Socialising

Monday October 19

After a week of heavy grey skies, a strong easterly wind and frequent heavy showers, it was good to get up to blue sky. As we sat outside opening the overnight moth trap, the Autumn evocative and neck-hair raising sound of Pinkfeet took our eyes upwards. A flock of 100+ geese made their way inland to their feeding fields. Not an unusual Autumn/Winter sight, always a welcome one.

After the single figure weekend catch, 48 macro moths of 17 species  was proof of a warmer night. A few of them........

Mallow

Dark Chestnut

Grey Shoulder-knot

No report of our intended target bird, Olive-backed Pipit at Muckleborough Hill, should have braved the weekend crowds. Couldn't see pam agreeing to that, especially after the report of police monitoring the parking in the area. Weynor Gardens must have been chokka.

Maybe Wells Woods would be less busy to-day? 

Another much larger flock of Pink-footed Geese flying in four skeins, were seen west of Holt. We spent the journey admiring the colours of Autumn, at their best in the sunshine, Chestnuts clearly visible against the preparing to die foliage. I love the bare outline of winter leafless trees just as much, if not more.

We saw P striding along the top of the sea wall on the beach road - yellow lines all along here.

Half of Wells' car park was unavailable, diggers and many men at work. How much will the parking cost next year? £3 for two hours at the moment. It needed improving, this looks major.

It's been a while since we walked Wells Woods. Although we've seen many good birds here, it's always been hard work. Apart from the breeding Parrot Crossbills many years ago.  No sign of the Blyth's Reed Warbler, not seen since early morning, straight on towards the drinking pool,  seeing delightful Goldcrests along the way. Not the number seen earlier in the excellent Fall but enough. As a stitch set in and a toilet call became ever more urgent, we reached the first seat. Thank goodness. Far too many people for a bushes call.......

We sat for about half an hour, not giving up walking to the Red-flanked Bluetail site but becoming less motivated as passers by reported 'a glimpse' after standing for some time. Amongst them were several people we know as reliable witnesses. A pair of Goldcrests flew into the Birch behind us, only three feet from Pam's head. By the time I'd got my bridge camera ready, several large-lens wielding men had the same idea. The birds flew to the back of the tree, I zoomed the lens up, pointed the camera in the general direction (I hoped, couldn't see anything in the viewfinder) and got this one greatly enlarged and cropped photo. I was amazed to find anything when I downloaded. Pam has a lovely head pic.

Time to return via a chat with Carl C who'd spent an hour and a half looking for the Blyth's, without success.

Still Pallas's Warbler, Hume's Yellow-browed and an Olive-backed Pipit in the woods, seen by a few hard working birders. Fieldfares and Redwings were regular fly throughs.

A very enjoyable session. Just good to be out.

Is it - or Isn't It?

Tuesday October 13

Considering what a cold night it was and the strength of the chilly easterly wind, the moth catch at Natural Surroundings this morning was reasonable. The best for us was an Orange Sallow. A good gathering this morning, the Duffs back from Namibia and JG in loud attendance. K and M not there though.

After the usual refreshment gathering, Pam and I drove to Beeston Common via Cley Coastguards.  JG had seen Auks, three species of Divers and several Skuas this morning from the latter. One needed to stand out and scope. We didn't. Cold and unwelcome looking and Pam was not fit enough for the shingle let alone the wind.

Plenty of parking space in the Beeston layby, thank goodness. We set off on the trail leading to the pond area before Pam spotted a group of birders to the west of the path. Back to the layby and the short trail to the waiting birders. The giant lens group of eight were standing very near to the hawthorn bushes where the juvenile Isabelline/Daurian Shrike was perching before sallying forth to catch wasps. Despite the sneers and mutters of 'b. photographers', they didn't seem to cause the bird any distress at all, nor prevent it from behaving normally.

Pam and I joined the small group on the path, about 80 -100 metres away from the bird. DN who'd dipped on the way to moth-ing this morning, joined us, leaving the near group. T and J had been and gone. David had seen Redpoll and Linnets fly over but nothing else. So many good birds in Norfolk over the weekend and yesterday. Red-flanked Bluetail, Radde's Dusky and Blyth's Reed Warbler to name a few.

After enjoying scope views, I decided to try some phone scoping. Poor light and an active bird was not conducive, but what the heck......

Then I turned the zoom up on the scope.

 There are some fantastic photos of this bird posted on line. If it stays and we get some sun, I shall be tempted to return.

ONE putative Daurian Shrike has recently been accepted by the committee, that in Fair Isle a few years ago. This, if accepted would be a first for Norfolk. Some birders think that all the 'Isabelline' Shrikes we see here are Daurian.

