WOW!!!!!!!
PICTURES AND VIDEO OF FRIDAY'S EASTERN KINGBIRD
http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/gallery_show.asp?galleryid=15856#.UHMwC_ijrpQ.facebook
http://www.dermotbreen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/eastern-kingbird.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGAhymJCCs&feature=youtu.be
Monday, 8 October 2012
Bird News in Norfolk
Main Highlights Today – RBA
Sooty Shearwater x 2 Lapland Bunting, Short-eared Owl and a Grey Phalarope at Horsey
Osprey, at Cley
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling
Hawfinch and Red-necked Grebe at Titchwell
Sacred Ibis at Salthouse
68 Jays seen flying through Hunstanton today between 7am-9am.
Sooty Shearwater x 2 Lapland Bunting, Short-eared Owl and a Grey Phalarope at Horsey
Osprey, at Cley
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling
Hawfinch and Red-necked Grebe at Titchwell
Sacred Ibis at Salthouse
68 Jays seen flying through Hunstanton today between 7am-9am.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Bird News in Norfolk!
Main Highlights Today – RBA
Velvet Scoter at Holme
Honey Buzzard at Sparham
Pectoral Sandpiper and Jack Snipe at Kelling
Probable BASKING SHARK at Overstrand!
62 Jays at Sheringham along with 4 Bonxies
2 Snow Buntings at Horsey
Red-necked Grebe and Slavonian Grebe at Titchwell
Sooty Shearwater, 2 bonxies and 2 arctic skuas at Waxham
70 Little Gulls and 6 bonxies at Salthouse
No news from Cley today – very unusual for a weekend!
537 Jays seen in Hunstanton today! See HERE
Velvet Scoter at Holme
Honey Buzzard at Sparham
Pectoral Sandpiper and Jack Snipe at Kelling
Probable BASKING SHARK at Overstrand!
62 Jays at Sheringham along with 4 Bonxies
2 Snow Buntings at Horsey
Red-necked Grebe and Slavonian Grebe at Titchwell
Sooty Shearwater, 2 bonxies and 2 arctic skuas at Waxham
70 Little Gulls and 6 bonxies at Salthouse
No news from Cley today – very unusual for a weekend!
537 Jays seen in Hunstanton today! See HERE
Viz Mig at Hunstanton and trek out to East Hills!
As I left King's Lynn it was thick fog, but cleared by the time I reached Hunstanton. Parked the car and I was first on site - just! The sun soon came out and this created perfect viewing conditions. The Jay migration continued – it was awesome to watch and incredibly exciting. I wish now I had got a deckchair and sat there all day! Other birds of note were a spoonbill flying over the cliffs, a great spotted woodpecker right over our heads, 2 crossbills chipping away, again over our heads, fieldfare sitting on a pine tree, merlin and a massive passage of gannets! Most people had left by 10.15am and I stayed with two other birders to continue logging jays until 11am. At the finish I had seen 351 Jays!!!
I heard later that another 145 jays had been recorded later that day at Hunstanton bringing the total to 537 including the ones I missed this morning!!!
Hunstanton Cliffs 6.55am-11am
with Andy Brown, Gary Hibberd, Frank Branch, Dave Hawkins and then later Billy and Connor Rand and another birder joined us.
JAYS 351
Magpie 14
Jackdaw 22
Rook 7
Carrion Crow 1
Spoonbill 1 (8.45am)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Crossbills 2
Brambling 2
Chaffinches 67
Greenfinches 40
Goldfinches 24
Siskin 1
Robin 1
House Sparrows 10
Redpoll sp. 2
Skylarks 14
Reed Buntings 5
Long-tailed Tits 3
Blue Tits 2
Redwings 25
Blackbirds 2
Fieldfare 1
Starlings 200+
Marsh Harrier 2
Merlin 1 (10.45am)
Swallows 3
Curlew 1
Rock Pipit 2
Pied Wagtail 5
Grey Wagtail 2
Wood Pigeon 150+
Lapwing 13
Eider 2
Great Crested Grebes 2
Gannets 181
Cormorant 4
Brent Geese 2
Went to my parents and cooked breakfast. My plan this afternoon was to walk Blakeney Point, but when John F. phoned me to say he was going to East Hills, I changed my mind!
EAST HILLS
As I parked on the concrete pad at the end of the West Track, John and I watched 16 Jays (3 parties) flying west, making my total Jay count for the day 367!!! We didn't see anything of note walking down the track. On the way out to the hills we saw a grey heron, 2 little egrets and a few skylarks.
