WHITLINGHAM: Thorpe Marshes again

15th April 2011

Realistically I knew that the Wheatear would be gone, but as birds don't find themselves I figured I'd give Thorpe another look. The first half of the visit was the same as the first, although watching three Little Ringed Plovers is never dull. A careful scan of the spit from the bird screen (or is it now a hide now it has three sides?) turned up my first Common Sandpiper of the year, whilst a Whitethroat sang from the riverside trees behind me. I let one of the Thorpe Marsh regulars use the 'scope to look at the Common Sand, and he told me that he is seeing a Red Kite most weeks over his house in Thorpe, so fingers crossed for a much-anticipated patch tick sometime soon.

NORFOLK: Titchwell wagtail fest

14th April 2011

As its been a few years since the Colney Iberian Chiffchaff I managed to convince Cathy that what she really wanted to do was to go and listen to the Titchwell bird. Conveniently the Iberian Chiffchaff was singing and showing well by the pool on the Meadow Trail, and I was able to revise the song that will one day be heard at Whitlingham Lane. The second reason for visiting Titchwell was to have a look at Yellow Wagtails, and we were spoilt with 20+ swarming over the sandy bank near the Parrinder Hide. I failed to find any "headed" ones, but the pictured individual kept me interested for a bit as it peeped over the bank. 10+ White Wagtails added to the wagtail related fun.

Elsewhere on the reserve we saw a pair of Garganey, a large flock of Common Scoter, a Little Ringed Plover and a Spotted Redshank. The Spotted Redshank was a particularly obvious individual, almost into its black summer plumage. I mention this in case the guy in the Parrinder Hide who picked out a Redshank, seemingly at random, and even with field guide open proceeded to tell anyone who'd listen that it was Spotted, reads this.

Spot the difference...

WHITLINGHAM: Just because its spring and I have some time off

13th April 2011

With no particular birding targets in mind but knowing you've got to be in it to win it (or something like that) I went for another wander around Whitlingham. Listening out for anything giving out of the ordinary calls I was disappointed, although I did hear a couple of Sedge Warblers that hadn't been there last time I looked. Another birder was at the birdscreen - I can't remember the last time that happened but it was a few months ago. As we stood there 15-20 Sand Martins flew overhead, a welcome return. A couple of Lapwings were on the spit on Thorpe Broad, but I'm still missing Shelducks from here this year.

Walking along the south shore a lone Swallow broke from the Sand Martins and headed off over the woods, but my eye was drawn to a bird making "Marsh tern-like" swoops over the broad. A closer look showed it to be a Little Gull. It was in 1st winter plumage, although the black on the outer tail was restricted to the corners, with white in the middle. I didn't remember noticing this on previous 1st winters, but its probably just me paying more attention than normal. Having consulted Malling, Olsen & Larsson it appears that some 1st-winters moult the central tail feathers into adult plumage, so now I know! I stopped in to tell one of the Broads Authority guys at the barn it was there, then had a final sweep of the meadows, which remain Yellow Wagtail-less. Upon checking my emails this afternoon I found out that there was a Wheatear at Thorpe yesterday (seen by Ricky - check out his blog, now in the links column under "Shaky's Birding Blog"), so maybe it still isn't too late to add Wheatear, Ring Ouzel or Yellow Wagtail to the patch list!

Another one for the "record shot only" album

NORWICH: Marston Marshes

12th April 2011

Marston Marshes LNR lies to the south of Norwich and makes up part of the Yare river valley between UEA and Whitlingham. When I first moved to the south city I was hopeful that it would be a productive site for birds, and one of the first things I heard about it was that on a warm spring evening you could still see Snipe drumming there. That proved to be a thing of the past (I only saw one Snipe, and it was departing swiftly!). Nevertheless I'm sure with regular watching Marston would clock up a decent list. A ripped notice on the gate suggests that two wader scrapes are going to be created to increase its sppeal to birds. In my experience these articifically created scrapes have a fairly low success rate at actually attracting waders, but I'm all for trying. Anyway, I was there to look for a Hawfinch seen the previous day, but it wasn't there. Having searched tree-by-tree, I spent some time watching a pair of Grey Wagtails on the path before calling it a day.

WHITLINGHAM: Thorpe Marshes LRP

10th April 2011

The temptation to go to the coast is growing, but as it seems like a few more birds are turning up locally I decided to try Thorpe. I'd barely crossed the bridge over the railway when I heard my first Sedge Warbler of the year singing from the reeds adjacent to the railway line. Further round three Little Ringed Plovers were squabbling on the scrape, although when not calling they were elusive, spending large amounts of time behind clumps of vegetation. A chat with one of the locals revealed that the Sedge Warbler had arrived three days ago, and he had also heard a Grasshopper Warbler from Bungalow Lane. Despite loitering a while I couldn't hear the Grasshopper Warbler, but I did see an Orange-tip, bringing the butterfly count up to 8 for the year so far, and another Sedge Warbler.

