3 April 2010

Tim's sightings. 1 Hooded Crow north dunes, 1 Black Redstart chalet park.

2 April 2010

One Black Redstart in the South Dunes this morning. The only other migrant was a male Reed Bunting in my garden briefly.

30 March 2010

3 Swallows south. 3 Chiffchaffs in the Valley.

29 March 2010

2 members TP & TH ventured not only out of parish but out of county, being unable to resist the lure of Lesser Kestrel. On arrival at Westleton we were greeted by several GY bird club members with the all too familiar greeting 'you should have been here 5 minutes ago', however after enduring rain, cold wind and mist blowing in from the sea, the skies cleared (well, just enough) to give reasonable though distant perched and flight views.

On the way home we failed to see the Pallid Swift at Kessingland, but were successful with the two Alpine Swifts at Lowestoft. One can only hope they find enough food to survive the poor weather that is forecast.

Ted.

Black Redstart-south dunes, Brambling-south dunes, 3 Blackcaps-Low road.

Tim.

28 March 2010

Black Redstart and Firecrest around today. Sean
Common Buzzard, north dunes, 2 Common Cranes, north dunes.

Tim.

27 March 2010

More sightings by Tim this morning. Black Redstart at the blocks, Firecrest in the pine plantation. 1 Swallow south yesterday pm. Also Hen Harrier north dunes, Common Buzzard, 2 Common Cranes.

26 March 2010

2 Black Redstarts and a Firecrest on the south dunes. Also a White Wagtail.

All seen by Tim within a couple of hours of his return!

24 March 2010

All spotters please note the "First to 100" Creme Egg Trophy has been reinstated this year, providing the winner claims his or her prize before Easter Sunday.  Please also note that if you are updating the year list with new species could you email me rather than do it yourself as we seem to have a bug which adds line spaces every time updates are added.  Well done Colin on the current bird of the year.  Who saw today's Kite?

23 March 2010

Wheatear in the South Dunes this morning.

22 March 2010

Colin had good views of an ALPINE SWIFT at 5.15 this evening in the South Dunes, for about ten seconds.  Unfortunately no-one else saw it despite his valiant phoning efforts.  This is his second solo sighting of the species in the parish.  Also today Black Redstart on the telephone building.

19th March

A thoroughbred Hooded Crow flew south accompanied by several Carrion Crows this morning.

18 March 2010

A Chiffchaff in the valley this morning. Colin.
Also one in the garden Friday am. Ted

13 March 2010

Tree Sparrow at the new private site, Stonechats in the North Dunes, and a pair of Gannets out to sea this evening.

13 March 2010

Flushed a Woodcock just north of beach road this morning. Also Rock Pipit on 7 March on sea wall at top end of North Dunes.

11 March 2010

Twelve yellow billed swans, which I thought looked like Whooper Swans, flew northwest over the North Dunes at 6pm this evening, then turned round and came back south along the coast.  I thought Pete would be able to confirm them by applying his new swan flight direction ID criteria, but he was not able to (due to the unexpected change of direction, I believe) so I'd better put them down as Bewpers (or Whoopwicks).

2nd March

Four Bewick's Swans flying out to sea this morning.

1 March 2010

Colin had a Red Kite today.

28th February 2010

A brief visit to a private site by a single Tree Sparrow. Apparently this bird had been seen at other nearby private sites on 26th and 27th Feb also.

27 February 2010

Colin's bid for the top married birder year list record (currently standing at 155) continued strongly when he found three Egyptian Geese along Low Road to add to his list.  A small male Sparrowhawk was also hunting very low along the very wet and muddy surface of Low Road.

21 February 2010

Well outside the parish, there was a flock of seven Waxwings in my guitar teacher's front garden in Gorleston on Monday.

20th February 2010

A Water rail at the usual site and a Tree Sparrow at a private site.

15 February 2010

Colin and I went on a crack mission this morning with two aims: 1. To see a Treecreeper. 2. To find Colin's keys which he lost yestderday, attempting to see a Treecreeper. We were successful in one of our aims - we saw a lovely, clean Treecreeper, shinning up the single Oak Tree in the field South of the Holmes Road woods. Also of note were three Cranes, a Brambling, a small flock of Skylarks, three Sparrowhawks displaying and, much to our relief, at least two Goldcrests; conclusive proof that they are not extinct. All definitely worth the near-death experience of hanging about in the cold, and the puncture I sustained on the way back. A large flock of Fieldfares was just outside of the parish. Sean

While I failed yet again to find a Treecreeper in the parish I did see a Short-eared Owl hunting in the area described in the mid afternoon. Ted.

