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In search of Nightjars and Nightingales with the Norfolk Buccaneers
Our trips to Norfolk aren't just about twitching and tick lists. It's about getting away from the urban sprawl, breathing country air, taking in new vista's and re- adjusting your focus for a few special days, and most importantly spending time in good company with like minded friends. In 2007 Liverpool RSPB's bird tally for 3 days was 103, so we were on a mission to beat it - no pressure then! The count started from when we got on the bus at the Rocket pub M62, the first bird recorded was a Kestrel hovering by the motorway, by the time we got to our first reserve Paxton Pits N R we had seen 20 different species, including 4 raptors : Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and the Kestrel, these were either flyovers, spotted on wires, perched on poles, on lakes and in fields, or in car parks at service stations. By popular demand Chris Storey was quickly nominated as keeper of the list 'The Tick Master' Don't let anyone tell you Norfolk is a quick trip, it's not- its a large county jutting out into the North Sea. It takes at least several hours to get to Kings Lynn where our hotel was based, and daily your legs will go dead from sitting on the bus as it travels from reserve to reserve!
(By the way the Nightingale singing in Berkeley Square, was much more likely to have been a Robin, which also sings at night!) Back
on the bus and our dedicated driver and leader Chris Tynan
was after a tick! Another fleeting visit, this time to Natural Trust owned Wicken Fen to catch a lone Squacco Heron standing in a pool: a British first for Chris. A rarity, a small buffy-brown Heron with white wings, which favours swamps, marshes, rivers and wet grassland. Squacco showed well if distant, before skulking into the reeds! Once again Cuckoo's were heard and seen. Wicken Fen is particularly Cuckoo favoured with at least 3/ 4 seen in flight (easy to see why Cuckoo's are mistaken for Sparrowhawks in flight) and perched on bushes near to the visitor centre. Both male and females seen. Sadly another 'red listed' migrant , with only 14 thousand pairs (Summer) listed by the BTO. Wicken Fen is still a stronghold with about eight female Cuckoos on the fen with around 10% of Reed Warbler nests parasitized by Cuckoos each Summer .
Hotel check in, barely time to check there was soap, tea and milk in the room....... As the weather was uncertain we decided to try for Nightjars on our first night, so after a quickly arranged 'Roast all round' dinner, with the promise of cheese and biccies later when we got back to the hotel we set off. A wonderfully calm, still evening saw us standing patiently on the wooden plank paths of Dersingham Bog NNR . English Nature have been restoring the heathland & woodland habitats, it's work over the last decade has seen the Nightjar population double.
And did we get our pudding? By the time we got back to the hotel after a very long day we were ready for a relaxing drink and a spot of supper, but our cheese feast was nowhere to be seen. As bottom lips began to trip, we ordered our drinks - twas then that the hapless chef came into the dining room and caught a withering look from Brenda, this had the desired effect of immediately curing his forgetfulness and sending him scurrying into the kitchen to prepare the Jacob's and Stilton - Yum !
Eileen looks pleased! Well it wasn't too difficult to find out where the star species
were, about twenty twitchers had their telescopes A sunny interlude at the fen
seemed to inspire the insects to fly, out came the dragons and
damselflies, this is the haunt
of the Hobby who likes nothing better than a large tasty insect
for dinner, such as the hairy (definitely a rocking dragonfly)
and the stunning 4 spotted chaser seen here. We were not
disappointed as our band of watchers were treated to a
Hobby in flight, dashing along with it's long pointed wing's,
a high-speed manoeuvre and the dragonfly was caught and
devoured. A moment later a brief
fleeting glimpse of electric blue darted across the pool by the
hide, this was a Kingfisher, alas seen by few. On the same pool
we were mesmerised by a pair of elegant Great
crested grebes diving for small
silver fish for their young
to eat; great close up views as one of our group quoted
'it was just like watching a wildlife documentary on TV.' Grebe chicks have the most
striking markings, their black and white stripes help to camouflage
them when they are in the water.
Still we did focus our scopes on a totally charming family of Stoats frolicking in the sun, obviously doing very well, certainly well fed as there are bunnies everywhere in Norfolk! A Green Woodpecker searching through the grass for an ant dinner was a pleasure to see. ( Did you know the barbed tongue of the Green Woodpecker is so long (10cm) it has to be curled round its skull !) and a obliging Spotted Flycatcher, hopping about on the fence outside the East hide, pursuing passing flying insects. Another bonus was the Marsh tit found at the Heath's feeding station, a first for some.
That just left the coastal reserves. The day was near it's end and the weather on the turn as we reached RSPB Titchwell Marsh a dash for the Fen hide was called for before the rain arrived. This hide has a large picture window giving excellent views of the reedbed and a small pool. Despite our best efforts however we were unable to locate any pinging Bearded tits, but couldn't miss the noisy, scratchy, Sedge warblers singing.
