Norfolk Birders

1st January

A very Happy New Year to all those of you that read my website. 

As I pulled up my kitchen blind this morning I watched a pair of Magpies finishing off some scraps that I had put out on the lawn. Blue Tits, Great Tits and a lone Coal Tit  were on the feeders as I started off my new year list. Later a Dunnock, Robin, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinches were added to the list as Black-headed Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over. A few Jackdaws, Collared Doves and Woodpigeons were around but I did not see any Red Kites this morning. I was determined to have a lazy morning before the birdwatchers party this evening up on the coastline.

I read some of the new Twitching book that has just been published in bed and re-hashed an article for one of my bird clubs before starting on my photos ready for my usual trip report of my recent visit to Senegal. I shall be under pressure to get it finished as my next winter trip is coming up shortly! 

My Nar Valley Fisheries permit arrived today. It was good to hear that we have some new permit holders replacing some permit holders, as some permit holders have not been pulling their weight in the monthly WeBS count that NarVOS conducts at Nar Valley Fisheries. Twenty permits are issued each year to NarVOS club members with the understanding that all permit holders will take part at some time during the year. 

Later in the day I drove across to Cromer and met up with all the birders at the annual New Year's day party. It was good to see so many familiar faces and listen to all their exciting tales of recent exotic birding trips, some of whom had just returned from Antarctica and some who were just setting off for Tanzania.

On my way back home I saw a Barn Owl at East Rudham as it flew across the road in front of me.

2nd January

It was my first day back at work today for over a month. As it was a bank holiday it was a busy day for Bruce and I and it was good to see so many friends. Rob and Lisa were good to see as we shared a few words before Vicky and Dave came through. We will all share an evening meal together to share our recent travelling tales and birds that we have seen. Our visitors were all pleased with the many birds that we had on offer at Titchwell to get their yeal lists off to a good start.

3rd January

Trevor had been watching a Hawfinch as I arrived at work this morning at Titchwell but despite my best efforts I could not find it in the Chaffinch flock that Trevor had been watching it in. However I did see a Brambling amongst the flock. I felt sorry for all our visitors as the weather was awful today. 

4th January

5th January

It was another miserable winter's morning as John and I joined Rob Fuge, Alan Schpot and Steve Gantlett on the bank at Brancaster this morning. Alan and Rob had already seen the Hume's Warbler and it didn't take long before John and I saw it too. However getting a photograph of it in the very poor light and drizzle was quite a different matter as it flitted around deep in the vegetation. Where oh where was that nice African sun that I was enjoying a few days ago? I struggled and stuggled and eventually gave up as my ISO was already cranked right up and the bird was just not staying still at any point! Hume's Warbler 1, me 0 !

I added a few year ticks and watched an over-wintering Chiffchaff as well as a few Marsh Harriers and Red Kites flying around as Brent Geese fed on the practice green and Cetti's Warblers called from the reed bed. 

6th January

With Anglia Water digging up the road that I live on to repair a burst pipe, I had no water this morning and a blocked-off road meaning that I have had to use little lanes around my home as diversions. As I had to pay my garage man for my car's recent M.O.T and service I found myself adding Sparrowhawk to my yearlist as I was coming home up one of the lanes as it tried to swoop over a hedge top to surprise some poor unsuspecting bird the otherside. Later on I wanted some bread from the farm shop at Knight's Hill and watched a Hen Harrier fly across the road as I was returning my way back home. I am still feeling sorry for the Red-legged Partridge that lives in my garden as it has lost its partner and walks around forlornly by itself now.

I have spent most of my day writing up my trip report to Senegal. Why oh why do I take so many photographs? I shall never get it done before my next trip at this rate!

8th January

9th January

10th January

12th January

We drove to Cley Spey and had good views of the Long-eared Owl before walking the bank at Blakeney. Here we met Peter Dolton who told us where to look for the Twite, that he had seen a couple of times in flight. We had quite a wait in the wind and watched skeins of Pink-footed Geese fly over, before I spotted the Twite in flight where Pater had last seen them go down in the saltings.

I left John and Stew and went to pick up Trudy whom I had promised to show the Pallid Harrier to. After picking her up, I drove to Garden Drove at Warham Greens and we walked down the muddy track and joined many others, some of whom had just been watcing the Pallid Harrier. After putting Trudy's scope onto the spot where it had gone down, we stood and waited for the bird to reappear, which luckily it did along with a Marsh Harrier and a Merlin. We also watched a Sparrowhawk and a Little Egret and returned to North Point Pools at Wells where we watched  a Barn Owl fly over us.