A small copper butterfly was seen in the dunes. In the sycamore glade we saw 2 chiffchaffs, a few goldcrests and wrens. A great spotted woodpecker dropped in later. That was it!!! How disappointing! I could tell it was dead as soon as we got out there, mind you I shouldn't complain, I saw more birds out there, than the last time I trekked out! There were hundreds of brent geese in Wells harbour. As we left a greenshank landed in the pool. I was in absolute hysterical laughter when I fell down a massive great hole in the dunes, I was laughing so much I could hardly get out! John also fell over on the way back! John picked up a lapland bunting on the marsh, as the sun was setting. Thousands of Pink-footed Geese flew over us as we walked back up the track. Back at the concrete pad, just after John left I could hear a fieldfare 'chacking'.
Only pictures taken today were of distant specks of Jays flying over!
PICTURE TO BE ADDED
I heard later that another 145 jays had been recorded later that day at Hunstanton bringing the total to 537 including the ones I missed this morning!!!
Hunstanton Cliffs 6.55am-11am
with Andy Brown, Gary Hibberd, Frank Branch, Dave Hawkins and then later Billy and Connor Rand and another birder joined us.
JAYS 351
Magpie 14
Jackdaw 22
Rook 7
Carrion Crow 1
Spoonbill 1 (8.45am)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Crossbills 2
Brambling 2
Chaffinches 67
Greenfinches 40
Goldfinches 24
Siskin 1
Robin 1
House Sparrows 10
Redpoll sp. 2
Skylarks 14
Reed Buntings 5
Long-tailed Tits 3
Blue Tits 2
Redwings 25
Blackbirds 2
Fieldfare 1
Starlings 200+
Marsh Harrier 2
Merlin 1 (10.45am)
Swallows 3
Curlew 1
Rock Pipit 2
Pied Wagtail 5
Grey Wagtail 2
Wood Pigeon 150+
Lapwing 13
Eider 2
Great Crested Grebes 2
Gannets 181
Cormorant 4
Brent Geese 2
Went to my parents and cooked breakfast. My plan this afternoon was to walk Blakeney Point, but when John F. phoned me to say he was going to East Hills, I changed my mind!
EAST HILLS
As I parked on the concrete pad at the end of the West Track, John and I watched 16 Jays (3 parties) flying west, making my total Jay count for the day 367!!! We didn't see anything of note walking down the track. On the way out to the hills we saw a grey heron, 2 little egrets and a few skylarks.
A small copper butterfly was seen in the dunes. In the sycamore glade we saw 2 chiffchaffs, a few goldcrests and wrens. A great spotted woodpecker dropped in later. That was it!!! How disappointing! I could tell it was dead as soon as we got out there, mind you I shouldn't complain, I saw more birds out there, than the last time I trekked out! There were hundreds of brent geese in Wells harbour. As we left a greenshank landed in the pool. I was in absolute hysterical laughter when I fell down a massive great hole in the dunes, I was laughing so much I could hardly get out! John also fell over on the way back! John picked up a lapland bunting on the marsh, as the sun was setting. Thousands of Pink-footed Geese flew over us as we walked back up the track. Back at the concrete pad, just after John left I could hear a fieldfare 'chacking'.
Only pictures taken today were of distant specks of Jays flying over!
PICTURE TO BE ADDED
Saturday, 6 October 2012
A Spectacular Morning!
Kingfisher at Holme Marsh Reserve NWT.
I have seen very few birds today and also missed out on the spectacular Jay event, BUT had an amazing time watching and photographing a spectacular Kingfisher at an undisclosed private site. The kingfisher looked stunning in the sunshine and posed beautifully. This is the first time I have actually managed to obtain some decent photos of this magical bird. I spent several hours at this site. Also saw a comma, a red admiral, several dragonflies whizzing about, two sparrowhawks and a marsh harrier.
In the afternoon I drove along the coast to Titchwell RSPB to look for the 'possible' Blythe's Reed Warbler that came up on my pager at 2.47pm (seen at 1pm) in sallows just left of the path by the Fen Hide. I spent a long time here looking for this bird, but no luck. Didn't see much else here either really. Oh I did have two Cetti's Warblers, one along the main path and one by the Fen Hide.
I felt really tired late afternoon, so tired I went home much earlier than I normally would do. I drove home via Hunstanton and got some cracking pictures of the most beautiful sunset over the cliffs.
