Norfolk birding (42 Viewers)

[Geoff Pain]

10 Ring Ouzels Holme NWT today.:t: and a Whinchat at Salthouse.

 

[Geoff Pain]

Rubbish shot of todays Whinchat at Salthouse.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell April 18th

Today's highlights

White tailed eagle - adult low in from the west (Holme direction) then circled up high over Thornham and headed SW @ 08:45 but not seen again
Reed warbler - 1st of the year singing by the main path this morning
Greenshank - 1 on tidal pool
Peregrine - 1 over saltmarsh
Bittern - male booming in reedbed
Med gull - 2 adults on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - immature still present
Red crested pochard - 4 around reserve
Grasshopper warbler - 1 reeling in main reedbed from Fen Hide

Paul

 

[Stratton Birder]

LOCAL BIRDING 2015 - MARCH

Apart from a couple of warm days around the third week of March, it was decidedly cold and the birding locally, maintained a mostly winter theme.

To kick off the month, there was a very large winter flock of around 1200 Fieldfares in a single field at Aslacton on 2nd which is the biggest flock of this species that I have ever seen anywhere during this season. Afterwards, a trip to Gt Moulton Bridge to watch Grey Wagtails coming in to roost was very worthwhile. Three flew in, two of them males beginning to aquire their summer plumage. Both were very territorial and were singing and chasing each other around. Also, a Kingfisher flew under the bridge and a Barn Owl hunted behind me.

The sewage works at Tharston had 38 Pied Wagtails on 6th and the next day there was a large gathering of 120 Carrion Crows between Forncett and Tacolneston. There was a similar sized amount of Carrion Crows near Hempnall on 26th.

What is presumably the same pair of adult Herring Gulls, have been turning up for the last few years at this time for a little holiday on Wacton Common. This year they arrived on 9th and had departed by 30th.

A Little Owl found hunting during the middle of the day at Stratton Bridge on 16th was a lovely sight. With its moth like flight it was catching insects on the wing and at one point I'm sure it caught a large bumble bee.

My first pair of local Grey Partridges were noted near Shelton Green on 18th (they seem harder to find out my way these days) and the same site also produced my first singing Chiffchaff of the year on the morning of 23rd. This pleasant spring sighting prompted me to go out again in the afternoon and I had my best find of the year so far with an adult male Peregrine chasing Woodpigeons over Wacton Common. Along with this highlight there were also flocks of 50 Meadow Pipits, 260 Common Gulls and a single Snipe.

A pair of Shelducks just scraped onto my patch when they flew over Silver Green, Hempnall on 26th. This is the third year running that I have seen Shelducks in this area at this time - I have yet to find any evidence of breeding. A strange but welcome record was a pair of Gadwall on a large pond in somebody's back garden at Fritton Common on 28th. It seemed such an unusual sighting that I actually enquired with the ponds owners to make sure they weren't pets or something. Thankfully they knew nothing about them so I added them to my local year list.

Half a dozen or so Nuthatches were seen at various places towards the months end and several Song Thrushes and Chiffchaffs were heard singing. The last noteworthy record of the month was a Grey Wagtail at Hempnall Bridge on 29th.

Species - 75

Steve

 

[Carol Baldock]

3 Wheatears ( 2m, 1 f) at Cley , Eye Field today; followed by 5 of them at Gramborough Hill / Salthouse ( 1 pair, 1m, 1m, 1f ) and then 4 male Ring Ouzels at Felbrigg...and sunshine ..happy days...plus our mallard ducklings, in one of the 4 nests built this year in our garden, started to hatch today...mother still incubating , but 4 broken shells so far and more to come...

 

[Carol Baldock]

LOCAL BIRDING 2015 - MARCH

Apart from a couple of warm days around the third week of March, it was decidedly cold and the birding locally, maintained a mostly winter theme.

To kick off the month, there was a very large winter flock of around 1200 Fieldfares in a single field at Aslacton on 2nd which is the biggest flock of this species that I have ever seen anywhere during this season. Afterwards, a trip to Gt Moulton Bridge to watch Grey Wagtails coming in to roost was very worthwhile. Three flew in, two of them males beginning to aquire their summer plumage. Both were very territorial and were singing and chasing each other around. Also, a Kingfisher flew under the bridge and a Barn Owl hunted behind me.

The sewage works at Tharston had 38 Pied Wagtails on 6th and the next day there was a large gathering of 120 Carrion Crows between Forncett and Tacolneston. There was a similar sized amount of Carrion Crows near Hempnall on 26th.

What is presumably the same pair of adult Herring Gulls, have been turning up for the last few years at this time for a little holiday on Wacton Common. This year they arrived on 9th and had departed by 30th.

