Father's Birthday Celebrations!

I was up very early this morning, making a birthday card for father. Why I leave everything to the last minute, I'll never know! I decided to make the card quite big, as father can't see so well nowadays. The front of the card was a picture of a kingfisher I took recently and the back was of a sunset over Hunstanton Cliffs. Here is the card:

 

 

I picked up my sister Lucy (youngest sister Vivien at work today) and arrived at Holme mid morning. After father had opened his presents, I took mother to Hunstanton to get some groceries and then we all had a fish 'n' chip lunch, followed by lemon tart – all good for the waistline! Father and I both had an afternoon nap, whilst mother and Lucy were chattering away in the dining room. Sang Happy Birthday with coffee cake and candles later and now back home. I think he enjoyed his birthday, he was smiling more than usual, which was good. He refused all offers to be taken out and said he just wanted a quiet day at home. Well he got the day at home, but with three females in the house, it wasn't exactly quiet!!!

105 Shags in Norfolk!!!

71 Shags roosted at Cromer Pier and 34 at Hunstanton Cliffs this evening!!! See HERE and HERE

Miss Money Penny!

I had another extravagant day. Anyone would think I have won the lottery the amount of pennies I have been spending recently! I surely must be one of Cleyspy's best customers! I bought the secondhand Swaroski 8.5x42 EL's that I looked at recently. I haven't actually got them yet though as they are being sent off to see if I can get something updated on them. I spent awhile comparing them properly with the new 8x32 EL's and the 8x42 SLC's and I still preferred the secondhand ones, they just simply seemed clearer in poor light. Cleyspy will send the Leica's off for me when I get the new bins back and we'll see what Leica will do for their 30 year warranty – will keep you all posted on that. I really like all the staff at Cleyspy they have always been so helpful and take the time to advise and assist you, nothing is too much trouble. My spending spree had now officially stopped and I will have to work very hard throughout the winter months doing bank shifts to keep the bank account healthy!

Went to lunch at the 'Art Cafe' a few yards from Cleyspy - the best cafe ever, see my review in previous post.

Spent the afternoon birding, but pretty dire really. Walsey Hills produced a chiffchaff, robin, coal tit and heard a bullfinch calling.

Dauke's Hide NWT – slightly better here, did see one of the White-rumped Sandpipers and also barn owl, marsh harrier, 2 ringed plovers, 1 chiffchaff (on reeds), 14 pied wagtails, few dunlin, 2 avocets, wigeon, teal, brent geese (on route to hide) and a massive starling flock.

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley
Great Grey Shrike and Black Redstart at Snettisham Coastal Park
Shorelark at Salthouse
Black Redstart at Waxham and Heacham
Waxwings and Snowbuntings at various locations along the coast
Black Guillemot, 2 Little Auks and Red-necked Grebe at Sheringham
Richard's Pipit Kelling
Yellow-browed Warbler at Wells 
Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Great Northern Diver, 4 Long-tailed Ducks and Velvet Scoter at Titchwell
Hen Harriers at Stiffkey and Horsey
Night Heron - unconfirmed report this evening    

PICTURES TO BE ADDED

Review of the 'Art Cafe' at Glandford!

The best cafe I have been to in Norfolk!

But for you carnivores its vegetarian, so no bacon butties I'm afraid!

The exterior of the Art Cafe is painted and presented beautifully, but for some reason I have never been enticed inside. It's always appeared a bit lifeless when I have driven past it, as though there were no customers. The reason for this I realised is because the front part of the interior is the arts and crafts area, so you wouldn't see the cafe and customers until you opened the door! Maybe this should be reversed? As they say 'don't judge a book by its cover'. As you walk through the door you are surrounded by contemporary arts, crafts and beautiful creations for sale. A huge rocking horse is suspended on the one of the beams at the far end. Several different shaped tables and colourfully painted chairs seat a good number of people in the cafe area. A piano is also situated at the far end where they hold free concerts, monthly before lunch – see the website for details. A wood burning stove adds to the very warm and relaxed atmosphere and jazz music was playing at a comfortable volume. I just knew the food was going to be scrumptious! I ordered sweet potato and ginger soup with granary bread. This was the best soup and bread I have ever eaten anywhere! I could have easily ordered more. The staff were all very efficient and looked professional and unflustered. I had no idea until I studied the menu that this cafe was purely vegetarian which for me was fabulous news. The soup was priced at £4.25 which for the quality was very reasonably priced. The menu is changed every couple of weeks I was told and they cater for special dietary requirements if requested. All the main course meals I saw being served looked amazing. This will be my new lunch venue when I don't have sandwiches. I can't wait to go back again. Highly recommended!