13th January

After dropping off my camera at Watton for a minor repair I called into Threxton Sewage works where I watched 30 Pied Wagtails and 2 Grey Wagtails on the arms of one of the sewage pools. 

14th January

I am currently having website problems. Some days the website builder will not work at all. I have been fore-warned that Webs.com has been taken over by Vistaprint. I have also been told that my site will be migrated over to them. However problems seem to be mounting and I am not sure for how much longer I can keep battling with it. So if it suddenly disappears you know why. I hope eventually to start up again but we will have to wait and see!

16th January

17th January

I arrived at work early and was amazed to see that the water in the ditch by the West Bank path was not frozen. My car was recording - 4 degrees at Roydon as I left home but 0 degrees as I arrived at work. Ray kindly showed me where he had seen the Water Rail in the ditch which was well and truly hidden. Luckily it decided to move before I was required to get ready for the day's work schedule.  Trevor and I had a good day with lots of laughs as our visitors arrived and shared their banter with us. 

It was good to see Mark Bradberrry today so that we could have a chat about tthe Scissor-tailed Kite roost in Senegal. Such kind words Mark! Thank you!

On my way home I was thinking about Woodcock as I was passing at a suitable time of day for them to be emerging from the local woods as I neared my house. There are times when I wonder if I am psychic! No sooner that I was thinking about it when one flew out in my road, over my head and was almost a garden tick!

18th January

It was sub-zero as I walked across Roydon Common just after first light this morning. Two hundred and fifty Pink-footed Geese were calling overhead, flying out of roost from The Wash. Gosh it was cold! However I was dressed up in my winter clothing and once I got going I was mesmerised by the beauty of the common as the sun came up and made all the frost-covered heather glisten.I soon forgot about the cold as I stode across the pathway that I have walked so many times. A Wren dashed across in front of me and soon disappeared. I tried to find where it had gone when I heard an unmistakable call; that of a Dartford Warbler. I turned and had a micro-second view of it before it too disappeared. Moments later it reappeared 20 metres away from where it had disappeared. I fumbled with my camera with my very cold hands and managed a quick couple of photographs before it was off yet again. The warbler gave me the runaround as I was batting with a very low sun in the sky, blinding me on most occasions. I moved to the right so that the sun would always be behind me and waited. The Dartford Warbler reappeared a few times but only posed for a second or two at a time, as it was just so mobile. As I was being treated out to lunch today I could not stay long and walked back across the common watching a Marsh Harrier fly over. Back at the car park a Stonechat and a Meadow Pipit were sat on the fence.

As we had a bit of time to kill John and I stopped at Moulton Marsh Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire. Here John and I watched a few Redwings before proceeding to our lunch arrangements, which turned out to be a very nice lunch all washed down with some excellent wine!

As light was fading we stopped on our way back home in King's Lynn docks to watch the Starling murmuration. Against the setting sun and a red and blue sky it was fabulous to watch as the Starlings made their various shapes in the skies. The Bentinck Dock was full of gulls but the Starlings kept us entertained for quite a while before we returned back home to fill in another booking form for a return to South America next year. 

19th January

It was a beautiful sunrise as John and I walked across Roydon Common this morning with the emerging glowing sun filling the air with an orange glow highlighting all the glistening heather, as it was 4 degrees below zero. We enjoyed the dog-free zone and the peacefulness as we walked across the common. We heard a Woodlark in the far distance but could not see it. Wood Pigeons and corvids were coming out of roost and flying off as we spotted a Red kite sitting in a distant tree. The Dartford Warbler was flitting around but was only giving very brief views never long enough for a photograph. We walked over Grimston Warren and down to The Delft watching 3 Roe Deer and a Hare bounding through the Heather. Birds were relunctant to show as it was still so cold but as the sun came up we watched a couple of Stonechats, a Wren and a Robin. I took a photo of a perched Red Kite but the distance was a challenge and it took off as we approached. More Red Kites and a few Buzzards flew over as we returned to the car and back home for a warming-up brew!

I am not usually a fan of BTO talks as very often the speaker forgets who the audience is and shows far too many graphs (I am a former maths teacher) and too few bird photos but this evening the Wensum Valley Bird Society were entertained by Graham Appleton who gave a very good talk about waders. Anyone who has an interest in waders had a lot to learn as Graham took us through their migration routes from data gathered by satellite tags placed on each bird then tracked as they migrated. It was interesting to know the routes that adult and juvenile birds took and factors that affected their potential breeding success. There were a few graphs that sadly, for the most part, showed the decline of numbers of each bird of each species which is not fully understood. Disturbance by dogs on beaches and building on wetlands on migratory stopping off places is clearly an issue for some species. It was a packed hall this evening and it was good to see so many friends present on a very cold night. A very enjoyable evening was had, as many of us had recent foreign travel tales to tell as several of us had just returned from The Gambia and Senegal. It was good to compare notes! The cakes were delicious too!

