Norfolk in poor light conditions

Last Wednesday, set off for a tour of less visited places in North and East Norfolk. First stop was Lynford Arboretum near Mundford. I arrived early before sunrise and was immediately greeted by a flock of flyover siskins. Goldcrests hovered and flitted around the conifers and a single firecrest was noted near the office shed. Too early for a photo, so off to check the feeders. Here, 20+ coal tits and at least 3 marsh tits in amongst a throng of chaffinches, blue and great tits, but no sign of bramblings that often winter in this splendid area. Very early morning photos here of the marsh and coal tits.

2 marsh tits and a coal tit

very early morning marsh tit.

Having checked and not come across either hawfinch or crossbill, I was back in the car and headed to the Norfolk coast and a coffee at Cley following a sea watch from Cley beach car park. Small movement out to sea, with guillemots and gannets predominating but also a red throated diver, but no phalaropes. One was noted later in the afternoon!
From here, I headed for another sea watch, at Sheringham but very little apart from more guillemots. From the eastern clifftop carpark a purple sandpiper became year lister 201 and several turnstone could be seen on the beach. However, the light was becoming very strange, brooding and dark and on the horizon, clearly a sea squall was happening and it appeared to be heading inland and towards the east of the county where I had planned to go! Winterton Dunes is not the place to be caught in a heavy rain and hail storm, so I abandoned that plan and headed back to the west, stopping at Salthouse, Cley and Holkham before finishing, in what I hoped would be good light at Titchwell.

Alba sp wagtail (Sheringham)

black headed gull in very bright light

BHG on Sheringham beach

storm coming

Upon arriving at Titchwell I headed immediately for the Parrinder Hide. The sky was becoming increasingly cloudy and very orange. From  the hide, usual selection of waterfowl (shoveler, mallard, gadwall, few pintail and teal) along with a solitary pink footed goose right outside the hide. As can be seen form these photos, everything was now showing tints of orange.
4+ marsh harriers, a short eared and barn owl, both over Thornham Marsh whilst a flock of golden plover came in to roost with godwits, avocets, dunlin and a couple of ruff and redshanks.
All in all, a reasonable day.70+ species seen, but not one offering good photo opportunities.
Later this week, maybe a trip to Kent, Oare and Dungeness perhaps, depending on weather.

Shoveler (Freshmarsh, Titchwell)

greylag (Parrinder Hide)

same goose, in orange light

sunset over Thornham

incoming golden plover

orange grey heron in brooding light

Titchwell village from the beach footpath.

So, day didn't pan out as planned, so maybe later in December a trip to Winterton, Buckenham and Cantley as well as a quick scan over Breydon Water.

Ringed black tailed godwit Information

On Friday, Gary and I noted a black tailed godwit at Titchwell that had a series of coloured rings on either leg. The colour combination is unique to that specific bird and so reported this to the coordinator at the University of East Anglia, Professor Jenny Gill. She kindly forwarded the information to the ringer in Iceland and I have just received this fascinating insight into the travels of this female bird since it was first ringed in 2012. Certainly has travelled a fair few thousand miles since 2012 and shown a preference for overwintering in Norfolk having first experienced Leighton Moss in Lancashire in 2013.
Presumably, although not shown here apart from 2013, she returns to Iceland each spring to breed before returning to the UK in July.
Note the similarity of dates: 18th August 2014, arrives in The Wash. 17th August 2015, arrives in The Wash! Birds continue to amaze me. It will be interesting to see if this bird continues to overwinter at Titchwell, before heading off to breeding grounds around mid March 2016. It is an easy bird to spot with the 4 rings visible, even in flight.
I am always intrigued by ringing data, even a stonechat I recorded at Kelling Water meadows. Sent off the relevant data and discovered it was ringed as a nestling, was 3 years old and in that time, had travelled 400 yards!
Edit: Just calculated that the distance covered in just the records shown here is in excess of 9250 miles from June 2012 to November 2015. Black tailed godwits can live for 25 years, so, working on an average of 2300 miles per year, just in moving sites and not winging around on a daily basis, for 20 years the distance covered will be 46,000miles! Startling.
Graham Appleton frequently updates a really interesting blog on wader migration:  click wader website

