Thursday, 7 January 2016

5th January

Staffordshire had some quite nice birds around so me and my mate, Tony, decide to mop up these whilst they were still present.
Rudyard Lake was the first destination for a long staying Shag and it wasn't long before we saw it on a boat before getting absolutely ridiculous close views of this bird.
Next destination was Trentham Gardens for a Red-necked Grebe and again it was not long before it was seen at the far end of the lake and, again, great views were had.
Next site was the southern tip of Staffordshire for a long staying bird and one which has a surprise bird for the winter, a Hoopoe.  Again this bird was showing well.
Since the Little Owls abandoned Whitemoor Haye I have no regular site for Little Owls until Tony showed me a site near Yoxall last year however the birds were not showing today. 
3 out of 4 aint bad.

4th January

Just a check around Whitemoor Haye today and birds included Siskin (these have been present for a couple of months now, seen in the small woodland by the quarry entrance), 25 Wigeon, 850 Lapwing, 33 Mute Swan, 1 Whooper Swan, Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Fieldfare, and a Sparrowhawk.

3rd January.

Last day and the forecast was not good so there was only one site to visit and that was Titchwell RSPB.  Pretty much the same birds as on January 1st but it was an enjoyable couple of hours until news of a bird I would have loved for the year list, a Pallid Harrier.  This bird had been showing in a field near Flitcham well before New Years Day but the it suddenly disappeared, no doubt leaving lots of listers disappointed.  Anyway, on arrival, the view had only been a flyby and there had been no sign for over an hour. An hour later there was still o sign and with the rains coming I headed back but not before adding a Brambling to my list.
With a pretty good trip home in constant rain it stopped as I approached the village so I decided to check out the patch, Whitemoor Haye,  The Whooper Swan was still present, a smart male Peregrine was sitting on a rock and then I was treated to a Merlin being pestered by some crows.  Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, and, amazingly, Tufted Duck were year ticks (yep, no tufties seen whilst in Norfolk).

2nd January.

Next morning the plan was to go to Buckingham Marsh RSPB for geese however reports from the previous day said they were very distance and with some showing near Cley I decided to take the risk of finding these and so instead I decided to go to Sea Palling for a Cattle Egret.  This was my big mistake of the holiday as I didn't know where Sea Palling was but thought it was near Cromer when in fact it was the next village along from Hickling where Stubbs Mill is.  What was even more painful was that the bird was not seen again since January 1st, gutted.  That was one of he birds I really wanted from the trip.  Hey ho, that's birding!!!
Well it was off to Cley to look for the Bean Geese, well Kelling to be exact, but on the way I fancied |Sheringham and was delighted to see Purple Sandpiper as well as Red-throated Diver, Gannet and Fulmar.
Now for these Bean Geese at Kelling and after an drive around the village I soon found a field full of Pink-footed Geese and eventually found 4 Bean Geese.  Nice. 
Next, with my digs at Hunstanton for the night, I went for the Rough-legged Buzzards once again as they had been reported showing well only minutes ago.  Once on site I was soon on one of the birds and was treated to a Barn Owl too.  I got talking to another birder and he told me about the Twite and Shorelarks at Thornham.  These were too good to miss.
The Twite showed brilliantly I the car park, the Shorelarks also showed brilliantly but were a bloody good walk and the only time in three days I got slightly wet. Worth it though.
I still had about an hours daylight so decided to head to Hunstanton to watch night fall.

2016, New Year, New Attitude!!

Well well well, its been sometime since I last posted on this blog and I have decided to have yet another go.
In the last couple of years I have been birding and I have been tweeting, just not been blogging but I fancy another go so here we are.  If there are any readers out there, let me know by leaving a comment, I know I will not be doing it for nothing then.
Last year was pretty disappointing on a birding front but that was down to circumstance, I received the keys for my house on August 1st, a lit of hard work had to be done so the birding was put to the side along with biking, fishing and beer consumption however it sure has been worth it as I am writing this in my lounge watching my TV and cooking my dinner. Yeah baby.
This year I intend to beat last years totals which were three lifers and about 180 bird for the year so where better than Norfolk to start off a new year.

1st January 2016.
With the forecast looking okay for a couple of days the hotels were booked and I was on the way to Titchwell RSPB when I saw my first bird for the year and I cannot complain with what it was, a lovely Barn Owl near Norfolk Lavender centre, Heacham (Hunstanton).  On arrival at Titchwell RSPB at 07.00 yes, it was dark, but birds were singing but they couldn't be counted as I have a rule for the first bird of the year has to be seen that is for one bird, a Cetti's Warbler.  It is possible to be three feet from a small bush with the bird singing away for ages and the bird would not be seen so, in my rule book, I don't have to see it.
Birds seen included Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Avocets, Pink-footed Geese, Water Rail, Pintail, Water Pipit, Rock Pipit, Peregrine, Common Scoter and Chiffchaff.
I was heading for Norwich but news came through of a Rough-legged Buzzard at Choseley but being there 30 mins with no sign for an hour I headed off.
My main destination was Stubbs Milll fro the harrier/crane roost.  After seeing a Barn Owl near to Hickling Broad, Stubbs Mill saw plenty of Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Cranes and a female Hen Harrier.