Snettisham Spectacular

Friday October 2

As it was the third day of the year's highest tides, we drove directly to Snettisham, leaving home at 6.40 a.m.  We arrived at the pits having passed a stream of walking birders and two cars parked along the track. To find another nine cars and about 200+ birders spread along the bank.......

Never before have we experienced this crowd, not even at a twitch here.

We set off at 8.30 having found a space to park the car. An hour and a half before high tide, the bay was already covered in absolutely calm, pelucid water, with a distant sandbank containing a mass of birds, the focus of attention. 

We lingered awhile as small groups of birds were leaving the bank, flying overhead to the pit, carefully using the gaps between the groups of admiring birders and photographers. Oystercatchers and Golden Plovers left first.

Instinct and intuition led me to hurry to the Shore Hide instead of watching the flyover. Great. The 'best' seats on the north east side of the hide were taken, best because the sun rises directly towards the hide and the northern end allows one to look away from its glare.I passed the low chairs in the centre and we settled on the bench seat at the southern end. 

A good many of the seven thousand Oystercatchers present were already on 'their' bank, away to our right. 

 We were to find that the waders took up places as though they were allotted, ignoring the island in front of the hide completely. Identical to the last time we attended a high tide roost.

Within twenty minutes, the sky was full of waders, swirling, swooping, landing and taking off again until very gradually, they settled. Only for groups to take off again, before once more taking up limited space - incredibly without landing on another's head. This went on for the next twenty minutes before a - relative - calm descended. The spectacle was awe inspiring, breath-taking and a forever memorable experience. I took so many photographs in the, pretty dark for photography, morning light from an occasionally appearing sun. A hide on the opposite side is needed ! I loved it all. here are a few of the photographs.
By now the hide was full, many of the spaces occupied by a leader and his group who stayed on and on, until we left them an hour and a half later. The numbers quoted come from him.

A Little Grebe seemed unconcerned by the kerfuffle, probably accustomed to it

A perfect reflection of the Pied Wagtail

Black-tailed Godwits on the outside, Knot ebbing and flowing in constant movement, making their own tide, in the centre.
Another laden spit in the background.

Mainly Knot, there were 40 thousand plus present

The old fishing pier looked like a watercolour  pencil sketch

We left before the birds had returned to the Wash, satiated with the spectacle and wanting to do it again. The occupants of the car parked nearest  us had left Essex at 2 a.m and this was their first visit. TV programmes spread the news, the site is  of national importance to waders and the experience one to value and savour.

The few places we visited on the way home were pleasant but a lesser experience.

A pair of Stonechats on the way out to Holme, our second kingfisher in two days (when did that last happen) at Thornham where the water still lying on the road was proof of the extra high tide. We've never seen it as far up.

This Curlew was irresistible.

At Brancaster Staithe, the annual taking the boats out of the water for the winter had begun, a large crane totally blocking the way through. I suggested that we drive via the Yacht Club entrance and approach via the back road, This was successful thank goodness. We were able to view the ebbing tide, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Great Ringed Plover and confiding Turnstones whilst continuing  the lunch started on Hunstanton cliffs. All looked beautiful too in warm sunlight.

With various aching joints, we made for home arriving at 4 ish for a welcome drink. 

(This programme is messing me about to-day, no way can I change the size of the font to the one used above).

Phone-scoping Practise

Thursday October 1

A pretty poor moth-ing session at Cley this morning. The Centre trap was OK, both marsh traps not worth putting out. It could be the last session this year too - unless Bernard puts the Centre trap out next week. Carl is off to Corfu for two weeks and then starts his winter job at Thursford. Cley only employ him for part of the year and he puts the traps out and recovers them for us.

The highlight was a 'first for Norfolk' micro brought in by David N, found in a pile of bricks in Norwich by Rob L. A  Tachystola acroxantha .  Distinctive for a Micro.......

Taken from book

Such a lovely morning, we  walked to bird the pools from Daukes, for which  a scope is essential in order to scan the far reaches of Pat's Pool. Time to use the IPhone and its Kowa scope adaptor which fit easily into a gilet pocket. Plenty of handsome winter plumaged Black-tailed Godwit on which to practice

Up to its eyeballs........

and a group of six distant Greenshanks, there were eight in total. 

A lone Snipe flew in and just as suddenly, disappeared into the undergrowth. Four Bearded Tits gave up pinging, rose and whirled away east.

Lapwing, Teal and an unnoticed Dunlin

The Redshank was nearer but very active.

Driving out at Salthouse, a Kingfisher made its arrow straight, wingless - looking flight, west along the dyke which transects the road. It must have been perched at the bridge. Damn. 

Much of the low growth along the marsh has turned a wonderful deep brown/red. Glasswort (Samphire)  I believe. 
The fishing Little Egret against this background was difficult to resist.

