B i r d w a t c h i n g i n N o r f o l k
N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1
N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1
Double click to edit
Bird watching & Wildlife holidays
Wildlife photography workshops
Norfolk UK & Europe
Wildlife photography workshops
Norfolk UK & Europe
8th November - ONE to ONE Photography
This ONE to ONE workshop is one that I work with quite regularly.
The client, a newcomer to the world of bird photography & also a relatively inexperienced user of one of the latest Digital Single lens reflex cameras. We spent a large part of the day with Gordon grasping the basic principles of the way the camera works & how the aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, ISO speeds & long lenses are linked together.
Once a client has understood these aspects then they can move on to realising the full potential of their equipment. This normally takes the form of shooting some garden birds on natural perches & also gives them the chance to understand how opportunities can be created to produce images with good composition.
14th - 21st November - EXTREMADURA SPAIN
A 7 DAY TOUR OF EXTREMADURA offering a great overview of some specialist species. Little Bustard, Great Bustard, Black-bellied & Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, flocks of Calandra Larks, Azure-winged Magpie, Black Vulture, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle & Alpine Accentor & vast numbers of Cranes.
Click here to read the trip report
25th November - 2 Day Customised Tour for Two Clients
Day One
We started the day with a seawatch at Salthouse, & picked up a few nice birds, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 RED-NECKED GREBE, 20 Gannet offshore, 2 Razorbill, 20 Kittiwake, plus an Arctic Skua flew west. A steady walk westwards along the seawall to Cley proved very productive, with c40 Snow Bunting, 1 Lapland Bunting plus a lovely SHORELARK.
Out on the pools c40 Dunlin, 2 SPOONBILL, Black & Bar-tailed Godwit, plus lots of Teal & Wigeon. Over the reedbed several Marsh Harriers were keep the wildfowl busy!
We lunched at Cley & spent an enjoyable afternoon with nice views of a an assortment of wildlfowl, geese & commoner waders, plus 2 WATER PIPIT, 2 PALE-BELLIED BRENTS, 2 VELVET SCOTER just offshore. Plus more auks, divers offshore.
26th November - 2 Day Customised Tour for Two Clients
Day Two
The day started with a short seawatch off Sheringham, although there were few birds moving we did have a LITTLE AUK close in moving east, plus 1 Great Skua, & 1 Arctic Skua.
My Serbian clients were very keen to see Barnacle Goose, so with a wild flock accompanying a nice group of White-fronts we headed for Blakeney. Fortunately the "goose" flock from the preceding days were still present & showing very well from Friary hills, there was around c40 BARNACLE GEESE, & C30 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.
The guys needed to catch a train early afternoon & the remaining target species was Sanderling, I had never met another birder so excited by the thought of seeing this species!! It was never going to be difficult - a guides dream! Anyway with the tide well out I decided the nearest location would be Wells beach, we were soon watching a nice selection of waders, Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover, Turnstone etc also including good close ups of Sanderling or "alba" as they affectionally termed the Sanderling. We were also treated to a nice flyover flock of c30 Snow Bunting.
27th November - Day Birding on Norfolk Coast
Holme - 21 WHOOPER SWAN in off the sea at midday & present until dark, also 1 Spotted Redshank & 2 Short-eared Owl. Also c120 Linnet.
We then spent the afternoon at Titchwell, where we had a nice mix of waders & wildfowl, plus 1 SHORT-EARED OWL & 3 SPOONBILL.
28th November - Three Day Winter Norfolk Birding Tour
Day One
We left the accommodation and headed to Holme. We were soon enjoying wonderful close views of c40 Snow Bunting, plus a nice roosting flock of several 100 Oystercatcher, Knot, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Dunlin. Out on the sea, 6 Goldeneye passed west, & lots of Great Crested Grebe were noted. Several Marsh Harrier were out over the marsh, plus some small skeins of Pink-feet & Brents
We had a good flock of c100 Greenfinch, plus 2 Rock Pipit before heading up to the Observatory for some lunch.
After lunch we walked out on to the freshamrsh where we treated to wonderful views of up to 4 SHORT-EARED OWL, on constant view from 2PM till dusk, we also noted 6 Marsh harrier, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk & Barn Owl.
29th November - Three Day Winter Norfolk Birding Tour
Day Two
A seawatch was surprisingly productive, given the fairly constant southerly breeze!
100's of auks were passing constantly & pretty soon we had noted 4 LITTLE AUKS passing north, plus a very close juv Arctic skua, the two VELVET SCOTER were still very nice & close, also slightly further out were c50 Common Scoter. Incredibly, there were 3+ Red-throated Divers within 5m of the shoreline, we had wonderful views as they popped up rightin front of us. Then next was a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER also close inshore, further out, the auks continued passing, along with c30 Little Gull,2 Shag, several Kittiwake.
