Tuesday 8 August 2023

Few days in Norfolk

 Species list.

  1. Mute swan
  2. Greylag Goose
  3. Canada goose
  4. Shelduck
  5. Egyptian goose
  6. Mallard
  7. Gadwall
  8. Shoveler
  9. Wigeon
  10. Teal
  11. Garganey
  12. Common scoter
  13. Pheasant
  14. Red throated diver
  15. Little grebe
  16. Fulmar
  17. Cory's shearwater
  18. Sooty Shearwater
  19. Manx shearwater
  20. Gannet
  21. Cormorant
  22. Little egret
  23. Grey heron
  24. Spoonbill
  25. Red Kite
  26. Marsh Harrier
  27. Common buzzard
  28. Kestrel
  29. Hobby
  30. Moorhen
  31. Coot
  32. Oystercatcher
  33. Avocet
  34. Ringed Plover
  35. Grey Plover
  36. Golden plover
  37. Lapwing
  38. Sanderling
  39. Turnstone
  40. Dunlin
  41. Curlew sandpiper
  42. Ruff
  43. Wood sandpiper
  44. Green sandpiper
  45. Common sandpiper
  46. Redshank
  47. Greenshank
  48. Black tailed godwit
  49. Curlew
  50. Snipe
  51. Black headed gull
  52. Common gull
  53. Mediterranean Gull
  54. Herring gull
  55. Lesser Black backed Gull
  56. Great Black backed gull
  57. Kittiwake
  58. Sandwich tern
  59. Common tern
  60. Little tern
  61. Razorbill
  62. Guillemot
  63. Stock dove
  64. Wood pigeon
  65. Collared dove
  66. Tawny Owl (heard)
  67. Swift
  68. Green Woodpecker
  69. Great spotted woodpecker
  70. Sand martin
  71. House martin
  72. Swallow
  73. Meadow pipit
  74. Pied wagtail
  75. Dunnock
  76. Wren
  77. Robin
  78. Stonechat
  79. Song thrush
  80. Mistle thrush
  81. Blackbird
  82. Blackcap
  83. Whitethroat
  84. Reed warbler
  85. Cetti's warbler (heard)
  86. Willow warbler
  87. Chiffchaff
  88. Great tit
  89. Blue tit
  90. Long tailed tit
  91. Bearded reedling
  92. Magpie
  93. Jay
  94. Carrion Crow
  95. Rook
  96. Jackdaw
  97. Starling
  98. House sparrow
  99. Chaffinch
  100. Greenfinch
  101. Goldfinch
  102. Linnet
  103. Reed bunting
  104. Yellowhammer

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