posted 26 May 2012 12:14 by Andy Birder
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updated 28 May 2012 03:26
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Swallow-tailed Kite, probably the best raptor in the world.
A family holiday in central Florida allowed for a little birding, with some great birds seen, as usual, and great to see good numbers of many different species.
Having returned home on Thursday at lunch time, the evening welcome party consisted of an excellent Short-eared Owl, first noted from the kitchen window as it was sitting up on one of the 'Shrike Point' bushes and remained there for a good half an hour. A long awaited garden tick.
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posted 26 Apr 2012 13:26 by Andy Birder
April is my favorite month of the year, but this one has been nothing short of dismal, although seeing as I'm currently renovating our kitchen, thats not a bad thing otherwise things could have been a bit tense in our house! Had a little respite today though, with a late start at work, a walk along a blustery Trimingham clifftop resulted in a Little-ringed Plover pitching in from over the cliff straight infront of me! It stuck for a couple of minutes before towering off westwards, an excellent patch tick! Also here my first Swifts of the year (not including White-throated Needle-tails of course!) moved east This evening as I was rustling up some delight or other in said kitcken a 'pale' Thrush caught my eye as it went over the garden. Landing in the adjacent hedgerow, I could see it was yet another Ring Ouzel, this one with an extensively pale wing, and probably a female. |
posted 17 Apr 2012 12:28 by Andy Birder
A quick walk of the dog after getting home from work this evening, a fine ringtail Hen Harrier appeared quartering Hungry Hill, before dipping down behind the ridge, apparently dropping into the cereal field. I was quick enough to get Carl onto the bird, but not quick enough with the camera! |
posted 14 Apr 2012 09:49 by Andy Birder
With a cool northerly dominating, expectation is low this weekend. The run of Ring Ouzel continues with 3 on Hungry Hill this morning before flying off east. The clifftop produced nothing of note, though on the way home a ploughing tractor on Hungry had attracted 2 White Wagtails, along with a couple of Pied and Mipits. White Wagtail - handsome devil! |
posted 13 Apr 2012 11:40 by Andy Birder
Unlucky for some, not particularly riveting for myself, 4 Ring Ouzel flew SW over Sidestrand at 0800 this morning together, 2 Mistle Thrush moving the same way were the only other birds of note. |
posted 8 Apr 2012 11:11 by Andy Birder
Nearly a month late, I finally saw my first Marsh Harrier of the season here, a female drifting west over Hungry Hill mid morning. Another trawl around Trimingham and its environs produced a single Blackcap, a handsome White Wagtail and 3 Wheatear. Hard going. |
posted 7 Apr 2012 16:05 by Andy Birder
Late afternoon and the Great Grey Shrike was still present, though ridiculously distant compared to Thursday. Not much around Trimingham in a cold bitting wind with a few Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest only birds of note. At Sidestrand the Ring Ouzel was still present along the cliff, though elusive. |
posted 6 Apr 2012 12:08 by Andy Birder
Missed out on this mornings Iceland Gull off Sidestrand (a patch tick as well!) with a hopeful walk along there late afternoon drawing a blank. Not all was lost however as my first Ring Ouzel of the spring put in an appearance, a fine male. |
posted 5 Apr 2012 14:00 by Andy Birder
After hearing of two reports of a Great Grey Shrike in the area, I had a hunch on where I might try my luck on the way home from work this evening, and sure enough turned up trumps with the bird feeding besides the railway line a mile south of the village. |
posted 4 Apr 2012 00:09 by Andy Birder
With lots of these about Norfolk this spring it was inevitable that we would get one over the garden eventually, so on Sunday, whilst sat eating lunch, we were graced with a bird heading west, low over the village. |
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