Rings: left leg: red over orange (RO) right leg red over Z (RZ)

Black Tailed Godwit: Titchwell 20.11.15 feeding on the Brackish Marsh

adult, female

RO-RZ 13.06.12 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 24.06.12 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 26.04.13 Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England

RO-RZ 09.05.13 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 17.05.13 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 22.05.13 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 22.05.13 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 15.06.13 Bakkar, Laugarás, Árnessýsla, S Iceland

RO-RZ 15.07.13 East Flood, Oare Marshes, Kent, SE England

RO-RZ 18.07.13 East Flood, Oare Marshes, Kent, SE England

RO-RZ 23.07.13 East Flood, Oare Marshes, Kent, SE England

RO-RZ 14.09.13 Frampton Marsh, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England

RO-RZ 14.09.13 Frampton Marsh, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England

RO-RZ 2.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 2.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 2.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 4.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 5.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 6.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 6.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 8.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 13.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 16.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 16.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 18.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 20.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 23.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 24.02.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 1.03.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 3.03.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 23.03.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 24.03.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 18.08.14 Snettisham, Wash Estuary, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 29.09.14 Freiston Shore (RSPB reserve), The Wash, Lincolnshire, E England

RO-RZ 13.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 17.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 18.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 19.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 19.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 20.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 21.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 23.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 28.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 28.12.14 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 1.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 2.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 2.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 5.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 8.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 12.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 14.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 16.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 16.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 22.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 24.01.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 3.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 8.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 9.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 17.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 17.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 24.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 26.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 27.02.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 8.03.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 10.03.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 11.03.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 9.07.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

RO-RZ 17.08.15 Frampton Marsh, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England

RO-RZ 20.11.15 Titchwell, Norfolk, E England

North Norfolk Day

Set off at 5.30 and picked Gary up from home at 7.15. We then headed to Burnham Overy Staithe via a quick view over Lady Anne's Drive. Plenty of pink foots and wigeon but no sign of a hoped for short eared owl, but a barn owl was seen. No owls or raptors around Burnham Overy fields, some egyptian geese made the day list. A barn owl patrolled the fields near Brancaster, a very early morning photo here. A quick visit to Thornham harbour where we scored with a flock of twite, redhank and curlew but no sign of the 3 shore lark reported the previous day. As we drove up the lane, a black redstart popped from the tarmac to the hedge, not to reappear again.

early morning Barn Owl (Brancaster)

early curlew (Thornham)

redshank (Thornham)

Teal (Titchwell)

Black tailed godwit (Titchwell)

the meet and greet black headed gull (Titchwell beach)

Turnstone (Titchwell)

same meet and greet gull

Common gull (Titchwell beach)

ringed black tailed godwit (Titchwell)

same godwit

Snipe (Parrinder hide)