Back at the hotel Saturday evening was a lot more relaxing affair than the night before, time to soak the feet and watch the box for the weather forecast before going down to dinner. We were not the only visitors to the hotel that night, a wedding party were raving in a marquee in the grounds, one young guest by the name of Ringwood, (sounds like someone off the Blues brothers!) was carried out by several friends late in the proceedings, through the hotel lobby to the front door, where he then deposited everything that had passed his lips in the hrs before, actually probably a better option than a stomach pump, but not very impressive for his friends who had to clear up after him. A more surprisingly reserved bunch were a group of Kiwi's, all sporting the build of the All blacks rugby team - steady girls. Needless to say despite them watching the rugby on the big TV in the bar they failed to break out into a Haka, indeed they turned out to be a party of Exchange Farmers discussing good practices! I could regale you with more night time tales and reveal the identity of the lass who could drink the men under the table effortlessly, and whose the athletic drinks table tackler (obviously inspired by the rugby) who amazingly didn't spill a drop of his own drink, but the red wine went everywhere! Ah, Tis the stuff of legends and only to be recalled at future birding trip dinner tables! Sunday dawned a dull, rain threatened day. After a hearty breakfast, pockets lined with choice fruits from the breakfast bar!The group decided to make a dash for the area the Montague's harriers had been seen circling overhead, 'been seen' being the operative words as apparently, as a couple of waiting birdwatchers informed us, they had been showing twenty minutes before we arrived - not the news we wanted to hear, now distant soaring specs on the horizon. Time and weather wait for no man, so we rapidly moved on towards Cley, but not before we came across a family of Egyptian Geese on a farmland pool, these pretty distinctive geese having escaped into the wild after being introduced as ornamental wildfowl now breed in wetland areas, the North Norfolk coast holding high numbers NWT Cley Marshes Cley visitor centre looks out to sea, a breathtaking panoramic view across the marsh and reed beds, a wonderful new reserve for many of the group . Cley reserve has 4 hides which overlook the pools and scrapes, all reached by a boardwalk footpath. Unfortunately we didn't have the luxury of visiting all the hides so we headed towards the sea. A shingle, pebble beach made it a little heavy going as we approached the seaward hide from the beach car park but we were compensated with a good view of a pair of Avocet's with chicks on a small enclosed pool, and were pleased to see some little ringed plover nesting on a fenced off area of the shingle. From the comfort of the large hide we could observe the birds Cley is famous for, Avocets &, Spoonbills. Among the more usual waders and gulls, a tiny little stint was seen foraging on the scrapes, as well as little gull hiding away with all the other gulls. In the distance Marsh harriers were once again seen quartering . So ended our Big trip, weather could have been a tadge better and another day wouldn't have gone a miss considering all the travelling time, but as Chris 'kept asking 'Is everybody happy', Yes Chris, I think we were. Chris ‘the list’ Storey reckoned the total for the weekend was 106. All birds were seen and not just heard.
Volunteer & Farmer Alliance
Quite often, and in winter in particular, it means I get cold and wet ! However the rewards can be superb. Watching a buzzard get harried by a Sparrowhawk is one such instance, another is seeing an adult wren feeding it's newly fledged young with insects. This year a highlight was seeing three newly fledged Swallows sitting on the branch of a tree over a pond and the parent birds flying in to feed them without even stopping to perch. The best so far though was to find Barn owls breeding in a box up in the apex of - yes, a barn! Not only that but seeing the four owlets ringed, thanks to Chris and his myriad contacts. Last Thursday evening saw us assemble with the ringer and the farming family and watch the owlets brought down in bags, weighed, ringed, sexed and their age determined. Did you know that Barn owl chicks can be aged to the day by measuring the length of a primary feather from its unfurling point to the tip? These four were from 37 to 43 days old and they hatch at two day intervals.
Although late in the year for breeding ( it is thought that this is a second brood but not in the same site) the chicks were well developed and weighed between 350 and 450 grammes each. They will fledge in another 30 or so days and probably be still dependant on the parent birds for another month after that. It's sights and experiences like this that make it all worthwhile Phil Antrobus
Fancy being an RSPB volunteer? Click here http://www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering/about/about.asp Volunteer for the Volunteer & Farmer Alliance http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/farming/vandfa/index.asp
Ann
Thomson - A holiday to remember.
So what drives a girl to book herself onto a holiday, unaccompanied in the middle of wild Wales with the prospect of 4 days with total strangers? Quite simply Birds - this was an opportunity for this novice bird watcher to pick up more than a few birding tips, see some very special birds set in stunning landscapes with a brilliant guide and as it turned out some very pleasant company -Betty, Rachel, Sue and Dave, interestingly the girls outnumbered the men by 3 to 1! John Davis who runs the Mid Wales Birdwatching holidays is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the birds and wildlife. He leads groups of up to six people at a time and I would recommend the holiday to any one who is interested. I stayed at the George Borrow Hotel and from there excellent views of Red Kites and Restarts were to be had. The holiday's are inclusive, including accommodation and all meals. Here is John's report on the bird watching Tuesday
19th A
warm, dry, cloudy-bright day which began with a short drive to
Trisant. We first viewed Siskins and Goldfinches on a A pair of Redstarts were nesting in one of the buildings and the male showed extremely well. On one of the nearby lakes a pair of great Crested Grebes had one, down-covered young. The female was on their nest with one egg visible and the youngster was adding nest material to it! Nearby a pair of Whinchat were seen, plus Buzzards, Kites and Ravens. . We
had our picnic lunch at Cwmrheidol by a set of falls on
River
Rheidol. On a ledge over the water was a Grey Wagtails nest
with 2/3 young, here we had good views of the busy adults bringing in
food. We then drove to the Nant yr Arian Red Kite feeding site,
in it's wonderful lakeside setting the Red Kites are fed every day at 3pm,
at least 50 Kites were present .On the adjacent lake we sighted Tufted
Duck and Little Grebes. Wednesday
20th A quite bright warm day with a few showers which hardly interfered with our bird watching. We spent the day at the RSPB reserve at Ynyshir, beside the upper reaches of the Dyfi estuary The reserve boasted mixed habitats of Welsh oak woodland, wet grassland and the saltmarshes of the estuary.