A Little Owl found hunting during the middle of the day at Stratton Bridge on 16th was a lovely sight. With its moth like flight it was catching insects on the wing and at one point I'm sure it caught a large bumble bee.

My first pair of local Grey Partridges were noted near Shelton Green on 18th (they seem harder to find out my way these days) and the same site also produced my first singing Chiffchaff of the year on the morning of 23rd. This pleasant spring sighting prompted me to go out again in the afternoon and I had my best find of the year so far with an adult male Peregrine chasing Woodpigeons over Wacton Common. Along with this highlight there were also flocks of 50 Meadow Pipits, 260 Common Gulls and a single Snipe.

A pair of Shelducks just scraped onto my patch when they flew over Silver Green, Hempnall on 26th. This is the third year running that I have seen Shelducks in this area at this time - I have yet to find any evidence of breeding. A strange but welcome record was a pair of Gadwall on a large pond in somebody's back garden at Fritton Common on 28th. It seemed such an unusual sighting that I actually enquired with the ponds owners to make sure they weren't pets or something. Thankfully they knew nothing about them so I added them to my local year list.

Half a dozen or so Nuthatches were seen at various places towards the months end and several Song Thrushes and Chiffchaffs were heard singing. The last noteworthy record of the month was a Grey Wagtail at Hempnall Bridge on 29th.

Species - 75

Steve

Thank you for another excellent local report Steve. Glad that you had the patience to re- type it, after your most unfortunate loss of the previous one.. I particularly liked to hear about the little owl..one of my favourite birds. We once had one come down our chimney pots, unbeknown to Rob and I and stay in our drawing room for several days ( a room we virtually never use ), until Rob opened the door one day and it flew at his face! He of course helped to release it....Well done on the peregrine and very interesting to hear about the gadwalls. BW, Carol

 

[Carol Baldock]

Rubbish shot of todays Whinchat at Salthouse.

Not that rubbish, Geoff, IMO, and nice to see, as well as your pic of the Ring Ouzel, thank you. :t::t:

 

[Mick Sway]

Black redstart was at NOA Walsey Hills adjacent Cley late afternoon. Flew south about 17.15.

 

[AFeather]

My first cuckoo at strumpshaw yesterday, he called once and then headed north.

 

[gordon hamlett]

Swift at Sculthorpe yesterday (Sunday)

 

[Shaky09]

Great read

LOCAL BIRDING 2015 - MARCH

Apart from a couple of warm days around the third week of March, it was decidedly cold and the birding locally, maintained a mostly winter theme.

To kick off the month, there was a very large winter flock of around 1200 Fieldfares in a single field at Aslacton on 2nd which is the biggest flock of this species that I have ever seen anywhere during this season. Afterwards, a trip to Gt Moulton Bridge to watch Grey Wagtails coming in to roost was very worthwhile. Three flew in, two of them males beginning to aquire their summer plumage. Both were very territorial and were singing and chasing each other around. Also, a Kingfisher flew under the bridge and a Barn Owl hunted behind me.

The sewage works at Tharston had 38 Pied Wagtails on 6th and the next day there was a large gathering of 120 Carrion Crows between Forncett and Tacolneston. There was a similar sized amount of Carrion Crows near Hempnall on 26th.

What is presumably the same pair of adult Herring Gulls, have been turning up for the last few years at this time for a little holiday on Wacton Common. This year they arrived on 9th and had departed by 30th.

A Little Owl found hunting during the middle of the day at Stratton Bridge on 16th was a lovely sight. With its moth like flight it was catching insects on the wing and at one point I'm sure it caught a large bumble bee.

My first pair of local Grey Partridges were noted near Shelton Green on 18th (they seem harder to find out my way these days) and the same site also produced my first singing Chiffchaff of the year on the morning of 23rd. This pleasant spring sighting prompted me to go out again in the afternoon and I had my best find of the year so far with an adult male Peregrine chasing Woodpigeons over Wacton Common. Along with this highlight there were also flocks of 50 Meadow Pipits, 260 Common Gulls and a single Snipe.

A pair of Shelducks just scraped onto my patch when they flew over Silver Green, Hempnall on 26th. This is the third year running that I have seen Shelducks in this area at this time - I have yet to find any evidence of breeding. A strange but welcome record was a pair of Gadwall on a large pond in somebody's back garden at Fritton Common on 28th. It seemed such an unusual sighting that I actually enquired with the ponds owners to make sure they weren't pets or something. Thankfully they knew nothing about them so I added them to my local year list.

