Weather for the next few days

http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.8.03487

Awesome Eagle Owl Video!!!

Found this on David Lindo's 'Wall' on FACEBOOK.

EAGLE OWL reported!!!

EAGLE OWL reported between Titchwell RSPB and Brancaster flew in off sea towards Titchwell Church at 12.45pm!!!! (RBA)

This would be FANTASTIC if it was - my cynical nature says it was probably a short-eared owl, but lets wait and see!

3.05pm - I just phoned Titchwell RSPB who did not know anything about it! I will await news "eagerly" whilst editing photos!!!!!

Discussion here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2262334#post2262334

Norfolk Bird and Mammal Report 2010

Andy Stoddart has written the following on BIRDFORUM - See link below:
http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2261222&postcount=13429

"The 2010 Norfolk Bird and Mammal Report is now published. Copies can be obtained from 12th October for £12.00 (including p&p) from the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society website www.nnns.org.uk. Contributors of content and members of NNNS will receive their free copy shortly......"

Blue Rock Thrush Update!

http://www.e-ruston-oldvicaragegardens.co.uk/pages/view/589/news-and-events.htm

See 10th October entry.

UPDATE 13th October from East Ruston Gardens:

"The blue rock thrush hasn't been seen since Monday. I'm afraid that the garden here is only open between the hours of 2.00 pm and 5.30 pm Wednesday through Sunday.

BW AG"

Strong Westerlies continue, but North East forecast for tomorrow afternoon!!!

Pom. Skua going west very close at 12.45pm from Cley Coastguards, a couple of Red throated Divers, a Guillemot on the sea and a few Common Scoters. Miserable weather and strong west winds.

Tomorrow afternoon though, winds are at last changing to NORTH EAST!!!!!! Well according to accuweather.com they are - we shall see!

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/forecast-hourly.asp?partner=accuweather&postalcode=PE36%206LP&metric=1&hbhday=2&hbhhour=15

A few Goldcrests in Walsey Hills this morning, 1 Redwing, but little else.

Picked a good afternoon for the hairdressers!

Woodchat Shrike, Glossy Ibis and more!!!

WOODCHAT SHRIKE
Lowestoft - in strong westerly winds!!!

Lowestoft
Arrived Links Road, Lowestoft to enjoy stunning views of the WOODCHAT SHRIKE in the glorious sunshine right next to the car - and watched it eating wasps. Watched the shrike up until 12pm. Gripped Eddie with a Yellow-Browed Warbler in the wood next to the carpark - it was in full view, but only for seconds and was with a tit flock. Met Joseph Nichols (who got Bird Photo of the Week on Birdguides for his stunning Sandhill Crane shot - see here) who also saw the YBW the same few seconds as me. By the time we left, the Woodchat Shrike had relocated to its new perch - the notice board by the seawall!!!

WOODCHAT SHRIKE - LOWESTOFT

Red Admiral, Lowestoft.

Minsmere RSPB
I can't remember the last time I visited this reserve - I love Minsmere and should visit more often really. Eddie and I started off with lunch in the cafe whilst watching greenfinches, goldfinches etc on the feeders. We walked for what seemed like miles to find the Glossy Ibis with no luck initially. We walked a long way past the 'levels', almost up the power station! The wind felt really cold and I wasn't feeling very well, which didn't help. We sat along the top dune path and had fantastic views of 4 red-breasted geese (strikingly beautiful), fem. cape shelduck, 117+ Barnacle Geese and to our surprise at least 100+ house martins skimming over a pool! We then walked back as far as the sluice and continued along the path to East Hide. Along the path we saw 5 Stonechats. From this hide we had close views of a Hen Harrier (ringtail) at 5.35pm. Walked back and watched a Wheatear on the sluice wall at 6pm and a Cettis Warbler was heard. 2 Bearded Tits flew across the reedbed on the way back, just before West Hide. It was semi dusk now and all hopes of seeing the Glossy Ibis had disappeared. Eddie went into West Hide for a quick look. I felt quite ill and cold and just wanted to go home at this point, so sat on the seat outside the hide listening to a Cettis Warbler. Eddie came straight out of the hide and said 2 birders had seen the glossy ibis a few minutes ago. We went back in the hide and a few minutes later saw the GLOSSY IBIS at 6.27pm sitting more or less in front of the East Hide, where we had been earlier! No hope of a picture though at that distance and in the now abysmal light - but at least we managed to see it!

Stonechat near the sluice, Minsmere RSPB.


Wheatear - the sluice, Minsmere RSPB.

BLUE ROCK THRUSH IN EAST RUSTON GARDENS?!!!

