Patching

So we got back from Norfolk on sunday and it was nice to be back on patch, especially as the wind had now turned easterly and I was now seeing more in my first 2 hours on the patch than I had done all week in Norfolk. Id started at Radar lodge rd and picked up a Redwing feeding with 2 song Thrush very quickly. It already felt good. At the end of the track I did a short seawatch, in a few minuets I watched an Arctic Skua attaching an Adult Med Gull. 50 Teal were sat on the water, lots of Gannet movement and a handful of Common Scoter
A walk back along the cliffs produced a nice fly over Snow Bunting then sat on the fence were a Whinchat and Wheatear.

.I reached the Dis railtrack not seeing much more on the way but Rob had found 2 Yellow Browed Warblers... Good lad, managed to lock onto 1 of them at least. I Carried on around to the NSW pond where finally the Willow Emerald Damselfly were now out.

I headed home for lunch but then ventured out again afterwards and finally heard 2 Yellow browed warblers together in the Dis railtrack. Whilst stood there the rarest bird of the day was a fly over Ring necked Parakeet, a patch and Suffolk tick. That's was it for the day.

I went out again after work tonight but it was very quiet until this Pied Flycatcher popped up in the Churchyard.

I did take a few pics of the Blood Moon at 345 this morning.

The winds are getting stronger and stronger through the week so lets hope theres plenty more birds to come.

North Norfolk

Feels like and age since my last Blog post but its probably just over a fortnight.
13th Sept, the garden hosted 2 Buzzard, a nice Hobby, Sparrowhawk, 2 Grey Wagtail some Siskin 2 and a Goldcrest through. 5 Med Gulls catching ants Jay and a Green Woodpecker. Not bad for an hour sat in the garden whilst eating breakfast.
15th Sept Back on patch a Golden plover and flock of 20 Linnet, biggest flock this year.
19th Sept A Leucistic Collard dove that flew over the patch last week was now visiting me in the garden today. Then seen off by a more dominant normal Collard dove.

Sept 19th-25 headed for a weeks holiday at Kelling Heath again in North Norfolk, youll probably realise we love this place. Birding however during the week was really poor. I walked miles covering the usual places, Cley, Titchwell, Stiffkey, Kelling Water meadows. Sherringham, Cromer, Wells etc etc.
Not many highlights but at Titchwell 8 Spoonbills, 3 Little Stint and 3 Curlew Sandpiper and an Adult Med Gull.

Spoonbill

Med Gull

Curlew Sandpiper

 

Little Stint

At Cley a nice Short eared Owl.
The heath was great for Pinkfooted Geese this week and many more smaller flocks over Titchwell, Wells and Cley.

Pink Footed Goose

The weather was great so I managed to see the Dartford Warblers on a few occasions and quiet a few Adders, both adults and young. 18 Common Buzzard in one flock and a nice Juv Hobby.

Bullfinch

Stonechat

Whinchat

 

So by the end of the week id only managed 2 Scarce birds really, a Yellow Browed Warbler at Walsey hills and a Barred Warbler at Kelling quags.

lots and lots of Migrants

Its been frustrating and incredible on the patch this week. Work has got fully in the way of some truly awesome patchwork. However I have got lucky by picking up most species after work. only thing ive missed has been Tree Pipit and Sooty Shearwater. Otherwise ive had 30+ Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 3 Grey Partridge, Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser and Common Whitethroat a couple of Pied Fly and Redstarts. Med Gulls were still out in force Found a couple of really nice bird though Wryneck at Radar lodge and a Firecrest in the Churchyard, although probably 3-4 in the area.

On the few seawatch's I've managed I've seen flocks of Teal, Wigeon and my first 3 Brent Geese of the season. Also 4 Black Tern together although 1 may have been an Arctic, 4 little tern and a nice close Arctic Skua, 3 Sandwich Tern also. Lastly and Auk Sp and a Red Throated Diver.
Today on the patch it was hard work, the Firecrest was still in the churchyard and a Redstart and 7 Wheatear were at COSW. So I cut my losses and headed to Winterton for the afternoon to see an incredibly showy Bluethroat and not so showy Wryneck, my fifth of the autumn.

What a week!!!

Record Med Gulls.

On Friday 67 Med gulls was a nice record in the fields by COSW. A Little movement out at sea with a total of 9 Arctic Skuas, some Gannets, and a teal came in off and landed on the rocks in front of me looking fairly tired.
In the Dis railtrack a nice Hobby, a single Swift and a big flock of 50+ Siskin.

Saturday I was doing my Spartan race in Cambridge a 5km Assault coarse which was awesome fun. http://spartanraceuk.uk/spartan-race/
If anyone would like to sponsor me heres the link. https://www.justgiving.com/Craig-Shaw8/ I'm rasing funds for Bloodwise.
Anyway I completed the course fairly easily with the help of my awesome team of work colleagues.

 

 

Anyway at Eaton hall I saw 2 Red kites, always birdin ;-)

So back to today the Med Gulls had exploded to a massive 334 seen by Rob but I did see a hell of a lot myself when I finally got out. Feeling a bit stiff after yesterdays race. On the sea Some Gannets 8 Teal and 4 Wigeon. I decided to head up to Oremsby Broad for a distant White Winged Black Tern, distant but nice.

Lastly a distant flyover Crane at Horsey.

Barred Warbler

Well its back to work and guess what! yes a good bird turns up not quite on patch but very close down at Lowestoft. The bird was a very nice Juv Barred Warbler and luckily it was still present and showing well when I returned from work.
Back on patch a Spotted Flycatcher.