I learned to-day that phonescoping photographs are sharper when both scope focussing and photography are done with my reading glasses on !! 

Moths and Looking for a Bird

Thursday September 10.

Moth-ing at Cley brings several random visitors to the group. Two are becoming regular, joined by 4 occasionals this morning to bulk out the small core group present.

Tony brought in a Feathered Gothic which was new for us. We took a fresh Vestal (migrant having a good year) 

and one of the Cley traps included the much desired Great Brocade,  although it was a worn specimen. 

Greg has missed three good moths whilst away.

We tried hard to turn a strange Common Garden Carpet into a Galium carpet but the consensus was for the former. Pity.

The splendid Frosted Orange was in our trap yesterday morning, the one at Cley was less fresh.

Frosted Orange

 Now for the Red-backed Shrike and Redstart up a footpath behind the Dun Cow. The path was easily overlooked, narrow and overgrown between two houses. leading to a kissing gate where we'd been advised to turn left. There was a tractor in the field where we expected the shrike to be..... We were joined by Richard and two other birders, none of us could find the birds.
The hedgerows have a bountiful display of fruit this year. A heavily festooned Elder had jewel-like clusters gleaming deep purple in the sun.

Home via Roughton butchers and Sainsbury's to buy the necessary food for to-morrow night's supper with friends.

 

Moths and Birds - What Better?

Tuesday September 8

A much smaller group than usual to-day, two in Spain, two in Cornwall. one house-sitting in London and two looking after family. We drove to Natural Surroundings in rain and dry, the moth-ing session was all rather wet in heavy drizzle. Few enough of us to huddle on the balcony though. Enough moths for Richard and Andrew to ID and record. Of interest to us were and Yellow Belle, Pale Eggar and the Micros celypha rosaceana and epinotia tenerana.

Epinotia tenerana, Richard E's photo

 After the usual drink and chat in the cafe, we drove to Titchwell. Ages since we've walked here. It stayed dry for us to walk as far as the far seats on the freshmarsh. Nothing to hold us up as the north marsh pool was completely dry and studded with cows. We glimpsed two Red-crested Pochard as they flew in to the first pool on the right and immediately swam out of sight down a side creek. Cetti's called from a far clump and a Spoonbill flew in to join the two already asleep (of course) at the clubhouse end of the pool.

Hundreds of waders and eclipse ducks to sort through on the mud islands and pool shore. I counted over 60 Avocets then gave up counting the mass of Black-tailed Godwit, fewer Bar-tailed, many Ruff, three Redshank, a dozen Turnstone, 30+ Knot,  Tufted Duck, Gadwall and Shoveller. The flock of 30ish Dunlin were never still for long, scooting about the marsh, stopping long enough for me to start scoping and then taking startled flight again. Only one 'scare' was genuine. A Peregrine flew through - even the larger waders rose for that. Eventually I identified two Little Stints and three juvenile Great Ringed Plovers amongst the flock of Dunlin. 

We were both delighted to see an adult Yellow Wagtail on one of the islands, isolating itself from the Pied Wagtails which were dancing about.

Back to the car for a late lunch, before driving to Melton Constable to stock up with bird food. It rained for the rest of the day.

Not the First -Yet Again

Tuesday September 1

Well, it is the 1st, but not a whole day birding one.

Tuesday morning always starts with a moth-ing session at Natural Surroundings. A full complement this morning, apart from Greg and Val who are in Spain. B and S are back from Scilly, their first visit at this time of year so the moths were mainly new with two Macro lifers for Steve. We had a lifer this morning too. Tony brought a fresh Vestal in and then one of the traps produced another.

We drove home via the coast road and Cley. Nothing along Beach Road nor in the Eye Field, the sea was empty too. 

Iron Road had a small flock of Sand Martins hawking the pools and reeds, a Kestrel hovered nearby and a Cormorant came in from the sea. Slow stuff.

Viewing from Salthouse duckpond was much more productive. More Sand Martins were joined by a few Swallows and a couple of House Martins. The large flock of slumbering Greylag held some Canada geese, 30+ headless Black-tailed Godwits, and a few Ruff. The latter largely moulting males.Scruffy part moult Shelduck, one Greenshank, two Redshank, a Curlew and a skulking Green Sandpiper were good to see. Driving Beach Road Salthouse added Egyptian geese bringing the total to over 40, very unexpected. 

Gunton lake was devoid of birds as were the woods. Stopping at the Sawmill, Pam spotted a large herd of Fallow Deer tn the field at the end of the road. Real segregation here. 

Males, many of them impressively horned, were grouped under a tree, the larger group of females gathered in a watchful circle nearby. These horns are spatulate at the top unlike Roe and Red deer.