An Afternoons Birding!

Dad and I went to do some birding along the River Orwell and in that area. We started off at Alton Water. We got nothing here apart from a pair of Goldeneye and Great-crested Grebes from the Sailing Club and Lemon's Hill Bridge. We then went to Whearstead Strand. From the layby, didn't get nothing exciting at low tide, apart from common wader species (Oystercatcher, Redshank and Dunlin). We then went to Freston Marina. Here we got Turnstone, Curlew, Both Godwits, Pintail, Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Shelduck and G-C Grebes... I had my little camera, as the quality of the pictures....

We then went to Shotley. We got a flock of Brent Geese, 2 Shag on the roadside and an adult Med Gull, the latter 2 self found!!!!

Happy Birding

North Norfolk - 2 Great Lifers!

Dad and I headed up to North Norfolk yesterday to try and bring the year list up to about 115, hopefully getting a couple of good birds too. We started off at Edgefield, to look for the Parrot Crossbills (104). It wasn't long before got amongst the throng of birders and enjoyed good views of them in the pines, even if the photos weren't great....

They then flew off because of a Buzzard...

and landed right near to where we parked the car, where we had better light for photo's...

We then moved on up to Wiveton, and after driving around the village, we found a couple of birders. We asked them had they seen the Glossy Ibis. They said no, so we tried from the sluice. Several Curlew (106) in the field though. They got there before us, and pulled us over to say that it was in a flooded field. We pulled up, and what great views...

Glossy Ibis (107)

We also got a Water Rail (108) calling from a ditch in Wiveton.

Got great views before we moved up to Cley NWT. Got 4 Brent Goose (109) on the side of the road before we went to Bishop's Hide - only hide open - and got Avocet (110) onto the yearlist. We then went to Cley Coastguards. We looked to the sea, and got plenty of Red-throated Diver (111), and a distant white wader flying which could of been a Grey Phalarope but was very distant and impossible to tell. We then looked at the amazing numbers of Brent Geese. I reckon there were about 400 birds in the Eye field. I took some snaps...

It was only until tonight that I was looking through my photos of the Geese, and 1 individual caught my eye. I couldn't believe it, but it was a BLACK BRANT!

The fact I had actually known that I had seen this bird, but then I found through the photos I took was quite incredible. When sitting in the van eating lunch, a brief Kittiwake (112) flew into the Eye field, but soon flew off again. Also got Turnstones (113) on the beach.

We then moved on to Salthouse. The devastation of the beach car park is terrible. In fact, there isn't a car park. I forgot to take any pictures of the car park, but I was so shocked it was touching. Got a Redshank feeding on the tidal pools though...

Anyway, we went to Gramborough Hill to look for the Richard's Pipit. We'd missed it by 20 minutes. Dad went to look at the RT Divers on the sea, while I chatted to a couple that had turned up. Within about 5 minutes they were on the bird (114), and dad missed it!!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha Ha! I got great views for about 5 seconds before it flew off into the hill. We then went searching while I called over Dad. I flushed it again from the side of the hill before we lost it for good back into the original field. Boy was he an elusive bird.

Final stop of the day was at Blakeney Harbour. We met a couple of chaps, one who does Norfolk bird tours. They lead us up to the NE end of Stiffkey Fen - getting Pintail (115) on they way. The Harbour was a long way away. The guys picked up 1 Great-Northern Diver (116), 2 Black-throated Diver, 4 Long-tailed Duck (117) and 1 Guillemot (118), all of which we saw. We also got Grey Plover (119) and Bar-tailed Godwit (120).

On the way back, got a massive flock of probably about 2,000 Brent Geese flying over the fen, and 50 Black-tailed Godwits (121) on the fen...

And finally, flushed a Little Owl from the side of the road nearer to home, which brings the yearlist total to 122.

What a great day!

Happy Birding!

Titchwell Marsh

Sorry about the delay to this post, I have just had so much homework it's unreal! I shall get started straight away, so on the 3rd March, Dad and I went to Titchwell. When we got their, a group of Golden Plover and Lapwing flew over the car park which was a promising start to the day. We got to the visitor center, and went out onto the feeders. We could see about 5 Brambling and a Water Rail under the feeders...

We then walked down the main track, and we knocked on to a Kingfisher distantly on the Thornham Grazing Marsh. Then we went into Parrinder Hide. Not much there, just the regular Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Snipe, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew etc. We then went onto the beach. We got fantastic views of 4 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 being a flypast, the other 2 were close inshore, them being female. We also saw Goldeneye, a big group of Eider, Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Scoters. A brief Juvenile Gannet was distant, and 2 Ringed Plovers were on the beach. We then went back, and got great views of Spotted Redshank and other common species, including the Red-crested Pochard.

Black-tailed Godwit

Golden Plover

Avocets

Grey Plover

Oystercatchers

Ringed Plover

Redshank

Knot

Snipe

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank and Avocet

Turnstone

Pink-footed Geese

Red-crested Pochard

Brent Geese

Shoveler

Teal

A Chinese Water Deer also put in an appearance, as did some lovely snowdrops.

We then went back and had sandwiches, then headed back out to the beach. When we got out there the tide was out, so we walked down to the shoreline. As soon as we got down there at put the scope down, we could pick out a Velvet Scoter among 3 Common Scoters due to the white wing patch. Then, we saw 6 Long-tailed Ducks, 4 Drakes!!!!! Not much else of note, so we headed back. We saw 2 Water Rails on the way back, one on Thornham Grazing Marsh, then one in the ditch behind the feeders.

Happy Birding

Lots to Catch Up On!

Sorry for the wait on this post. Homework's just been flying out the window. Not much writing but plenty of pictures. On the Sunday after the last post, it was a late start because of all the fog, so we didn't leave until 9:30am. We got to Cley Beach at 11:45am, and the fog had cleared. We were told to just spend a bit of time on a beach, so that's what we did, and here's what we got.

Brent Geese

More Brent Geese

A Common Gull

A Common Darter along East Bank

And a Cormorant

Little Egret

Marsh Harrier

And a Gannet fishing

We got some other great things too and these were probably the highlights. We got great views of 2 Juvenile Great Skua out at Sea, plus 3 flypasts of Red-throated Divers too.

We then moved to Warham Greens for a bit in the afternoon, and not much but a fantastic Male Blackcap was a nice find, and also about 70 Golden Plover over the Saltmarsh. 

Yesterday, I played Golf, and we got a great experience of a Muntjac deer running from the trees on the left hand side of the fairway straight towards the tee where we were. Within 10 yards, it turned left, but was a great sight. Also, I got my best ever views of a Jay, 10 yards away, eating berries when I shanked my ball into the trees :(. After that, I played really well, only 1 over handicap.

Happy Birding