Ode to a Nightingale

What a difference a week can make. The winds finally turned around to the south and the migrants have been steadily arriving.
I'm still buzzing from my Red-flanked Bluetail find last Sunday but with spring finally here there was no time for laurel resting! With a report of a Nightingale singing at nearby Whitlingham broad, I contacted James Emerson who very kindly gave me precise directions to locate the bird.
I tried hard to get out of work early but was still there at 6pm, nonetheless I made it home by 6.30pm, scoffed half a pizza and was parking up at Whitlingham before 7pm.
I took the path along the north side of the great broad. A different place from my last visit in mid- January for Slavonian Grebe. Back then the paths were covered in frozen snow, the east wind was cruel and parts of the broad frozen. But this evening as I walked, the air was mild, people were jogging and the summer migrants were out in force. Chiffchaffs and Willows Warblers sang while Swallows hunted over the water.
I reached the site and noted three female Blackcaps and one male Blackcap in the pussy willows. I wondered if I was in the right place when after five minutes I got a brief snatch of Nightingale song. From then on it sang on and off until shortly before I left. But getting views of it was another thing. It stayed very well concealed (as they do) and the light had faded quite a bit before I finally caught a glimpse of it sitting on a low bramble chattering away to itself. The following shot is taken through stems of foliage, highly cropped and high ISO - hence the crappiness. But it is the first Nightingale I've seen in either Britain or Ireland so it'll do for starters!

Nightingale, Whitlingham CP, Norfolk - 16th April 2013

A Cetti's Warbler chipped in a few times with its explosive song but I never caught sight of it and I was sure I could hear a Sedge Warbler babbling away from time to time also, more of a plastic song than fully crystallized but again no sighting. Meanwhile the Nightingale continued to sing, occasionally adding in a series plaintive single note whistles........'lu, lu, lu, lu'.....as it went up the scale. Beautiful! I was joined briefly by two other local birders who sadly failed to see it. The bird fell silent for ten minutes and with the light now really gone, I called it a day.......but a good day at that!
My thanks again to James Emerson, please check his excellent blog on birding around Whitlingham CP, Beer and birds blog

Blue magic at Horsey Gap

I guess this will go down a 'red-letter' day, or better still 'red-flanked' day!

I already had the first two Swallows of the year at Holkam on Friday along with more Swallows, Sand and House Martins, the first Chiffers and a singing Willow Warbler at Strumpshaw Fen yesterday evening.
The east or north Norfolk coast would definitely be worth a look so I headed up and away before 9 o'clock this morning.
I'm still learning where each place is. I thought of going to Holme but it's an hour and a half from Norwich so I decided to go over towards Winterton and Horsey. I knew Horsey Gap from visiting it with Nick Watmough on Easter Monday so I was confident I could find my way back there. Based on recent reports a Common Redstart, Black Redstart or Ring Ouzel could be possible, I'd settle for any of them.
I pulled into the car park at Horsey Gap and was a little surprised to see no signs of any other birders. I expected places like this to be well covered.
I could hear a Willow Warbler in song over towards the south side of the carpark so decided to check there first. Apart from the Willow Warbler, I had a singing Chiffer and about four Swallows. I went about half a mile before deciding to go back and check the path that runs to north of the car park. I followed that for about one hundred meters before noticing a stand of trees with gorze just in off the path. They looked interesting, so I broke away from the path and headed towards them.
As I came around the side of the first few trees a small bird caught my eye but immediately dropped out of sight. I relocated it quickly and thought....'here we go female Common Redstart, that'll do!'. However once I got the bins onto it I could see very striking orange flanks, it was shouting Red-flanked Bluetail to me but I still couldn't believe that it was. Then it turned its back to me, flashed its blue tail and took off deeper into the trees. I suppressed a shout of delight and turned back to get my camera.
I had a mobile number for Birdguides so texted the news in before calling Nick Watmough to ask him if he could put it out also (even though I'm here a few months I still haven't set myself up on Rare Bird Alert etc.). I gave Nick details of the location before settling down to try for a few shots. For about an hour it was just me and the bird, shots were tricky but I did manage some.

Red-flanked Bluetail, Horsey gap, Norfolk - 14th April 2013

Plus a short movie clip as well.
 
