for seeing and ID'ing the bird. Great find. Pity it didn't show for those that came afterwards.

Cheers

Graham Clarke

http://grahamsphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/rustic-bunting-warham-greens-norfolk.html

Congratulations to you both:t: Pity Mark and I missed seeing it by 15 minutes!!! Very frustrating to be birding in 'Garden Drove' at the time a pager message comes up with RUSTIC BUNTING in Garden Drove and then not see it!!!! Oh well! Had a nice snow bunting feeding by the brick buildings east of the concrete pad a bit later on.

Full update on blog.

Penny:girl:

 

[gclarke1]

Congratulations to you both:t: Pity Mark and I missed seeing it by 15 minutes!!! Very frustrating to be birding in 'Garden Drove' at the time a pager message comes up with RUSTIC BUNTING in Garden Drove and then not see it!!!! Oh well! Had a nice snow bunting feeding by the brick buildings east of the concrete pad a bit later on.

Full update on blog shortly.

Penny:girl:

Hi Penny

Nick deserves all the credit for this one. Pity only him and I saw it. May well be worth a look there in the morning.

Cheers

Graham