Also note that Cleyspy is a few yards from the Art Cafe.

http://www.art-cafe.org/

RBA Weekly Round-up 24th-30th October

http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/weeklyroundup2012no35.aspx?s_id=168670410

Two hours Birding

Several jobs to do today including taking my mother's cycle for repair and service at A E Wallis at Heacham. My parents both insisted that the bike would not fit in my 'tiny little car'. I insisted that it would. I was right, but it only just fitted in the back of the Skoda though! I was very impressed with the shop's service – they completed the work this afternoon and I picked up the bike at the end of the day.

I only managed to get out birding for a couple of hours today. I walked from Brancaster Staithe along the coastal footpath to Brancaster and back and had the grand total of 6 blackbirds, 1 robin and 3 little egrets. Poor old show of birds. Very strong, blustery south winds and no sun when I was out. I checked out the Waxwings at Beach Road, Holme, but coudn't find them anywhere.

It's my father's birthday on Friday and he will be 86 – he said he doesn't want any presents and doesn't want to do anything nice. His stubbornness has increased even more since his stroke, it is so very sad they he doesn't want to do anything at all nowadays, both mother and I find it so frustrating. We are constantly attempting to get him interested in doing things, but he's not having none of it. He was so active pre-stroke and was constantly a busy bee. To be fair his eyesight is getting worse because of his macular degeneration which doesn't help either. I do sometimes get him laughing, although not very much nowadays. Everything that is offered to help him and improve his wellbeing is turned down, exasperating!

As I returned home this evening, I had forgotten it was Halloween and as I turned into the estate where I live there, were lots of witches, goblins and ghouls with buckets for their treats.  I just managed to get in the house and keep the lights turned out until they had all disappeared!

I noticed that Andy Brown reported 37 Shags coming in to roost at Hunstanton Cliffs yesterday - Wow what a record! I must go and see this spectacle before the end of my holiday. I had planned to go this evening, but by the time I picked up mother's bike the light had just disappeared completely. I just hate these short days – roll on spring!

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Richard's Pipit at West Runton
Shorelark at Holkham and also at Cley
White-rumped Sandpiper x 2 at Cley
Common Rosefinch at Winterton
Waxwings x 16 at Holme
Little Auks x 2 at Salthouse
Black Redstart at 'Cleyspy', Cley
Black Redstart at Heacham
Snowbuntings at Titchwell and Cley
Firecrest at Wells

EAST HILLS EXPEDITION!!!

A foggy start to the day, but the fog soon cleared and the rest of the day developed into blue skies and glorious sunshine.