One of the shortest posts I have written on a Saturday, but that's all there is sorry! Hopefully, tomorrows will be an amazingly long post with megas, hot gossip and all kinds!!! I will try and put some kingfisher pictures up tomorrow night.
Other HOT NEWS: I noticed in the sightings book at Titchwell RSPB a huge number of entries of birds generally, which included a Snow Bunting on the beach, a Short-eared Owl seen coming in off the sea, Kingfisher from Fen Hide, Whinchat, swallows and a Common Lizard were seen.
Light north westerlies forecast for tomorrow now, instead of the previous easterlies forecast! Now going east late Sunday evening and SE on Monday.
PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED
668 Jays Fly through 'Sunny Hunny'!!!
Andy Brown and Gary Hibberd had an amazing count of 668 Jays flying through Hunstanton
this morning – See HERE
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
JAYS – 130 Great Yarmouth, 189 Sidestrand, 94 Titchwell, 60 at Cley (from ETM)
Swift, Pied Flycatcher and a 'possible' Blyth's Reed Warbler at Titchwell RSPB
Pectoral Sandpiper and a Mandarin (fly over) at Kelling
Honey Buzzard and Osprey at Swanton Morley
Osprey at Strumpshaw Fen
Rough-legged Buzzard at Norwich
Balearic Shearwater, Mandarin, 3 Bonxies, 2 Shags at Walcott
Continental Coal Tit at Great Yarmouth C.
Other News: County Galway
Eastern Kingbird has departed, but they do have more MEGAS!!!
BELTED KINGFISHER (pic HERE and HERE), TWO MYRTLE WARBLERS
(how greedy!)
this morning – See HERE
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
JAYS – 130 Great Yarmouth, 189 Sidestrand, 94 Titchwell, 60 at Cley (from ETM)
Swift, Pied Flycatcher and a 'possible' Blyth's Reed Warbler at Titchwell RSPB
Pectoral Sandpiper and a Mandarin (fly over) at Kelling
Honey Buzzard and Osprey at Swanton Morley
Osprey at Strumpshaw Fen
Rough-legged Buzzard at Norwich
Balearic Shearwater, Mandarin, 3 Bonxies, 2 Shags at Walcott
Continental Coal Tit at Great Yarmouth C.
Other News: County Galway
Eastern Kingbird has departed, but they do have more MEGAS!!!
BELTED KINGFISHER (pic HERE and HERE), TWO MYRTLE WARBLERS
(how greedy!)
Friday, 5 October 2012
Bird News in Norfolk
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling
Pectoral Sandpiper at Stiffkey
Hoopoe at Great Yarmouth
Sabine's Gull at Cley Coastguards
Sacred Ibis at Salthouse
Yellow-browed Warbler at Wells
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling
Pectoral Sandpiper at Stiffkey
Hoopoe at Great Yarmouth
Sabine's Gull at Cley Coastguards
Sacred Ibis at Salthouse
Yellow-browed Warbler at Wells
MASSIVE MEGA!!! EASTERN KINGBIRD!!!
EASTERN KINGBIRD in County Galway
Breaking news from RBA (1.17pm 5 Oct)
At Inishmore at Kimurvey at 12.00pm
1st for the Western Palearctic!!!
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Massive influx of Jays!!!
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
278 Jays were reported from Mark Golley at Cley today!!! See HERE
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling Water Meadows
Rough-legged Buzzard at Hempstead
Rough-legged Buzzard at Sheringham
Yellow-browed Warbler at Well
Two Jays flew over my car when I was having my lunch today at the Hardwick Industrial Estate, King's Lynn.
My mother just told me that she had 20 Coal Tits in her italian fir tree at 12.30pm and they had left by 1pm. She said she has never had that many in the garden before!
East winds ALL day on Sunday and I am working ALL Day!!! Bother!!!
Update: swopped my Sunday with Caraline - Thank you x, so now I can go birding!!!
278 Jays were reported from Mark Golley at Cley today!!! See HERE
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling Water Meadows
Rough-legged Buzzard at Hempstead
Rough-legged Buzzard at Sheringham
Yellow-browed Warbler at Well
Two Jays flew over my car when I was having my lunch today at the Hardwick Industrial Estate, King's Lynn.
My mother just told me that she had 20 Coal Tits in her italian fir tree at 12.30pm and they had left by 1pm. She said she has never had that many in the garden before!
East winds ALL day on Sunday and I am working ALL Day!!! Bother!!!
Update: swopped my Sunday with Caraline - Thank you x, so now I can go birding!!!