Thorpe Marshes in the sunshine

Norfolk: Breckland in spring

9th April 2011

Margaret's foot has healed well enough to enable her to drive, but we decided it was wise to keep walking to a minimum for the time being. Thinking of reserves with hides close to the carpark I came up with Weeting Heath. Cathy had never seen Stone Curlews, so this seemed like a good plan of action. By the time we got there a strong heat haze was distorting the edge of the grassland, but we still managed a blurry Stone Curlew going about its business. After a while it flew slightly closer, whilst another one took its place in the haze. Two Buzzards soared over the nearby woods, but we searched in vain for Woodlark.

Rather than eat in the carpark I suggested we go to St Helen's picnic site at Santon Downham/Warren. Along the entrance track we saw Jim, who wasn't having a lot of luck pinning down birds in the plantation. We had lunch in the sunshine, and managed to see eight Crossbills, which flew over before settling in trees on the Suffolk side of the river. We arrived back in Norwich in plenty of time to see the football, which on reflection was probably an error.

WHITLINGHAM: Week 15 - A few Sand Martins at last

8th April 2011

A bright and warm evening at Whitlingham had the feeling of mid-summer about it, not least because we are still waiting for a mass arrival of migrants. Four singing Blackcaps, including one confiding male along the south shore of the little broad, have joined the Chiffchaffs, and a lone Willow Warbler was in the conservation area. One of the Egyptian Goose chicks from last week appears to have died, not helped by the fact that one parent appears to be absent. The rest of the country park was bird-light, although I may upload a picture of a Treecreeper that flew onto a tree right beside me later. I was cursing the lack of hirundines, but managed to locate 13 Sand Martins (and a Sparrowhawk) over the meadows opposite the country park. Initially the martins were too high to see with the naked eye, and it was pure luck that I found them whilst scanning the soaring Jackdaws. Evenutally they came a bit lower, but still showed no inclination to go towards the water.

NORWICH: Mammal dropping opinions wanted

6th April 2011

Not everyone can be out looking for Eagles, or trying to re-catch their Stork collection from the east coast, and accordingly I have been restricted to garden stuff this week. Whilst filling up the feeders I have had to dodge the poo, so in the spirit of Chris Packham I want to get some reader interaction to ID it. I'm pretty sure poo number 1 is a fox, but I have no idea about poo number 2. The garden is suburban, but it is close to a cemetery, so stuff like small deer are possible (I've seen Muntjac).

If you would like to enter the competition (provisionally called "I'm a crap expert") then please leave your guesses via the comments box.

Poo #1

Poo #2

SUFFOLK: Short-toed Treecreeper

2nd April 2011

I sometimes wonder what happens to vagrant species that turn up in the UK. Some probably re-orientate themselves and go back to where they should be. A few stay (e.g. "Sammy" at Titchwell) whilst others probably snuff it (e.g. The Hume's at Wells this winter). The majority just "disappear", often shortly before I decide to go and have a look. I was concerned that the Short-toed Treecreeper at Landguard would depart before the weekend, but I had one thing in my favour - North of Landguard is Ipswich, and South is the sea. Faced with this tricky choice, it had decided to stay a while.

Neil had offered me a lift on Saturday morning, and we made good progress as we headed south seeing 4 Kestrels, 1 Swallow, 1 Brimstone and 2 dead Badgers. First impressions of Landguard were positive, a cracking duney piece of land. We walked amongst the Linnets over to the bird observatory, learning from a departing birder that the treecreeper hadn't been seen yet. Seeing that all of the birders were standing in one area, we decided it would be prudent to check the small trees along the northern side of the fence. When this drew a blank we looked up, and found all of the birders were gone. As neither of us had been drinking, we took this to mean that the bird had been relocated, and continued walking along the compound.

It turned out to be a case of "right place, right time". We walked up and were immediately put onto the Short-toed Treecreeper low on a Holm Oak trunk. We then watched it fly between several small trees before getting even better views as it slowly made its way up the trunk of a bare tree inbetween the two stands of Holm Oaks. Rather than follow it along the fence we waited near this tree in the hope that it would return, but instead it headed off into the denser oaks (viewing appeared to be possible if you pressed yourself up against the fence. I didn't try it). A sunny and successful twitch, giving me my first lifer of the year. Rather than attempt to take a typically poor digiscoped record shot I spent all my time looking at the bird. In order to prevent this post being too dry, I have created an artist's impression of the scene for you.

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It's almost like you're there...

WHITLINGHAM: Week 14 - Spring is temporarily postponed

1st April 2011

I can sometimes be guilty of over-optimism, but I really expected to at least find Sand Martins, Swallows and the regular Willow Warbler back at Whitlingham today. They weren't, and together with an absence of Shoveler and a reduction in other duck numbers it was very quiet. Not happy with just fencing in the Little Broad, trees have been planted all around the outside. Unless someone is trying to create habitat for Mandarins, this seems utterly ridiculous to me. There were two bright spots to the evening - a Kingfisher flew through my binoculars and away down river, and the first brood of Egyptian Geese were on the south shore of the Great Broad.

NORWICH: Bullfinch

31st March 2011 . I had just got home from work on Wednesday when I got an excited call from Cathy to say she had found a pair of Bullfinches. Bullfinches are smart little birds regardless of the lcoation, but these were on Lakenham Way only 10 minutes from the city centre. The next evening we went for a walk to try to locate them, and keeping quiet we soon heard them calling from a Blackthorn. Peering in we managed to see the female, and also a Collared Dove on a nest. Hopefully they stick around to add to Norwich's avifauna.

WHITLINGHAM: Thorpe Marshes

27th March 2011

I spent Sunday morning on the Thorpe side of the river for a bit of variety. Carey's Meadow held 4 singing Chiffchaffs and a Stock Dove, but its still looking rather brown and cut back. Station marsh was greener, and I sat on the stile near the cattle compound to scan the scrape. The water level looked good for waders, but there was no sign of any, not even the LRP seen last week. Six Meadow Pipits and a Reed Bunting were on the grazing marsh, and a female-type Goldeneye was the pick of the ducks. With no sign of any hirundines or other migrants passing overhead, I gave up and headed home.

WHITLINGHAM: Week 13 - The purple patch continues

25th March 2011

After the excitement of last weeks Bittern, I was quietly hopeful that this could be the year I finally break my Whitlingham Garganey duck (pun intended). A singing Chiffchaff on Trowse Meadows was a patch year tick, and several more were in song around the country park. Better was to come when a now familiar trilling sound alerted me to 19 Waxwings, which flew over the meadows off towards Thorpe. Waxwing was another patch bogey bird for me, in a spell that included one visit when some were onsite but thick fog came down preventing me from seeing them!

A brief burst of sunshine wasn't enough to bring any butterflies out, but two Tree Bumblebees were a first for me. This species was first discovered in Norfolk in 2008 (in Earlham Cemetery), but has since spread rapidly. Duck numbers were low (3 Pochard, 4 Teal, 6 Shoveler), and no sign of any Garganey. Nonetheless I did manage to add an unprecedented third patch tick in two visits, a Little Egret flying east over the Great Broad. As a result of my dawdling it was getting dark as I walked back. The upside was that I got a chance to try out my bat detector. A bat near the Little Broad turned out to be the expected Soprano Pipistrelle, but five or six flying over the river from the main bridge going back to the city could have been Common Pipistrelle or Daubentons (45kHz).

NORTH NORFOLK: Kelling Heath

20th March 2011

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The downside to my increased focus on local birding so far this year has been that I haven't got out to North Norfolk much. I decided to remedy this with a trip to Weybourne and Kelling Heath. This proved more problematic than it needed to be as the train to Sheringham was replaced by a coach service (taking an extra 35 minutes) and this meant missing the 2-hourly Coasthopper by a couple of minutes. Rather than wait I decided to walk to Weybourne along the clifftop path. I failed to find Wheatears or anything other than hundreds of Skylarks on the gold course, and the buntings at Weybourne were too far away for me to convince myself that they were definitely Lapland.

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Having drawn a similar blank looking for migrants on Weybourne Camp, I walked up the hill to Kelling Heath, where the first hour was similarly bird-adverse. The lizards got so used to me wandering about they stopped bothering to run off after a while. My luck finally changed when I talked to a birder who had seen two Dartford Warblers earlier in the day. With an area to focus on and some bursts of sunshine I finally got a good look at a male Dartford Warbler, sat up on some gorse. It vanished as quickly as it had arrived, and I only got one flight view in the 20 minutes or so after the initial sighting. After walking back to Weybourne I found I had an hour until the bus , which I divided between a quick seawatch and trying Woodfordes Best Bittern at the Ship Inn.

WHITLINGHAM: Week 12 - Patch tick!

18th March 2011

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As with the previous week I decided to give Whitlingham a try on the Friday evening rather than wade through the crowds at the weekend. A Med Gull and Mealy Redpoll were both reported during the week, so I was hopeful of finding something interesting, maybe even an elusive Garganey, a bird I'm still missing at Whitlingham. Walking along the Little Broad I saw a Water Rail for the 3rd consecutive visit, but saw nothing else of note until the conservation area, where the two redhead Goosanders were still present and I got decent views of a Cetti's Warbler from the track down to the bird screen.

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I could so easily have missed the bird of the evening. As I walked along the riverbank path I looked up and caught sight of a large brown bird flying off towards Thorpe Marshes. From directly behind the jizz was odd... and then it turned slightly side-on - a Bittern! Eventually I lost the bird behind some trees, but it appeared to have continued east towards Postwick. Possibly a bird returning to Strumpshaw from winter feeding grounds, or a bird prospecting for a new territory? When I got home I found that someone else had reported it, also in flight. A satisfying case of being in the right place at the right time!