20th January

I was determined to have a lie-in this morning as I wanted to try and finish reading the book on twitching that I had bought and read all the documentation sent through from Birding Ecotours for our up-coming trip. Even though I was up late, I did not achieve either as once I opened the curtains, I realised that with the breeze it would be ideal conditions for looking for my local Goshawks. I was right! It was! I would normally walk or cycle down to my local wood but as it was very cold I took the lazy option and drove down. I met John Gates and together we watched a Goshawk flying over the trees. We had a nice prolonged view several times as the bird flew along the wood. Three Buzzards were also hovering in the wind over the trees. A Marsh Harrier was swooping over the fields as a Kestrel dived down and landed by a large puddle. The Goshawk disappeared and was replaced by a Red Kite. In the sheep fields I counted 18 Lapwings. There were probably more but it started to rain and the wind was bitingly cold. It was time for lunch and a nice warm home was beckoning for me to get a few chores done and some pies made with all the free produce that friends have kindly given me.

21st January

I still have a lot to do for my trip preparations but as it looked glorious outside I could not resist a walk at West Newton. I did not want to go far but had seriously underestimated how long it was going to take to de-frost my car this morning. Gosh the ice was thick on my windscreen! I live down the bottom of a hill in a frost hollow and as we all know cold air sinks and so in winter I suffer more than most with frost-covered windscreens. My windscreen took a while to de-drost even with me helping it along by scraping the worst off. 

Once at West Newton it was alive with birds. Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrushes, Redwings, Fieldfares were everywhere whilst Robins, Siskins, and a lone Grey Heron kept me amused. Blue Tits and Great Tits were very vocal as I continued my walk through the trees. Goldcrests were too mobile for me to photograph but I did manage photos of Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits and a Nuthatch. The Great Spotted Woodpecker did not want its photograph taken though! I tried to stalk a Stonechat but the light was against me. I shall be glad when the sun gets higher in the sky. A low sun does make photography difficult at times! I walked to the shooting lake but it was frozen solid except for a small area where more Fieldfare were drinking. A Pied Wagtail flitted around the mill cottage as I realised that I really ought to get back home. Amazingly I saw no raptors in the air today as all the Buzzards were perched on posts at various points on my walk. 

23rd January

After a very cold day at work I attended the members evening at Great Yarmouth Bird Club. This is always a good evening as members share photos, experiences and advice and after a review of the year, vote for bird of the year with a cup presented for the best find of the year. Well done Dave Russel for the find of Bonapart's Gull. It is always a late night as all members are birders and out and about birding and like to share their experiences. 

24th January

It was a beautiful day at Titchwell but still very cold with my car registering minus 6 degrees. After welcoming many visitors during the morning I was detailed to go down to the beach to talk to visitors and help them in anyway that I could. As I walked down the West Bank path I noted that the Fresh Marsh was totally frozen.  I took my scope and a visitor was delighted when I showed him a Black-necked Grebe on the sea in my scope which was apparently his 100th year tick for the year. He was delighted! On the sea were Red-breasted Mergansers, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebes but I could not find the Red-necked Grebe. 

I walked back up the West Bank path with Jim and together we watched a Spotted Redshank amongst a few Redshank, Grey Plovers as well as Ringed Plovers. Visitors gathered around and looked through Jim's scope admiring the Spotted Redshank as Jim explained the difference from a Redshank to the visitor. I stopped to point out a Red Kite to a visitor that was sitting not far from one of our monitoring hides. I showed another visitor a Marsh Harrier which had swooped down to catch something which eventually flew over our heads with its catch and take it across Thornham Marsh. Titchwell was stunning today with so many happy faces as we walked back up the path all enjoying the day in the sun with no wind watching the birds. Back by the visitor centre a Blackbird was enjoying a bath in the fresh water that I had put out in the dog bowl. I'm glad that I tipped out the ice and replaced it with fresh water. It was good to know that the Blackbird appreciated it too!

During the day I welcomed a researcher from the BBC's Winterwatch team. I located Titchwell's Bug Hotels for him so that he could investigate Earwigs! I just never know what I am going to be doing next at Titchwell! 