EAST HILLS
Parked up on the concrete pad along the West Track at Warham and walked along the track. Lots of blackbirds, redwings and robins feeding amongst the autumn leaves, all along the track. On the way out to East Hills I saw lots of brent geese, several little egrets, curlew and redshank. It was not the easiest of walks out there today, the footpaths were immeresed by water most of the way out, but fortunately I didn't fall at all this time! The creeks had more water in than usual too. It really was like a summer's day, the sun felt warm and there were good numbers of meadow pipits and skylarks flying over. As I reached the dune ridge I could see a marsh harrier and a hen harrier over the pines. At the sycamore glade there were two chiffchaffs, several goldcrests, a couple of wrens, two chaffinches and a few robins. Two sparrowhawks were seen flying west. At least 50+ Blackbirds out here and approx 20 Redwings and a few fieldfare were heard 'chacking'. As I came out of the sycamore glade my heart was racing when I spotted a male Peregrine sitting in a tall pine tree - wow this bird was stunning. I pointed the camera to where I thought the bird was sitting and for some annoying reason I couldn't locate the bird with my lens - after the third attempt, I had been rumbled - this beautiful bird had seen me, took off and left me with no picture at all on the camera. It would have made an awesome picture – so annoyed with myself. Anyway, three carrion crows flew over east and several blackbirds were flying overhead towards Wells. There were lots of fascinating fungi and toodstools out here, a bumblebee and a peacock butterfly. I turned round sharply when I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling – the bird was bounding over the salt marsh and landed into the sycamore tree, not from where I was standing. Got some half decent pictures of the woodpecker which I was quite pleased with. I sat on the fishing box for my lunch and then slowly walked back. On the most northerly edge of the dunes I flushed a Woodcock which made both the bird and me jump! Back in the sycamore glade the goldcrests had increased in numbers, but nothing else of note was seen. Packed the camera away and proceeded to cross the beach, big creek and watery paths and smaller creeks back to base. Makes it sound like an expedition – well it is out here! You have to know the way, be very careful with the tides, be very careful where you tread and pray you don't have fog on the way back! More meadow pipits and skylarks on the way back, along with little egrets flying across the blue skies – it didn't feel like late October at all. Back at the north end of the West Track there was a tit flock, but nothing exciting with them. Several blackbirds and redwings were in the copse by the end of the track. Back at the car I battled to get the wellingtons off, changed socks and put my walking boots back on. My feet always ache badly after walking East Hills – wearing wellingtons for several miles, doesn't do your feet much good – it felt so lovely to get my walking boots back on for the rest of the afternoon.

Holkham Pines
I parked at the top of Lady Anne's Drive and a very nice person gave me their all day ticket as they were leaving – lucky me! Although I wasn't lucky with the Pallas's Warbler – I dipped again! Two jays were having a wash 'n' brush up by a puddle in the middle of the path as I walked along. I had wonderful views of a very bright male bullfinch by the pond near Joe Jordan's Hide. Several people were standing around in hope of seeing the Pallas's including John F. who had already seen and photographed it! There were a thousand plus starlings gathering to roost on a large hawthorn, opposite Washington hide in the evening – I love starlings I find them such fascinating birds - the different colour variations, their behaviour and their calls. At the Salt hole there were two little grebes and the most glorious magenta pink sunset, silhouetting over the ripples of the pond. Several redwings were seen searching for food amongst fallen leaves under the Holm Oaks and a Muntjac ran across the path.

PICTURES TO BE ADDED

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Good numbers  of Waxwings throughout Norfolk today.

GREAT WHITE EGRET over Salthouse
Pallas's Warbler remains at Holkham
Shorelark at Salthouse
Richard's Pipit at West Runton
Peregrine at East Hills
Little Auks at Holme and Titchwell
 

HURRICANE SANDY!!!

Blimey, the size of this hurricane is beyond belief!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20123703

Not bad for a Monday!

 Hare soaking up the sun at Burnham Overy.

Parked at Holkam in a 'free' space and walked down to the bus stop. Eddie also has this week off as holiday, so we decided to team up today and find some birds. I caught the coastliner bus from the main road, (which Eddie was on from Cley) and we got off at Burnham Overy to walk down the track to Gun Hill. Loads of blackbirds, redwings, fieldfares and robins scattering along the track. Just where the track opens out, a beautiful hare was lounging in the long grass in the sunshine, warming his whiskers – he was totally unaware of our presence. We stalked him and got some fabulous pictures. There were some greenfinches drinking from a puddle on the path. A huge 100+ flock of lapwing flew over west. Birds seen on route to the bushes at the end of the sea wall: reed buntings, house sparrows, bearded tits (heard), pink-footed geese, redshanks, more thrushes were seen all along the seawall. In the apple tree at the end of the bank there were a couple of house sparrows and a song thrush.

