16th April 2006 Weybourne - Sheringham
06:30 - 10:30 Overcast 8/8 cloud light 2 westerly
Steady visible migration:-
Sand Martin 60 west then a steady westerly passage all day.
Swallow 30 west, then a steady trickle all day approximately 30-40 per hour till 1600.
Meadow Pipit 158 west, Yellow Wagtail 13 west, Goldfinch 20 west, Greenfinch 30 west, Linnet 150 west, 2 Whimbrel west
On sea:- 20 Common Scoter past, 1pr Pintail west, Fulmar 10 west.
Few grounded migrants, but 2 Wheatear & Corn Bunting singing from the cliff houses at Weybourne.
1200 - 1600 Cley
7+ Marsh Harrier, 9 Golden Plover, 5 Ruff, 30 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel west, 2 Spooted Redshank 1pr of Garganey on North scrape. I also spent quite abit of time photgraphing Oystercatcher & Lapwing from Daukes as both were obliging in front of the hide!
06:30 - 10:30 Overcast 8/8 cloud light 2 westerly
Steady visible migration:-
Sand Martin 60 west then a steady westerly passage all day.
Swallow 30 west, then a steady trickle all day approximately 30-40 per hour till 1600.
Meadow Pipit 158 west, Yellow Wagtail 13 west, Goldfinch 20 west, Greenfinch 30 west, Linnet 150 west, 2 Whimbrel west
On sea:- 20 Common Scoter past, 1pr Pintail west, Fulmar 10 west.
Few grounded migrants, but 2 Wheatear & Corn Bunting singing from the cliff houses at Weybourne.
1200 - 1600 Cley
7+ Marsh Harrier, 9 Golden Plover, 5 Ruff, 30 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel west, 2 Spooted Redshank 1pr of Garganey on North scrape. I also spent quite abit of time photgraphing Oystercatcher & Lapwing from Daukes as both were obliging in front of the hide!
14th April 2006 Hunstanton Cliffs
0600 - 0930 Sunny, 1/8 cloud light w.
Reasonable vis mig most south (these birds are moving
north following the coastline) a few Chaffinch &
M.Pipit out over The Wash, nearly all W.Pigeon crossed
the Wash approx numbers:-
300 Woodpigeon, 250 Linnet, 150 Goldfinch, 320 Siskin,
50 Chaffinch, 40 Greenfinch, 1 House Martin, 5 Sand Martin,
10 Swallow, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Yellowhammer,
150 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wags.
Spent a while getting pics of the Fulmars
1030 - 1130 Holme
2 Yellow Wag, 1 Brambling,
sev Siskin, 6 Little Egret,
4 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin.
1230 - 1600 East Hills
Male Peregrine, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Sparrowhawk (1 with prey - Redshank), 2 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow Otherwise very
0600 - 0930 Sunny, 1/8 cloud light w.
Reasonable vis mig most south (these birds are moving
north following the coastline) a few Chaffinch &
M.Pipit out over The Wash, nearly all W.Pigeon crossed
the Wash approx numbers:-
300 Woodpigeon, 250 Linnet, 150 Goldfinch, 320 Siskin,
50 Chaffinch, 40 Greenfinch, 1 House Martin, 5 Sand Martin,
10 Swallow, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Yellowhammer,
150 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wags.
Spent a while getting pics of the Fulmars
1030 - 1130 Holme
2 Yellow Wag, 1 Brambling,
sev Siskin, 6 Little Egret,
4 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin.
1230 - 1600 East Hills
Male Peregrine, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Sparrowhawk (1 with prey - Redshank), 2 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow Otherwise very
2nd April 2006 Titchwell
09:30-12:30 Sunny cloud 3/8 more cloud later. 3 SW
Myself and Dave Hawkins led a guided walk, lots of the usual nice stuff - nothing too mind blowing.
Superb male Brambling coming to the feedstation. Chiff-chaff and Blackcap now around the Fen Hide area
Also excellent views of Marsh Harriers from here showing extrenmely well.
Cetti's Warbler near First Hide and 2-3 Bearded Tit also in this area
Others 80 Bar-tailed Godwit on the freshamrsh, 1 Spotted Redshank, 100 Brent Geese, Common Scoter c2500 offshore, incl. 1 Velvet noted in flight.
5th April 2006 Kelling Quags & Cley
17:45 - 18:45 Bright & sunny 1/8 cloud light N
A quick walk round Kelling proved fairly fruitless, with no summer migrants noted. Present was 20 Avocet, 30 Teal 15 Wigeon. A female Marsh Harrier headed west and was the most noteworthy bird. Kelling Hard was very quiet!
19:00 - 19:45 At Cley I just walked the East Bank, two nice Spotted Redshank, 30 Black-tailed Godwit & the expected mix of waders.
The evening finished with a fine sunset and 6 circling Marsh Harriers over the reedbed.
8th April 2006 Warham Greens to East Hills
7:30 - 11:00 Bright & sunny 1/8 cloud light, breezy westerly
Chiff-chaff was singing in our front garden as I left.
Walked out on the low tide, I wasn't expecting too much considering the cool overnight 20 temperature and the wind direction, first highltight was a Yellow Wagtail moving west overhead - my first of the year. 1-2's of Siskin passed overhead, but I only amassed a small total of 15. Goldfinch also appea4red to be on the move with similar numbers all of these following the coastline west.
Lots of Meadow Pipit, and the usual selection of Curlew, Redshank, Brents etc - still 100+ geese.
Also had a Marsh Harrier fem went west on the walk out.
