NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
Great White Egrets x 2, Spoonbills  x 8, Spotted Redshank, Purple Sandpiper at Titchwell RSPB
Great Grey Shrike at Grimston Warren
Rough-legged Buzzard, Lapland Bunting, Snow Buntings x 2, Red-necked Grebes x 2, Velvet Scoter, Grey Phalarope at North Dunes, Winterton
KING EIDER drake on sea at Sheringham
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's) at Meadow Lane, Kelling
Rough-legged Buzzard, Great White Egret, Great Northern Diver at Horsey
Waxwings x 6 at Kelling
Snow Buntings x 30 at Holkham Bay
Black-necked Grebe (probable) at Caister-on-Sea
Rough-legged Buzzard at Clippesby
Hen Harrier at Overstrand
Short-eared Owl at Welney WWT
Twite x 12 at Thornham Harbour
Hawfinch flew in off sea at Holme
Shorelarks x 4 flew over Hunstanton Cliffs
Parrot Crossbills x 7 at St Faith's Common, Horsford

MEGA NEWS
None

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
KING EIDER drake on sea at Sheringham
Waxwings x 3 at Kelling
Spoonbill at Titchwell RSPB
Snow Buntings x 7, Grey Phalarope at South Beach, Red-necked Grebe at North Beach, Great Northern Diver, Velvet Scoter at Winterton
Twite x 7 at Thornham Harbour
Rough-legged Buzzard at Horsey
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's) at Meadow Lane, Kelling
Great Grey Shrike at Grimston Warren
Rough-legged Buzzard flew over Wells
Rough-legged Buzzard, Richard's Pipit flew from Saltmarsh at Stiffkey
Rough-legged Buzzard at Upton Marshes
Purple Sandpiper at Gramborough Hill
Short-eared Owl at Holme Dunes NWT
Water Pipit trapped & ringed, Snow Bunting on beach, Holme NOA
Richard's Pipit west of Clifftop Wood, Trimingham
Great White Egret, Short-eared Owl at Welney WWT
Snow Buntings x 21 on beach at Cley
Caspian Gulls x 3 at Cley NWT
Shorelarks x 11, Snow Buntings x 27 east of Holkham Gap
Lesser Whitethroat (possibly of eastern form) west of Lady Anne's Drive, Holkham
Long-tailed Duck at Barton Broad
Rough-legged Buzzard between Ringstead & Old Hunstanton
Waxwings x 8, Swift sp., Yellow Wagtails, Hen Harriers x 2 flew over Hunstanton Cliffs
Common Cranes x 6 at Stubb Mill, Hickling Broad NWT
Hen Harrier at Sidestrand
Lesser Whitethroat (possibly of eastern form) at Sea Palling

MEGA NEWS
None

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
Rough-legged Buzzard, Grey Phalarope, off South Beach, Snow Buntings x 4, Great Northern Diver, Red-necked Phalarope, Lapland Bunting, Great White Egret, Hen Harrier at North Beach, Winterton
KING EIDER drake on sea, Purple Sandpiper at Sheringham
Waxwings x 8 in village at Kelling
Great Grey Shrike at Roydon Common NNR
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's) at Meadow Lane, Kelling
Great Northern Diver off Coastguards, Cley
Caspian Gulls x 2, Short-eared Owl at Cley NWT
Great Northern Diver, Snow Buntings x 8, Rough-legged Buzzard at Sheringham
Long-tailed Duck, Purple Sandpiper, Spoonbill at Titchwell RSPB
Shorelarks x 9, Snow Buntings x 25, Hen Harrier east of Holkham Gap
Richard's Pipit still, Rough-legged Buzzard, Hen Harrier near Clifftop Wood, Trimingham
Shorelark at Happisbugh
Lapland Bunting at Burnham Overy Staithe
Hawfinches x 2 at Walsham Wood, Blofield Heath
Hen Harrier at Salthouse
Purple Sandpiper at Gramborough Hill
Shorelark, Snow Buntings x 2 at Blakeney Point
Short-eared Owl, Spoonbill, Twite x 11 at Thornham
Great White Egret at Welney WWT
Rough-legged Buzzard at Horsey
Long-eared Owl flew in off sea, then in pine tree at Holme Dunes NWT
Hen Harriers x 2 flew over Green Lane, Wells
Hen Harrier flew over Wells Woods
Swift over marsh at Stiffkey
Richard's Pipit flew over Hunstanton Cliffs