The lower path which runs alongside the sueda leading up to Gun Hill was alive with blackbirds, redwings, fieldfares, robins and a few reed buntings. A good number of skylarks were flying over too. Apart from a single robin there wasn't any other birds in the bushes on the seaward side of Gun Hill. Stopped here for a coffee break and then continued on through the dunes. We were surprised to see a peacock butterfly and a comma in the dunes! Apart from a few more blackbirds we didn't see anything else in the dunes.

We searched for the Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and looked in the same spot I photographed it, but no luck. A Short-eared Owl appeared over the dune ridge and then disappeared over the west end of the pines. We then walked through the pines and came out at the cross tracks. I said to Eddie 'we need to go and look in the pond area for the Pallas's' - as we started to walk along the path adjacent to Joe Jordan's hide, Andrew Bloomfield said 'the Pallas's Warbler is just round the corner by the pond' – we thanked him and quickened our pace. Steve Gantlett appeared and overtook us on route to the pond! There was no Pallas's Warbler to be seen when we got there! We stood and walked round here for ages looking for the bird, as did quite a few other people, but no luck at all sadly. A female blackcap, lots of goldcrests, a couple of chiffchaffs, great, blue and great tits, oh and some long-tailed tits were seen and also a barn owl. Eddie found a ring ouzel round the corner, which I didn't see. Suddenly without more than a few seconds warning it started raining heavily. Trudged back to Lady Anne's Drive with several other birders. Eddie got a lift home with Paul L. and I went to visit my parent's at Holme before returning home. On route a massive, several thousand strong flock of starlings flew across the road north towards Warham Greens and I saw a Woodcock fly over the road at Burnham Norton on the way to Holme.

 Hare soaking up the sun at Burnham Overy.

 Pink-footed Geese flying west over Gun Hill.

 House Sparrow, Burnham Overy Dunes.

 Peacock Butterfly, Burnham Overy Dunes.

 Skylarks at Gun Hill.

Redwing at Gun Hill.

 Eddie Myers at Gun Hill.

Little Egret at Burnham Overy Staithe. (taken semi-dusk)

Main Highlights in Norfolk - RBA
Several black redstarts, waxwings and ring ouzels along the coast today.

DUSKY WARBLER at Lynford Aboretum
PALLAS'S WARBLER and Yellow-browed Warbler x 2 at Holkham
Black Guillemot and Shorelark at Salthouse
White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley
Little Auk on sea at Cley

Barred Warbler highlights the day!!!

BARRED WARBLER

Salthouse

As I arrived in Cley, the pager bleeped up with "Barred Warbler" in garden opposite the duck pond at Salthouse. This bird was such a poser, the most attention seeking Barred I have ever seen. Got some cracking pictures even though the light wasn't brilliant. It entertained many people throughout the day. I'm sure there are some cracking pictures of this bird on the net. News of a Pallas's Warbler at Holkham led me to Walsey Hills NOA to find my own. Spent a long time skulking about in here, found a chiffchaff and two goldcrests, but nothing else really of note.

 Eating a Wasp!

 BARRED WARBLER

Salthouse

Had soup and bread at the NWT Visitor Centre and had a look through the Norfolk Bird & Mammal Report to see how my pictures had come out, as not received my copy yet. It was a lovely surprise to see that I have three half page pictures in the report, along with a few others!

Gramborough Hill - a song thrush and a robin were the only birds seen here. The sea was like a mill pond, what a different scene from last night's raging seas! Walked with Julian B. and Pete S. to find out why there were a big line of birders with scopes looking at the shingle, west of the Beach Road, to find out there were watching two Shorelarks. We only saw one distantly whilst here, on an island the other side of the low fence, still nice to see though.

Warham, West Track - it was raining and the light was started to fade. Loads of blackbirds, approximately 50+ scattering along the track and a lovely surprise of a Woodcock briefly sitting on the track before if flew. A few redwings and fieldfares were also seen. In the ploughed field east of the track I watched approx. 3000 starlings feeding, creating a huge amazing pattern - the pattern changed shape and moved slowly to my right! Incredible to watch, it really was. I walked as far at the 'pit' and scattered more blackbirds on route and at least another 50+ blackbirds and a few redwings and fieldfares were in the pit. 9 grey partridge were feeding in a field and a hare lolloped across the marsh. My bins had misted up, so couldn't see properly through them. I was surprised I didn't see any owls or harriers whilst here, but still a nice selection of birds. Walked back to my car in the rain.