Once out at East Hills I was surprised to watch 3 Barn Owls hunting the area
Highlight of the morning was undoubtedly 2 Firecrest amongst a small group of 6-7 Goldcrest out at the Pines, East Hills. I managed to get a few record shots - see below! Still very few migrants to be seen along the coast.
10th April 2006 Pentney Gravel Pits
17:20 - 19:30 Bright & sunny 5/8 cloud light westerly
Headed over here straight after work (Swaffham),a well worthwhile couple of hours - not least to see a very smart Ashy-headed Wagtail - "cinereocapilla" never mind the lack of full species status - a real beauty, with a full grey blue head and ear coverts, pale throat. yellow underparts, and dull olive/brown mantle, the bird showed very well and also called several times a "buzzy" drawn out note recalling "feldegg" - it was accompanied by 40-50 Pied Wags, at least 10 White Wags,
& 100+ Meadow Pipit.
I walked up and down the lane scoping the rest of the pit, and scored with
40 Swallow, 100 Sand Martin, 2 Little Ringed Plover, & 70 Fieldfare.
norfolkbirding with chris mills
Double click to ed April 2006
1st April 2006 Snettisham Coastal Park
06:45am - 11:30am Cloud 7/8 light 2-3 SW
Excellent passage of finches overhead moving south (obviously following the coastline, before then heading North!),
I made approximate counts between 0700 - 0930 and recorded the following totals:-
Linnet 200 - south
Great Tit - 10 in one flock south
Meadow Pipit 80 - south
Siskin 76 - south
Goldfinch 43 - south
Greenfinch 200- south
Tree Sparrow 2 -south
Other highlights were a cracking male White Wagtail with 3 Northern Wheatear just south of the Heacham campsite area.
A 2nd winter Iceland Gull was perched just offshore near the seawatching hide before flying off south.
A Sand Martin passed south, and the walk finished with a cruising Merlin that eventually allowed scope views as it sat on the raised embankment
Others; 100 Shelduck, 2 Marsh Harrier & 2 Grey Partridge
1st April 2006 Holme
12:30 - 1530am Sunny spells 3/8 cloud and then one torrential downpour!
Spent most of the time getting nice pics of a superb male Northern Wheatear there were 2 in the dunes. Had 2-3 Willow warbler & 3 Sand Martin
The Main marsh held a Ruff and 100 Curlew.
Congratulations to Jed Andrews and Sophe Barker the NOA crew, who now have a bridge over to the Redwell hide, and a new hide in the Car park area overlooking the car park. Go to www.noa.org.uk for more details.
06:45am - 11:30am Cloud 7/8 light 2-3 SW
Excellent passage of finches overhead moving south (obviously following the coastline, before then heading North!),
I made approximate counts between 0700 - 0930 and recorded the following totals:-
Linnet 200 - south
Great Tit - 10 in one flock south
Meadow Pipit 80 - south
Siskin 76 - south
Goldfinch 43 - south
Greenfinch 200- south
Tree Sparrow 2 -south
Other highlights were a cracking male White Wagtail with 3 Northern Wheatear just south of the Heacham campsite area.
A 2nd winter Iceland Gull was perched just offshore near the seawatching hide before flying off south.
A Sand Martin passed south, and the walk finished with a cruising Merlin that eventually allowed scope views as it sat on the raised embankment
Others; 100 Shelduck, 2 Marsh Harrier & 2 Grey Partridge
1st April 2006 Holme
12:30 - 1530am Sunny spells 3/8 cloud and then one torrential downpour!
Spent most of the time getting nice pics of a superb male Northern Wheatear there were 2 in the dunes. Had 2-3 Willow warbler & 3 Sand Martin
The Main marsh held a Ruff and 100 Curlew.
Congratulations to Jed Andrews and Sophe Barker the NOA crew, who now have a bridge over to the Redwell hide, and a new hide in the Car park area overlooking the car park. Go to www.noa.org.uk for more details.
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chris.mills@norfolkbirding.com
Double click to edit
13th April 2006 Sparham Pools
0800 - 10:30 Bright & sunny 7/8 cloudy milder light W-SW. Out on the bike locally.
Spring seems to have arrived at last! 7 singing Willow Warbler, 5+ Singing Blackcap, 4+ singing Chiff-chaff, 10+ Sand martin, 4 Swallow, 1pr Bullfinch. 1pr Grey Wags.
Also noted Otter prints south of the Mill
11:00 Worthing Mill
Another pr of Grey Wags
11:45 Bylaugh
Grey Partrridge
12:00-14:00 Sennowe area
Buzzard 6+, Sparrowhawk 2+ (1 dispalying),2 estrel, 1 Marsh Harrier male skydancing (2 in area), 1 drake Scaup still present, 1 fem Mandarin, 30 Pochard, 20 Tufted Duck, 30 Sand Martin, 1pr Bullfinch,
13th April 2006 Sparham Pools
0800 - 10:30 Bright & sunny 7/8 cloudy milder light W-SW. Out on the bike locally.
Spring seems to have arrived at last! 7 singing Willow Warbler, 5+ Singing Blackcap, 4+ singing Chiff-chaff, 10+ Sand martin, 4 Swallow, 1pr Bullfinch. 1pr Grey Wags.
Also noted Otter prints south of the Mill
11:00 Worthing Mill
Another pr of Grey Wags
11:45 Bylaugh
Grey Partrridge
12:00-14:00 Sennowe area
Buzzard 6+, Sparrowhawk 2+ (1 dispalying),2 estrel, 1 Marsh Harrier male skydancing (2 in area), 1 drake Scaup still present, 1 fem Mandarin, 30 Pochard, 20 Tufted Duck, 30 Sand Martin, 1pr Bullfinch,
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