Passed my Test!
I'm now a St John Ambulance First Aider!
There were eleven of us on the "First Aid at Work" course for the last three days. This morning was spent role playing in preparation for this afternoon's assessments. After lunch we were assessed and tested. We sat and waited in the 'rest room' and as one young lad remarked, it was like waiting for the dentist! I hate tests, its like being back at school. There were three different scenarios: one was resuscitation with no bystanders to assist, the second was an unconscious casualty who was breathing, again with no bystanders and the third was a casualty at work who had severe bleeding from a scissor wound and they were in shock and distressed – a bystander was there to assist. I passed all three assessments! One of the lads had us crying with laughter as he had had a bit of a hard time with one of the scary looking, older lady assessors and he wanted to make sure he passed the other two assessments – so when the same lady came to collect him for his third and final assessment he started off by saying 'right lets get this show on the road sweetheart' which made her smile as she led him away. When he came back into the room he also told us the lady actress casualty who was approx 60 years old, smiled when he called for the ambulance and declared that a 21 year lady had severe bleeding to the arm and needed urgent assistance! His charm worked a treat and he passed! I will miss those people I have got to know over the last few days, they were all great people. I will receive my certificate in approximately two weeks! St John Ambulance also insure you to carry out First Aid outside of work when you become a First Aider.
There were eleven of us on the "First Aid at Work" course for the last three days. This morning was spent role playing in preparation for this afternoon's assessments. After lunch we were assessed and tested. We sat and waited in the 'rest room' and as one young lad remarked, it was like waiting for the dentist! I hate tests, its like being back at school. There were three different scenarios: one was resuscitation with no bystanders to assist, the second was an unconscious casualty who was breathing, again with no bystanders and the third was a casualty at work who had severe bleeding from a scissor wound and they were in shock and distressed – a bystander was there to assist. I passed all three assessments! One of the lads had us crying with laughter as he had had a bit of a hard time with one of the scary looking, older lady assessors and he wanted to make sure he passed the other two assessments – so when the same lady came to collect him for his third and final assessment he started off by saying 'right lets get this show on the road sweetheart' which made her smile as she led him away. When he came back into the room he also told us the lady actress casualty who was approx 60 years old, smiled when he called for the ambulance and declared that a 21 year lady had severe bleeding to the arm and needed urgent assistance! His charm worked a treat and he passed! I will miss those people I have got to know over the last few days, they were all great people. I will receive my certificate in approximately two weeks! St John Ambulance also insure you to carry out First Aid outside of work when you become a First Aider.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Holme Marsh Reserve
Needed some air after spending two days doing my SJA First Aid Course. Nipped over to Holme Marsh Reserve. Very little was seen, but three jays flew over (never seen three
here together before), along with barn owl and marsh harrier seen. Hide flaps had been left open. Can't see the pool at all from the first hide – will have to email NWT to see when reeds are going to be cut, no nests in reeds now! Visited parents for very short while and used father to practice my bandaging skills on – he was very amused! We were told on the course today, to go home and practice on the family – yeah right, there is only me at home! Last day of course tomorrow and tests in the afternoon!
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling Water Meadows
Yellow-browed Warbler at Wells
North West Winds late this Friday and Saturday!
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Pectoral Sandpiper at Kelling Water Meadows
Yellow-browed Warbler at Wells
North West Winds late this Friday and Saturday!
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Hot News!
Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Caspian Gull at Cley
Yellow-browed Warblers at various locations
Sacred Ibis at Salthouse
Not too much else really in these westerly winds, couple of fly over lapland buntings, crossbills, hen harrier and a few whinchats around.
I am on a very interesting "First Aid at Work" (St John's Ambulance) Course for three days this week. Whizzed over to Advanced Camera Services at Watton this evening to drop my old Canon 7D in for full assessment/quote. Fell asleep for four hours this evening as soon as I got home!
Had a lovely email from a birder who knows me, well actually he didn't really know me, as he thought I was ten years younger than I am actually am - ha, ha! Made my day, thanks J!
Caspian Gull at Cley
Yellow-browed Warblers at various locations
Sacred Ibis at Salthouse
Not too much else really in these westerly winds, couple of fly over lapland buntings, crossbills, hen harrier and a few whinchats around.
I am on a very interesting "First Aid at Work" (St John's Ambulance) Course for three days this week. Whizzed over to Advanced Camera Services at Watton this evening to drop my old Canon 7D in for full assessment/quote. Fell asleep for four hours this evening as soon as I got home!
