SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
5 hours ago
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Watford/Oxhey - 30.6.09
3 juvenile Swallows on wires at Paddock Road allotments in Oxhey and a single Ring-Necked Parakeet in Cassiobury Park were todays highlights.
Tyttenhanger - 29.6.09
An evening visit for the Wood Sandpiper drew a blank and so did the search for the 2 Green Sandpipers.
Monday, 29 June 2009
Up to date - 29.6.09
Finally up to date with this years sightings so now hopefully can keep up if not a daily blog then a whenever I see something blog!!
Marsh Warbler - 20.6.09
A phone call from Joan Thompson just as I was dishing up dinner telling me of a possible Marsh Warbler at Amwell NR had me stuffing my dinner down then driving up to the East of the county. Just after 8pm i'd arrived on site and stood there watching my first Marsh Warbler in Herts and only my 2nd in the UK. Amongst its mimicking song I identified Blue and Great Tits aswell as Blackbird and Swallow. Also singing away was a Cetti's Warbler.
Cassiobury Park - 2.6.09
A quick look to see if the Lesser spots had bred again turned up a singing Garden Warbler instead.
Minsmere - 31.5.09
A Watford RSPB coach trip to one of my favourite sites saw 4 new year ticks added these being Nightingale, Bittern, Sandwich Tern and Spotted Redshank. Other highlights were Bearded Tits and 6 Mediterranean Gulls (4 ads and 2 chicks).
Back to Norfolk
Avocet, Barnacle Goose, Black-Winged Stilt and Ruff at Pensthorpe.
After the excellent weekend in Norfolk I was back again the following week this time staying in my dads caravan in Hemsby with my partner and my son. Unfortunately this time was lacking in good birds to go see, so as Springwatch was on the telly we decided to go to Pensthorpe and have a look around and maybe get on tv!
A Honey Buzzard that I saw from the car near the village of Stibbard was flying towards the Raptor Watchpoint at nearby Great Ryburgh, luckily there was a layby so I pulled in and got my bins onto it until it flew behind some trees.
Inside Pensthorpe a Marsh Tit was seen in the woodland and I did cheat a bit and take photos of the captive birds so I could add them to this blog.
It wasn't until the Friday evening when just as I was about to go to the chippy to get some dinner that the MEGA alert went of on my pager and I thought to myself lets hope its nearby though I was half expecting it to be either Shetland or worse still Herts! But to my amazement it said Mega Norfolk Great Knot at Breydon Water!! I ran to the chippy and back and said keep mine in the oven ill be back soon!! By 7pm I was on site and watching the bird tho it was pretty distant about half way out from the South wall. It was only later that evening that doubts started about its true identity as some were saying it was just a Red Knot. Photos proved unconclusive so I and the other birders will just have to wait and see if it gets accepted and give us all a nice armchair tick. Though to me it didnt look like a Red Knot from the views I got.
A Honey Buzzard that I saw from the car near the village of Stibbard was flying towards the Raptor Watchpoint at nearby Great Ryburgh, luckily there was a layby so I pulled in and got my bins onto it until it flew behind some trees.
Inside Pensthorpe a Marsh Tit was seen in the woodland and I did cheat a bit and take photos of the captive birds so I could add them to this blog.
It wasn't until the Friday evening when just as I was about to go to the chippy to get some dinner that the MEGA alert went of on my pager and I thought to myself lets hope its nearby though I was half expecting it to be either Shetland or worse still Herts! But to my amazement it said Mega Norfolk Great Knot at Breydon Water!! I ran to the chippy and back and said keep mine in the oven ill be back soon!! By 7pm I was on site and watching the bird tho it was pretty distant about half way out from the South wall. It was only later that evening that doubts started about its true identity as some were saying it was just a Red Knot. Photos proved unconclusive so I and the other birders will just have to wait and see if it gets accepted and give us all a nice armchair tick. Though to me it didnt look like a Red Knot from the views I got.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Norfolk Weekend
The Hoopoe at Great Ryburgh and a 'sunbathing' Mole at the same site!!
After dropping off my future step-daughter and her boyfriend off for their hols in Hemsby myself and my girlfriend carried onto North Walsham to spend a couple of days. We unpacked and then decided to go to the North coast to have a wander (and see a few birds hopefully!!).
