Norfolk Birders

1st May

I often see Red Kites on my way to work and have often stopped to watch a Red Kite that sits in the same tree. I have stopped on many occasions to take its photograph but it always flies off before I can press the shutter. However today there were two Red Kites in the tree and I stopped once again. Today they both just sat and watched me. So have they got used to me stopping? I don't suppose I will know but it was a delight to see them.

3rd May

After a busy few days at work I felt in need of a walk after work today and wandered down to Snettisham where I bumped into Lee Evans who was on a quest to see Turtle Dove. We wandered around the bushes without success but I did see my first Swift of the year. I took a few photos of some Swallows that were sat on the wires that obviously felt much the same as me. Shattered! I also enjoyed watching some Goldfinches that were twittering near my car. They are such pretty little birds.

4th May

I woke up before dawn and decided to make an early start on my trip report writing for Tanzania but after I had my beakfast I changed my mind and the lure of an early-morning walk pulled me back down to Snettisham where I walked through to Heacham. Whilst talking to Steve a Turtle Dove flew by. I heard a Cuckoo call and found it sitting on a bush over by the inner sea-bank, sadly too far for my lens. A bit later it flew right past me calling. Down at the camp site a Wheatear was running around. I listened to many Whitehroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warblers singing as well as watching Meadow Pipits and several pairs of Stonechats.

5th May

John and I were up early and made our way to Maidscross Hill in Suffolk where Garden Warblers and Nightingales were singing in profusion. It was a wonderful calm sunny morning ideal for birdwatching in early May to see some of the migrant birds. We were a bit perturbed when we arrived as there was a large group of birders in the car park, just what we did not want but luckily they were all just leaving. We walked across the heath and saw a Nightingale sitting out singing away as soon as we arrived with a Garden Warbler keeping it company in an Oak tree nearby. We took some photos and watched several other Nightingales as we walked around the heath. Common Whitethroats were also singing as were Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammers.

We carried onto Lakenheath RSPB where after seeing two Common Terns on Hockwold Washes we walked down to Joist Fen where there were over twenty Hobbies in the air together. As we walked back a Bittern flew by us.

At Weeting Heath two Stone Curlews were keeping watch over two newly-hatched chicks.

6th May

I have finally finished my trip reort to Tanzania. It's been a bit of a slog to get it done because I took SO many photos which all had to be re-sized and labelled.

It can be seen at: https://suebryan.webs.com/tanzania-2022 or view from the tab at the top of the website (until I move it into the trip reports tab when I write my next trip report!)

7th May

After a morning of chores I looked at my phone and saw that Dave Holman had reported a Whinchat and Common Redstart  at Snettisham to the Norfolk WhatsApp group. I grabbed a quick lunch and set off and joined him, Christine and Jim on the inner seabank. Neither bird was showing. Swifts and Hobbies were flying overhead whilst a Whimbrel was in the field with a Turtle Dove sat on the wire. We listened to another Turtle Dove and saw a very brief view of the Common Redstart as it flitted around the back of the Hawthorn bush. We were joined by Geoff, Pat, Tim and Chris Lotz. but the Common Redstart was not keen to show itself. After a while Dave re-found the Whinchat that was very distant in the field. Geoff ,Pat , Dave and Christine left and Lee Evans joined us. A few of us realised that it would be more sheltered around the otherside of the bush and it was here that we had good views of the Common Redstart. Lee and I had a few laughs about old times as he pulled my leg about various issues! It was lovely to enjoy a bit of banter with Lee, Jim and Tim as all of us have been birding a long time. It was a good afternoon with some wonderful birds and good company.