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Several Waxwings along the coast today, along with black redstarts, Short-eared Owls, Snowbuntings, Yellow-browed Warblers. No sign of either the Little Bunting or the Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll today. 

Barred Warbler at Salthouse
Pallas's Warbler and YBW at Holkham
Shorelarks x 2 at Little Eye, Salthouse
Little Auk x 17, White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley
Common Rosefinch at Ormesby St Margaret
Olive-backed Pipit at Holkham
Siberian Chiffchaff at Cley
Little Auk x 28, Black Guillemot on sea at Sheringham
Waxwings x 19 at Holme
Black Tern at Narborough

MEGA!!! Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll!!!

HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL

Holkam

Today didn't go to plan at all. An expensive start to the day and a magical end!!!

I went to bed far too late last night and equally got up far too late, so late I don't want to confess how late! So that completely messed up my early morning sea watch. I decided not to get down in the dumps about it and carried on with other stuff I had to sort aswell. Went to Holt to buy a boot jack for my East Hills wellingtons. I can't get my size 4 1/2 wellies off without a boot jack and I broke the cheap one I had, the last time I tried to get the boots off! Popped into Holt and bought a new one from Bakers and Larners. There was no news on the pager of the Little Bunting that would have been nice to see today.

Next stop was CleySpy to look at their range of coats. I don't know why I bothered trying on other makes, I knew I would succumb to the Paramo Halcon Jacket. This coat is awesome. Yes it costs an absolute fortune, but when I stood at Cley Coastguards later, I couldn't feel the cold or the wind and its not a thick coat either! I was wearing a long sleeved thermal, a Montane Featherlite Smock (which is silk and wafer thin), a fleece over that, the Paramo and I was toasty warm! I was also very tempted by a secondhand pair of Swaroski bins EL 8.5x42 whilst I was there. I wondered why my Leica BN 8x32 bins misted up when it rained, when one of the Cleyspy guys told me I hadn't got any coatings on one of the lenses at all!!! I hadn't even realised. I am seriously thinking about buying these bins, just waiting for them to find out how old they actually are, so I know how much warrantee is left. I was quite shocked to hear the new Swaros only have a 10 year guarantee - that's absolutely crap for the money you have to pay for the new ones! The Swaros I liked were obviously heavier than my Leicas, but they were just awesome! I was a seriously long time in the shop and sat outside in the car for a long time, trying to decide about these binoculars before I left. The Little Bunting had now been seen again, I noticed on the pager. I wanted to see this bird, but I also wanted to go sea watching, so off I went to Cley. I wasn't at coastguards very long. Said hello to Pete S. and Eddie - had just set the scope up when the pager bleeped up with Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll! John F. phoned me to say I needed to go and see it as it was described as stunning bird by birders on site. So packed up stuff in car again and went to Holkham. Just by the sluice along Beach Road, Cley a couple of birders had seen a single Shorelark, but it disappeared just as quickly when I got out of the car to look!

I broke my rules about paying at Holkham, didn't have much choice really! Drove right up the top of Lady Anne's Drive and paid £3.00 for two hours parking and walked as fast as I could. Directions to the bird: Follow the path west from Lady's Ann's to Washington Hide (on right) and then take the boardwalk path that goes to the beach, when the path splits off left through the pines, follow this and keep walking until you reach a path forking off right, back onto the dune side. Cross over the dunes and (downhill) to where there are a couple of pines and sea buckthorn and the bird is feeding on the short, mossy grass/dune area. Wow, this bird was spectacular and reminded me of one I found on Fair Isle before breakfast one morning in 2005 (I think it was). It was raining heavily at one point whilst here and I was exposing my new camera to the rain again! I made sure I didn't expose it too long though! I must get myself one of those waterproof covers! I note on Birdforum there are reports that photographers flushed the bird for people arriving later. This was NOT the case at all. I saw the HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL at 4.25pm and watched it until 4.50pm. I photographed this bird along with others. It wasn't bothered in the slightest by people taking photos, in fact sometimes it was too close to take a picture!!! Every so often it would fly around the back of the dunes and then a minute or two later, fly back to right in front of us. It was busy feeding all the time and was very chilled. In fact it was so chilled it behaved as if alone! Not once did it appear startled, in fact it was one of the most relaxed, 'not bovered' birds I have ever seen! Its probably just settled down for the night. The light was going pretty rapidly as I left. I can assure everyone that no photographer upset this bird whilst I was there. Arriving late in the day to see a bird is often a risk – it happens to us all! I think there was approx 20 people max there - didn't really count, but certainly not more.

 HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL

Holkam

The light was going, but I was determined to end my day with waves crashing on the shingle at Cley. As I arrived Pete S. was just leaving and had had some really good birds after I left earlier, including 10 Little Auks (I think he said), a long-tailed duck, red-breasted merganser and other stuff I can't remember now. Eddie M. saw 10 Little Auks, 2 Great northern Divers, 2 Pomarine Skuas, a Long-tailed Duck, a Woodcock and a Long-eared Owl in off the sea. I stood on the shingle next to the crashing waves and soaked up this magical scene as the moon appeared from behind black clouds. There was tons of foam scattering across the shingle and this reminded me of the atrocious walk to Blakeney Point to see the Alder Flycatcher – the worst walk to BP ever, which I am sure some of you will remember only too well! Had a coffee and drove home.

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL at Holkam Pines
LITTLE BUNTING, still at Burnham Over Dunes
Siberian Stonechat at Eccles
Black Guillemot at Lynn Point, King's Lynn
Sabine's Gulls at Holkham
Grey Phalarope at Titchwell
Shorelark at Salthouse
LITTLE AUKS and other seabirds along the coast (will add on Sunday night) 

DON'T FORGET THE CLOCKS GO BACK TONIGHT!  

Dersingham Bog

Lots of photos of the destruction or 'management' (depends how you view it!) going on at Dersingham Bog here!!!
 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.102519099815404.3218.102510906482890&type=3

MEGA'S still to be found!!!

There should still be plenty of megas out there to be found - to all those people that have been at work all week - good luck and hope everyone has a cracking weekend. Hopefully everyone will be out in the field and not waiting on pager news. If we all get out there and look, the pagers will be on fire!!!

I don't feel very well this evening, have pulled my wrist again (an old injury done at work a few months ago) and just feel well, not good. Early night ready for tomorrow I think.

More cracking birds seen today in Norfolk! Black Redstarts, Ring Ouzels, Redwings, Fieldfares, Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers all along the coast!

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
ARCTIC REDPOLL at Holkham
LITTLE BUNTING at Burnham Overy Staithe
Long-eared Owl at Burnham Overy Staithe
GREAT WHITE EGRET at Horsey
White-rumped Sandpiper still at Cley
OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT (probable) west over Holme
Scaup x 8, 3 Great Skuas at Holme
ARCTIC WARBLER at Brancaster Staithe (no sign today)
2 Little Auks, 16 Great Skuas, 2 Red-necked Grebes and Short-eared Owl at Sheringham
Firecrest at Holkham
Black-throated Diver at Cley
Siberian Chiffchaffs x 2 at East Hills, Wells
Snowbunting x 100, Gramborough Hill, Salthouse

I was going seawatching but looking at Magicseaweed, I will be searching for MEGA's on land! MAGICSEAWEED So exciting!!!

Camera batteries charged up, bins cleaned, bags by the door and.....

MY HOLIDAY BEGINS!!!

A Birdless Evening!