Whilst in Cley Visitor Centre for lunch with Eddie, John F. and Pete S. we were told about a man who had seen a possible BLUE ROCK THRUSH in East Ruston Gardens yesterday afternoon sitting on a holly bush - both Eddie and John were thinking it could have been an escapee cage bird. Frustratingly, looking at the time, we realised it was too late to go today as the gardens closed at 5.30pm and cost £7 to get in!!! Also they don't open again until Wednesday morning!! The owner of the gardens knew about it , but had not seen it himself - he said it was seen south of the house.

Birding at Cley and Hot News!!!

Dunlin, Gramborough Hill, Salthouse.

Seawatching - Cley Coastguards
Lots of: Gannets, Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, Dunlin. Several Swallows heading west, 4 Red throated Divers, Meadows Pipits going east, 5 Skylarks west and superb views of 2 Velvet Scoters at 10.50am. Eddie saw 2 Pom. Skuas going east.

Tea at Cley VC

Walsey Hills NOA
3 Redwings, 3-4 Goldcrests, 1 Chiffchaff, Blackcap and a Cettis Warbler and a Treecreeper (rare in here apparently - my second this year at Walsey.

Gramborough Hill, Salthouse
More dog crap here than I have EVER seen here before! 1 Dunlin very close on the pool just before the hill, 2 Wheatears, pair of Stonechats, flock of Goldfinches, 2 Redwings, 1 Fieldfare.

Dunlin, Gramborough Hill, Salthouse.

Cley Visitor Centre - lunch with Eddie, John F. and Pete S.
Whilst here we were told about a man who had seen a possible BLUE ROCK THRUSH in East Ruston Gardens yesterday afternoon sitting on a holly bush - both Eddie and John were thinking it could have been an escapee cage bird. Frustratingly looking at the time, we realised it was too late to go today as the gardens closed at 5.30pm and cost £7 to get in!!! Also they don't open again until Wednesday morning!! The owner of the gardens knew about it , but had not seen it himself - he said it was seen south of the house.

Cley Coasguards
Very little.

Dauke"s Hide NWT
36 cormorants, 5 Yellow leg Gulls, good number of golden plover, lapwings, wigeon, teal, masses of gulls, pink footed geese flying west, a few avocets, shelduck, curlew, black tailed godwit, a Cettis Warbler singing.

Huge Cornwall cliff collapse caught on camera!!!!

Incredible footage!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthvideo/8815469/Huge-Cornwall-cliff-collapse-caught-on-camera.html

A productive day

Although I would have liked to have gone birding today, but there was far more important matters to attend to. A day for sorting stuff I should have dealt with a long time ago.

Its been raining here all afternoon and much colder, I gave in and put the heating on today!

Looks like Cley and Sheringham etc had some nice birds going through today including lapland buntings, purple sandpipers, long tailed, pom, arctic and great skuas, sooty and manx shearwaters. yellow browed warbler at Winterton, unconfirmed report of a Ferruginous Duck on Pat's Pool, Cley NWT, mid morning. Also good seawatching at Holme, see: http://www.noa.org.uk/

Penguin spotted near Portsmouth!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8806153/Penguin-spotted-near-Portsmouth.html

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/sun-exclusive/3851221/The-Portsmouth-penguin.html

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/charity_dismisses_penguin_in_portsmouth_report_1_3117363

More Pictures Published!!!

My Sandhill Crane picture has been published in a local paper today.

My Holme Red-flanked Bluetail picture is in the newly published NOA 2010 Annual Report, available at Holme Bird Observatory, although I haven't seen it myself, as have not received my copy in the post yet.

Several of my pictures will be published for the first time in the "Norfolk Bird & Mammal Report" (out soon) and also a blog plug in another forthcoming book!!! Exciting times!!!!

Just need a flurry of rares in Norfolk now - soon I'm sure!!!

Have a good weekend everyone.

SANDHILL CRANE ON NORFOLK LIST!!!

On the Norfolk list, but not mine! Could not believe it when I got home from work to see texts from friends that the Sandhill Crane had been seen in Norfolk at Snettisham Coastal Park at 1pm on Saturday and picture of it on the net!!!!!!!!! I immediately turned the computer on to find that Paul Eele, Warden at Titchwell RSPB had posted the following on Birdforum: (click here to see photo of the bird at Snettisham)

"Unfortunately the sandhill crane was seen in Norfolk!
A couple have been into the Snettisham office with a photo of a bird they couldn't ID but did know it was kind of crane. The bird was on the mud off the Coastal Park at ca 13:00. There were quite a few people who had arrived late for the high-tide spectacular but no-one knew what the bird was. I don't know how long the bird was present or which direction it flew off in.

