Back In Birdland

"The North Wind Doth Blow And We Shall Have.....Birds,Birds,Birds.

Well the wind did turn and blow down from the north and with the cold weather it brought birding to life along the coast here. There were some lovely birds to be seen, out to sea and also on land. There was a huge influx of owls along the coast, with both Short Eared and Long Eared. I got a call about this Long Eared Owl and headed along the short distance to see it with my Dad, it had come in off the sea exhausted and duly landed straight on the cliff face to rest up. The Short Eared Owl Sarah and I encountered was along the back lanes whilst walking the dogs.

Long Eared Owl

Velvet Scoter

Out to sea there were hundreds of wildfowl moving by, frustratingly I missed out on seeing Pomarine Skuas, even though there was an abundance of them they were no doubt too distant when I was watching. I did manage to see some Velvet Scoter which was a welcome addition to the patch.

Velvet Scoter

Richards Pipit

Then I received news of a Richards Pipit along the clifftop path, Immediately I set about grabbing the camera gear and legged it off! Five minutes later and it flew into view along the pathway a short distance away, it proved to be an elusive bird and stayed well hidden in the longer grasses, every now and again giving itself up as it came out onto the track, further along than expected only to then disappear back in the grass. I managed to grab a few record images before it headed off towards Sidestrand. And then to top off the excursion, a Little Auk sat out on the sea, doing it's best to avoid the unwanted attention of a Great Black Backed Gull. Great Birding and thanks to those that found them.

Richards Pipit

Red Breasted Fly makes my weekend.

Saturday 6th October 2018.

around tea time Sarah and I took the dogs for the last walk of the day, we headed off down Church Road opposite our house leaving my parents warming themselves by the burner. Just a short distance from the church grounds I noticed a small bird fly from one side of the road to the other and perch up briefly before flying into the bushes, as soon as it had perched up I had an inkling! it was then I remembered I had left the bins at home!! but when it alighted to the bush and I noticed the white outer tail feathers I knew my inkling was now more so.....Red Breasted Flycatcher?. On our return walk we could not relocate it at all, by now the light was fading so I decided to check in the morning. The morning arrived and Sarah and I set off with the dogs not much after first light, this time I had remembered my bins, checking all the bushes for movement and any birds flying around we were unable to locate the bird! There was plenty of birds around and an influx of species had made landfall in Norfolk by the look of it, we carried on with our walk and once home I decided to head off and check the lane again but with my Dad this time. As we stopped to check movement in the first trees along the lane a pair of Blue Tits flitted up onto a branch infront of us, then low and behold immediately followed by the Red Breasted Flycather!!!!!. It flew to a tree at the back of the church with the blue tits, my Dad got good views of it flitting around before it disappeared, there was work going on right next to the church and noise and machinery did not agree with it, a short while later and still no more sign , although watching a Stoat running around was nice to see, we headed home where I put the message out incase it was still nearby. My parents then departed home mid morning and Sarah and I settled down to jobs, I was in the studio finishing a drawing when all of a sudden I heard the continual calling of a Yellow Browed Warbler in a tree just behind our garden! It did not stay there for long though and headed towards the cliffs, I got my bins and camera ready and set off to try and find it again, after a spell and absolutely no sound or sight of it I headed back home only to be confronted by a large flock of Brambling frantically feeding in the trees outside the church...what a day.

New Patch Tick

Red-throated Diver

With a brisk Northwesterly wind I set myself up on the front at Trimingham and crossed my fingers for something good. There were a few groups of wildfowl passing but not as many as I expected, divers, red throated, were all heading east but at some distance along with a steady stream of Gannets. I had a couple of waders, individually following behind a couple of ducks, a Sanderling and a Dunlin, the Dunlin may be a new addition to my Trimingham patch list but one bird that I knew for sure was......Bonxie - the Great Skua, there had been sightings left right and center but I had not seen one, until now that is and low and behold not long after another one! (Something about buses comes to mind).

Great Skua

Late afternoon I sat up nearer the front, there were at least 10 Med Gulls around and a few passing Red-throated Divers and Common Scoter but not much else, a good day getting the Bonxies though.

Med Gulls

Med Gulls get on the Garden List.

MEDITERRANEAN GULLS GATHER IN NUMBERS.