8th May

Another exciting day at work as I managed to gather up lots of visitors to the courtyard at Titchwell after Dawn Balmer alerted me to a White-tailed Eagle (G801 2CY) that was flying over the visitor centre. After gathering up the visitors I ran and grabbed my camera and thanks to Trevor who had kept an eye on the bird, quickly took a few photos before it drifted over the trees. The eagle was being mobbed by 2 Red Kites and a Buzzard that were dwarfed by the White-tailed Eagle making us all realise how big they are. Les rang Tim Mackrill of the White-tailed Eagle re-introduction scheme who told us it was G801 2CY that has recently been in Poole Harbour. We have now had 9 different White-tailed Eagles from the scheme in Norfolk. Thank you all who have messaged me about my photos. I was just lucky to be in the right palce at the right time!

After work I called in to West Newton and had a lovely conversation with the owner of the cottage at the mill. We shared some lovely tales about birdwatching on various Scottish islands and Norway. At the mill two Grey Wagtails were resting on the platform as Swallows and House Martins flew over us.

I was sad to learn of the passing of Alwyn Jackson from Covid who was a friend as well as a volunteer at Titchwell. He was a true gentleman who gave so many hours helping others on the reserve. R.I.P Alwyn. You will be missed.

9th May

I had a walk down the West Bank path at lunchtime where several terns had arrived. I watched a few Common Terns on the Fresh Marsh along with an Arctic Tern. John lined up two Little Terns in his scope for me as Chris and John kept track of the Arctic Tern. As I walked back up the path a Sandwich Tern flew by me as Swifts flew overhead. 

10th May

Down at Dersingham Bog in the evening I met up with Tim and Keith and watched ten Woodcock flying around. It took some time before we heard Nightjars churring, one near the boardwalk which Keith managed to see and one behind us somewhere up the bank. It was sometime before we heard another and I joined Keith on the path towards the Scissors car park which we both managed to see. Tim and I returned to the boardwalk where a Nightjar could be heard flying around us but sadly it was now too dark to see it! We heard both Cuckoo and a Green Woodpecker during the evening and watched a pair of Stonechats with a juvenile.

11th May

I had good intentions to walk a track where I had been given a tip-off but the horrible weather dictated otherwise and I stayed at home all day. I spent the morning wrestling with a website to apply for an e-visa for my next big birding trip. The number of documents that I needed was mind-blowing. They all had to be adjusted to fit the file format specification and file size. After many emails, WhatsApp messages and requests for documents from various organisations, 5 hours later I could hit the submit button! The payment section was not easy either. Enter card details...........ok.........open Bank App on smart phone ...........and wait......nothing.......... Close App down, re-enter details and all was well! A couple of hours later, in my junk mail folder, there was my visa........in an unsupported file format! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.............Thank goodness for my smart phone which came to the rescue!

My birding consisted of watching a Red Kite out of my kitchen drifting over the houses opposite me and swooping down from time to time. I thought about racing up to the coast for the rarities but decided to finish off getting my notebook, checklist and wildlife recorder to agree with one another on my 438 Tanzanian bird list that I saw last month. Why am I always one out????????

12th May

The day started badly for John and I when Tim and Roger announced that the Osprey had just flown as we arrived at Ormesby Little Broad. Not the news we wanted to hear! We watched some Great Crested Grebes and a pair of Mute Swans in a courtship display and drove to Potter Heigham where we walked the bank and watched a Common Whitethroat and listened to a Sedge Warbler and a Cetti's Warbler before driving onto Hickling. Here we joined Tim and Roger agian and watched two Wood Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plover, a Temminck's Stint, eight Hobbies, four Black-winged Stilts, six Common Cranes, two with chicks, Marsh Harriers and listened to a Bittern booming. After lunch we returned to Potter Heigham where we saw a Cuckoo but could not find the Glossy Ibis. 

Our afternoon was spent with me trying to sort out John's visa as he had been unsuccesful with the website that had caused me many problems yesterday. For whatever reason it did not like John's email address. After many unsucessful attempts I eventually got the visa application sorted but now we both had laptop problems as something had affected them during the application process. Grrrrrr. John's laptop did not take me too long to sort out after consulting a website for instructions but my laptop problem was more serious as all my data from my Wildlife Recorder system for recording all my birds sightings from the last 30 years had been destroyed. I was not a happy bunny! After doing a system restore, unistalling the programme, re-installing Wildlife Recorder I was able to add my data once again from a back-up I had done only a few days ago. Thank goodness I had a back-up on a memory stick. I had had my computer wilfully destroyed many years ago and have learnt to back up anything vital!