From here, we headed to Titchwell in cold, windy conditions. First time this autumn/winter I have worn my heavy coat. No brambling at the feeders so off to the beach. Very little out to sea but regular waders on the beach: sanderling, oystercatchers, dunlin, etc with the usual assortment of gulls. Aparticularly confiding black headed gull met us as we walked on to the beach and then stayed around our feet as we scoped the sea. Then, back to the Parrinder Hide. As we passed the Brackish Pool I noted a ringed black tailed godwit. red over pink on the right leg and red over yellow on the left. The number ring was turned inwards so could only read Z and then number 7 as the final digit.
Immediately upon entering the hide a snipe sp flew off, before landing just to the left of the hide.. Good views of the bird, showing a crown stripe, so common snipe, as shown in the photo
 and just beyond, at the water's edge, a water pipit. From the hide, shoveler, avocet, dunlin, golden plover, gulls, brent geese, meadow pipits, goldfinch, linnet, pied wagtails all got on to the list along with mallard, gadwall and teal. A coffee was now required, so off to the cafe and reported the birds and the ringed godwit.
A quick check for brambling just gave views of regular finches so off to Choseley barns where red legged partidge and grey partridge were noted. A check through several thousand pink foots showed them all to be...... pink foots before a tractor flushed the lot. A spectacular view as they all rose and headed a little way east. From Choseley we then headed back east, checking the usual places as we drove, before arriving at Cley and another coffee and a pastie. Not too much on the list except whopped swan of interest, so off along the East Bank. Arnold's Marsh had redshank, curlew, godwits and cormorants before we decided on a quick sea watch. Glad we did as we scored with red throated and black throated diver, great crested grebe, a long tailed duck, wigeon flypast, common scoter, 20+ guillemot, more cormorant, gannets, mainly full adults, a superb bouncing flock of snow bunting and 3 shelduck west meant we stayed much longer then planned, such was the quality of birds to be noted. Then, with the light fading to our final planned visit of the day, Warham Greens for raptors. A fly by merlin as we headed along the muddy track to the whirligig roundabout where several marsh harriers were noted. The sky towards Wells was becoming increasingly threatening, but superb scope views of a resting female merlin on sueda kept our attention. We then decided that, with me having a long drive home, that the hen harriers could wait for another day as I didn't want to get a soaking. About 400 yards from the car the heavens opened and we were duly drenched, with a cold north westerly pushing the rain and hail behind us. This meant the backs of our trousers were soaked, the front, bone dry. No hat also meant rain dripping down my back and soaking the collar of my shirt. Cold and damp we steamed up the car and headed for another coffee at Wells before finishing with a session at Lady Anne's Drive where another barn owl was noted before the geese came in to roost. Fantastic sunset, but unfortunately the geese weren't in a cooperative mood and failed to fly through the orange sky for a hoped for photo. Eventually a small skein did, but not the 100's we would have liked.

Holkham sunset

Pink foot geese through sunset (Holkham)

common seal (Cley beach)

pink foots (Holkham)

Brent goose (Warham Greens)

Holkham

Threatening clouds (Holkham)

Moon at Lady Anne's Drive

Off to drop Gary at home before I also headed home having had a superb day, with 3year listers in a species list of 87 birds. Very pleasing with black throated diver, long tailed duck and merlin getting on to the year list as well as the water pipit. Very productive day. This takes my year list to exactly 200 species.
Species list:
red throated diver, black throated diver, great crested grebe, little grebe, gannet, cormorant, little egret, mute swan, pink footed goose, greylag, goose (10 sp) brent goose, shelduck, egyptian goose, mallard, gadwall, shoveler, teal, wigeon, tufted duck, common scoter (20 sp) long tailed duck, marsh harrier, red kite, common buzzard, kestrel, merlin, red legged partridge, grey partridge, pheasant, moorhen (30 sp) coot, oystercatcher, avocet, ringed plover, golden plover, knot, lapwing, sanderling, turnstone, dunlin (40 sp) redshank, black tailed godwit, bar tailed godwit, curlew, snipe, ruff, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull (50 sp)lesser balck backed gull, great black backed gull, guillemot, wood pigeon, collared dove, barn owl, kingfisher, skylark, water pipit, meadow pipit, (60 sp) pied wagtail wren, robin, dunnock,black redstart,blackbird, cettis warbler, chiffchaff, great tit, blue tit, (70 sp) long tailed tit, coal tit, magpie, jay, jackdaw, carrion crow, rook, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch (80 sp) linnet, twite, goldfinch, reed bunting, snow bunting, yellowhammer.

Amwell Visit

Met up at mid morning with John Fisher and several members of the RSPB Watford group at HMWT Amwell Reserve. From the viewpoint a selection of common, lesser black backed, herring and black headed gulls along with waterfowl and coots. From here, we headed, in increasing rain, to the Gladwin Hide where goldeneye, shoveler, great crested grebe and cormorants were noted. A party of about 15 siskins bounced over to our left. The rain eased a little so, after a quick view over Gt Hardmead Lake from the viewpoint again, off to the White and James Hides. Along the path, robins, wrens, dunnocks, chaffinch and goldfinch, with a calling cettis. The reed cutting boat (Truxor) was operating so we ignored the James Hide. As we headed along the boardwalk, long tailed tits over and views of a party of siskins for those at the back of the party. From the hide a flight of wigeon arrived accompanied by several teal
 Not too much else, before I said my farewells and headed, via the woods, back to the car. Along the way, I added green woodpecker, treecreeper and a goldcrest calling from the trees near the horse field on Amwell Lane.
A good couple of hours in very grey light.
I am giving a presentation to Watford RSPB Group on Wednesday11th May 2016 on The Birdsof Sri Lanka, so I shall look forward to meeting up again next year.
A few poorly lit photos here, all taken from the Gladwin Hide.

gadwall

great crested grebe

common gulls

goldfinch seed eating

Is it a carp, is it a rock? No, a badly timed gcg shot!