Over the last few days there have been a few Mediterranean Gulls off the front catching flies/flying ants, and good numbers being reported further down the coast too. Yesterday, Sat 29th Sept, I was able to add them to my garden bird list as a group of them descended over the trees and scrub picking off the insects in flight. They continued to loop round and complete another run before drifting inland or along the coast, this carried on for some time and also paralleled another large movement of birds namely Common Buzzards which were being reported moving over in large numbers, I counted 11 over in just a short time with many more counted just along the coast. There have been more smaller birds passing over too, there seems to be a lot of Skylark moving around at present and more Meadow Pipits than a couple of weeks ago, there seems to be more Chiffchaff about, on a couple of days recently I have sea watched for a few hours, 3 Arctic Skuas was a nice addition as they chased a Tern, trying to get it to disgorge its food. Wildfowl numbers have been increasing in big numbers along with groups of Divers and good numbers of young Gannets moving past looks like they have had a good breeding season.

First half of September brings new additions.

Just over half way through September and it has been very quiet around Trimingham, but not without adding a couple of new patch ticks. At the very end of August I managed to connect with a Juv' Arctic Tern, feeding along the front for some time with a Juv' Common Tern.

Sea watching was slow going but I was starting to notice Common Scoter and groups of Teal and Wigeon moving West at the start of the month. Sandwich Terns moved through in good numbers, and my first new patch bird was a Arctic Skua, there were plenty of reports of Arctic and Great Skuas along the coastline but none had been seen by myself off of Trimingham so it was good to get one of them. In the first week of Sept' I had Red Throated Diver on the sea, a sign of them returning for the not too far off winter! I also watched Harbour Porpoises feeding. There were still numerous House Martins around with numbers passing along the coast with Swallows, but a single Sand Martin had been the first in a couple of weeks, unfortunately the last Swifts seen were on the 26th Aug'. During the last week I had seen a few more birds moving through, Blackcaps were scattered along the clifftop scrub, a Med Gull was on the front, and on the 14th I had the second new patch addition...a pair of Whinchat! I knew there had been Whinchat just along the coast at Cromer but I had not been able to connect with any moving through here, so it was a great addition and a shame I didn't have the camera with me!

The next morning on our dog walk we found a Wheatear, sat up in a ploughed field and the only one seen this autumn so far.

And over the last few days the returning sound and sight of the Pink Footed Geese, over 200 every morning and watched from the bedroom window whilst still in bed!

A great find by my neighbour John was this Convolvulus Hawkmoth which he found when clearing stuff in his garden, Sarah and I had seen these on quite a few evenings recently but as always when the light goes on as we step out of the house, they fly off, so to see one in the hand was a real bonus and definitely one that will be painted.

The Convolvulus has such large eyes, and when I first saw one in the garden it looked like a bat flying around it was so large!

And finally here is some of my latest artwork, I have been using wood as my medium to paint on which is really different and cool to use.

Birds on the move as August nears an end.

Mid month saw a lot of Swifts and swallows moving off, 23 were counted on the morning of the 19th as Sarah and I sat on the clifftop bench with the dogs for a spell of around 20 minutes. A few Common Terns were seen heading east, which were my first here since moving to Trimingham! Chiffchaffs were seen in a few locations as were a few Hobbies, Whimbrel were passing over in numbers, giving themselves away by their call as they approached. On the 21st I found a Pied Flycatcher (possibly 2 birds) along the stretch of trees behind our house, later adding it to the garden list also...result.

A couple of Golden Plover were seen, won't be long before they are gathering in the clifftop fields again! I was informed about a Merlin taking a Swift just along the coast off Vale Road, the next morning Sarah and I saw, probably the same small falcon, fly over the playing field whilst on our morning dog walk and head inland. Whimbrel were almost daily now and I counted a flock of 20 head out to sea. With more birds now being reported I am hoping to add a Skua to the patch list, fingers crossed, along with a scarcer passerine.

During the middle part of the month Sarah and I had a tour of June and Patrick's garden along the coast from us, the amount of Common Blue butterflies and invite to return when I wanted, was enough for me to grab the camera and pay a visit. I recorded a few species in their garden along with some other insects/bugs and I will have to return next year for the Bee Orchids for sure.

Here's a selection of some photos taken:

Gatekeeper

Small Copper

Common Blues >

Insect/bug wise I found these species:

Field Grasshoppers

Dock Bug Adult and Nymph

Long Winged Conehead (top & bottom)

And one of the last things to see was this Yellow Shell moth which was disturbed from a bush, which reminds me of the great success the tobacco plants have had in our garden by bringing in Convolvulus Hawkmoths on a few evenings now.