Movie clip of Red-flanked Bluetail


Other birders arrived in due course and by the time I left a small sized twitch was underway (large by Irish standards but small enough for Norfolk I imagine).
Nick and I headed to Winterton to look for Black Redstarts (no joy) but did catch nice views of two roosting Long-eared Owls.

Roosting Long-eared Owl, Winterton, Norfolk - 14th April 2013

By now tiredness was kicking in and nothing was going to top the Bluetail. I packed up and headed for home.
After a crappy Autumn in 2012 and a very long winter, finding my own Red-flanked Bluetail in my first spring in Norfolk is a very good consolation.

Some signs of spring on the east Norfolk coast

Its April already, the clocks have gone forward, Easter is all but finished and I still haven't seen a Wheatear or even any Hirundines. Hard to believe. But that's the sort of winter its been.
Not to be deterred though, myself and Nick Watmough met up at 8am this morning in Norwich and headed for the coast to look for migrants.
First stop was Bure Park in Great Yarmouth where a Garganey had been reported the previous day. British summer-time had officially started but it still felt Baltic as we got out of the car.
As is customary at this stage, a Barn Owl put in an appearance hunting along the ditch in front of the car park. Norfolk really seems to be a stronghold for this species. Within five minutes we had located a Garganey pair sleeping along the edge of a small pool along with some Pochard. A summer migrant at last. The bird got a little spooked as we approached, I got a few snaps before leaving it be. On the way out of Bure Park I noticed a row of Daffodils with their heads still closed, hard to believe on the 1st April.

Garganey, Bure Park, Great Yarmouth - 1st Aprl 2013

So we were off to a good start. Next stop was Winterton allotments, but sadly nothing of note there.
I stopped briefly along the road out of Winterton to snap this Red-legged Partridge in a ploughed field, Nick assures me I'll grow tired of them in time but for the moment they're nice to see.

Red-legged Partridge - near Winterton, Norfolk

We continued on towards Horsey, parked up and began checking the pathway around the dunes hoping for the first Wheatear but here too was quiet. At the caravan park we did dig out one and possibly two White Wagtails but that was it. We fantasized about Shrikes, Wrynecks and all sorts of other stuff but it was not to be.
We drove on to Sea Palling where a large gull flock in recent days had included Med, several Glaucous and Caspian Gull(s). When we got there the flock had spread out, many of them were loafing out on the water with some on the reefs. The best we could pick out was a 1st winter Kittiwake. Not a bad bird for the area I'm told, but Caspian would have been nicer.

1st winter Kittiwake, Sea Palling, Norfolk - 1st April 2013

We headed back to the car for our lunch and agreed that it may be better to give up on the migrant front and head to Buckenham to see if we could locate some Little Ringed Plover.
We parked at the train station and walked up to the hide, three Ruff, several Dunlin, two Redshank and two or three Ringed Plover were the best here. Sadly no sign of any LRPs. Wigeon numbers are still high in the fields either side of the road though.

Eurasian Wigeon - Buckenham Marshes RSPB - 1st April 2013

And the Lapwing are starting to get frisky.

Lapwing, Buckenham Marshes RSPB - 1st April 2013

Just as we were leaving another birder put us onto a Water Pipit, views were distant but always a good bird to see. With time wearing on we decided to call it a day and headed back to Norwich.
So that wraps up my Easter birding. The winter weather continues but I had two lifers (Grey Partridge and Tawny Owl) and several additions to my UK list (Great Grey Shrike, Red-legged Partridge, Garganey and Water Pipit). Hopefully the spring migs will start to trickle in soon!

Great Grey Shrike - Egmere

Plan A was to head back to Strumpshaw Fen this afternoon and try for some better Brambling shots but a report of a Great Grey Shrike at Egmere was tempting. I didn't feel like driving very far but at the last minute I relented. Having dipped at Wrentham, Suffolk several weeks ago I knew seeing one this time wouldn't be guaranteed. But its too good a bird to ignore so off I went.
I had a bit of trouble finding the exact spot and ended up driving into Wells-next-the-Sea first. Knowing I had gone wrong I turned back along the Fakenham road and eventually came upon four cars pulled up along a ditch about one mile past the old church in Egmere. About five birders were present and already peering through scopes so things were looking good. I wound the car window down and asked the nearest birder if this was the right place for the Shrike, 'Yes', they replied. And the bird was showing well perched atop a Hawthorn bush about three hundred yards further up a private road. I enjoyed good views of it as it scanned the hedgerow for a hapless Wren or Goldcrest. My only previous encounter with this species was in Latvia two years ago so this was a British tick for me. I gave it two hours but the bird never came much closer than one hundred yards. I got some reasonable record shots but when I got home it seemed like many of the files on my memory card were corrupted and I couldn't process those images. In fact I only had one shot that I could view and edit. Its pretty crappy really but better than nothing. Still an absolute beauty of a bird.

Great Grey Shrike - Egmere, Norfolk - 29th March 2013

I shared views with several other birders throughout my time with the shrike. All good folk, none more so than Paul, who is the first wheelchair birder I have met. He told me being divorced and disabled is great because of all the time you have to go birding. Paul, I salute you sir...........and wish we could all have an attitude as good as yours!
A Barn Owl flew over our heads checking us out at one stage and I also caught a brief glimpse of a Red Kite before it disappeared behind the horizon. A Buzzard was calling from a sycamore tree in a nearby field and female type Marsh Harrier put in a brief cameo.
With the bird keeping its distance and not wanting to venture down the private road for closer views I decided to head home. It was bitterly cold too. Just before I turned onto the Fakenham road I stopped to check-out some Red-legged Partridge in a stubble field when two Grey Partridge flew out from the ditch into the same field. I thought about it for a second or two before realising that Grey Partridge is a lifer. That makes me sound like a total novice but up until recently there was only one site in Ireland where they could be seen (Boora Bog in Co. Offaly) and I had never been there. I had never seen Grey Partridge anywhere else so these two were my first (I haven't seen too many Red-legged Partridge for that matter either).

Grey Partridge, near Egmere, Norfolk - 29th March 2013

Time was pushing on so I turned for home. Four or five miles later a small brownish raptor flew out of a wood and across the road in front of me. For a second or two it had me puzzled, it didn't look familiar...........because it wasn't! Tawny Owl........another lifer!

I think the word you're looking for is 'dude' ;-)

Where's spring?

I remember this weekend last year was warm and sunny, a Baillon's Crake had turned up on Great Saltee followed two days later by a spring Red-flanked Bluetail on Galley Head. However this year is altogether different, I reckon there's been snow every week since moving to Norwich in January and this morning it was brass monkeys although the snow had stopped at least.
With no significant movement of spring migrants just yet I decided to go local and headed for Strumpshaw Fen.
I started off at the feeders near reception. The sun was shining but the wind was really raw. No sign of any Bramblings but a couple of Marsh Tits were present including this one who posed briefly while the sun shone.

Marsh Tit - Strumpshaw Fen RSPB - 24th March 2013

After thirty minutes the cold was starting to bite, I headed into the first hide to warm up. Out on the pool I could see good numbers of Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Shoveller, Mallard, a distant Black Swan and a smart male Marsh Harrier.
From there I took the woodland trail, halfway along the path I came across what is probably the tamest Pheasant I ever saw. I got down to take a few shots at eye level and it strolled up to me for a close look. In fact so close I couldn't focus the lens.

Very tame Pheasant

As I continued along the path the Pheasant followed me for about one hundred meters before deciding I had nothing of interest for him.
Heading towards the Fen hide the wind was really cutting. I had many layers on but I was glad when I reached the hide and got in out of that east wind. These Highland Cattle looked like it was no trouble to them.

Highland Cattle - Strumpshaw Fen

I'm a little surprised to see these sort of cattle in Norfolk, I associate them with  Scotland but I guess they could be anywhere. Great looking beasts all the same!
At the Fen hide it was quiet save for two Redshanks, some courting Coot and three distant Marsh Harriers (two female types and a male). I had missed an Otter by two minutes (seems to happen to me a lot). I spent an hour there hoping to see a Bittern but left empty-handed.
I took my lunch back in the hide at reception, having warmed up I decided to check the feeders once more. This time I had two female and one male Brambling. I tried for an hour to get some decent shots but failed to improve on those I got in early February. The light was just to weak.

Female Brambling - Strumpshaw Fen - 24th March 2013.

A female Siskin and a Nuthatch put in brief appearances. After an hour I was frozen solid. I headed back to the car and off home.
Next weekend the clocks go forward and the weather looks like warming up a little, its also Easter so that means a four day weekend (huzzah!). The plan is to hit the east coast with Nick to search for migrants. Hopefully my next blog update will look a little bit more spring-like!
Until then!

No luck on St. Patrick's Day

I hadn't been birding for almost four weeks, an unprecedented hiatus for me but there was other 'stuff' to do on the weekends and the weather had been pretty grim.
But the break had done me good and I was very eager to get out today one way or another. I had first thought of going to Strumpshaw Fen but having seen a report of the Great Grey Shrike at Wrentham this morning on Birdguides I decided to go 'off piste', leave Norfolk altogether and venture into Suffolk.
I set off just after noon, I had the right general area (Guildhall Lane) but not the precise location. Fortunately there were other birders present otherwise I may have missed it. As it happened they were just leaving as I arrived having failed to connect with the bird. In fact the last time it was seen had been several hours earlier as it flew high towards the fields on the opposite side of the road and away out of sight.
Never mind, at least I was in the right area, just a matter of time. Great Grey Shrike is a good bird, I've only seen one before and that was in Latvia. I'd never seen one in the UK before and certainly not in Ireland where they're much rarer.
A couple more birders arrived in due course, this was their second time there today and they had dipped first time around. We chatted for a while before they decided to move on. After that it was just me. I gave it four hours but no shrike.
But it wasn't all birdless, far from it in fact. At one stage the sun broke through and a stunning Barn Owl drifted past on the meadow in front of me. I'm seeing a lot more Barn Owls in the UK than I ever saw in Ireland. When the BTO atlas comes out later this year it'll be interesting to compare their status.
I made a brief movie clip of the bird as it hunted although it was naturally reluctant to come too close.

Youtube clip of Barn Owl hunting

Sorry for the shaky footage by the way.

At the same a Green Woodpecker put in a brief appearance along the edge of the left hand side hedgerow.
I guess its always like this, if you give a place enough time you'll see birds. While the shrike was nowhere to be seen, I had nice views of Kestrel, Yellowhammer, Bullfinch, Long-tailed Tit and a distant male Marsh Harrier.
I decided to stroll around a bit and in the next field along the edge of a small plantation I caught up again with the Barn Owl. I was busy taking shots of it when a second bird drifted past within twenty feet, but I was too slow with my lens, it caught sight of me and turned giving me a view of its arse only - not a great shot.
The first Owl obviously had a little scheme going and was cleverly perched on a post right along the edge of a plantation watching for voles and mice. I tried creeping towards it but you don't really creep up on Barn Owls without them noticing you very quickly.

Rumbled - spotted by the Barn Owl as I crept towards it.

I elected to see if I could approach from the lane on the opposite side of the plantation and get a few shots from within my car. I got a little closer this time but was also spotted before too long.

Barn Owl, Wrentham, Suffolk - 17th March 2013

I took one more short movie clip before leaving the bird to his hunting.

Barn Owl perched movie clip

I returned to the shrike site for one last look, still no sign but I did flush a Woodcock and the male Marshie came a little closer.

Male Marsh Harrier, Wrentham, Suffolk - 17th March 2013

So, all in all, not a bad day out. Alas no shrike but plenty else to see on what was my first St. Patrick's day outside of Ireland.

Shona La Feile Padraig!

Early birds and real ale

Its been brass monkeys here in Norfolk for the last few days. I'm watching the snow flakes fall outside as I write and while its exciting to see some of the early migrants on the south coast, you'd have to wonder how many will survive the cold conditions. Speaking of early arrivals Dublin birder Niall Keogh had an excellent record of two Firecrests yesterday in the garden on Great Saltee in Wexford. I would have thought it'd be too early to hit Great Saltee but I was wrong.......good call Niall!

There's been no birding for me of late but we did take a spin over to Bury St. Edmunds yesterday where we took part in an excellent tour of the Greene King brewery. I bought a few samples in the brewery shop and am currently working my way through them with Polina's help. Old Golden Hen is still my favorite although Greene King IPA is a close second. Going back to my student days I worked in a bar but never used one of those pump type taps, it was good to have a go from the other side of the counter once more. Here's me helping myself to some Abbot Ale Reserve.

Working the pumps at Greene King Brewery

Polina had a go as well!

P pulls a half of Greene King IPA

A good day out but hopefully some birding to report next weekend.........assuming it stops snowing!