We did sadly (especially for me, as it would have been a new Norfolk bird!) a Black Guillemot.
Eventually the pull of the rare peep seen from Daukes hide was too much & we headed to view the "mystery wader" it was at this stage - a putative Semi-palmated Sandpiper. It was eventually identified as a juv/1st winter WESTERN SANDPIPER! So a new Norfolk bird anyway today!!
We then headed over to East Norfolk where we had a another good roost at Hickling & despite a very blustery wind! 1 ad male & 1 R/T Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin, 60 Marsh Harrier, 5 Cranes & 5 BEWICKS SWAN flew over.
30th November - Three Day Winter Norfolk Birding Tour
Day Three
We started the day at Burnham Overy & were almost immediately on to one of the juvenile ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD, it was having a hard time, both PEREGRINE & Marsh Harrier were mobbing it. The PEREGRINE persistently dive bombing it. We walked out on the high tide, so few shorebirds were on view, but good numbers of Brents & Pink-feet were seen, plus Lapwing & Golden Plover. Out in the dunes we found another flock of Snow Bunting - 27 were feeding along the strandline in typical fashion, eventually taking flight as per their usual restless behaviour. Out on the sea, another LITTLE AUK went flashing by. As we commenced our return leg the tide had just receded & there was a lovely selection of Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Godwits etc. We also picked up the ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD & we had great views as passed virtually overhead.
We finished the day with the Pink-foot roost, which was actually slightly disappointing with around 10,000 birds roosting, but 3/4 of them choosing to arrive in virtual darkness.
A hunting Barn Owl, several Marsh Harrier & either the same or another perched ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD.
This ONE to ONE workshop is one that I work with quite regularly.
The client, a newcomer to the world of bird photography & also a relatively inexperienced user of one of the latest Digital Single lens reflex cameras. We spent a large part of the day with Gordon grasping the basic principles of the way the camera works & how the aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, ISO speeds & long lenses are linked together.
Once a client has understood these aspects then they can move on to realising the full potential of their equipment. This normally takes the form of shooting some garden birds on natural perches & also gives them the chance to understand how opportunities can be created to produce images with good composition.
14th - 21st November - EXTREMADURA SPAIN
A 7 DAY TOUR OF EXTREMADURA offering a great overview of some specialist species. Little Bustard, Great Bustard, Black-bellied & Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, flocks of Calandra Larks, Azure-winged Magpie, Black Vulture, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle & Alpine Accentor & vast numbers of Cranes.
Click here to read the trip report
25th November - 2 Day Customised Tour for Two Clients
Day One
We started the day with a seawatch at Salthouse, & picked up a few nice birds, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 RED-NECKED GREBE, 20 Gannet offshore, 2 Razorbill, 20 Kittiwake, plus an Arctic Skua flew west. A steady walk westwards along the seawall to Cley proved very productive, with c40 Snow Bunting, 1 Lapland Bunting plus a lovely SHORELARK.
Out on the pools c40 Dunlin, 2 SPOONBILL, Black & Bar-tailed Godwit, plus lots of Teal & Wigeon. Over the reedbed several Marsh Harriers were keep the wildfowl busy!
We lunched at Cley & spent an enjoyable afternoon with nice views of a an assortment of wildlfowl, geese & commoner waders, plus 2 WATER PIPIT, 2 PALE-BELLIED BRENTS, 2 VELVET SCOTER just offshore. Plus more auks, divers offshore.
26th November - 2 Day Customised Tour for Two Clients
Day Two
The day started with a short seawatch off Sheringham, although there were few birds moving we did have a LITTLE AUK close in moving east, plus 1 Great Skua, & 1 Arctic Skua.
My Serbian clients were very keen to see Barnacle Goose, so with a wild flock accompanying a nice group of White-fronts we headed for Blakeney. Fortunately the "goose" flock from the preceding days were still present & showing very well from Friary hills, there was around c40 BARNACLE GEESE, & C30 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.
The guys needed to catch a train early afternoon & the remaining target species was Sanderling, I had never met another birder so excited by the thought of seeing this species!! It was never going to be difficult - a guides dream! Anyway with the tide well out I decided the nearest location would be Wells beach, we were soon watching a nice selection of waders, Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover, Turnstone etc also including good close ups of Sanderling or "alba" as they affectionally termed the Sanderling. We were also treated to a nice flyover flock of c30 Snow Bunting.
27th November - Day Birding on Norfolk Coast
Holme - 21 WHOOPER SWAN in off the sea at midday & present until dark, also 1 Spotted Redshank & 2 Short-eared Owl. Also c120 Linnet.
