Norfolk birding (14 Viewers)

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 25th

Today's highlights

Common scoter - summering flock of 500 offshore
Ruff - 2 on fresh marsh
Green sandpiper - 1 on Patsy's reedbed all day
Garganey - 2 on Patsy's reedbed
Avocet - 100 on fresh marsh
Spotted flycatcher - 1 on East Trail early morning only
Little gull - 4 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 3 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 26th

Today's highlights

Common sandpiper - 1 on Patsy's reedbed
Avocet - 185 on fresh marsh
Med gull - 1 east
Spoonbill - 6 roosting on fresh marsh
Black tailed godwit - 315 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 2 on fresh marsh
Wigeon - 2 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 2 on fresh marsh
Green sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[steve_zodiac]

Just got home to the West Midlands after ten days in east Norfolk at Winterton on Sea. Birding daily, usually one or two from Breydon Water, Martham broad, Horsey mere, and Winterton. I'm not too impressed at missing the Pacific Golden Plover but have had some decent birds over the past ten days.

Great White Egret at Horsey mere on Friday night; the bird flew in from the north-east and came down in the reed bed just beyond the New Cut near Brograve mill.

There didn't seem to be so many Nightjars at Winterton dunes this year. Last year I had eight churring birds between the tank blocks and Winterton village. Earlier last week I only had four over the same distance.

Barn Owls seem to be doing well between Martham and Horsey with 1-2 birds seen daily often carrying prey. And over at Upton marshes I saw 4 birds hunting at the same time.

No booming Bitterns heard at Horsey or Martham.

Decent assortment of waders at Breydon including Whimbrel and summer plumaged Spotted Redshank last Wednesday night.

Good numbers of warblers at Martham and Horsey including a couple of reeling 'Groppers' near the beach car park at Horsey, and a couple of sightings of Cetti's Warbler at Martham, though 2-3 birds usually heard there and at Horsey.

No Little Terns at the Winterton colony this year, though quite a few over the sea further north west.

 

[BirdPics]

Currently up in Norfolk, found 2 Arctic Terns at Morston at around 5:30pm today

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell June 30th

Today's highlights

Spoonbill - 8 on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard - 5 on Patsy's reedbed
Turtle dove - 1 along East Trail this morning
Bittern - 1 over reedbed
Little gull - 3 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 6 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 12 on fresh marsh
Garganey - 2 female/immature on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[Tim P]

Any one with similar sightings of inland Pied Flycatcher at this time of year.?

Per most recent blog entry https://hethersettbirdingblog.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/missing-the-mega/

an intriguing sighting from a gent who used to regularly bird around the county and with Bill Oddie his credentials and description appear genuine.

 

[stuart white]

Great to watch the Pacific Golden Plover in the early evening sunshine, 8-9pm, this evening, the bird seemed to spend quite a lot of time bathing, then preening, then around 9.10pm it called 4-5 times, similar to a spotshank, "chu-it" stretched it's wings, showing off the smoky grey armpits and flew off high west up breydon water until it was a tiny speck. I'd be suprised if it's still there tomorrow, but I have been suprised before !

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell July 3rd

Today's highlights

Spoonbill - 8 on fresh marsh this morning
Red crested pochard - 7 on Patsy's reedbed
Green sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 3 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 5 on fresh marsh
Avocet - 331 on fresh marsh
Common sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 2 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell July 4th

Today's highlights

Spotted redshank - 9 on fresh marsh
Red crested pochard - 8 on Patsy's reedbed
Green sandpiper - 1 on Patsy's reedbed
Garganey - eclipse drake on Patsy's reedbed
Greenshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 3 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 8 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell July 7th

Today's highlights

Spotted redshank - 9 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 8 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 3 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 9 roosting on fresh marsh
Avocet - 269 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Stonechat - 1 on saltmarsh

Paul

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell July 8th

Today's highlights

Red crested pochard - 10 on Patsy's reedbed
Spotted redshank - 6 on fresh marsh
Spoonbill - 11 roosting on fresh marsh
Dunlin - 6 on fresh marsh
Avocet - an impressive 402 on fresh marsh this afternoon
Little ringed plover - 3 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 5 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 1st summer on fresh marsh
Dark bellied brent goose - 1 on saltmarsh
Common sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Med gull - adult on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[PYRTLE]

33 Ruff on Cley reserve yesterday afternoon, but only about 8 or 9 this morning. Compensated for by a gorgeous male Spotted Redshank on Pat's Pool, 10 Spoonbills and plenty of low flying hirundines and Swifts.
Pat

 

[Paul Eele]