14th May

After work today all staff and volunteers had been invited to a social meeting with the RSPB Council and Trustees to thank us for all our hard work in making Titchwell such a fabulous reserve that it is. Our volunteers are just amazing and without them we would not be able to run the reserve. So it was really nice to see Chris and Asia get their long-service awards this evening. Well done to both of you. I think we all enjoyed the meal and drink that was provided for us all.

I had an hour's break between the end of work and the social starting so I wandered down the West Bank path along with some volunteers and staff where Avocets, Common Terns, a Little Gull, Red Kite, two Little Ringed Plovers and many fluffy Greylag Geese Goslings posed for my camera. I watched Bearded Tits flying over the reedbed as I walked back up the path.

15th May

Tha day started at Pentney where I watched two Common Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers and seven Common terns.

16th May

17th May

19th May

Being constrained by events on John's car needing to have a new windscreen again, we only had a few hours spare to try to see the Caspian Tern. At Potter Heigham we watched a Swallowtail Butterfly, Garden Tiger caterpillars and Four Spotted Chasers. There were several Ringed Plovers, Avocets, Redshank and Dunlin on the scrape amongst the Greylag Geese. A Glossy Ibis flew in as Dave Holman rang us to tell us about a Striped Hawk-moth at Lingwood. Matt Wilkinson kindly let us in his garden to see it where the hospitality was fantastic. Thanks Matt! I'm told that this is a rare moth which John has never seen in Britain but there has been a small influx this year at a few locations.

This evening was spent at the Wensum Valley bird club where RSPB staff gave a good talk on the perils that our beach-nesting birds face. Our fabulous volunteers do a fantastic job putting up cordons, educating people, collecting data on lots of colonies of Little Terns, Ringed Plovers, Avocets and Oystercatchers around the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline trying to protect the birds. However rising sea-levels and spring tides washing out nests, Kestrels and Hobbies predating the chicks as well as people taking dogs on the beaches (goodness knows why people do this in nesting season is beyond me) all play a part in the desertion of colonies and failure of chicks being able to fledge. It was a fascinating talk and I was full of admiration for the hard work that goes on trying to help some of our wonderful birds around the coast.  

20th May

I drove to Oxford early this morning and watched Red Kites on the way. Once I had arrived at my daughter's, my granddaughter was quick to point out a Red Kite flying and told me all about the Great Tit that is nesting in a bird box that I gave my daughter as a present, now residing in her plum tree.

21st May

22nd May

23rd May

24th May

Even at work today my life was still in a whirl as Lizzie and I ran down the West Bank path at Titchwell after a radio message from John just in time to see a Glossy Ibis fly over from the Freshmarsh to Thornham Marsh and head off towards the village. Later in the day Ashley kindly gave me a tip-off and so on my way home I called into Dersingham Bog where following Ashley's excellent directions we located a Nightjar sat out in the open churring above our heads in the late afternoon sun. Unfortunately thunder was rumbling and I soon lost the light as the storm approached. It's not often you get to see a Nightjar sat out in daylight.

26th May

Upon opening my curtains this morning I was surprised to see a Muntjac hiding in my hedge in the garden. It seemed very content to be there. I hope it does not eat all my vegetables that I have planted again this year!. I have enough trouble from the free-ranging chickens that roam around my garden.

I met up with Jill and we walked along Snettisham Country Park where a Sedge Warbler sat up and sang to us whilst a Cetti's Warbler also sang out. I stopped to take a photograph when a couple of Turtle Doves flew by. We were also entertained by a pair of Stonechats that were carrying food. A Turtle Dove perched up as I crept over to take its photograph. Later two more Turtle Doves flew into the bushes.

