New Years Day Bird Race, and the Suffolk Coast!

Mum, Dad and I decided to take part in the new years day bird race, so we thought we would go to North Norfolk - Titchwell and Burnham area.

In the garden before we left, we had Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Collared Dove, Starling, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, a flock of about 30 Fieldfare over, Black-headed Gull, Chaffinch, Magpie and Woodpigeon, which bought the total up to 12.

On the way up to Titchwell, we managed to see a further 29 species, making 41 species in total (see complete list at the bottom of the blog post for the birds seen). At Titchwell, the first new bird seen was Wren, followed by a Sparrowhawk. We then added the normal species on the fresh-marsh and salt-marsh, the highlight being a flock of 7 Twite from Parrinder Hide, and then a single Spotted Redshank on the salt-marsh. After finishing at Titchwell, we were on 77 species.

We then went to Burnham Overy, to look for the Rough-legged Buzzard. We soon jammed in on that, and we also got Common Buzzard and Canada Goose.

At the layby looking over to the west end of Holkham, we got a single White-fronted Goose to make the list 85.

We finished the day off at Warham Greens, where we got 3 Hen Harrier (1 male), Linnet, Merlin and a Woodcock, which concluded to a total of 89 species, a very successful day.

New Year's Day Bird Species in order:

1. Blackbird
2. Robin
3. Dunnock
4. Collared Dove
5. Starling
6. House Sparrow
7. Blue Tit
8. Fieldfare
9. Magpie
10. Black-headed Gull
11. Chaffinch
12. Woodpigeon
13. Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
14. Common Gull
15. Rook
16. Goldfinch
17. Green Woodpecker
18. Greylag Goose
19. Kestrel
20. Jackdaw
21. Herring Gull
22. Pheasant
23. Lesser Black-backed Gull
24. Great Black-backed Gull
25. Moorhen
26. Mallard
27. Mistle Thrush
28. Mute Swan
29. Cormorant
30. Carrion Crow
31. Red-legged Partridge
32. Song Thrush
33. Egyptian Goose
34. Great Tit
35. Pied Wagtail
36. Redwing
37. Long-tailed Tits
38. Greenfinch
39. Jay
40. Red Kite (2)
41. Pink-footed Goose
42. Lapwing
43. Wren
44. Sparrowhawk
45. Coot
46. Tufted Duck
47. Gadwall
48. Teal
49. Wigeon
50. Brent Goose
51. Ringed Plover
52. Little Egret
53. Curlew
54. Snipe
55. Redshank
56. Grey Plover
57. Dunlin
58. Shelduck
59. Avocet
60. Twite (7)
61. Marsh Harrier
62. Ruff
63. Meadow Pipit
64. Reed Bunting
65. Water Rail
66. Pochard
67. Goldeneye
68. Turnstone
69. Knot
70. Golden Plover
71. Oystercatcher
72. Pintail
73. Shoveler
74. Little Grebe
75. Spotted Redshank
76. Black-tailed Godwit
77. Bar-tailed Godwit
78. Sanderling
79. Great Spotted Woodpecker
80. Coal Tit
81. Stock Dove
82. Rough-legged Buzzard
83. Canada Goose
84. Common Buzzard
85. White-fronted Goose
86. Hen Harrier
87. Linnet
88. Merlin
89. Woodcock

Covehithe Broad and Dunwich Shore Pools

Yesterday, Dad and I teamed up with our friends David and Ed to do a bit of Suffolk coast birding. Before that however, I was stunned to see myself looking at an adult male Bullfinch in the garden. The light wasn't brilliant, but it was still a cracking bird to have in the garden! A first in 4 years...

We started off at Covehithe where we ticked Brambling, flyover Barnacle Geese, Yellowhammer, and a brief Bearded tit before arriving at the broad. We could see the Shorelarks through our bins before looking at them closely, but then they took off and flew high south, and for quite a few miles. However they have been seen again today, so they must go for a fly about before returning. We also got Red-throated Diver offshore, a redhead Smew, and 3 Goldeneye in the area.

We then went to Dunwich Shore Pools. On the walk up, we got Common Scoter, Stonechat, several Great-crested Grebes offshore, Brent Geese, a Skylark, Rock Pipit, Reed Bunting and a cracking male Hen Harrier, which hunted the reed bed albeit a bit distant...

We then located the Twite flock with a bit of help from another birder, where about 20 birds were present.

Further up (about a further 2 miles!) we relocated the Snow Buntings, which were so obliging to us...

On the way back home, we had a lovely Barn Owl hunting alongside the road in Pettaugh which was another year tick taking the total up to 108.

We had a brilliant day, and I just want to thank David and Ed for taking us out, it was a real pleasure.

Isle of Mull - Final Day

The Final Day of Mull was a bit of a miserable one in terms of weather. Most of the time it was OK, just overcast, misty and the odd shower. We went to Beach - "Beak" - to try for the Adder, and the possibility of getting a Dipper on the river. We started off with a nice Whinchat, but it's not the greatest picture.

We then went to the top of the river, when Dad spotted a Dipper feeding a bit further down. We couldn't get any closer, so that was a shame.

We then went looking for the Adders, when I found one in a tussock of grass.

We then went down to Fidden again, maybe seeing the Tree Sparrow again. No sign of that, but we did get a cracking Skylark.

In the evening, we stayed up late at the back of Loch Scridain, to look for the Otters. We got cracking views of at least two fishing. Light was awful though.

We then got great views of a male Hen Harrier to end the day

Great to see Murray in the Wimbledon Final. He is doing well. Hopefully this time he will win. Fingers crossed.

Happy Birding!

Thetford Area

Today we went round Thetford Area to see if we could see the Black-bellied Dipper at Thetford, and maybe a Hawfinch at Lynford Arboretum. After a bit of trouble trying to find the place, we got to the car park eventually. We saw a bloke with a massive camera lense pull up too, so we decided to follow him because we thought that he was looking for the Dipper too. We followed him over 2 footbridges, and then we saw it. We (Dad and I) couldn't believe how close it was......

Here are some digiscoped pics that Dad took....

I did take a video, but I took this from the first time we saw it on the day, and it was closer later on, but I didn't think of doing another video, so I'm a bit annoyed at myself, but here it is. It's a bit difficult to pick out, but it's there.

Other birds about in the area included about 200 Siskin's flying about, a Muntjac, a Goldcrest and a delightful Jay. 

We then moved on to Lynford Arboretum. We didn't get any Hawfinch's, but this is what we did get......

Swans and ducks. There was a Little Grebe there too but not photographed

Several Marsh Tits

And several Nuthatches

We got both Firecrest and Goldcrest, plus a Bullfinch. We moved on to Santon Downham, where we got even more Bullfinch...

That was it for that day, but yesterday - Saturday - We went down Rendall Lane, near Saxham Street in Stowupland to see the massive Skylark flock in the fields (for more details on how to get there, see "Daily Sightings" page). It was incredible.....

We did the Big Garden Birdwatch yesterday - all sighitngs on "Daily Sightings" page, but highlights included 8 Long-tailed Tits, plus a Goldfinch. Frustratingly, fly over birds don't count, because we could have had Fieldfare, Collard Dove, Black-headed and the resident Common Gull all added onto the list. 

Talking of Common Gull, we had 2 birds flying around the back garden together this morning, so that was nice to see. We were going to go out birding yesterday, but in the end we didn't. We were going to see the the Slavonian Grebe at Whitlingham, and the Great White Egret at Wymondham. There you go! Happy Birding!