I just didn't have the energy to go birding for the fourth night running this week, so went into town after work to pay some bills, buy some printer ink etc and also to take back my recently purchased Mountain Warehouse waterproof coat. The coat was almost perfect all round, the waterproofed zips, the pockets, the style, but it had one very bad flaw – the velcro on the sleeve cuffs which was supposed to stick to the rubber type grips – didn't stick! It continuously came apart which was very irritating. Also the coat's rustle was not quiet, as J.F. pointed out to me! So will be going to Cley Spy on Saturday to purchase something green, quiet, waterproof and probably very expensive! How I wish it were a decent telescope – anyone fancy buying me a nice, shiny new Swarovski scope please?

One day to go and then NINE DAY'S BIRDING!!!

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Black Redstarts, Ring Ouzels, Yellow-browed Warblers, Redwings, Fieldfares and Bramblings reported all along the coast today.

Arctic Warbler (remains) and a YBW at Brancaster Staithe
locustella warbler at Brancaster Staithe
White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley
Red-flanked Bluetail at Stiffkey – NO sign
Richard's Pipit at Titchwell
Firecrests at Holme, Walsey Hills, Great Yarmouth
Nordic Jackdaw at Thornham
Shorelark at Salthouse
Little Bunting at Burnham Overy Staithe
Dusky Warbler at Holkham Pines and Waxwing
Olive-backed Pipit at Holkham
Waxwing, Pom Skua, Manx Shearwater etc at Holme
Pom Skua, Sooty Shearwater etc, 12 Snow Buntings at Cley

20 Shags roosting on Hunstanton Cliffs!!! See HERE

No 40 in the FatBirder 'Birding Top 1000' ratings today and 1,211 page views today, only 5 places way from LGRE and only 39 places away from Birdforum. Slowly climbing that ladder! Ha Ha!

RBA Weekly Round-Up 17th to 23rd October

See HERE

Norfolk Bird & Mammal Report 2011

Has now been published: See HERE

Looking forward to seeing some of my photographs in the report again.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Pale-legged Leaf Warbler!!!

In Dorset on Monday in a private garden and not been seen since.
PICTURE HERE: https://twitter.com/PortlandBirdObs/status/261183259285794816/photo/1
http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm

Not the actual bird, but this call is very distinctive!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my3lff4ivLw

Arctic Warbler Twitch!

It's driving me insane at work seeing all these birds coming up on the pager. Saturday can't come quick enough! Its also pretty awful, driving to a new bird each evening after work, knowing that I only have half an hour of light in which to find/see the bird or anything else! Yesterday I was very, very lucky seeing and photographing the Red-flanked Bluetail. Today I wasn't quite so lucky!

Arrived at Brancaster Staithe harbour carpark at just before 5.30pm. A few birders said the Arctic Warbler had not been seen for about an hour – bother! As I walked along the coastal footpath, I had forgotten how potentially good this area is for birds – I need to bird here more often, which will also save me on fuel costs!

I managed to pick up on what looked like the Arctic in the awful light, high up in the willows along with Eddie Stubbings who agreed it 'looked good' at just after 5.30pm. I had just started to have a glimpse of the eye stripe when it flicked out of view! It was very frustrating indeed! I have just realised listening to Arctic Warbler on a youtube video, that I am pretty sure I heard this bird call whilst I stood here. I am not year listing thank goodness, but if I had been, I wouldn't have been able to count it! There were loads of robins flicking about and fieldfares and redwings in the dismal light. It got darker even quicker this evening because of the rainy conditions.

Congratulations to Graham Etherington who found the Arctic Warbler and also managed to get pictures HERE. Graham also has some cracking RFB pics on his blog too!

Drove home exhausted and had to sing loudly to keep myself awake. At home I immediately fell asleep. Work, birding and blogging does not combine well!

Weather for the Weekend!
Looking at the weather ahead, its supposed to stay north east all of Thursday and Friday up until lunchtime and then change to straight North. Saturday is forecast for North West winds at 20mph and rain/sun with a 'wintry feel' http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2634567 - this means SEA WATCHING at either Cley or Sheringham to start the day!!!

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Again news of hundreds of thrushes (reading people's blogs etc). Huge numbers of Ring Ouzels all along the coast, along with Black Redstarts, Redstarts and Yellow-browed Warblers.

