Friday, 19 August 2022

Long Day in Norfolk 18.08.22

 Up at 4.45am to check the moth trap, record the contents before off with Rick to North Norfolk at 6am. Traditional coffee at Wells Next The Sea Co-Op before first stop at Wells Woods. After a quick check around Wells Meals we headed into the wood where the trees were dripping with migrants: Pied Flycatcher, Lesser whitethroat, Willow warbler, Goldcrest, Blackcap and loads of Chiffchaff, all very busy and moving rapidly through the birches.

On to a very dry North Point Pools but little to record here apart from some hares and Common buzzards along with customary waders and geese so off to Cley for another coffee before checking Snipes Marsh and a wander down the East Bank. A Water rail on Snipes was good and several glimpses of Bearded reedling from the East Bank. A Pectoral sandpiper on The Serpentine and terns and waders on Arnold's Marsh.

Off to Salthouse beach and Gramborough Hill where Wheatear, Meadow pipits and another Pied flycatcher were seen along with a very fresh and vibrant Willow warbler feeding in flowering tamarisk. A Stonechat popped up and 5 curlew flew overhead. A strangely marked wader had me thinking, found in the pool near the beach. Juvenile Sanderling, showing a light buff breast, dark legs and beak as well as a black blotch on the wings.

Final stop, after an unsuccessful check for Grey partridge at Choseley was Titchwell. Very quiet here, as it frequently is in mid August but added Coot, marsh harrier, whimbrel and pochard to the day list whilst also recording plenty of ruff in a wide variety of plumages.

A pint of Wherry in the lovely Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead before heading home, arriving back at 10pm. Been a long day. 

Species list:

  1. Little grebe
  2. Cormorant
  3. Little egret
  4. Great egret
  5. Grey heron
  6. Mute swan
  7. Greylag goose
  8. Canada goose
  9. Shelduck
  10. Mallard
  11. Teal
  12. Pochard
  13. Red kite
  14. Marsh harrier
  15. Common buzzard
  16. Kestrel
  17. Red legged partridge
  18. Pheasant
  19. Water rail
  20. Moorhen
  21. Coot
  22. Oystercatcher
  23. Avocet
  24. Little ringed plover
  25. Ringed plover
  26. Golden plover
  27. Lapwing
  28. Sanderling
  29. Dunlin
  30. Redshank
  31. Black tailed godwit
  32. Curlew
  33. Whimbrel
  34. Snipe
  35. Ruff
  36. Pectoral sandpiper
  37. Black headed gull
  38. Herring gull
  39. Lesser black backed gull
  40. Greater black backed gull
  41. Sandwich tern
  42. Common tern
  43. Wood pigeon
  44. Collared dove
  45. Great spotted woodpecker (heard)
  46. Sand martin
  47. Swallow
  48. Meadow pipit
  49. Pied wagtail
  50. Yellow wagtail
  51. Wren
  52. Dunnock
  53. Robin
  54. Wheatear
  55. Stonechat
  56. Blackbird
  57. Blackcap
  58. Lesser whitethroat
  59. Whitethroat
  60. Willow warbler
  61. Chiffchaff
  62. Goldcrest
  63. Pied flycatcher
  64. Great tit
  65. Blue tit
  66. Long tailed tit
  67. Coal tit (heard)
  68. Bearded reedling
  69. Magpie
  70. Rook
  71. Jackdaw
  72. Carrion crow
  73. Jay
  74. Starling
  75. House sparrow
  76. Linnet
  77. Goldfinch
  78. Bullfinch.
Not too bad for mid August. Few more weeks and there will be plenty more.

Little grebe

Checking settings in Wells Wood on a Wood pigeon

Little ringed plover

Water rail

Male ruff

Juvenile ruff

Male ruff

Flycatching Pied flycatcher in tamarisk

Pied flycatcher

Juvenile Sanderling

Avocet

Teal

Juvenile Shelduck

Golden plover still sporting breeding plumage

Pair of ruff

Juvenile Black headed gull

Curlew

Little ringed plover

Ruff at the end of the day.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Super day Jono thx

This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander