Steppe Grey Shrike and Yellow-browed Warbler

Last Sunday, Dad took me up to North Norfolk to see the Steppe Grey Shrike at Burnham Norton. It was very foggy when we arrived, and light was pretty poor. You could the call of thousands of Pink feet flying overhead, but you just couldn't see them unless they were like 10 ft above you! Anyway...

...the Shrike was sitting in a bush about 60 yards from the path, so with the light, it was poor to photograph it.

There were several people that had twitched the shrike. Well over 50 people there.

After about half an hour, the Shrike came a bit closer, and showed the tameness this particular race obviously carries.

We then moved on to Stiffkey, and as this happened, I ran out of credit on my phone! DOH! This meant I couldn't see what was about. We just had to wing it. I saw though that there were some YBW's at Stiffkey, so thats where we headed...

We arrived at the Campsite Car park, and walked through the wood. We joined a group, who were alos looking for the YBW. I found after some extensive searching flitting about high in the canopy. We managed some decent shots...

We then went to see if we could find our own rarities at Garden Drove, Warham Greens, one of my favourite places. After walking down the track, all we saw was a Blackcap, a tit flock which contained nothing interesting and a Great-spotted Woodpecker. We called it a day here and headed home.

Monday and Tuesday produced a hall of birds due to the easterlies and rain. I couldn't believe because on Sunday, we were looking in a tree down Garden Drove. The next day, people saw with joy a Red-flanked Bluetail perched in it. NO WAY!!! If the winds had been a couple of days earlier, we would have seen tonnes of rarities. Going out this Sunday, fingers crossed things will linger, but I doubt it.

GARDEN/PATCH MEGA!!!!

At 14:00 yesterday, Dad had a Short-eared Owl over our garden, WHILE I WAS AT SCHOOL!!! AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! What a bird that would've been to see. This was obviously a passing bird, but it was flying low over the road behind our garden. Jammy git (I'll calm down in a minute!)

Happy Birding :-)

North West Norfolk

On Wednesday, Dad and I took the long drive up to Titchwell area. We arrived at Titchwell, and went straight out onto the beach. We soon found the masses of Common Scoters, about 5,500 birds in total with about 15 Velvet Scoters.

The long line of scoters

Female Velvet

Young Male Velvet

Near Adult Male Velvet

We then went to look on the Freshmarsh, Saltmarsh and Volunteer Marsh. Here's what we saw...

A very theatrical Dog on the beach - very funny to watch

Brent Geese

Both Godwits

Distant Goldeneye offshore

Distant Goldeneye offshore 

Grey Plover

Knot

Ruff

Saltmarsh

Shoveler

Teal

Titchwell Beach

Mixed Birds 

We then went to Choseley Barns, to see if we could get any Corn Buntings. No sign of any as their favourite hedge has been taken out. There were though however c. 30 Yellowhammers and a Buzzard...

Buzzard

Wren

Yellowhammer

Final stop of the day was at Burnham Overy Dunes. We got a Merlin from the layby...

Other stuff we got were...

Burnham Beach

Gulls on Burnham Beach

Dusk Curlew

Golden Plover

Mixed Geese

Distant Marsh Harrier

Brents and Pink foots with a Curlew

Pink Foots

Reed Bunting

We then got a very pale Buzzard. When it flew, it didn't show the white barring on the tail for it to be the resident Rough-legged Buzzard.

We then got a great Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl, but too brief to photograph.

On the way back to the car, I tried to climb over a gate, which I was successful on the way to the marshes, but I fell over it on the way back and landed on my right side. Very painful. Not hurt much, and the optics weren't damaged! When we got back to the car, people were still in the layby and it was almost dusk, but they had the actual Rough-legged Buzzard sitting on top of Gun Hill. They saw it fly in with the white barring on the tail, but I wouldn't of told you it was a Rough-legged Buzzard if I'd of just seen it in the tree!

Happy Birding!

Dad's Birthday

Dad decided to go to the Broads for his birthday, and we started off at Strumpshaw Fen. We started off with some Teal at the Reception Hide.

We then got some Snipe over Fen Hide, and also a Marsh Harrier

I then got a brief Cetti's Warbler over the reedbed at Fen Hide, and we missed a Bittern too. We then got about 60 Pink-footed Goose over the wood by the meadow...

I then got my first Jay of the year before moving on to Buckenham

We arrived at Buckenham, and walked out onto the marsh, and already we saw the Taiga Bean Geese, but they were quite distant..

Digiscoped effort

Scanning the fields we also picked up some White-fronted Geese, Barnacle and Canada Geese, Lapwing and a solitary Ruff. The unmistakable part of the marsh though was the amount of Wigeon. I scanned for a possible American Wigeon, but no luck. Here some that me and Mum took...

Over 600 Birds

We met my cousin Jim again and he took us to Claxton Marshes, to see the Short-eared Owls. Well, we got 3 birds hunting over the marsh. In the video, near the end, you may see the Barn Owl hunting in the background. Enjoy!

We finished the day off by going back to Strumpshaw Fen, to see if there were any Woodcocks, Chinese Water Deer, or Barn Owls. We saw all 3 things, including the Barn Owl very close past, 2 Woodcocks flying around where we were standing, and me and mum jumping out of our skin with the harsh barking of a Chinese Water Deer about 10 yards behind us! Thanks for reading and happy birding.