Arctic Warbler and Red-breasted Flycatcher at Brancaster Staithe
Red-flanked Bluetail remains at Stiffkey along with 2 YBW's
Olive-backed Pipits at Holme and Holkham
Red-breasted Flycatchers at Gorleston and Wells
Pallas's Warbler at Overstrand
Wryneck at Holkham
Great Grey Shrike at Burnham Overy Staithe
Long-eared Owl found dead at Cley Beach Carpark
Hawfinch at Weybourne and Salthouse
Long-eared Owls x 2 and 2 Short-eared Owls at Stiffkey
Shorelark at Holme
Rough-legged Buzzard at Salthouse

Badger cull to be delayed!!!

Guardian.co.uk - Badger cull to be delayed as Tories take another U-turn

Red-flanked Bluetail Twitch!

RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL

Stiffkey Campsite Wood

I really, really wanted to see the Red-flanked Bluetail that was found yesterday by Mike Sidwell at Stiffkey Campsite Wood – I was so pleased to see that it was still there today when I looked at the pager at lunchtime. I will never tire of seeing these exquisitely beautiful birds with their iridescent blue tails. Foggy all day again in King's Lynn and along the coast, meaning that thousands of birds are still grounded. Just think of the rares to be found if more people were out and not at work! A birder last night had typed on the net somewhere 'is it Friday yet?'

I left work promptly at 4.15pm and flew to Stiffkey! It seemed to take forever to get there! There was a car in front of me, a lorry in front of the car and a tractor and trailer in front of that, combined with nasty fog!!! I managed to get there by about 5.20pm. I have never grabbed my bins and camera so quickly out of the boot of the car! I jogged along the campsite wood path, passing a policeman on route who told me 'its still there'!!! The light was seriously fading now. That path is so much longer than it should be! There were only two birders there when I arrived at the bluetail spot and for a few scary minutes it was not showing. Then, suddenly there it was, firstly in the brambles with robins and then posing oh so beautifully on a pile of moss covered logs showing off that stunning blue tail. OMG I just love these birds, there are just so incredibly beautiful. I managed to get some photographs, although the ISO was 6,500!!!!! So grainy pics will appear later this evening! The most showy bluetail I have come across, if ONLY I wasn't at work and I could have photographed this earlier in better light!!! I just couldn't focus on this bird any longer, the light had totally gone. Watched this stunning little bird right up until 5.55pm.

I walked up the east end of the wood and dropped down to the lower path to get as much light as possible to see anything else dropping in on route back to the car. The calls of birds overhead filled my ears - it was just incredible. Tons of blackbirds dropping into the trees as I walked back in almost darkness back to my car and thousands of starling and smaller birds dropping into the marshes. What I would give to be back here tomorrow morning at first light!

The fog and was pretty bad on the way to Stiffkey and was absolutely atrocious on the return journey – much worse than yesterday. I was only doing 30 mph on the way back along the B1105 road from Wells to Fakenham, so you know its bad if I am only doing that speed!

If anyone even thinks about walking East Hills in fog like that, they needs to go and seek urgent help! Someone did today though – see HERE. My mother was recalling a story to me yesterday of many years ago, when when she walked out along the beach at Holme in fog and truly believed she was walking back towards the dunes, only to find herself at the sea's edge. She said that she was horrified that she went so completely wrong. Fog can be very, very disorientating. 

 RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL

Stiffkey Campsite Wood

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
All the same birds as yesterday and more coming in! Thousands of robins, redwings, fieldfares, blackbirds, song thrushes, ring ouzels, bramblings, chaffinches, goldcrests, black redstarts, redstarts etc!

New birds found included:
Pallas's Warbler at Great Yarmouth
Olive-backed Pipit at Holkham
Red-breasted Flycatcher at Warham Greens
Probable Siberian Chiffchaff at Holme

Red-breasted Flycatcher still at Holme
Red-flanked Bluetail still at Stiffkey

Birders accounts of this massive fall of birds over the last two days HERE

MEGA NEWS!!!
SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT – Fair Isle
CHESTNUT-EARED BUNTING – Pool of Virkie