MEGA NEWS
DUSKY THRUSH
Easington, Yorkshire

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
KING EIDER drake on sea, Purple Sandpiper at Sheringham
Waxwings x 7, Yellow-browed Warbler, Hen Harrier at Titchwell RSPB
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's) at Meadow Lane, Kelling
Richard's Pipit still, Lapland Bunting near Clifftop Wood, Trimingham
Shorelark, Water Pipit, Hen Harrier at West Runton
Grey Phalarope + Snow Buntings x 2 on beach, Red-necked Grebe, Great Northern Diver, Rough-legged Buzzard at North Dunes, Snow Buntings x 4 at South Dunes, Winterton
Shorelarks x 7, Snow Buntings x 35 on beach east of Holkham Gap
Pomarine Skua, Crossbills x 10, Snow Bunting, Little Auk, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Purple Sandpiper, Hen Harrier at Holme
Waxwings x 3 on Beech Avenue, Lapland Bunting west of coastguards at Sheringham
Waxwing, Great White Egret, Common Cranes x 2 at Stubb Mill, Hickling Broad NWT
Rough-legged Buzzards x 2, Hen Harrier at Horsey
Great Grey Shrike at Grimston Warren
Waxwings x 9 flew over Walsey Hills NOA
Little Auk, Great Skua flew past Cley
Spotted Redshank, Caspian Gull at Cley NWT
Red-necked Grebes x 2 in harbour at Burnham Overy Staithe
Twite x 4 at Thornham Harbour
Great White Egret at Welney WWT
PALLID SWIFT probable, over marsh near duck pond (3.30pm) at Salthouse
Common Swift probable, flew west at 4.15pm, Cley
Hen Harriers x 3, Pomarine Skua dark morph (probable) offshore at Stiffkey
Long-tailed Duck, Scaup x 3 at Barton Broad
Rough-legged Buzzard flew in off sea at Sidestrand
Purple Sandpiper on pool at Gramborough Hill
Hen Harrier at Brancaster Staithe
Snow Buntings x 6 at Thornham Point
Waxwings x 7, Crossbills x 10 over Hunstanton Cliffs
Crossbills x 6 in pines at High Kelling
Hawfinch at Lynford Aboretum

MEGA NEWS
TENGMALM'S OWL
at undisclosed site, but reportedly in the Finstown area, mainland, Orkney

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
FRIDAY 2nd NOVEMBER
Yellow-browed Warbler, Great White Egret, Short-eared Owl, Pomarine Skua, Spotted Redshanks x 2, Whinchat, Snow Buntings x 5, Lapland Bunting at Titchwell RSPB
Great White Egret at Colney Gravel Pits
Goshawk in woods near Hevingham
COUES'S ARCTIC REDPOLLS x 2, Waxwing at Wells Woods
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's) at Meadow Lane, Kelling
Rough-legged Buzzards x 4 at Horsey
Great White Egrets x 4 at Horsey Mere
KING EIDER drake on sea at Sheringham
Rough-legged Buzzard flew over Sparham Pools, Lyng
Grey Phalarope flew past Gramborough Hill, Salthouse
Crossbills x 5 flew over Briston
Snow Buntings x 4 on beach, South Dunes, Great Norrthern Diver, Waxwings x 3 flew over, Crossbills x 3, Short-eared Owl at Winterton
Rough-legged Buzzards x 2 at North Dunes, Winterton
Richard's Pipit near Clifftop Wood, Waxwings x 2 flew over Trimingham
Spoonbill at Cley NWT
Great White Egret at Welney WWT
Shorelark, Pomarine Skua, Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Grebe at Holme
Great Grey Shrike at Roydon Common NNR
Hen Harrier at Stiffkey
Lapland Buntings x 3, Snow Bunting, Mealy Redpolls x 3 at Scolt Head Island NNR
Twite x 8 at Thornham Harbour
Water Pipit at Cantley Marshes RSPB
Hen Harrier at Buckenham Marshes RSPB

MEGA NEWS
TENGMALM'S OWL
at undisclosed site, Orkney
WILSON'S SNIPE
possible, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

Busy Bee, Busy Selling!