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Recent photos

Masked Shrike - Kilnsea

Brent Geese - Warham Green
 
Red-backed Shrike - Bempton Cliffs RSPB

Penduline Tit - Titchwell RSPB

Spotted Redshank - Titchwell RSPB

Wood Sandpiper - Blacktoft Sands RSPB

Common Cranes - Guyhirn

Roesel's Bush Cricket - Kilnsea.  This is the most northern record of this species recorded in UK

Sooty Shearwater - Skua/Shearwater Cruise, Bridlington Bay

Puffin - Skua/Shearwater Cruise, Bridlington Bay

Fulmar - Skua/Shearwater Cruise, Bridlington Bay.   Bird in front is a blue Fulmare

Purple Sandpiper - Bridlington Harbour

Fulmar - Bempton Cliffs RSPB

Kittiwake - Bridlington Harbour 

Ruff/Redshank - Blacktoft Sands RSPB

Grey Phalarope - Cley NR

Nuthatch - Fradley Junction NR 

Chaffinch - Fradley Junction NR

Nuthatch - Fradley Junction NR

Chaffinch - Fradley Junction NR

Treecreeper - Fradley Junction NR

Coal Tit - Fradley Junction NR

Coal Tit - Fradley Junction NR

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Fradley Junction NR

Long-tailed Tit - National Arboretum

Monday, 10 November 2014

Up to November 9th

Well it didn't take long to not update my blog.  Last time I blogged I was struggling with a bad back gutted that the third ever Masked Shrike had been found in Kilnsea.  So what has been happening since.  On a health note I am up and er running, well walking anyway, but back to normal and I have been out birding as ever.
22-9-14, Whitemoor Haye.
7 Little Egrets, 151 Cormorants, 28 Wigeon, 4 Ruff, 4 Greenshank, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Snipe, 4 Swallow.
27-9-14, Kilnsea.
A pre-organised trip saw me having a couple of days in East Yorkshire and the main question was whether the Masked Shrike was still present. Well, bang, yes.  It hung around and By 09.00 I was watching the third MASKED SHRIKE for the UK.  A right cracker.  Other birds included Pink-footed Geese, Grey Plover, Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and Water Rail to name a few.
Easington Gas Terminal.
Last year this held a Yellow-browed Warbler so as we were passing we thought we would give it a go.  Nowt special.
Hornsea Mere.
Spent an hour or so photographing birds in flight, great fun.  Again nothing special.
28-9-14, circa Bridlington.
Today we had booked ourselves on the Skua/Shearwater cruise from Bridlington.  Whilst waiting to board I noted Kittiwake, Turnstone and Sandwich Tern.  After the cruise we found a few Purple Sandpiper along the walls.
Skua/Shearwater cruise.
It was great to get out on the boat, not done it for a few years.  Not a brilliant trip for skuas bit notable sightings were Common Scoter, several Puffins, Sooty Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Shags, Little Gulls and some harbour porpoises.
Bempton Cliff RSPB.
With little reported nearby we headed for Bempton Cliffs RSPB as a Red-backed Shrike had been present and my mate needed this for a lifer.  5 minutes from parking and the bird was in the bag so we had a walk around the cliff tops with not much else to tell about.
29-9-14, Blacktoft Sands RSPB.
With little decent birds around East Yorkshire we headed home and decided to stop at this great reserve.  Notable birds were Wood Sandpiper, Tree Sparrow, Spotted Redshank, Snipe, Water Rail, Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier and Pink-footed Geese.
2-1-14, Whitemoor Haye.
2 Greenshank, Tree Sparrow.
3-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
29 Tufties, 7 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Ruff, 1 Greenshank, Tree Sparrow, Sparrowhawk.
4-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
8 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Tufted Duck, 1 Greenshank, Chiffchaff and c40 Tree Sparrow.
5-10-14, Alrewas GP.
16 Great Crested Grebe, 112 Tufties, 27 Coot, 30 Mallard, 2 Teal, 6 Pochard, KingfisherChiffchaff, 1 Snipe, few Wigeon.
Croxall Wides - part of Croxall nature reserve but viewed over river from national arboretum.
1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, Teal, Lapwing.
Whitemoor Haye.
83 Tufties, 4 Coot, 1 Green Woodpecker.
7-10-14, Denham Green (somewhere NW of London).
Red Kite, Ring-necked Parakeet, Grey Wagtail.
Whitemoor Haye.
3 Little Egret, 6 Tufties, 3 Pochard, 7 Coot, 1 Grey Partridge.
9-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
1 Teal, 31 Tufties, 2 Pochard, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Coot, 11 Shoveler, 1 Little Egret, 1 Greenshank.
12-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
News broke of a Shag at whilst I was at home just about to go out to check the pits so it was straight down to get a Staffordshire and site tick and a good one too.  It was soon located, viewed from the road.  Other birds included 8 Coot, 14 Tufties, 1 Raven, several Mistle Thrush and 5 Little Egret.     
National Arboretum.
Long-tailed Tits, Mistle Thrush, Raven, Teal.
Croxall Wides.
Teal, 1 Little Egret.
Alrewas GP.
9 Great Crested Grebe, 16 Mallard, 126 Tufties and 32 Coot.
17-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
17 Great Crested Grebe, 16 Tufties, 1 Merlin.
18-10-14, Warham Green.
Over the previous few days there was big numbers of birds making landfall in Norfolk, Yellow-browed Warblers, Barred Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatchers etc plus an Isabelline Shrike.  Friday I ummed and arred but eventually gave up, managed to get some digs Saturday night and was on the road at 04.00 to try and nail the shrike.  Things don't always go to plan and after an hour at Warham Green it was pretty obvious the shrike had gone, in fact a lot of birds had cleared out and with high winds birding was going to be tough.  Rough-legged Buzzard being the only decent bird.
Cley NNR.
A Grey Phalarope had been present on a pool near the beach, I didn't really have time to go round the reserve so it was to the beach and then find the Grey Phalarope. This was not hard and a few photographs later I was off to the next site.
Salthouse Beach.
Lapland Buntings had bee reported here, I decided to have half an hour as you never know what might turn up, Snow Bunting, Shorelark, Lapland Bunting.  It was few years ago I had my pone and only Lapland Bunting on Salthouse Beach, the same day I twitched the White-crowned Sparrow in Cley-next-the-Sea.  Today In was also in luck when I found 2 Lapland Buntings on a fence.
Wells Woods.
This can be a great site this time of year however I aw very little.
Holkham Pines.
As with the last site this can be brilliant this time of year and indeed a Pallas Warbler, Firecrest and Yellow-browed Warbler had been seen and was seen whilst I was there however the tit flock was moving through the pines very quickly, wind assisted  and needless to say I never got on any of the birds.
Titchwell RSPB.
Having had a fairly disappointing day I decided to head for Titchwell to at least see several birds and do a bit of photography.  Notable birds were Black-tailed Godwit, Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, 40+ Little Egrets, Spotted Redshank, Grey Plover, Mediterranean Gull, but what turned out tom be bird of the day was found whilst I was twenty feet away, a Penduline Tit.
19-10-14, Guyhirn.
After an enjoyable but disappointing day I headed home but wanted to visit a couple of sites on the way and I was told of this site the previous day.  I searched for the Chill Out cafĂ©, pointed by scope over the road and I was watching 7 Common Cranes.
Rutland Water.
I was hoping for Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes here.  No luck with them but I noted Great White Egret, Tree Sparrow, Marsh Tit, Green Sandpiper and a close Kingfisher.
20-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
33 Mute Swan, several Tree Sparrow, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 21 Lapwing.
23-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
22 Mute Swan, 40+ Tree Sparrow, 45 Lapwing, 5 Mallard, 21 Coot, 16 Tufties, 1 Shoveler.
25-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
1 Little Grebe, 16 Coot, 111 Mute Swan, 120 Lapwing, 3 Grey Partridge.
26-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
19 Little Egret, 120+ Cormorant, 188 Lapwing, 20 Tufties, 16 Great Crested Grebe, 15 Coot, 126 Mute Swan, 8 Mallard, 2 Teal.
National Arboretum.
Redwings, Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk.
Croxall Wides.
Teal, Green Woodpecker, Redwing.
Alrewas GP.
43 Tufties, 11 Mallard, 1 Green Sandpiper.
29-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
45 Lapwing, 90 Mute Swan, 19 Coot, 17 Mallard, 7 Teal, 2 Tufties, 3 Great Crested Grebe, Tree Sparrow.
31-10-14, Whitemoor Haye.
Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge.
1-11-14, Whitemoor Haye.
10 Tufties, 55 Pochard, 22 Coot, 39 Mallard, 7 Little Egret, Goldcrest, 98 Lapwing, 200+ Golden Plover, 12 Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer.
2-11-14, Whitemoor Haye.
46 Coot, 6 Tufties, 15 Mallard, 188 Mute Swan, Tree Sparrow.
Alrewas GP.
Jay, 9 Mallard, 74 Tufties, 4 Coot, Mistle Thrush.
Junction Pit (pool within National Arboretum).
Cetti's Warbler.
Croxall Wides.
Pochard, Teal, Little Grebe.
8-11-14, Whitemoor Haye.
52 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret, 8 Great Crested Grebe, 84 Tufties, 156 Pochard, 66 Coot, 1 Little Grebe, 31 Mallard, 15 Wigeon, 211 Lapwing, Fieldfare, Redwing, Tree Sparrow.
9-11-14, Whitemoor Haye.
59 Tufties, 4 Wigeon, 43 Pochard, 58 Coot, 350+ Lapwing, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Teal, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Sparrow.
National Arboretum.
Redwing, Goldcrest.
Junction Pit.
Cetti's Warbler.
Alrewas GP.
65 Lapwing, 5 Teal, 59 Tufties, 1 Goldeneye, 2 Mallard, 3 Coot, 4 Wigeon, 3 Pochard.

Once I have sorted them out I will get a few pictures rom the last few weeks and I will also try and keep this blog up to date much quicker.