Millennium Wood mothing

As well as finding 3 moths in the garden trap last night (2 December moth and a mottled umber) I joined Graeme and Steve in Millennium Wood just as they were checking their 2 light traps. Only a few December moth and a solitary brick had ventured inside the traps, but plenty about on tree trunks and nettles. Also, a few flyby specimens, too.
Of most interest was an Acleris logiana, only 7th Herts record and consequently a new moth for parish records. An Acleris ferrugana was also new for the records. as was a spectacular dotted chestnut, whilst 40 winter moths were netted, a new for 2015 record. In all,  80 moths for the evening. This takes the parish records to 217 macros for the year and 211 micros for the year, 428 species in total, made up of a staggering 5970 moths. 6000 for the year definitely on the cards.
Overall, 268 micros and 304 macro species have been recorded in Little Hadham parish,an impressive total of 572 species since serious recording began in June 2011.
With my plan to buy a 2nd, portable, trap for next spring, 600 species+ is a viable target to achieve by this time next year.

Acleris logiana under MV light.

Release time with Graeme and Steve

Dotted chestnut

Dark chestnut

From tot: dotted chestnut, scarce umber and dark chestnut on hazel leaf.

Local Walk

Met up with Sawbridgeworth birder, John who was keen to have a look around Little Hadham, so, having met at Hadham Hall we headed east. Plenty of fieldfare, with occasional redwing over as we checked, successfully for the barn owl. On the filed further east, at least 200 fieldfare with plenty of starling whilst a lesser balck backed gull flew over. I mentioned that a white hart is sometimes seen in this area and within a minute, we found him to the north, showing a new pair of antlers, which gives his age to be 3 years old. A common buzzard left New Wood Spring and 2 more were seen later over Wickham Hall land. 3 partridges, presumed red legged ahead of us as we approached Bloodhounds Wood, before branching right over the field to Hadham Lodge
From here we continued south and under the A120. By now the wind had picked up speed, so little apart from corvids were in the air and very few birds noted on top of hedgerows. Yellowhammers called as we walked to Green Street, where a bullfinch called as we entered Millfield Lane. More yellowhammers in hedges around the polo fields along with at least 400 carrion crows and jackdaws feeding on the pitch here. A walk past Stone House Farm gave calling goldcrests before we arrived back, via Nut Walk, at Hadham Hall. Here, a sparrow hawk, male, flew low along the footpath. Not too much seen due to the gusty conditions, but nevertheless, a pleasant wander.

After a very windy night, I was surprised to find 2 moths at the trap, a satellite (shown below) and the dark form of mottled umber which flew before posing for a photo. These take my moth tally to 5890 records for the year. Maybe an hour or so in Millennium Wood tonight will help me pass 5900!

Satellite: so called because of the 2 smaller "satellites" around the larger white spot.

white hart

Pair of male yellowhammers in blackthorn

another cock yellowhammer

Latest moth record for 2015

A visit to Millennium Wood yesterday gave views of the common Emmelina monodactyla as well as scarce umber. Latter is also a common moth, but not one I find regularly in the garden trap, so good to add this species to the year list. Constitutes 215th macro moth record for the year.
Later on, a visit to the trap at dawn showed it had been (for mid November,) a successful evening, with both mottled umber (shown below) and feathered thorn present.
Now up to a most satisfactory 5888 moth records for the year, made up of 424 different species. Be lucky to pass both 6000 and 430 species now, with very little left to find and with windy, wet and cold weather predicted, might be getting towards the end of the season. No plans to stop trapping yet, though!