Diary November 2007

November 2nd Sunny day Salthouse

Spent the day around Salthouse patiently waiting to get some pics of the Lap Bunts. There was around 10 Lap Buntings & 30 Snow Buntings. Mid afternoon the patience paid off when 3 of us had killer views at 25'0 and I think we all came away with some nice pics!!

Also the usual tame flock of 25 Turnstone, and several Dunlin in the area.

Pics of the Lap Bunts click here

November 3rd - Cloudy, local walk arounf Themelthorpe & Foulsham

We had nice views of Barn Owl & Little Owl, also 35 Fieldfare & 50 Redwing in the hedgerows. 10+ Siskin flew over.

November 9th Cley - Mod NW

With the wind in the NW - it was worth trying some sea-watching, especially after the 1000's of Little Auks off the east coast in the week. First shcok of the day was when I arrived at Cley - the reserve was entirely flooded, the beach road 2'0 under water and the shingle sea wall breached in many places.

I walked up the west bank, and stood with Eddie Myers & Andy Johnson, we had some productive sea-watching between 0830-1100........

Kittiwake 50 per hr west
Little Auk 50 west
Red-T- Diver 21 west
Goldeneye 17 west
Red N Grebe 1 west
Scaup 1 fem west
Cn Scoter c50 west
Velvet Scoter 1 west
Grey Phalarope 1 just offshore in surf
Red-B-Merganser 1 west

Also a Peregrine & Merlin passed by - the Peregrine chasing a Goldeneye at high speed over the sea!! On the Reserve - 70 Golden Plover, 50 Dunlin, 20+ Ruff, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Bearded Tit, 5 Marsh Harrier (all in air together - I guess they weren't too impressed with flooded reedbed!), 70 Pintail, 1 Water Rail & 1 Cetti's warbler calling, 50 Black T Godwit, & 30+ Bar T Godwit.

November 10th Sheringham - Mod strong NW force 5, sea rough early am

After yesterday I decided more seawatching was in order - but this time from the comfort of the shelters at Sheringham. The bird's were still passing thick and fast.

0730 - 1200

Little Auk 157 west, many just 30 yards in front of us skimming the shoreline.
Purple Sand 2 west
Arctic Skua 1 west
Great Skua 2 west
Pom Skua 10 west, incl of 1 just 20'0 in front of us!!!
Red - T-Diver 15
Great N Diver 6 east
Black T Diver 2 east
Grey Phalarope 2 west
Goosander 2 males west
Cn Scoter 20
Velvet Scoter 3 west
Long T Duck 1 west
Goldeneye 7 west
Great Crested Grebe 2 east
Red N Grebe 2 east
Teal 40 west
Wigeon 30
Sahg 1 west
Eider 7
Mallard 21 in off the sea, picked up over a mile out
Shelduck 11 west
Starling 40 in off sea
Song Thrush 1 in off sea
Snow Bunting 2 west
Sky Lark 1 in off sea
Rock Pipit 1 over

Also 1 very unlucky Blackbird picked up over a mile out to sea, watched by several of us battling over the waves to reach the shoreline, as it reached the last 50 metres the gulls spotted it. Sadly after it dodged the first few dive-bombs it was nailed just before reaching the shoreline by a Common Gull, a puff of feathers and it's long journey was suddenly cut short. I guess all of us were a bit upset, although none of us liked to admit it!!

November 17th Sparham Pools & Old Costessey

Kingfisher & Siskin, but little else of note. Cettis Warbler & Water Rail still along the Wensum at Old Costessey

November 18th Cley

Just had a few hours mainly looking at the Pomarine Skua present all week at Cley, manged to get a few shots in poor light. This bird - an adult killed a Common Gull in the week (we hope it was the one that got the Balckbird, what oges around - comes around!!), but this morning was gorging itself on a large dead pike - itself a victim of the flood

Sadly a visiting birder showed me a frshily dead Cetti's Warbler he had just picked up off the road.