First port of call was West Runton where the previous October i'd dipped a Blyth's Reed Warbler but this time I came up trumps (eventually). After a 15 minute wait a small group of GREY-HEADED WAGTAILS (4 males and 1 female) flew into view. So luckily I didnt have to wait too long to grip back the missed bird at Grove Ferry, just 3 days infact!! Another lifer (ok a sub-species tick) though in my eyes if a bird is identifiably different from something else then it should be countable hence I count Blue-Headed Wagtail aswell as they are so different from Yellow Wagtail!! Just my opinion.
We then set off for Blakeney Freshmarsh/Friary Hills in the hope of adding my 2nd species of Pratincole in a few days. Again luck was on my side as although distant a Collared Pratincole showed in flight and on the deck. My first since May 2001!
The final stop was Great Ryburgh not for Honey Buzzard but for a Hoopoe. We arrived to find nobody around but within 20 minutes a few others had turned up we managed to find it feeding in an adjacent field.
All in all a very good day!
This was followed the next day with a trip to Cromer where between heavy rain showers a couple of Fulmars got onto the year list.
First port of call was West Runton where the previous October i'd dipped a Blyth's Reed Warbler but this time I came up trumps (eventually). After a 15 minute wait a small group of GREY-HEADED WAGTAILS (4 males and 1 female) flew into view. So luckily I didnt have to wait too long to grip back the missed bird at Grove Ferry, just 3 days infact!! Another lifer (ok a sub-species tick) though in my eyes if a bird is identifiably different from something else then it should be countable hence I count Blue-Headed Wagtail aswell as they are so different from Yellow Wagtail!! Just my opinion.
We then set off for Blakeney Freshmarsh/Friary Hills in the hope of adding my 2nd species of Pratincole in a few days. Again luck was on my side as although distant a Collared Pratincole showed in flight and on the deck. My first since May 2001!
The final stop was Great Ryburgh not for Honey Buzzard but for a Hoopoe. We arrived to find nobody around but within 20 minutes a few others had turned up we managed to find it feeding in an adjacent field.
All in all a very good day!
This was followed the next day with a trip to Cromer where between heavy rain showers a couple of Fulmars got onto the year list.
Black-Winged Pratincole - 13.5.09
Another half day off of work and I was off down to Kent again this time to Grove Ferry.
I arrived in the pouring rain and then trudged off towards the reserve. Thankfully within minutes the rain had stopped and birds began singing again including both Reed and Cetti's Warblers. The Cetti's being species number 160 for the year.
I was within 30 feet of the Marsh hide when 6 people walked out and told me it had just flown off! So rather than walk all the way back to the car and drive around trying to find it I decided to sit it out. A brief flyover was the only glimpse in over an hours waiting and not long after another birder in the hide received a call saying the bird in question was at nearby Collards Lake. So along with Dan Pointon we started walking back to the car park popping briefly to Harrison's Drove hide to see both Little and Temminck's Stint and a Greenshank. But just as we had left Dan got a call to say it was infront of the Marsh hide again! So a brisk walk back enabled us to finally see a wet and sad looking BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE my 4th lifer in as many weeks!
Later that evening once home news broke of a male Grey-Headed Wagtail infront of Harrison's Drove hide! Not seen one of those - yet!
I arrived in the pouring rain and then trudged off towards the reserve. Thankfully within minutes the rain had stopped and birds began singing again including both Reed and Cetti's Warblers. The Cetti's being species number 160 for the year.
I was within 30 feet of the Marsh hide when 6 people walked out and told me it had just flown off! So rather than walk all the way back to the car and drive around trying to find it I decided to sit it out. A brief flyover was the only glimpse in over an hours waiting and not long after another birder in the hide received a call saying the bird in question was at nearby Collards Lake. So along with Dan Pointon we started walking back to the car park popping briefly to Harrison's Drove hide to see both Little and Temminck's Stint and a Greenshank. But just as we had left Dan got a call to say it was infront of the Marsh hide again! So a brisk walk back enabled us to finally see a wet and sad looking BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE my 4th lifer in as many weeks!
Later that evening once home news broke of a male Grey-Headed Wagtail infront of Harrison's Drove hide! Not seen one of those - yet!
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