Tuesday 29 November 2022

Norfolk 29.11.22

 Great to be back in Norfolk but the light was just dreadful and sometimes considerably worse! Visited Holkham Gap on the beach where Red breasted merganser, Goldeneye, Red throated diver and Slavonian Grebe were noted out to sea. No sign of the hoped for Shorelarks, but Common scoter through my scope became Rick's 200th bird for the year.

Off to CleySpy to get Rick kitted out with a new scope and tripod and then off to Gramborough Hill at Salthouse. Virtually birdless so headed east to Titchwell where the light meant photos were impossible, as proved below!

Titchwell held a mixed flock of finches feeding in alder along the footpath from the entrance but high water levels meant very few waders on the Freshmarsh.

The beach was better with plenty seen including good numbers of Bar tailed godwits. Out to see, just Great crested grebes. By 3.45pm we watched 7 Marsh harriers come into roost before returning home by 6.40. A good day and Rick very pleased with his new scope. 

Species list:

  1. Red throated diver
  2. Great crested grebe
  3. Slavonian grebe
  4. Cormorant
  5. Little egret
  6. Great white egret
  7. Mute swan
  8. Whooper swan
  9. Greylag goose
  10. Pink-footed goose
  11. Brent goose
  12. Shelduck
  13. Mallard
  14. Gadwall
  15. Wigeon
  16. Teal
  17. Shoveler
  18. Tufted duck
  19. Common scoter
  20. Goldeneye
  21. Red breasted merganser
  22. Red kite
  23. Marsh harrier
  24. Kestrel
  25. Merlin (possible, very brief glimpse)
  26. Pheasant
  27. Moorhen
  28. Oystercatcher
  29. Golden plover
  30. Grey plover
  31. Turnstone
  32. Lapwing
  33. Dunlin
  34. Sanderling
  35. Redshank
  36. Curlew
  37. Snipe
  38. Black tailed godwit
  39. Bar tailed godwit
  40. Black headed gull
  41. Common gull
  42. Herring gull
  43. Lesser black backed gull
  44. Great black backed gull
  45. Wood pigeon
  46. Collared dove
  47. Skylark
  48. Rock pipit
  49. Meadow pipit
  50. Pied wagtail
  51. Dunnock
  52. Cetti's warbler (heard)
  53. Goldcrest
  54. Robin
  55. Blackbird
  56. Redwing
  57. Long tailed tit
  58. Great tit
  59. Blue tit
  60. Wren
  61. Treecreeper
  62. Chaffinch
  63. Brambling
  64. Goldfinch
  65. Greenfinch
  66. Siskin
  67. Linnet
  68. Starling
  69. Jackdaw
  70. Rook
  71. Carrion crow
  72. Magpie
  73. Jay
Redshank at Salthouse

Dunkins on Titchwell beach

Black tailed godwit, Titchwell

Black headed gull, Salthouse

Titchwell beach curlew

Titchwell Little egret


Little egret, Titchwell beach

Great white egret at Titchwell: 3.25pm in near darkness. 200th second at 3200 ISO!


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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