Thursday
21st We
began the day at the coast at Clarach, just north of
Aberystwyth. Coastal weather was breezy, mild and quite bright in
contrast to the largely wet day inland. Sadly, no Chough
appeared during our brief visit but we got to grips with Rock
and Meadow Pipits. Here we saw the first Gannets of the day and a
pair of Linnets. We
then drove north to Ynyslas Nature reserve, at the mouth of the
Dyfi estuary. The Reserve is made up of three parts: Cors Fochno,
an internationally important peat bog; The Dyfi Estuary, an
internationally important feeding ground for thousands of wading
birds and the beach and sand dunes of Ynyslas. On the sandy
shore, outside the protected, roped off area, was a female
Ringed Plover on her eggs. We learned from one of the summer
wardens that 6 pairs had attempted to nest this season. So far,
all had failed and some were on their third and last attempt, we
hope this one made it.
Offshore we noted more Gannets Lunch
was taken at the revamped, complete with murals of the 4
element, the Victorian railway station of Borth. Sadly,
this is where we had to say goodbye to one of our fellow
birdwatchers, Sue who was on a 3 day break. Within
a few minutes we were sea-watching at Borth one of the longest
beaches in Ceredigion, not for the Surfers
that love the area but for the sight of plunging Gannets and
gliding Manx
Shearwaters We
then drove inland to an upland valley known for its Goshawks.
None obliged (it was one of those days) but we did get to see a
singing Tree Pipit and heard more elusive Lesser Redpolls. We
returned to The George Borrow hotel and for Betty it was to be
her last evening of the trip. Friday
22nd Ann
was keen to see a Dipper, so we began the day back in the
Rheidol valley at the falls at the far end of Cwmrheidol. There
was no sign of the birds near their nest site but we had
excellent, prolonged views of a bird on a set of falls a little
further upstream. Unfortunately it then began to rain, so we
made a dash for the coast where we enjoyed a fairly sunny day. We
stopped at the picturesque harbour town of Aberaeron and
again had distant views of Gannets and Manx
Shearwaters. A little further to the south, the cliffs at New
Quay produced all the expected birds: Kittiwakes, some with
eggs, some with young; Guillemots, many with chicks; Razorbills,
Fulmars, Cormorants, Shags - including two nests with well grown
chicks; Herring Gulls, although very few this year had young and
Ravens. Gannets of varying ages were observed at close
quarters, then seen plunging into the sea with other seabirds in
a feeding frenzy as shoals of fish
appeared at the surface. Unlike our trip to Clarach we caught up
with our elusive Choughs, 2 adults and their 3 young, these
striking crows showed well on and off throughout our visit.
Linnets and
Rock Pipits frequented the clifftop and a fitting end to our
birdwatching day was the Peregrine Falcon which timely put in a
appearance. I
should also mention a different type of wildlife seen from the
cliffs that day, at
least 3 superb Bottle-nosed Dolphins putting on a prolonged and active
appearance. All in all, a very productive visit, followed by tea
in the village and the final drive back to The George Borrow. Over the 4 days the total number of bird species encountered was 91.
Interested in an adventure of your own? : Our phone number is 01970 890281 or you can e-mail us at johndavis@midwalesbirdwatching.co.uk www.midwalesbirdwatching.co.uk
David Holland - A personal study of wintering Blackcap's in a Liverpool Suburb
I have noted the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) focus on overwintering Blackcaps and thought you might be interested in a verbal account of the data I am inputting from my garden to Garden BirdWatch (GBW) and BirdTrack. I received my first winter blackcap in 1997 (my GBW began in 1995) and for the first three years recorded Blackcaps in one or two weeks in the new year each year. In 2000 I got my first pre-Christmas Blackcap and after that, pre-Christmas Blackcaps have run at 1-3 per year to 2004. But winter 2005 brings a marked interest. A male BC appeared in
the garden Nov 6 and I recorded a BC every week after (with
one exception at the end November) Of greater significance is the
results over the last four weeks when I have had 5-6 recordings
each week. On one day (Dec 16) I recorded 2 males at one
moment and at another 1 male and one female, giving me three
individuals on the day. No' of weeks Blackcap seen in the garden
In their dietary habits, I have recorded bread (once) and cotoneaster berries being eaten.
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The
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Registered charity
no. 207076 |
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