We crossed over to the inner seabank at the dam and joined birders watching the Great Reed Warbler singing. The wind was still very strong but at least the bird was showing a bit better than it was yesterday. We continued onto Heacham and watched many Little Egrets, Grey Herons flying, Marsh Harriiers, Greylag Geese, and Redshank before enjoying an all-day breakfast in the cafe at Heacham. The cup of tea went down well! It was quite a battle against the wind but at least the exercise will have used up some of the high-calorific breakfast!

A big thank you to the many of you who have sent me messages about my postings on Facebook/Twitter/Website recently. I have been overwhelmed by your kind comments. The birding community is a fabulous community who continue to help one another to enjoy our hobby.

27th May

28th May

John and I had a change of plan and drove through the night to Kent where an Eleonora's Falcon had been showing rather well at RSPB Worth Marshes. Neither of us had been to this RSPB reserve before and following the excellent Bird Guides and Casual Twitchers WhatsApp group's maps, parked up and grabbed a few hours sleep in the car. By dawn we joined a throng of birders and watched five Hobbies feeding at 4am with a backdrop of a red sky. I have never watched Hobbies feeding at dawn before. As the Eleonora's Falcon was obviously not amongst them we joined forces with a delightful young local birder and walked around to the Pinnock Wall track where it did not take long for a birder to pick out both the Red-footed Falcon and the Eleonora's Falcon sitting with its back to us distantly by the railwayline. Luckily after a bit of a debate and watching a short video of the bird with its longer wings the bird was identified and we entered the long wait for the bird to fly. We walked to the otherside of the railwayline to get a front view. 

I decided to go and grab a breakfast at a local cafe, a yummy smoked salmon and scrambled egg on toast before returning just in time to watch both the Eleonora's Falcon and the Red-footed Falcon fly around. By now birders had arrived in their hundreds and many familiar faces were good to see and have a chat to. The excellent weather made for a wonderful day out. Thanks must go to the RSPB staff who made parking available for us all.

Later John and I enjoyed a walk beneath the White Cliffs of Dover where was saw the last flower spike of Early Spider Orchid along with several Common Spotted Orchids.

After the excitement of yesterday and the company of many friends it was back to work today where an escaped Harris Hawk with jessies on was perched and flying over the visitor centre at Titchwell. However it did not not want its photo taken! On my way to a wonderful Sunday roast with a friend after work I stopped to admire a Marsh Harrier quartering a field before dropping down into the crop.

30th May

I awoke to a cacophony of sound coming from my garden this morning. On opening the curtains my two parent Jackdaws were in the trees squawking and two young Jackdaws were flapping around the owl nest box. They had obviously just fledged. A third young Jackdaw took a flight for a few metres to a nearby tree and landed as the parent bird looked on. The squawking continued as each youngster flew a few short metres from tree to tree. For the last few years my Jackdaws have entertained me as I have sat in the garden watching my owl box, but this year because of the cold weather I have had to watch from the upstairs window or whilst I have been gardening. The Jackdaws are quite shy and have often sat and watched me on the hammock in previous years. They have been very entertaining.

At work Lucy and I went to inspect the Island Hide at work and looked at what needed improving. There is always more to be done at this wonderful reserve as we struggle to raise funds for improvement. So if you have any spare money please send it to Titchwell Marsh RSPB so that we can refurbish Island Hide! So many of you love sitting in this hide and watch our wonderful birds. 

Down at Parrinder Hide we sat and watched all the little Avocet chicks feeding everywhere. A Greylag Gosling had the temerity to approach an Avocet chick and the parent Avocet kept dive-bombing it making it submerge beneath the water to escape the sharp-pointed bill that was being directed at it. It was some battle and the gosling took some while to escape. A Meadow Pipit flew in and ran around the new bund as we inspected the hide and wound up all the windows that visitors had left open. We watched Marsh Harriers and all the Shelduck present. Avocets were everywhere and we think we have a record count this year.