Titchwell July 9th

Today's highlights

Avocet - an impressive reserve record count of 549 on the fresh marsh this afternoon
Spoonbill - 10 roosting on fresh marsh all day
Red crested pochard - 10 on Patsy's reedbed
Little ringed plover - 4 on fresh marsh
Spotted redshank - 6 on fresh marsh
Dunlin - 19 on fresh marsh
Greenshank - 1 on fresh marsh
Black tailed godwit - 570 on fresh marsh
Ruff - 11 on fresh marsh
Little gull - 3 on fresh marsh

Paul

 

[stuart white]

Honey Buzzards - Anyone know anything about the Honey buzzard sighting at swanton novers today? Sounds very good, 1+ on show for an hour. Would this be the first confirmed sighting since 2010 at the site. Just checked my notebook, my last sighting was 3rd July 2010, on show for 75 minutes regularly displaying, seen with the late Robin Abel. My only sighting that year despite many visits and none since.

 

[Tideliner]

The honey buzzard sighting at Swanton Novers was good seen by one of the vol wardens who knows his stuff with honey buzzards. It was seen on several occasions and has been about for the last few weeeks.There is the possibility of a second bird though not reported because the sighting was brief and unconfirmed.

Your note book is wrong Stuart as honey buzzards have been seen from Swanton Novers every year for at least the last 20 years. Last year a female was present in May , but no male until July by which time the female had gone. No breeding has taken place since 2011 ( one youngster fledged) and in recent years the birds have been elusive often being absent for weeks at a time.

However it must also be said that there have been a number of false sightings in recent years with common buzzards being mistaken for honey buzzards. Too many people expect to see honey buzzards every time they visit , but even when they are present its not unusual for them not to be seen. One year when they successfuly bred one bird watcher put in 16 days before he saw one , he was just unlucky. We had one non breeding female that arrived in late May 2001 that was spending her time in the wood rarely breaking the canopy and was not seen from the watchpoint until mid July so it can take weeks of watching before you get one.

The pesent bird was first seen the same day a bird was reported over Weybourn ( 2 weeks ago ) and could be the same bird , but as breeding is not suspected how long its likely to stay is anyones guess.

 

[AFeather]

Kingfisher

Hi all

This bird was brought in by a cat about a month ago. At the time I thought there was a good chance it was game over for any associated nest, however the owner has recently seen three Kingfishers sitting together in the garden, presumably fledglings.

This was good news but made me think, is the bird in the photo definitely an adult male?

My thoughts are another male was on hand for a second brood, which was successful. It seems unlikely a single bird could produce three fledglings, but not impossible.

 

[crapbirder]

No breeding has taken place since 2011 ( one youngster fledged).

Somewhat confused by this statement, if the 2011 Norfolk Bird Report is to be believed it states "Unlike previous summers there were no records from the usual breeding area and it seems highly unlikely that breeding occurred in the county."

However, the 2009 Norfolk Bird Report states that breeding was successful at the known breeding area with a single juvenile on the wing from 12 August which would mean a very early first egg date in my view.

It may be of course that some observers have preferred not to put all Honey Buzzard breeding information in the public domain but I for one would be pleased to have these apparent anomalies clarified.

 

[stuart white]

Your note book is wrong Stuart as honey buzzards have been seen from Swanton Novers every year for at least the last 20 years. Last year a female was present in May , but no male until July by which time the female had gone. No breeding has taken place since 2011 ( one youngster fledged) and in recent years the birds have been elusive often being absent for weeks at a time.

I'm not saying my diary is the oracle! Just a personal reference. I did however spend a lot of time looking for them in 2011, 12 & 13 and never saw one, or met anybody else who did.

Were the 2014 sightings reported anywhere on a public forum ? I cannot find reference to them ?

Presumably news comes out of swanton and did before they closed the ryburgh watchpoint on a very regular basis ? In 2008 & 2009 and before reports were virtually daily.

Checking the bird info services, the last 5 years hgave produced the following
2011 - not a single report form Gt. Ryburgh. Reported twice from swanton in second half of May, then no reports for 2 months and reported twice in late July.
2012 - one report form early June @ Ryburgh, Swanton 2 reports from late may & 2 from early June, nothing for rest of summer
2013 - Ryburgh 2 reports, one form early June one late september. Swanton 8 reports from 16th May to 12th July
2014 - nothing
2015 - 2 very recent sightings at Swanton

Have the birds become more secretive in the last 5 years ?

 

[JCL]

Several Siskins over New Costessey today. Perhaps part of the coastal passage that I think has been noted a few places. And - Weds 8th, 6am - Hobby scything its way low up the Dereham Road by the Cherry Tree pub in New Costessey.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Reports today of 4 HB at Swanton Novers from the church with 1 from the watchpoint at the same time. 2 HB reported yesterday, 1 of which has been present for 16 days.