25th January

26th January

27th January

John and I were up early and drove out of Phoenix and headed north towards the Grand Canyon. We stopped at Angel’s Corner on highway 64 and drove along an unsurfaced road and found a property with a garden feeder. Snow was covering everything and birds were drawn to the feeder. We watched Steller’s Jays, Woodhouse's Scrub Jays, White-crowned Sparrows, Cassin’s Finches  and the grey-headed form of Dark-eyed Juncos. A Pinyon Jay was soon joined by a mass of birds and soon ate up all the seed.

The sun was now up and we enjoyed a clear blue sky but it was still below freezing as we headed northwards. We stopped to book a helicopter flight for tomorrow before arriving at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We found our cabin and then took photos of the canyon before driving along the south rim of the canyon along a very icy road. We stopped at all the stopping points to take photos of the stunning scenery.

We watched many Ravens and a pair of Juniper Titmouse.

28th January

John and I were up early and drove to Desert View along the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The road had stretches of a lot of ice but most of the snow had been bulldozed to the sides of the road. The views at the end were magnificent. We did not stop long as we wanted an early lunch so that we could be at the heliport as we had booked a helicopter ride in and over the Canyon. We booked the longer ride so that we could see much more of the canyon. We were not to be disappointed as we took off in a clear blue sky.

Our helicopter headed over the forest and up to the southern rim. Soon we were looking down the length of the Colorado River. What a stunning sight to be able to look down into the canyon. The trip took us eighty miles along the canyon and I have to say it was one of the most amazing helicopter rides I have ever experienced. I ran out of superlatives to describe the view. I was lucky because I had a front seat in the ‘bubble’ part of the helicopter and could see frontwards as well as sideways. I took so many videos and photos of the stunning experience as we descended into the canyon and flew along the Colorado River eventually rising up to the north rim and up and over again to the forest beyond before descending once again to view the river. What an experience! What a day! We were so lucky with the weather to have such a clear blue sky. I realise how lucky I am to have experienced such a ride. Life is for living after all and not just existing! I will always make the most of opportunities and this was one I was not going to pass over!

29th January

John woke up very early and went for a walk in the dark whilst I had a leisurely get up before we both set off for breakfast in the lodge. We have been lucky as our cabin is located right on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We could not have wished for a better location at Bright Angel. After breakfast we went for a short walk at the trailhead of the Bright Angel Trail and watched those that were young and fit set off for the hike down into the canyon with crampons and walking poles picking their way down on the icy paths. Ravens were calling overhead and two Dark-eyed Juncos were searching for food under the shelter of trees not covered in snow. We searched for the American Robins that we saw yesterday with no luck today.

We packed our bags and set off for our return journey to Phoenix stopping off just before Williams again where we watched Pinyon Jays, a Northern Flicker and more Dark-eyed Juncos. We stopped to take a photo of a Red-tailed Hawk en-route. A Phainopepla flew across the road and landed briefly at one spot but was too quick for my camera. Once in Phoenix a Great-tailed Grackle landed on the roof of our motel by the airport and House Finches were singing in a nearby tree.

30th January

31st January

After a delicious breakfast eaten outside on the balcony of our hotel we drove up to a spot overlooking Honolulu and up into the rain clouds on the volcanic rim. Here we watched endemic O’ahu Amakihis as they flitted around in the vegetation. A White-rumped Shama crossed the road and Warbling White-eyes added themselves to our lists. We returned back down to the city and watched White (Fairy) Terns nesting in the trees in the city streets.

It was now quite hot and humid and we strolled around Kapiolani  Park and I saw my much-wanted Javan Sparrow as this was number 45 of my target Brooke Bond Tropical Birds tea cards. I was so pleased to get closer to my ambition of seeing all the birds from 50 cards that I collected as a child. In the park there was a real eclectic mix of introduced birds from all around the world. Saffron Finches hopped around with Yellow-fronted Canaries, Zebra Doves, Common Mynas, Common Waxbills as well as Pacific Golden Plovers.

I took a few photographs and we hopped back in the bus and stopped at a take-away lunch cafe and grabbed a bite to eat. It was wonderful to sit by the Pacific Ocean and watch Red-tailed Tropicbirds coming into their nesting sites as Sooty Terns flew by far out to sea as we sat and ate our huge Prawn sushi meals in the hot sun. A Wandering Tattler ran down the rocks as another came in and chased it away.

Later we climbed a hiking trail in the heat of the day and watched another endemic bird. A Pair of O’ahu Elepaio were busy building a nest. They were high in the canopy and fascinating to watch but we did not stay long for fear of disturbance. Red-billed Leiothrix, White-tailed Tropicbird and a White-rumped Shama kept us entertained before we returned to the hotel and then enjoyed an interesting meal out in a local restaurant.