Had a lovely email from a birder who knows me, well actually he didn't really know me, as he thought I was ten years younger than I am actually am - ha, ha! Made my day, thanks J!
Monday, 1 October 2012
Short-listed for another Competition!
I recently entered another competition – The Anglia Co-operative Regional Wildlife Calendar 2013 Competition. I only just made the deadline with 20 minutes to spare! There are 12 prizes and the big winner gets the front cover! The main prize is £1000!!!! That would pay for my Canon 7D!!! I was so excited this evening to receive the following:
Anglia Co-operative
Regional Wildlife
Calendar Competition
Dear Calendar Competition entrant, Congratulations! We are delighted to inform you that you have made the shortlist.
We have been bowled over by the sheer number and quality of entries we have received – to reach the shortlist is a massive achievement.
The next stage will see our independent judges decide upon the eventual 12 winners. The judges are experts in their field and will be looking for unique, quality, images to make up into a truly stunning calendar.
Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. If you are one of our 12 winners you will receive an e-mail message very shortly.
Our winners will receive their prizes at a special evening on Monday, October 29 – if you have been successful, you will be contacted by us.
Thank you for entering our competition – and fingers crossed!
Jill Basson, Head of Marketing and PR
Just looked at the website – there must have been thousands of entries – I'm in a short list of 400!!!! No hope!
Anglia Co-operative
Regional Wildlife
Calendar Competition
Dear Calendar Competition entrant, Congratulations! We are delighted to inform you that you have made the shortlist.
We have been bowled over by the sheer number and quality of entries we have received – to reach the shortlist is a massive achievement.
The next stage will see our independent judges decide upon the eventual 12 winners. The judges are experts in their field and will be looking for unique, quality, images to make up into a truly stunning calendar.
Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. If you are one of our 12 winners you will receive an e-mail message very shortly.
Our winners will receive their prizes at a special evening on Monday, October 29 – if you have been successful, you will be contacted by us.
Thank you for entering our competition – and fingers crossed!
Jill Basson, Head of Marketing and PR
Just looked at the website – there must have been thousands of entries – I'm in a short list of 400!!!! No hope!
Hot News!
Back to work! Taking the 'old' Canon 7D to be assessed properly at ACS this week.
I don't like this new Blogger interface which was forced upon me recently. Gaps between paragraphs are massive and the spacing between photographs are consistant before I post and inconsistent after I publish a post – makes it look as though I have been slap dash – its not me!!! Don't know how to rectify it – hey ho!
I feel quite chuffed – I seem to be racing up the fatbirder ratings increasingly so lately – don't quite understand why, but thank you all VERY much for reading! My eventual aim in the Fatbirders Top 1000 Birding Websites is to read:
Not anything too exciting today in Norfolk I am afraid!
Main Highlights in Norfolk - RBA
Ruddy Shelduck yesterday at Hardley Flood (this was my mother's 'patch' when she was a teenager!)
Ruddy Shelduck x 3 at Burgh Castle
Ruddy Shelduck x 3 at Welney WWT
Pied Flycatcher and Pectoral Sandpiper at Titchwell RSPB
Yellow-browed Warblers in various locations
Pom Skua at Cley
Redstarts x 2 at Holme
I don't like this new Blogger interface which was forced upon me recently. Gaps between paragraphs are massive and the spacing between photographs are consistant before I post and inconsistent after I publish a post – makes it look as though I have been slap dash – its not me!!! Don't know how to rectify it – hey ho!
I feel quite chuffed – I seem to be racing up the fatbirder ratings increasingly so lately – don't quite understand why, but thank you all VERY much for reading! My eventual aim in the Fatbirders Top 1000 Birding Websites is to read:
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Penny's Hot Birding and Life Blog! Norfolk Birder Penny's birding BLOG & everything else that goes on in her life! |
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| 2 |  |
BirdForum The net's largest birding and wildlife community |
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| 3 | |
BirdGuides better birding through technology |
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| I WISH!!!!!!! | |||
Main Highlights in Norfolk - RBA
Ruddy Shelduck yesterday at Hardley Flood (this was my mother's 'patch' when she was a teenager!)
Ruddy Shelduck x 3 at Burgh Castle
Ruddy Shelduck x 3 at Welney WWT
Pied Flycatcher and Pectoral Sandpiper at Titchwell RSPB
Yellow-browed Warblers in various locations
Pom Skua at Cley
Redstarts x 2 at Holme
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