n o r fo l k b i r d i n g w i t h c h r i s m i l l s
April 2 0 0 7
APRIL 1ST-10TH APRIL UNITED ARAB EMIRATES & OMAN - CLICK HERE FOR THE TRIP REPORT
BACK TO REAL BIRDING IN NORFOLK!!!
April 13th 2007 Cley Warm sunny inland, cool and misty along the coast. No wind.
A short walk in the evening after work, in a murky sea fret, didn't produce too many surprises!! 1 male Wheatear, 3 Cetti's, 4 Swallow & several Sandwich Tern.
April 14th 2007 Holme. Still misty & cool, very warm inland.
Arrived 7.15am but it was still very misty. I headed around the golf course, and ascored with a singing Lesser Whitethroat, but little else, 3-4 Swallows passed west.
The Paddocks & Redwell area produced 3 singing Willow wrblr, 3 more Lesser Whitethroat, 10+ Chiffs, 1 Blackcap, and a Cetti's.
The dunes produced the best birds of the day here there was 4 male wheatears and 4-5 Ring Ouzels, a single Fieldfare accompanying them, 2 sedge warblers singing in a small patch of read near road. Things improved further with 2 single separate Whimbrel flying west, overhead calling. Sandwich tern was heard but not seen in the mist, as was a reeling Grasshopper Warbler in the tick buckthorn of the dunes. The day was capped off with a single Tree Pipit whcih landed very briefly before calling and moving off.
April 15-16th 2007 . Warm & sunny inland.
15th - Willow Tit was a "slam dunker" at Hempton!! within 5 seconds feeding and calling around the feed station area, particularly on the fat balls.
16th - I had my first House martin on the way to work this morning at a breeding site, interesting as I have not seen any along the coast yet.
April 18th 2007 . Cley Sunny & still dry but cool this evening 9c
A quick late afternoon walk up to halfway house produced little, but a spring Arctic Skua was just deserts!! A couple of hours then birding around Cley. Went to Arnolds marsh first, not a great deal but 43 Dunlin, 12 Black T Godwit & 25 Curlew. Clear highlight was a Merlin that dashed past heading east. From Daukes there was 20 Ruff, a Peregrine went screaming over and we all leapt out of the hide to watch it cruising towards the village. A Bittern was in good voice regualrly booming, 2 adult Med Gulls flew over and the sky was full of dancing Marsh Harriers, at least 10 birds were noted.
April 21st 2007 . Holme, light SE cloudy early then clearing to a bright sunny day 16c+
Up bright and early and Holme by 630am, I decided on an hour of vis mig from Gore Pt, I then kept an eye and ear to the skies as I headed up to the Firs, the activity was not burgeoning but a good list of migrants as follows:-
Yellow Wags 19 west & 1 east
Grey Heron 2 west
Swallow 50 west to 1000am 100+ west during the day
Goldfinch 51 west to 1000am
Meadow Pipit 50 west to 1000am
House Martin 12 west to 1000am
Tree Pipit 3 west to 1000am
Whimbrel 1 west & 1 east
Greenshank 1 west & 1 east
Swift 12 west
Tree Sparrow 1 west
Curlew 31 east very high in a vee and a further 40+ over east extremely high
Sand Martin 5 west
Ring Ousel 2 west
Turtle Dove 1 west and south out over themarsh around 8.30am
I headed up to the Firs and was soon listening to and watching a male Firescrest in and around the NOA CP, the bird then moved to the Buckthorn where later a second bird was also found. The dunes during the day held at least 15 Ring Ousels, and 8 hung around for most of the day. A good supporting cast of other passerines were 10 Wheatear, 1 superb male Whinchat, several Lesser Whitethroat, & at least 3 Grasshopper Warblers.
A walk around Redwell and i found a nice summer plumaged Green Sandpiper, also plenty of Chiffys and a few Willow warblers in the Paddocks and this area.
The day ended with cracking views of Short-eared Owl hunting along the access road.
April 28th Heacham to Snettisham. Cloud 3/8 Light Mod NE
We took a walk from Heacham through the Coastal park, plenty of migrants
8 Wheatear, 4 Whinchat, 1 Tree Pipit over N, 2 Ring Ousel over N & 2 feeding around the Caravan park, 6 Yellow Wags over south, 3 reeling Grasshopper warbler, 12 Swallow over s, 10 Swift over s, 2 singing Garden Warbler, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Little Egret.
April 28th Creake - Burnham area
2 male Montagu's Harrier, 1 female, 4+ Marsh Harrier, 2+ Buzzard, 1pr Sparrowhawk, 3+ Kestrel
April 28th Burnham Norton
1 Common Sand, 5 Yellow wag, 1 Bearded Tit, Swallow, House Martin & Swift trickle of westerly passage, 350 Pink Footed Goose still present, 2 Cetti's Wblr, 2 Greenshank,
Butterflies:- 1 Wall Brown, 3 Small Copper, 2 Small white
April 28th Great Ryburgh
6+ Buzzard, 1 Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Barn owl, 3 Kestrel, 1 Little Egret, also a single Turtle Dove at Bintree Mill
April 28th Titchwell - I took a Guided walk
1 1st Sum Little Gull, 1 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel, 40 Brent Goose, 1 Turtle Dove purring nr Fen hide, 2prs Marsh Harrier, 3 Spotted Redshank,
1 Sub-ad male Hen Harrier nr Choseley drying barns.
April 13th 2007 Cley Warm sunny inland, cool and misty along the coast. No wind.