Hopefully it will do the same as the WTE and head back north soon"

My reply to Paul's post: "Great that its now on the Norfolk list. BUT..... I suppose it was always going to drop into/pass through Norfolk somewhere, but it would have been great to have been found by birders who knew what they were looking at (don't mean this rudely, just stating a fact!). If someone who is not an experienced birder saw a bird they didn't know and as large as that would have looked, standing on the mud flats at Snettisham, you would have thought they would have rung somewhere like Titchwell RSPB to say so at the time!!!! Even people that don't have tel numbers of pagers/hotlines have heard of Titchwell RSPB and most people have a mobile phone with internet on nowadays to find the tel number for Titchwell and considering they were "quite a few people" there..... Very sad that no one else got the chance to see this in Norfolk, but hey ho! You never know, it might come back!!!"

SANDHILL CRANE - 4th for UK
1st one on Fair Isle in 1981.
2nd on Exnaboe, Shetland in 1991
3rd on Orkney in 2009

A quick summary of the SANDHILL CRANE'S Route etc:
Lothian - 16th September
Aberdeen - 22nd September
Northumberland - 29th September
County Durham - 29th September
Cleveland - 29th September
Yorkshire - 29th September
Lincolnshire - 1st October 12pm but not known about until 8.10pm! (I am sure if people had known this - there would have been many more birders lined up along the Norfolk coast in anticipation!!!
Snettisham - Coastal Park 1pm, 1st October seen by non-birders and reported Monday morning 3rd October.
North Warren RSPB - 11.43am, 2nd October
Boyton - 1pm til dusk, 2nd October
Boyton - 7.05am until 5.33pm, 3rd October
Boyton - 4th-7th October - flew off high south from Boyton at 10.35am on Friday 7th and not relocated.

SANDHILL CRANE - MEGA!!!!!!! Boyton, Suffolk

MEGA – SANDHILL CRANE!!!
BOYTON, SUFFOLK

Can't remember what time Eddie and I left Holme now exactly. Left my car in King's Lynn and Eddie drove - doesn't trust Penelope Pipstop! We decided to aim for Felixstowe to get ahead of the crane in case it moved south, so took the A134 Thetford road, A14 Ipswich, A12 to Woodbridge and then east to Boyton. We arrived at Boyton around 4.45pm. Parked the car in a designated field (the village carpark now being full). I didn't even think too much about what I needed from the car, grabbed bins, camera bag and tripod and tried to hurry over a lumpy field, down the track, along the road, turned up the hill along the tarmac road. Birders were walking towards us in a relaxed manner having seen the bird.... words of "its ok, its quite relaxed, its not going anywhere......' yeah right, I've heard that before' I was thinking, as I frantically attempted to speed walk up hill! These words in fact spurred me to run, ok I attempted to run every so often, my bag with every lens in it, felt like I was running with a bag full of house bricks!!! It was a good half mile to walk, which seems am awful long time when you want to see a mega bird!!! Arrived at the field very hot and knackered, but massively relieved to see the stunning SANDHILL CRANE in a huge ploughed field at 5.02pm. WOW!!!!! This was one special bird - it really was stunning - could not believe I was watching this!!! Eddie's friend Simon pointed out a Willow Emerald Damselfly sitting on a willow by the river as well!!!!! What a stonking day!!!! Great to see friends there too including Connor, James and friend, who were all beaming away, Stuart White, Steve and Sue and others. The evening light was beautiful but the crane was quite a distance off for my 300mm lens and even with the 1.4 converter on I found it very difficult to get any sharp shots - the light was hazy and the crane blended in too nicely with the field! But later on as the light started to fade the crane walked closer and closer towards us, approximately only 40 yards away! This enabled me to get the above flight shots as it took off to roost. Sadly though I had the camera on the tripod which is very rare for me. Most photographers always seem to use a tripod, I rarely do, as I feel I have more control if I need to move quickly and what happened next proved this. I had a second to realise that this bird was about to fly and as it started to take off, I took too long getting the camera off the tripod and changing it from AV to TV and the stabilizer mode setting '2' for moving objects - BUT as I clicked away and the crane flew off into the sunset, I then realised I had forgotten to put the camera back onto stabilizer mode (had it switched off when on tripod as you are supposed to). Was cursing myself massively about this. Probably the last time I put the camera on the tripod!!! Felt so sorry for a few birders who then turned up and dipped - hope they were able to see it the next day!

Arrived back home at around 9.30pm and seriously shattered. Wow what a day!!!

Sandhill Crane flying off west to roost.