I have been very busy loading pictures, descriptions, prices etc of items from my parent's house onto Gumtree and Market Place Facebook. I won't write full descriptions/prices etc on here, as don't want to overload my blog with non-birding stuff, but if anyone is interested I have the following for sale:

• SAMES PIANO (John L Thickpenny, Newport Pagnell)
• SOFA - TWO SEATER
• TWO ARMCHAIRS
• HAYTER ENVOY 36 ELECTRIC LAWNMOWER
• SILVER REED SILVERETTE RETRO PORTABLE TYPEWRITER
• OLIVETTI LEXIKON 80 VINTAGE TYPEWRITER
• ADLER RARE VINTAGE TYPEWRITER – Made in Germany

Please email me on: pennyclarke@dsl.pipex.com 
if you would like the link to pictures, prices, details etc

CAMERA TRIPOD – BENBO, Kennett Engineering Co Ltd, England

FOR SALE
This antique (it must be!) has been in my late father’s shed for many years and would of cost a lot of money in its time, but is obviously very old, so probably will only be of interest to a collector maybe?

Price £25

Email Penny for loads more close up pictures if required: pennyclarke@dsl.pipex.com

In Memory on Your Birthday

 Happy Birthday to My Dearest Father

You would have been 92 today – 2nd November

Life is so difficult without you both, you are in my thoughts daily

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
THURSDAY 1st NOVEMBER
Siberian Chiffchaffs x 2 at South Dunes, Great Northern Diver, Black Redstart at Winterton
Grey Phalarope at North Beach, Winterton
Shorelarks x 4, Snow Buntings x 35 east of Holkham Gap
KING EIDER drake on sea, Little Auk, Purple Sandpiper at Sheringham
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's) at Meadow Lane, Kelling
Long-tailed Duck, Scaup x 2 at Barton Broad
Great White Egret at Colney Gravel Pits
Velvet Scoters x 5 off Coastguards, Cley
Common Cranes x 4 at Horsey/Waxham
Short-eared Owl at Morston Quay
Rough-legged Buzzard at Wells Woods
Vagrant Emperor Dragonfly at James Paget Hospital, Gorleston-on-Sea

MEGA NEWS
None

OWL EXTRAVAGANZA WITH RICHARD BROOKS!

FOR SALE: SAMES PIANO (John L Thickpenny, Newport Pagnell)

This beautiful antique piano has been in my parent's house for years and they paid £300 for it at the time – it was bought for my sister Lucy, as she had to learn a second instrument when she was at the RCM. Sadly it now has to go. It has a beautiful sound, but will need re-tuning.

 The piano is 5ft wide. 49.5" high. Depth from back of piano to front of keyboard 25".

It has wheels and easily moveable around a room (I have done this alone!), but will need four people to take it out of the house.
The piano is at Holme-next-Sea, Norfolk.

Price: £100

Please email me: pennyclarke@dsl.pipex.com

Apologies To All Readers Who Have Sent Comments To My Posts!

I have only just noticed that the email link in my settings for comments to my blog has failed since May!!! I wondered why I had not had any comments to posts!!! Normally I get an email link with the comment and then I can choose to publish, delete or spam – I have had none, or so I thought. It was only because a couple of people on Twitter this evening, said they has sent messages on my blog that I started to investigate things! I feel really bad as when I looked into the "comments awaiting moderation" section (deep within settings in the blog), which I never look at, as they are normally emailed, there are loads throughout the last few months, I am SO sorry! I can see there are loads of beautiful support messages when my mother died and am only just reading them now! I have no idea why these links stopped, but I think I have rectified the problem, I will know when the next person posts a comment! Oh dear!

I will go through all comments properly tomorrow and publish/reply, but just looking quickly, there are many spam comments also sent, which link to sex/dodgy websites – thank goodness I have the option to vet comments first, otherwise "Penny's Hot Birding" could be seen in a very different light!!! When I first started this blog, I never used to have to vet comments and happily allowed all comments to be published instantly, but sadly started to receive dodgy/sick links to unsavoury websites, so had no choice but to vet everything first.