And Colin found his keys this afternoon too.  Great day! Sean

31 January 2010

A good day. Highlights included a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull in a field just north of Low Road (just out of the parish but viewable from within it - does that count??), Peregrine, Common Buzzard, a ringtail Hen Harrier, 12 White-fronted Geese south, 3 Egyptian Geese, a Woodcock in off the sea and 3 Common Cranes. Stayed out til dusk but no owls seen.

29 January 2010

A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was the highlight of an afternoon walk over the dunes today. Bullfinch, Siskin and Treecreeper along Holmes Road.

24 January 2010

A Grey Plover has taken up residence on the beach opposite the cafe for the last few days.

14 Jan 2010

Winterton Holmes: 1 Common Buzzard; 1 Bullfinch.

13 Jan 2010

Woodcock in the garden this afternoon!

video through double glazing -

Ted

Also on 13 Jan: 1 Tree Sparrow, Empsons Loke, by feeders.
Tim.

12 Jan 2010

Winterton Holmes: 1 Hen Harrier.

10 Jan 2010

Hello all. I have managed to get on the blog. Saw 3 Woodcock - two sitting and one walking - in the paddocks, then another over the village. Tim saw 15 or so yesterday - why are they not in the woods??
Colin

Winterton Holmes: 1 Marsh Tit; 6 Woodcock.
Tim

9th Jan 2010

Winterton to East Somerton: 13 Woodcock, 15 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher.

2 January 2010

Great to see the entire residents crew out today to get a very obliging Water Rail on their year lists.

1 January 2010

First sighting of the New Year - Barn Owl hunting in the overgrown meadow on the south side of Low Road (0750-0800)

1 January 2010

My family's customary New Year's Day walk down the valley to the bright lights and chipfat aroma of Hemsby, in order to waste £1 per child on the shove 2p piece machines resulted in a selection of the commoner parish birds to get the year list of to a fair start.  A lovely male Eider flying north was the nicest sight.  A Red-legged Partridge standing on top of the shed this morning was a good garden year tick too.

21st December 2009

Snow everywhere for the last two days and the frozen ground is making Snipe appear in odd places everywhere.  This afternoon, for example, one walking about near the White House Nursery, and one flying through the children's playground; they are popping up all over the place in their search for some non-frozen ground to feed in.  Pete had loads on Sunday, as well as a Water Rail walk across the Holmes Road, presumably similarly on the search for accessible wet habitat.

5 December 2009

A Great Northern Diver flew south past the cafe at 2pm.  The private site held another Tree Sparrow.

27 November 2009

Two Tree Sparrows at a private site this morning. Also eight Linnets and about 15 Cormorants at a public site.

9 November 2009

Colin saw a Purple Sandpiper on the groynes about a mile north of the village.

8 November 2009

John saw a Lapland Bunting and a Snow Bunting flying over the dunes.

6 November 2009

One Gadwall flying south and four Snow Buntings on the South beach.

1 November 2009

One Tree Sparrow at a private site.

30 October 2009

1 Peregrine Falcon, Winterton Holmes.  9 Bean Geese, in off the sea. 1 Snow Bunting, North Beach.

30 October 2009

First of all todays news. A Redwing in the garden and a Lapland Bunting in the North Dunes. Now the revelation of Wednesday's garden tick mega - a Lesser Redpoll.

28 October 2009

Garden mega! The slim shape seen slipping briefly through the garden Sycamores this morning turned out to be a new bird for the garden. Tune in again tomorrow (or Friday) to discover its identity.

26 October 2009

Tim's sightings -

Black Redstart still present but elusive

Short-eared Owl over the warren
Brambling Holmes road

25 October 2009

Taiga or RBF?
Tim's flycatcher on 19-20 September has been suggested by some to have been a Taiga, rather than a Red-Breasted.  As we understand it the basics of IDing these is the eye ring (complete and all white in RB but not so clear above the eye in Taiga), the upper tail-coverts (all black in Taiga) and the bill (all darker in Taiga).  More detailed ID stuff can be found here.  Here's the bird again.  What do you think?  All comments welcome.

24 October 2009

We think Tim's Cetti's Warbler from yesterday is a parish first.  Who cares about South Shields?  Well done Tim.

23 October 2009

Black Redstart still present at the cable station am.

Tim's sightings -
36 Siskin
57 Redpoll
4 Redwing
Cetti's Warbler at the pine plantation.

22 October 2009

Tim's sightings today -
Yellow-browed Warbler near the oaks (with Terry B)

2 Firecrests south dunes

55 Redpolls south
Black Redstart on the cable station roof.

21 October 2009

1 Firecrest in Low Road, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler Holmes Road (seen by Tim).

2 Firecrests in PC's garden! (seen only by PC), plus one again this evening, seen by Sean too.

20 October 2009

Two Firecrests today (one in Mr Next Door's garden) and a Yellow Browed Warbler ruthlessly and unethically taped out behind the Hermanus by our very own walking hi-fi system, Tim.  Disciplinary proceedings on behalf of tired migrants are being set in motion.

19 October 2009

Black Redstart in the garden this morning at 0800 and briefly on a rooftop in Low Road but so far unable to relocate it.

18 October 2009

A pair of Buzzards were circling above the Warren this afternoon.

15 October 2009

"Brown" Chiffchaff seen by the Hermanus this morning. It did have a strong buff wash round the vent but also, when seen closely and in good light, there was an olive tinge to the upperparts so may not have been a classic tristis. I couldn't see any yellow or grey tones anywhere.

In the afternoon a Woodcock flushed off the North Dunes.

13 October 2009

Wow! It continues! The birding info services are reporting a tristis Chiffchaff below the "holiday park"! (We assume this is the Hermanus but it could be the Chalet Park). Again this has absolutely nothing to do with us, as far as I can ascertain (haven't spoken to all Spotters yet...).  It just goes to show what can be found around here when some decent birders turn up!

12 October 2009

Clearly fun and games were had here today whilst we were all at work.  First, according to a well know bird information service, there was a "possible Sardinian Warbler" which, ten minutes later became a "probable Subalpine Warbler" and finally transmogrified, several hours later, into a Dartford Warbler (probably more realistic).   All of this took place "in the dunes 1 km south of the church".   Unfortunately 1km south of the church would put the hapless observer/s smack bang in the middle of  the road to Hemsby, seriously inland, rather than anywhere near the dunes.  Also reported, presumably by the same personage, were two Lapland Buntings "in the South Dunes by the wire fence 800m south of the church".  We have no idea where that might be either.  Fear not, however, we will send a crack team to investigate tomorrow. 

10 October 2009

Hundreds of Redwings tumbled out of the grey sky and streamed inland this morning.  Robins seem to have arrived in fair numbers, and some Skylarks were moving.  Still a few Swallows about, and a Shoveller, a parish rarity which came in off the sea, did a u-turn and flew back out again, has proved once more that we are in the Year of the Rare Commons.  Later in the morning our friend Terry had two Firecrests and a Ring Ouzel, and a Grey Wagtail was present near the pub.


As part of the early testing of this blog I want to upload a picture, so what better than our undocumented Semi-collared Flycatcher from 16th September last year ;)

8th October 2009

One Redwing and one Chiffchaff down the Valley.

3 October 2009

Seawatch by Tim, 7.30 to10.00:  wind west.

Sooty Shearwater 1

Manx Shearwater 1

Snow Bunting 2

Eider 6

Bonxie 1

Common Scoter 6

Brent Goose 14

Sandwich Tern 2

Mediterranean Gull, 2ads,1 juv, 1 2nd winter.
(Tim, I have taken the liberty of bolding the birds to fit in with our 'house style'.  Sean)

TEST POST 11th June 1906

20 Pallas's Sandgrouse over the village this morning.

TEST POST 2 January

The Humpback Whale was still in Pete's pond, along with a flock of Spoon-billed Sandpipers and at least three icebergs. When will this cold snap end?

TEST POST 1 January

Amazingly there was a Great Shearwater past today, riding on the back of a Humpback Whale.  Ted grabbed some footage of the whale: