Scant reward- but this is not over!

A couple of weekends following the same routine (Hemsby, Winterton South Dunes and the sea) have proved rather uneventful, as has been the case elsewhere in Norfolk. This weekend did feel more like Autumn though, particularly at Hemsby where many Redwing, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Robins flicked in and out of bushes, alluding to something rarer. A trawl of likely looking habitat turned up nothing scarce, let alone rare. Regardless of the destination, my track record of finding anything of note is getting worse rather than better! It turns out Waxham had Ring Ouzel, YBW and some commoner bits and pieces. Why not Hemsby?! Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat were in the oaks beneath the Hermanus restaurant at Winterton but that was as good as it got!
This has been the poorest October in terms of quality and quantity of migrants that I can remember. To further my case, I have actually been out looking for stuff. The birds aren't there, not for me. And if they are around elsewhere, they have been missed due to poor observer coverage. The negativity on BF (understandable) has no doubt led to a few sat at home, pager in hand, waiting for news rather than actually making it happen. That attitude in turn is a cause of suppression (why should we share our good birds with you if you can't be arsed to look for your own?) which again means the birds that are there, might as well not be. What to conclude from these musings?

It has been a poor October, so far. Weather systems and winds not coming from the right direction.
There probably are more birds out there than the news services suggest, but they are either being missed or suppressed/not reported. Not that I have an issue with this, just to make that clear.
As an aside, being based inland with a patch in The Broads, I am usually reliant on those that live and bird by the coast to find a beauty.

Still, it ain't over yet. Plenty of time for Raddes, Dusky, Humes YB, Pallas's and a further fall of Thrushes,

Redstarts and Flycacthers. Next weekend I am going to brave the north coast with some friends visiting. See you at the next big one?

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Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...

A weekend to live long in the memory

Saturday 12th, I picked up Connor around 6.30am and we headed to Waxham with migrant hunting in mind. It was clear that the NW blow and rain had dumped many common migrants. Every bush had a Robin, some more than one. There were also almost equal numbers of Song Thrush and Blackbird. As the sun rose, slowly more birds became active. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrest and ticked and tacked from cover. Superb stuff! Overhead, Brambling and Redpoll were moving, and some did rest long enough for decent views. Heading out into the dunes towards the pipe dump, we encountered a female Redstart and a Woodcock on route. Still, birds were arriving including more Thrushes and even a few Skylark. Without much success around the pipe dump itself (a Robin with a sore throat gave us a headache for a while) we headed back to the car and onto Horsey. Although there were less birds around by mid morning, little clumps of cover were alive with activity. In the same patch of scrub and pines that last ...

Claxton-on-sea!

Although it was not quite the Christmas we wanted here in the valley, the rain has bought its own gift. A grim vision of the future, perhaps. But right now, the patch is peaking and is alive with birds, and for that I am thankful. On Christmas eve, it was a job to navigate away from the village due to standing water that had left abandoned cars and undelivered presents in its wake. The rain had been persistent and unforgiving, the ground, saturated. Over on the marsh, where there had once been a muddy puddle amongst the pasture, a city had sprung from the leak, with a plethora of new occupants noisily laying claim to a patch of sodden marsh. Wigeon and Black-headed Gulls in their thousands now wheeled and whistled over and amongst the newly formed pools, accompanied by smaller numbers of Teal and Shoveler. A flock of two hundred-strong Lapwing enjoyed feeding on the less damp spots where green grass was still exposed, and thrown in for good measure have been a couple of Ruff, the ...

Notes from the valley

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