Sandhill Crane flying off west to roost at 6.35pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-15150048
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/sandhill_crane_spotted_in_kessingland_1_1078286
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk_rare_bird_enjoys_glorious_sunshine_1_1077520
http://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news/sandhill_crane_spotted_in_kessingland_1_1078286

Barred Warbler at Holme followed by SANDHILL CRANE and a Raspberry & Coconut Slice to finish!

BARRED WARBLER
Holme NOA Carpark.
Found by Mark and Tracey Bradberry

Arrived at Holme to seawatch for the possible Sandhill Crane, last seen in Lincolnshire at 12pm yesterday, but not reported to RBA until 8.10pm Saturday evening! It would have been SERIOUSLY helpful to have known this AT 12pm on the Saturday!!!

We were delayed seawatching, by news of a BARRED WARBLER found by Mark and Tracey Bradberry!!! It was showing beautifully in the brambles by the NOA carpark at 9.47am, feasting on blackberries, but not clearly viewable for my camera! I got several sections of the bird on my camera! It then moved a bit further away to another bush with the sun directly behind it (see picture). Best shot I could get I am afraid! With news out to RBA, this resulted in lots of birders coming to enjoy this showy Barred Warbler!!! Fabulous to see both the NWT and NOA car parks being filled with birders cars, rather than extremely annoying beach dudes, out of control children and bounding dogs. Yes, I know it all makes money, but I think it is very sad that these carparks are being used by non-birders. What if (as Eddie said) the Sandhill Crane had landed in the middle of Holme marsh and NOA and NWT members, who have paid their membership could not park because of beach people parked in THEIR carparks that they have already paid to use through membership - there would be carnage!!! I realise its difficult to get the balance right, but this situation has got worse and worse in recent years. Its only going to take one MEGA bird on a hot, sunny weekend to create a serious problem at Holme!

Anyway, back to seawatching! After enjoying views of the Barred Warbler, we crossed over to the dunes for a seawatch. High Tide was 10.20am. Very hot weather now! Several great crested grebe on the sea. A Red-necked Grebe sat on the sea (ETM). A Black throated Diver flew west at 10.46am (ETM). Sisken flew over calling (ETM again!) After putting some of this news out to RBA a few birders came and joined us including Mark and Tracey who found the B.W. 10 Brent Geese flew east, 2 Gannets east, 36 Oystercatchers east, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers (ETM), 2 Arctic Skuas east 10.52am. Red throated Diver west, Guillemot 11.30am on sea. A razorbill was also seen, but I didn't!

We walked back to the NOA carpark to have lunch and a cup of tea. Lots of birders in the carpark now watching the Barred Warbler and Sophie was taking permits on the carpark and directing!

News came through that the Sandhill Crane was at North Warren RSPB, Suffolk at 11.43am!!!! We decided to go and see it, but a couple of messages later it said that it had flown south. We changed our minds and sat and finished our lunch. It carried on going south through Kessingland, Aldeburgh, Sudbourne and finally to Boyton. Messages then came through that looked promising 'in ploughed field'...... so off we went!

See next post for Sandhill Crane Twitch!

A 'hot' night out!!!

I had planned on going to Cley today, but decided we needed a change from watching a couple of yellow leg gulls from Dauke's!!!! After all, that's all that's really on offer at the moment! Plus Eddie needs to get out more!!! Well that's what Paul Lee told him at the birdfair - quote "you need to get out of the Cley rut"

Booked a table at Prezzo's in King's Lynn at 6.30pm with Eddie, had a wonderful meal and shared a tiramisu to die for!

8pm - only booked this late afternoon! Went to see 'Stephen K Amos' at the 'Corn Exchange' who was absolutely hilarious and had everyone crying with laughter. http://stephenkamos.com/ Tried to entice Eddie to go clubbing after, but no chance! Eddie is as likely to go clubbing as I am finding a black and white warbler in my garden!!!

Hard core birding tomorrow!!!

Hottest day?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/30/britain-hottest-september-october

Paradise in Papua New Guinea - Travel - Eastern Daily Press

Paradise in Papua New Guinea - Travel - Eastern Daily Press

Hot Birding?

No, very sadly not in Norfolk, just very hot weather. Its been a hard week at work and needed lots of sleep so didn't get up early. When I did rise, I realised there would be tons of traffic on the road and no point in queuing in hot weather. So decided to stay in and edit photos! All the 'rares' must be waiting to arrive in my October holiday!

Pity the Grey Catbird didn't reappear and then Norfolk would be have been in the limelight again!

UPDATE: as I wrote and posted the above post at 1.10pm on Saturday a SANDHILL CRANE was sitting 10 bl**dy miles away at Snettisham Coastal Park!!!!!!!!!! See update on Sunday's post (2nd Oct)

SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN
Found dead on FOULA, Shetland
See sad fate here and discussion here on BIRDFORUM