Half a dozen or so Nuthatches were seen at various places towards the months end and several Song Thrushes and Chiffchaffs were heard singing. The last noteworthy record of the month was a Grey Wagtail at Hempnall Bridge on 29th.

Species - 75

Steve

As always a enjoyable read Steve, look forward to the next one! Maybe April will include a Ring Ouzel ?!
Anyways, happy birding
Shaky

 

[Shaky09]

Well thanks for that, Steve!
I immediately, of course, thought Common Buzzard - I'd already seen half a dozen drift over. This one seemed different though: jizz. pale secondary panels, call... It was / is, I felt, at least vaguely interesting.
My thoughts were: " Do any of the Hieraaetus or Aquila eagles have five obvious primaries?"
Of course, I could have just looked that up, but thought I'd see if anyone here had any ideas.
David

By the way: I write articles / books etc: Rule One - save as you go along! (In at least two places!)

David, it seems every month at some point you are offended ,angered or upset by someone or other. This Bird Forum is not the place for this attitude and the reason why I don't use it as much as I did in the last. Please take a breathe or a few minutes before posting like the above as im sure you would more likely to either: not respond ,or respond more positively.
Anyway , I hope you don't respond to this with anger because it's simply done to view of helping you and Bird forum .
As alway I wish you Happy birding
Shaky

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Thank you for your kind advice, Shaky: hugely appreciated.

I can't, however, see anything offensive whatsoever in my post that you copy above and I don't think 'breathing' would've caused me to change the text of my original post...
I do get offended by abrupt responses: these frequently present as rude or unconsidered and sometimes seem intended to show the cleverness of the poster rather than offering any genuine advice with identification.

Suppose you'd put up a picture of, say, a white rumped Swift and I just posted 'Swift' in reply. How would that help you or contribute to the knowledge of people who read the response? Might you think I was being a little less than polite? And if I then gave as an excuse that I was too busy for a full explanation, might you not wonder how I found time to post anything at all?

Anyhow: decent session at Cantley today: pair of displaying Peregrines, female Scaup paired with a Tufty and a White Stork over.

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell April 20th

Today's highlights

Brambling - female on feeders
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh
Bittern - booming male in reedbed
Grasshopper warbler - 1 reeling and showing in small willow bushes by viewing screen on East Trail this afternoon
Garden warbler - 1st of the year near Fen Hide
Red crested pochard - 7 on Patsy's reedbed
Lesser whitethroat - 1st of the year singing in hedge along East Trail
Treecreeper - 1 in picnic area
Spotted redshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Pink footed goose - 140 in/off sea and flew east this afternoon. Autumn is already here!!

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell April 21st

Today's highlights

Bittern - booming male in reedbed
Eider - 7 offshore
Spotted redshank - 3 on fresh marsh
Whinchat - male in reedbed early morning only
Barn owl - 1 hunting over East Trail
Med gull - 4 on fresh marsh
Grasshopper warbler - 1 singing by viewing screen on East Trail + 1 singing in main reedbed
Common sandpiper - 1 on Volunteer Marsh
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Red kite - 1 west
Whitethroat - 1st of the year singing by Island Hide

Paul

 

[Stratton Birder]

As always a enjoyable read Steve, look forward to the next one! Maybe April will include a Ring Ouzel ?!
Anyways, happy birding
Shaky

I'm trying hard mate. Been checking the local horse paddocks and other suitable areas but no joy so far. The main thing though is I just enjoy being outdoors watching the common birds and if I do luck onto a Ring Ouzel or anything else, it will be a bonus. Keep up the good work on your patch - the best days of the spring are only just around the corner and I look forward to hearing about it when you get a really nice bird for your efforts.

All the best.

Steve.

 

[Stratton Birder]

Thank you for another excellent local report Steve. Glad that you had the patience to re- type it, after your most unfortunate loss of the previous one.. I particularly liked to hear about the little owl..one of my favourite birds.

Couldn't agree more Carol. I saw one again the other day. Adorable little birds and one of my favourites too :t:

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Cranes at Strumpshaw

Three photos of a couple of Cranes which flew past Tower hide at Strumpshaw this lunchtime.

Ron

 

[Carol Baldock]

My first cuckoo at strumpshaw yesterday, he called once and then headed north.

How lovely for you :t: ..I am still waiting to hear my first cuckoo this year :gh:

 

[Carol Baldock]

Three photos of a couple of Cranes which flew past Tower hide at Strumpshaw this lunchtime.

Ron

these are really great shots, thank you for sharing them. :t: What a treat for you to see ..they certainly made me smile ... and the sky backdrop is such a great shade of blue too :t: