Birding Year List

[Walker570]

In the past when I have topped up the seven live catch cages in my wood I have spread a mix of bird seed on the ground but every night it got mopped up by the ####!!##!!!### badgers, so as i had a good supply of pallets I have made tables out of their reach covered the holes with strips of pallet wood and put the cage on them, end on to my cabins, so anything undesirable can be sorted.  I went down this morning at about seven and then this evening at seven and the two tables I visited where heaving with songbirds and a few woodpeckers.  The bulfinch turned up as well.

Satisfied that the remaining feed will be there in the morning. I'll try and get a photo tomorrow.

[JDog]

The second brood of three known nests of Bitterns has fledged at Far Ings.

This is pretty amazing for such a small reserve made even more remarkable as they are nesting in the same area as a Marsh Harrier whose brood has also just fledged.

[twenty]

3 hours ago, JDog said:

The second brood of three known nests of Bitterns has fledged at Far Ings.

This is pretty amazing for such a small reserve made even more remarkable as they are nesting in the same area as a Marsh Harrier whose brood has also just fledged.

That's a brilliant breeding outcome from what you say is a small reserve, I assume it has Wardens.......those species need protection from predators and humans.

In other bird table news, a Short billed Dowitcher, and a Least tern, both reported today in  Cork and Dublin respectively, both are North / Central American visitors.

[JDog]

200 Swifts on southern migration along the Lincolnshire coast today.

[Walker570]

Not as exotic as some reports but in my view far more important is the apparent high number of chaffinches this year. I have whole families coming to my feeders, where in the last few years there have been very few. Are they bouncinmg back from that killer disease, hope so.  I remember 65 years ago on a school trip to the Lake District where you could not stop to enjoy your sandwiches without having a couple of dozen almost taking it out of your hand.

[JDog]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Not as exotic as some reports but in my view far more important is the apparent high number of chaffinches this year. I have whole families coming to my feeders, where in the last few years there have been very few. Are they bouncinmg back from that killer disease, hope so.  I remember 65 years ago on a school trip to the Lake District where you could not stop to enjoy your sandwiches without having a couple of dozen almost taking it out of your hand.

I agree. 

This year I have seen more Yellowhammers, Linnets and Whitethroats than ever before.

[twenty]

3 hours ago, JDog said:

I agree. 

This year I have seen more Yellowhammers, Linnets and Whitethroats than ever before.

Goldfinches here in the west, not unusual to have 6-10 on the feeders, lots of youngsters as well.

Sparrowhawk through the garden yesterday, taking a house sparrow from a clematis bush on the way.

[JDog]

Saw a flock of Tree sparrows close to home today.

[Walker570]

Great sight this morning as firstly a hen bullfinch came and nicked a peanut from the feeder and flew off with it where normally they stop and eat. I assumed she was taking it to new born chicks. Then a cock bullfinch turns up with four youngsters which was what I have been waiting for.  I hope that my efforts to kill out the predators has helped.

A tree rat made a fatal mistake and climbed on the feeding table. One or two still keep straying into our wood never to survive more than 48hrs.

[JDog]

Pacific Golden Plover at Frampton Marsh. This is a real rarity.

Not seen by me I may add but photographed by several.

[twenty]

Western Sandpiper recorded today at Cley Marshes in Norfolk, a north American wader, this is the first ever sighting in Norfolk, and only the eighth recording in the UK.

see Cley Marshes: Western Sandpiper at Norfolk Wildlife Trust....BBC for details.

[Whitebridges]

Western Sandpiper link below:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-16317226

[marsh man]

7 hours ago, Whitebridges said:

Western Sandpiper link below:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-16317226

Full marks to the person who first spotted it and above all , knowing what it was ,I would have passed it as just another wading bird and so would a lot other people , hands up who would have known what it was , can't see any up at the moment

[Whitebridges]

15 hours ago, marsh man said:

Full marks to the person who first spotted it and above all , knowing what it was ,I would have passed it as just another wading bird and so would a lot other people , hands up who would have known what it was , can't see any up at the moment

Mr Golley knows his stuff that's for sure.  

[JDog]

I posted something very similar last year but I thought it worthwhile posting again.

At Pyewipe near Grimsby there is an enormous gathering of very nearly 10,000 Shelducks. They are moulting and are likely to be there for some time.

It will be well worth a visit.

[Whitebridges]

I thought numbers of Spoonbill in Norfolk were slowly on the increase but someone reporting 35 on Stiffkey Fen yesterday.   

[JDog]

I am watching a Glossy Ibis at Alkborough Flats. Very nice bird.

[Whitebridges]

Nice to hear of five Hawfinch showing last Sunday at Lynford Arboretum near Thetford. 

[JDog]

My wife and I sat on the beach at Theddlethorpe this morning and we were passed by hundreds of Swallows mature and immature heading southwards. 

Most of the Swifts which have flown over my house for the past few months have disappeared today. I find this very sad.

[Walker570]

I have seen just two swallows this year and those where 50 miles apart. No Swifts, Martins at all.

[Walker570]

Really strange occurence today. I shot a magpie on the slurry pit wall and it dropped in the yard. At least twenty wagtails, greys and pied then mobbed the body both approaching on foot and fluttering over it for half an hour.  We get a really good show of wagtials there and I have counted over fourty at times. Obviously rich pickings but their reaction to the magpie tended to show that they knew the danger of these black and white egg/chick stealers and maybe celebrating it's demise.

 

[Walker570]

Sat on the patio with an Old Speckled Hen..... no not my wife .....the drinkable type and looked up and there cruisng over was a peregrine. Now I know a young chap flies his birds locally but not this close to the village, so I think it was a wild bird.  A neighbouring farmer down the road about a mile also reported a pair of red kites nesting in one of his woods.

[henry d]

Just a slight tangent.

As a kid I never remember ever seeing eider duck, now I see them all over the place, I wonder if they have also increased their range like sawbill duck have?

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, henry d said:

Just a slight tangent.

As a kid I never remember ever seeing eider duck, now I see them all over the place, I wonder if they have also increased their range like sawbill duck have?

Eider duck are still a rare occurrence down here on the East coast , odd times they are seen just outside the harbours mouth , in the bad Winter of 62 / 63 the sea started to freeze and only parts of the river was still open , me and my mate were laid off through the freezing conditions on the building sites and before the wildfowling was suspended we rowed across the river to what we called the Ronds , when rowing up one of the drains we could see this large duck sitting near a smaller drain about 80yds in front of us and about 30 yds out , we both laid down in our punt and used a pair of paddles to get level with it , we didn't know weather it was to cold to fly but after a shot was put over it her flying days were over , we had never seen one before and nearly 60 years later I haven't seen another one since .

P S  ...   We ended up taking it to Pettits of Reedham and I think they were going to set it up and we got about 15 bob for it , enough for a pint of Shandy and fish and chips when we fell out of the pub , happy days 

[Whitebridges]

The last week or so we seem to be inundated with Pied Flycatchers all along the Norfolk coastline. Sightings from Burnham Overy, Blakeney point, Holme, Winterton and Beeston Common to name but a few. It would seem the autumn migration is well underway.