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
Waxwings x 3, Long-tailed Duck, Slavonian Grebe, Purple Sandpiper, Pomarine Skua, Snow Buntings x 10 at Titchwell RSPB
Mealy Redpolls (probable) flew over Burnham Deepdale
EASTERN STONECHAT 1w. male sp. (probably Stejneger's), Great White Egret at Meadow Lane, Kelling
KING EIDER drake on sea, Arctic Tern, Shag x 11 at Sheringham
COUES'S ARCTIC REDPOLL, Waxwing, Mealy Redpolls x 4 at Wells Woods
Snow Buntings x 4 on beach at Wells
Waxwings x 2, Water Pipit, Spotted Redshank, Lapland Bunting, Pomarine Skua, Long-tailed Ducks x 3, Hen Harrier at Holme
Rough-legged Buzzard, Hen Harrier at North Dunes, Winterton
Barred Warbler still at east end of Burnham Overy Dunes
Great White Egret at Bowthorpe
Black-necked Grebe, Velvet Scoter, Black-throated Diver, Snow Buntings x 25, Shag x l3 off beach car park at Cley
COUES'S ARCTIC REDPOLL midway between beach car park and Halfway House at Blakeney Point
Water Pipits x 2 at Buckenham Marshes RSPB
Yellow-browed Warbler, Hen Harrier, Mealy Redpolls x 2 at Stiffkey Campsite
Yellow-browed Warbler at Muckleburgh Hill
Hen Harrier flew over Claxton Marshes
Rough-legged Buzzards x 2 flew over Overstrand
Lapland Bunting, Hen Harrier, Velvet Scoter at Happisburgh
Shorelarks x 10, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Velvet Scoters x 5 east of Holkham Gap
Waxwing in garden, Shorelark, Snow Buntings x 10 west of Beach Road at Salthouse
Richard's Pipit flew over cliffs at Trimingham
Barred Warbler east of Whirligig at Warham Greens
Barred Warbler at Happisburgh Corner
Water Pipit, Hen Harrier at Cantley Marshes RSPB
Long-tailed Duck at Barton Broad
Waxwing, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting flew over Hunstanton Cliffs
Short-eared Owl at Burnham Norton
Great White Egret, Common Cranes x 2 at Brograve Level, Horsey
Great Grey Shrike at Roydon Common NNR

MEGA NEWS
GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH
St Mary's, Isles of Scilly
AMERICAN WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian, Scotland

A Rubbish Day and Rant!

Feeling very low and fed up. Did nothing all afternoon after I returned from work, when I could have looked for birds, but couldn't be bothered. Looking at the pager, no one has found a mega, so that's Autumn migration over with – no more exciting birds until next Spring. I suppose I can now at least get on with sorting my house out, in preparation to move next year. I have a million things to do and don't want to do any of them. Fed up with trying to get hold of my little sister, who rarely answers the phone or my texts, when we have so many things to sort out, impossible to get hold of and you are more likely to get hold of the Queen! Vivien rarely reeds my blog, but I'm sure she will see this particular post so: we need to set a date for a boot sale please?

I've just had another row with BT over my mother's phone account and I thought TalkTalk (who I am with) was bad – TalkTalk are awesome compared to BT and it confirms that I will NEVER have a phone package with BT! They are trying to charge us £224+ for cancelling the internet package within the 18 month contract, when I already have the name of the person and date when it was confirmed that we would not have to pay any fee for cancelling this after my mother died – completely and utterly unprofessional and insensitive – I discussed this with someone a couple of weeks ago, they apologised and refunded the money that they took out of my account (without my consent) and STILL they sent a demanding letter today – unbelievable! In fact, BT owe us – I got so much compensation out of them for all their failings we are in credit! The phone cuts off tomorrow anyway and will be getting refund cheques soon – bet that doesn't go smoothly. It will be my last dealings with BT ever!

Trick or Treat Families are knocking on doors right now – don't even think of knocking on my door, you may be the ones getting a 'trick'!!! Can't wait to get away from this estate – I'll only miss one couple, the rest don't even speak unless they forced to and some don't bother at all. No community spirit in my road, except when someone wants something – there will be no 'treats' from me!

My best friend is now in heaven and there is nobody to talk to about birds anymore on a daily basis and its no good anyone telling me that times heals, because that's bollocks! I miss my mother so much – I miss her voice, her eccentric ways, her spirit, her passion, her laughter, her determination, her stubbornness, her support, her everything. Since I have moved back to my house, it has only just started to sink in that she is really not here anymore. I can't believe Lucy and I will be having our Christmas dinner at my house alone. We always have Christmas dinner at Holme! The last two years have been utterly devastating – surely 2019 will be better?!

RBA Weekly Round-Up 24th to 30th October!

By Jon Dunn
https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/weeklyRoundup2018-44.aspx?s_id=166742353

NORFOLK BIRD & MAMMAL REPORT 2017 REVIEW!

Now published and available from

The Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society 

http://norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/shop/#main

OR this report can be purchased from Wildsounds (also see RBA) or at several of the nature reserve shops along the coast, including Cley Visitor Centre NWT and Titchwell RSPB.

Sadly I don't have any pictures published in this fabulous report, as I didn't get round to submitting anything, due to bereavement and illness of both parents, but hope to have some in the 2018 report, fingers crossed!

This is the best report I have seen so far and is now full colour throughout. I love the fact that pictures are now placed with the relevant species within the systematic list and not clumped together in batches, which was obviously done for cost reasons in previous reports. Overall the quality and layout is very good, although as an ex-typesetter of twenty years and so therefore incredibly critical😀, there are a several spacing issues between picture captions and main body of text, but this certainly doesn't affect the overall standard of the report. I was very impressed by the quality of printing and was delighted to see that it was Lavenham Press, whom I worked for over nine years and put together many of their books in my time there! They are based in Water Street Lavenham, Suffolk, where I also lived for a few years – a very happy time in my life. I started off working for them as an Editorial Assistant for famed maritime author 'Robert Malster' and then moved across to work in the Production Department as a Paste-up-Artist alongside Billy Byford, Henry Haggar, Malcolm ?, Mike? and then as technology progressed, became a Typesetter. Neither of those job roles exist now, currently I would be a 'Mac Operator' or 'Art Worker'!

Anyway, back to the report! I was fascinated to read Peter Allard's wonderful article at the front of the report titled "Norfolk birdwatching: the changing scene", where he mentions my father starting up the NOA etc, which brought a smile to my face, thank you – this article is illustrated with some old twitching scenes and is worth buying the report, for this article alone! The report also has wonderful drawings by Julie Curl, Phil Jones and Gary Wright besides all the wonderful photographs. There are several articles, but also of note also is Stuart White's finder's account of the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler at Burnham Overy Staithe, which I frustratingly dipped on😞!

My top five favourite photographs are:

1. Male Blue-headed Wagtail at Happisburgh – by James Appleton
2. Swallow – by Rob Holmes
3. Waxwing – a classic portrait – by Steve Gantlett
4. Juvenile Cuckoo – by Neil Bowman
5. Short-eared Owl – by Andrew Bloomfield

My congratulations to all involved with this report, a mammoth task involved collecting all the data, and putting together the best report I have seen to date.

Holkham Pines & Burnham Overy Dunes!

The rain did not deter me in my quest to find a mega – there had to be something out there somewhere! So, after returning home from work (still on my phase return), I headed to Holkham and parked at Lady Ann's Drive. There were not many cars here, which was hardly surprising with the rain and wind today. I was accosted by a car parking man, within a couple of minutes of arriving, who stated that I did not have a ticket showing – 'no' I replied.... 'I have only just arrived and was just eating a sandwich before getting out to get a ticket'!!! I tried not to sound sarcastic!

Waterproofed up and with camera in rucksack ready for any exciting birds that I may find (ha ha), I set off west through the pines. There were hundreds if not thousands of Fieldfares, Redwings and Blackbirds in flocks overhead and feeding on hawthorn berries either side of the path and also good numbers of Robins. Because of the rain, I didn't get my camera out of the rucksack, so no pictures I'm afraid. I didn't want to get the camera soaked, unless a mega jumped out at me and that sadly did not happen. There were lots of Goldcrests in the pines and sycamores and tit flocks included Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits and also one Coal Tit. I had a dark Chiffchaff in a small sycamore in front of Washington Hide and was thinking about getting the camera out, when it duly vanished! A Cetti's Warbler was also singing here.

By the cross tracks it was very busy with yet more Fieldfares, Blackbirds and Redwings feeding in a large hawthorn and drinking from puddles on the path and saw another tit flock, but no Yellow-browed Warblers seen, which was very frustrating indeed. Every thrush I saw had to be 'cheeked' out – where is OUR Grey-cheeked Thrush?! I flushed three Woodcocks throughout the afternoon. I searched hard and veered off the path several times to find something exciting – I even searched the small copse where I watched a Red-flanked Bluetail on 12th October 2015. I know the weather was atrocious, but even still, I was surprised that I didn't see another birder at all. Actually it was quite nice, having the entire place to myself, although there were a handful of dog walkers around.

I leaned over the fence to look in the garden at Meals House and imagined how beautiful a Siberian Rubythroat would have looked on the bright, wet green grass – dream on! Eventually I reached Burnham Overy Dunes, but sadly I didn't have as much time here as I would have liked. Either everything was hunkered down, or there were no birds here at all really, but did have lots of Goldcrests in the big sycamore where the Citril Finch spent most of its time back in 2015. The light was fading fast now and I had already gone over my ticket slot in the car park – I walked back with increased pace!

Just after Meals House I witnessed a mega spectacle! A HUGE murmuration (thousands) of Starlings, which then landed in the trees around me and the reeds either side of the path towards Washington Hide – the noise was just amazing and I was in the middle of them all! No one else here but me, fabulous! Heard the Cetti's Warbler again by the hide and watched more thrushes drinking from puddles on route back to the car. Luckily I did not have a fine for being way over my ticket time! I did not waste any time faffing about with wet gear in my car, in case the ticket man walked across to slap a fine on the windscreen! I very quickly did a Penelope Pitstop out of there! A lovely afternoon, but my hoped for mega did not reveal itself. No doubt with the sunshine and no rain tomorrow, something big will be found by the usual rarity finders – hopefully anyway!

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  
COUES'S ARCTIC REDPOLL, Mealy Redpoll, midway between beach car park and Halfway House, Little Auks x 2, Little Gull at Blakeney Point
KING EIDER ecl. drake on sea, Leach's Petrels x 8, Blue Fulmar, Little Auks x 2, Pomarine Skua, Little Gulls x 79 at Sheringham
Little Auk, Pomarine Skua, Velvet Scoters x 5 at Winterton
Little Auks x 4, Long-tailed Duck, Pomarine Skua, Snow Buntings x 25 off beach car park at Cley
Firecrest, Pomarine Skuas x 2, Sooty Shearwater at Titchwell RSPB
Firecrest north of beach gap at Waxham
Sabine's Gull, Little Auks x 3, Little Gulls x 5, Velvet Scoter, Lapland Bunting (on marsh) at Salthouse
Sabine's Gull, Little Auk, Pomarine Skua, Velvet Scoters x 2, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern Divers x 3 at Holme
Lesser Whitethroat (possibly of an eastern form), Snow Bunting, Hen Harrier at Garden Drove, Firecrest at Warham Greens
Snow Buntings x 30 at Holkham Bay
Little Gulls x 7 flew past Weybourne Camp

MEGA NEWS
GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH
St Mary's, Isles of Scilly
WILSON'S SNIPE
Possible, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

John Furse's 'Moot Points' Recorded for Regent Records!

In John's words: 
THREE YEARS and more have passed since the first performance of my organ piece "Moot Points" – and not far short of four years since I composed the piece (January 2015). This won first prize in the competition associated with the restoration of the fine organ in Colchester's Moot Hall. 

It had another 'outing' earlier this month: at Blackburn Cathedral – again played by the performer who gave its première.

Last year Tom Bell informed me that he was to record it, for Regent Records, on the splendid 4-manual organ in the Chapel of the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Suffolk. Apart from its wonderful sounds, this possesses the largest (organ) grille front in the UK.

In mid-October, I made the drive down to Suffolk and met Tom and the owner of Regent, Gary Cole, for the recording. I now eagerly await an advanced copy of the CD and its release next Spring.

Mikes in front of the grille

Red-flanked Bluetail at Titchwell RSPB!

After work twitch! Arrived at Titchwell RSPB with 'no further sign of the Red-flanked Bluetail' message on pager. I expected this to be honest, I mean, it wasn't going to stay feeding on a public footpath with birders, general public, beach walkers and dogs etc going back and forth! It was last seen in the sueda just west of the path. An usual place for a RFB to be, as they prefer woodland habitat – I have never seen one in sueda. The last one at Titchwell was amongst the trees, along the Meadow Trail.

Obviously there were several birders and locals here, but no one had re-found it yet. I decided to head out to Thornham Point, in the vague hope that it might have continued west. As I walked along the edge of the dunes, I found two Woodcock and a Snipe on route! I hadn't got too far along there, when Jake G. kindly phoned me up, to say he had re-found the bluetail! I returned along the beach for speed! I only saw the Red-flanked Bluetail twice, the first sighting was in flight and the second sighting at 2.45pm, when the bird landed briefly on top of a sueda bush, very briefly! But enough time to see that it was a 1st winter bird, I then lifted the camera to take a picture and it melted beneath the sueda! I don't think anyone got a single picture of the Red-flanked Bluetail this afternoon, it was extremely elusive. Its the first RFB that I have not got a picture of that I have seen, oh well!

John Furse turned up later, but sadly he was unlucky and didn't see the bluetail. It was bitterly cold at the end of the day and I had forgotten to bring my gloves, not a good idea! What will tomorrow bring I wonder?!!!