Norfolk birding (20 Viewers)

[peteh]

Don't worry Norfolk birders. We will be gone from Norfolk on Friday and so the big giant jinx that we are will be clear and the rare birds will start flooding in
I just checked on Birdguides and this day in Oct hasn't been this sparse since 2001, that is some serious jinxing skills!

 

[robinchittenden]

Good point Robin, I should read the facts before posting! Been a long day!

Just to add the Red-rumped Swallow was phoned into us by a birder from Birdline Wales, who has discovered a fair percentage of the scarcities in that corner of Norfolk, in the last couple of years, despite his non-localness (is that a word?).

 

[Vespa]

A complete non sequitur: until now, the photo in my last post (#17943) of a Pec Sand has been viewed 64 times, that of a piece of ground from which a bin has been removed, 71 ! I am at a loss, literally, to explain this.

I have to admit to being one of the many to having viewed the binless ground image. The reason is simple - I didn't understand why there was an image of grass and leaves (assuming things aren't so bad in Norfolk this Autumn that you have all taken to identifying grass). I was actually intrigued enough to read back and now I fully understand! Much more interesting than a Pec Sand :t:

 

[Penny Clarke]

Fingringhoe is just down the road from me and I agree, lovely reserve. Bet you didn't find many 'Rares' there though.

Phil

Hi Phil

No I didn't, but then I don't find many rares here either!!!:-O

 

[Penny Clarke]

Today started well, but went downhill after that!

Started off at Titchwell RSPB with a few others in vague hope of seeing the departing Red-rumped Swallow that had roosted in the reed beds last night – none of us knew where exactly it had roosted last night, which didn't really help!

I had a fantastic sighting of 50 house martins (in two groups), 2 swallows and a sandmartin going west over the main path.

I was quite surprised to see that several people had travelled from other counties to see the Red-rumped Swallow! James H. turned up as he needed it for his Norfolk list and also another man from Essex. I felt sorry for them, coming all this way and not seeing the bird, but that's that way it goes I suppose. James did find a fantastic albino type Golden Plover that stood out like a sore thumb. Seriously windy this morning and for most of the day.

I found a ringtail Hen Harrier at Warham Greens later on in the afternoon.

Full update on blog.

Penny:girl:

 

[The sniper]

I went titchwell,great day,windy,nothing of much of note but a nice day nethertheless.About 4pm I decided to go for the Red crested Pochard,I bumped into 6 separate birders who all claimed the Bird wasn't there,just Pochards and a tufted duck,when I arrived the RCP was there,do people ignore different variations of birds,or have just the bolder sex in their field guides???

 

[firstreesjohn]

just the bolder sex in their field guides???

Could it be that they have the Daily Male Bird Guide, sniper ?

Don't worry Norfolk birders. We will be gone from Norfolk on Friday and so the big giant jinx that we are will be clear

I actually feel sorry for visitors, who have spent a lot of money reaching and staying here, for little to show- in both senses. I, for one, do not attribute the lack of rarities to them.

assuming things aren't so bad in Norfolk this Autumn that you have all taken to identifying grass

Tom, I’m afraid this is, indeed, the case. From an earlier post:

thinking of more exciting pastimes, such as watching grass grow.

In fact, yesterday, I phoned someone excitedly, saying that I thought I’d seen the blade of grass that I’d been watching for the past hour had grown visibly. This is not a tall tale !

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell October 17th

Today’s highlights

Pom skua – juv on beach
Long tailed duck – 1 offshore
Hen harrier – ringtail in/off sea
Red kite – 1 west @ 14:30
Bittern – 1 in flight over reedbed
Sadly the vulture didn't make it past Burnham Norton which was a shame. Would have been nice to see whatever its status..

Ahead of schedule with the fresh marsh management so hopefully we should be finished by lunchtime (ish) tomorrow is all goes to plan.

Paul

 

[David Norgate]

Sadly the vulture didn't make it past Burnham Norton which was a shame. Would have been nice to see whatever its status..

It was quite an amazing sight! Shame about the bell on it!
I'm sure there were plenty of relieved people at work after the initial panic!
Did manage to see Rough-leg and Red Kite amongst other raptors today as well! So all in all an interesting and enjoyable chase around!!

PS Thanks to SW for the original text and KN + DM for updates and chats!

 

[Paul Eele]

Did anyone manage to get some photos of the bird?

 

[ben_lewis]

One on RBA here Paul http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/gallery_show.asp?GalleryID=16038&fast_filter=6

 

[tootsietim]

At work today in the wood yard on Barn Rd, Norwich, I had the good fortune to be entertained all day by a pair of Grey wagtails. They spent the day chasing around the roof tops. Not very rare I know, but it cheered me up no end after biking to work in the rain....again.

 

[The sniper]

I know it was an escape but I had a great time trying to connect with the vulture lol
First we just got to the beach when news broke,do we stay or go,we stayed.News kept coming that it was coming west,by the time it got to holkham and we heard it went down in a field we were on the main path between the visitor centre and the beach with a few others,we decided to go to holkham gap where we got told it had set down in a field,we headed up the lane to be told it had gone west,we then heard it ended up at burnham norton so we thought we would carry on to brancaster staithe harbour where along with others we stayed till around 5ish before giving up the ghost,shame not to connect as it would of been nice to see but fun anyway!!!

 

[Mark Batten]

Jingle bells is a Xmas song, unless you live in norfolk

 

[richardm]

gyp gip

First spotted it at Cley and gave chase, but unfortunately wore a blue anklet ... and its bell was audibly jingling as I snapped it passing overhead. I'm told is escaped in Wales and went to Cornwall before trekking up to Norfolk.

 

[ben_lewis]

Anyone else think this Teal is a bit odd? It really stuck out from the others due to the darker cap/forehead, slightly paler overall plumage and more speckled breast, also is that a pale blue wing panel? Getting a slightly Cinnamon vibe from it so just wanted to double check

 

[Tideliner]

Its a moulting common teal and might also have a feather lice infestation hence the poor plumage condition.

 

[Paul Eele]

One on RBA here Paul http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/gallery_show.asp?GalleryID=16038&fast_filter=6

Thanks mate. Gutted, looks an impressive beast

 

[Dave Appleton]

Anyone else think this Teal is a bit odd? It really stuck out from the others due to the darker cap/forehead, slightly paler overall plumage and more speckled breast, also is that a pale blue wing panel? Getting a slightly Cinnamon vibe from it so just wanted to double check

It reminds me a lot of young male Teals just beginning to acquire their adult plumage. I think what looks like a pale blue wing panel can't be the forewing - the position relative to the speculum is wrong for it to be the inner wing-coverts of the upperwing - these should be in front of the pale greater covert bar but this area is grey-brown (as on Teal). My take is that the wing is slightly lifted and you can see the pale axilllaries underneath the lifted part of the wing. They look blue in the image but the whole image is washed blue for some reason (if you apply 'remove colour cast' in Photoshop to the pale blue patch you end up with a much more natural looking image).

 

[Jhanlon]

Anyone else think this Teal is a bit odd? It really stuck out from the others due to the darker cap/forehead, slightly paler overall plumage and more speckled breast, also is that a pale blue wing panel? Getting a slightly Cinnamon vibe from it so just wanted to double check

There was a teal at Titchwell yesterday with completely golden/ cinnamon-buff underparts which really stood out from the crowd. My first thoughts were cinnamon but on checking it it looked just like a common teal. Only saw it head on. It was upstaged by the partial albino (leucistic, whatever) golden plover earlier in the morning though which was even more obvious. Think I've seen some pics of that on here already.

James