We then spent the afternoon at Titchwell, where we had a nice mix of waders & wildfowl, plus 1 SHORT-EARED OWL & 3 SPOONBILL.
28th November - Three Day Winter Norfolk Birding Tour
Day One
We left the accommodation and headed to Holme. We were soon enjoying wonderful close views of c40 Snow Bunting, plus a nice roosting flock of several 100 Oystercatcher, Knot, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Dunlin. Out on the sea, 6 Goldeneye passed west, & lots of Great Crested Grebe were noted. Several Marsh Harrier were out over the marsh, plus some small skeins of Pink-feet & Brents
We had a good flock of c100 Greenfinch, plus 2 Rock Pipit before heading up to the Observatory for some lunch.
After lunch we walked out on to the freshamrsh where we treated to wonderful views of up to 4 SHORT-EARED OWL, on constant view from 2PM till dusk, we also noted 6 Marsh harrier, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk & Barn Owl.
29th November - Three Day Winter Norfolk Birding Tour
Day Two
A seawatch was surprisingly productive, given the fairly constant southerly breeze!
100's of auks were passing constantly & pretty soon we had noted 4 LITTLE AUKS passing north, plus a very close juv Arctic skua, the two VELVET SCOTER were still very nice & close, also slightly further out were c50 Common Scoter. Incredibly, there were 3+ Red-throated Divers within 5m of the shoreline, we had wonderful views as they popped up rightin front of us. Then next was a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER also close inshore, further out, the auks continued passing, along with c30 Little Gull,2 Shag, several Kittiwake.
We did sadly (especially for me, as it would have been a new Norfolk bird!) a Black Guillemot.
Eventually the pull of the rare peep seen from Daukes hide was too much & we headed to view the "mystery wader" it was at this stage - a putative Semi-palmated Sandpiper. It was eventually identified as a juv/1st winter WESTERN SANDPIPER! So a new Norfolk bird anyway today!!
We then headed over to East Norfolk where we had a another good roost at Hickling & despite a very blustery wind! 1 ad male & 1 R/T Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin, 60 Marsh Harrier, 5 Cranes & 5 BEWICKS SWAN flew over.
30th November - Three Day Winter Norfolk Birding Tour
Day Three
We started the day at Burnham Overy & were almost immediately on to one of the juvenile ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD, it was having a hard time, both PEREGRINE & Marsh Harrier were mobbing it. The PEREGRINE persistently dive bombing it. We walked out on the high tide, so few shorebirds were on view, but good numbers of Brents & Pink-feet were seen, plus Lapwing & Golden Plover. Out in the dunes we found another flock of Snow Bunting - 27 were feeding along the strandline in typical fashion, eventually taking flight as per their usual restless behaviour. Out on the sea, another LITTLE AUK went flashing by. As we commenced our return leg the tide had just receded & there was a lovely selection of Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Godwits etc. We also picked up the ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD & we had great views as passed virtually overhead.
We finished the day with the Pink-foot roost, which was actually slightly disappointing with around 10,000 birds roosting, but 3/4 of them choosing to arrive in virtual darkness.
A hunting Barn Owl, several Marsh Harrier & either the same or another perched ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD.
Click here for October 2011
Click here for homepage
_________________________
Contact: Chris Mills
Tel: 01362 683520 or 07876 357677
Email: chrismills@norfolkbirding.com
Lilac Cottage, Foxley Road, Themelthorpe,
Norfolk NR20 5PU
Click here for homepage
_________________________
Contact: Chris Mills
Tel: 01362 683520 or 07876 357677
Email: chrismills@norfolkbirding.com
Lilac Cottage, Foxley Road, Themelthorpe,
Norfolk NR20 5PU
WESTERN SANDPIPER - CLEY
Having seen 100's of Semi-p's in States I never saw one with a bill quite as long as this, I think if this bird was caught & measured it would be over the extreme end of SPS.
Although subjective, this bird looks long legged, slightly long necked in jizz it's like a miniature Dunlin. On plumage, you can see the rusty upper scaps, plus there is thin cleanline of white where the scaps meet the mantle feathers, I don't believe a Juv Semi-p would show this suite of features.
Having seen 100's of Semi-p's in States I never saw one with a bill quite as long as this, I think if this bird was caught & measured it would be over the extreme end of SPS.
Although subjective, this bird looks long legged, slightly long necked in jizz it's like a miniature Dunlin. On plumage, you can see the rusty upper scaps, plus there is thin cleanline of white where the scaps meet the mantle feathers, I don't believe a Juv Semi-p would show this suite of features.