A short walk in the evening after work, in a murky sea fret, didn't produce too many surprises!! 1 male Wheatear, 3 Cetti's, 4 Swallow & several Sandwich Tern.
April 14th 2007 Holme. Still misty & cool, very warm inland.
Arrived 7.15am but it was still very misty. I headed around the golf course, and ascored with a singing Lesser Whitethroat, but little else, 3-4 Swallows passed west.
The Paddocks & Redwell area produced 3 singing Willow wrblr, 3 more Lesser Whitethroat, 10+ Chiffs, 1 Blackcap, and a Cetti's.
The dunes produced the best birds of the day here there was 4 male wheatears and 4-5 Ring Ouzels, a single Fieldfare accompanying them, 2 sedge warblers singing in a small patch of read near road. Things improved further with 2 single separate Whimbrel flying west, overhead calling. Sandwich tern was heard but not seen in the mist, as was a reeling Grasshopper Warbler in the tick buckthorn of the dunes. The day was capped off with a single Tree Pipit whcih landed very briefly before calling and moving off.
April 15-16th 2007 . Warm & sunny inland.
15th - Willow Tit was a "slam dunker" at Hempton!! within 5 seconds feeding and calling around the feed station area, particularly on the fat balls.
16th - I had my first House martin on the way to work this morning at a breeding site, interesting as I have not seen any along the coast yet.
April 18th 2007 . Cley Sunny & still dry but cool this evening 9c
A quick late afternoon walk up to halfway house produced little, but a spring Arctic Skua was just deserts!! A couple of hours then birding around Cley. Went to Arnolds marsh first, not a great deal but 43 Dunlin, 12 Black T Godwit & 25 Curlew. Clear highlight was a Merlin that dashed past heading east. From Daukes there was 20 Ruff, a Peregrine went screaming over and we all leapt out of the hide to watch it cruising towards the village. A Bittern was in good voice regualrly booming, 2 adult Med Gulls flew over and the sky was full of dancing Marsh Harriers, at least 10 birds were noted.
April 21st 2007 . Holme, light SE cloudy early then clearing to a bright sunny day 16c+
Up bright and early and Holme by 630am, I decided on an hour of vis mig from Gore Pt, I then kept an eye and ear to the skies as I headed up to the Firs, the activity was not burgeoning but a good list of migrants as follows:-
Yellow Wags 19 west & 1 east
Grey Heron 2 west
Swallow 50 west to 1000am 100+ west during the day
Goldfinch 51 west to 1000am
Meadow Pipit 50 west to 1000am
House Martin 12 west to 1000am
Tree Pipit 3 west to 1000am
Whimbrel 1 west & 1 east
Greenshank 1 west & 1 east
Swift 12 west
Tree Sparrow 1 west
Curlew 31 east very high in a vee and a further 40+ over east extremely high
Sand Martin 5 west
Ring Ousel 2 west
Turtle Dove 1 west and south out over themarsh around 8.30am
I headed up to the Firs and was soon listening to and watching a male Firescrest in and around the NOA CP, the bird then moved to the Buckthorn where later a second bird was also found. The dunes during the day held at least 15 Ring Ousels, and 8 hung around for most of the day. A good supporting cast of other passerines were 10 Wheatear, 1 superb male Whinchat, several Lesser Whitethroat, & at least 3 Grasshopper Warblers.
A walk around Redwell and i found a nice summer plumaged Green Sandpiper, also plenty of Chiffys and a few Willow warblers in the Paddocks and this area.
The day ended with cracking views of Short-eared Owl hunting along the access road.
April 28th Heacham to Snettisham. Cloud 3/8 Light Mod NE
We took a walk from Heacham through the Coastal park, plenty of migrants
8 Wheatear, 4 Whinchat, 1 Tree Pipit over N, 2 Ring Ousel over N & 2 feeding around the Caravan park, 6 Yellow Wags over south, 3 reeling Grasshopper warbler, 12 Swallow over s, 10 Swift over s, 2 singing Garden Warbler, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Little Egret.
April 28th Creake - Burnham area
2 male Montagu's Harrier, 1 female, 4+ Marsh Harrier, 2+ Buzzard, 1pr Sparrowhawk, 3+ Kestrel
April 28th Burnham Norton
1 Common Sand, 5 Yellow wag, 1 Bearded Tit, Swallow, House Martin & Swift trickle of westerly passage, 350 Pink Footed Goose still present, 2 Cetti's Wblr, 2 Greenshank,
Butterflies:- 1 Wall Brown, 3 Small Copper, 2 Small white
April 28th Great Ryburgh
6+ Buzzard, 1 Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Barn owl, 3 Kestrel, 1 Little Egret, also a single Turtle Dove at Bintree Mill
April 28th Titchwell - I took a Guided walk
1 1st Sum Little Gull, 1 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel, 40 Brent Goose, 1 Turtle Dove purring nr Fen hide, 2prs Marsh Harrier, 3 Spotted Redshank,
1 Sub-ad male Hen Harrier nr Choseley drying barns.