Peterborough Bird Club Trip Reports

Golden Wonders

2006-07-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Breckland and North Norfolk Trip, 16 July 2006
Way back in the day, when I first joined the bird club, I can remember one of my highlights of those first outdoor meetings I attended, being the visit to the Brecks in July, where we had awesome views of a female Golden Oriole flying about and then of a juvenile perched on the other side of the river. Hoping to relive this experience and share it with our newer members, I decided to conclude this season’s outdoor meetings on a high with the same trip.

The news I received prior the trip though wasn’t promising, “You’ll be lucky to hear one let alone see them” was one of the views expressed, so a disaster was to be expected. We were among the first to arrive (as well I should, being the trip leader n’ all) and kicked off the trip list with Turtle Dove in the car park.

Relatively new PBC asset, Brian Lawerence, arrived soon after and shared the fact that he had never seen them this late on in the day before. I knew that a dawn start was the preferred time to see these beautiful creatures, but I’m no early riser so I’ve never seen them then and have even seen them in the afternoon before. Nevertheless I rallied the troops and prepared them for a rather sweaty wait that would probably produce little in the way of Orioles.

We started by checking the flashes which were still very full and the ducks were loving them. Mainly Mallard but a few Gadwall were picked out, though the hoped for Garganey remained elusive. Making sure we didn’t miss anything, we grilled the flash extensively as Chris Orders was already at the Oriole watch point and I knew he would call me if we were urgently needed.

A Grasshopper Warbler reeled from the reeds to the south of the path and several family parties of Reed Warblers showed extremely well at the edge of the Phragmites. A couple of Green Sandpipers flew low over the flash and were lost as they went over the bank, but luckily another 5 or so birds were picked up at the back of the flash, proving to be a lifer for several members. A Sparrowhawk soared overhead in the already hot temperatures.

As we wandered up to the watch point, I started doing my rather poor impression of a Golden Oriole which got an almost instant response from an Oriole. Brian swore that it was me, but the bird then called again proving that a very real Oriole was in there somewhere! To turn up and have the Orioles calling straight away is lucky; I soon learnt how lucky we had been, as Chris had been there for an hour now with no sign or call from the Orioles!

The birds continued to call and a few minutes later Mac Bell picked up a sublime male Golden Oriole, sat in the plantation. It’s yellow and black plumage is surprisingly hard to pick up in the poplars, so Mac did really well to pick it up. The bird remained there for over five minutes allowing every member present to get stunning views of one of the most exotic looking species on the British list!

A female also joined the male for several minutes, it’s olive plumage proved especially hard to pick up when she wasn’t moving, but most if not all got views of her. It was extremely satisfying seeing everyone’s face light up when they first put their eye to the scope and will probably remain one of my birding highlights of the year. It just goes to show how much luck is involved in this game.

Flushed with success we moved onto our Stone Curlew site which indeed produced instant views of a couple of individuals and Coal Tit was also added to the trip list here. From here we made the fairly lengthy journey north, to the Wensum Valley Raptor watch point, near Great Ryburgh.

It would appear on mad dogs and PBC members go out in the mid-day sun, as Honey Buzzards certainly don’t. The weather was just too hot for them and only a couple of Common Buzzards put on a brief show. After getting quite fried and only a Hobby we decided to move onto Titchwell for the cool sea breeze if nothing else.

With our trip list already at the dizzy heights of 57 by the time we reached Titchwell, we knew we were in for a good haul of news species and we weren’t disappointed with the trip total nearly reaching the ton.

A Mediterranean Gull alongside a leucisitic Black-headed Gull provided an education for those not wise in the ways of the much dreaded Gull. Avocets were everywhere, chasing everything as they do. This very successful species has bred in record numbers at Titchwell this year.

The last highlight the day had to throw at us was a couple of migrant Whimbrel on the beach; a sign that autumn is only just round the corner and a fitting way to finish another successful season of trips. Hope to see more members during the next season of outdoor meetings.

Peterborough Bird Club's July 2006 Norfolk Trip Report.
by Will Bowell

Rutland Trip Report

2005-03-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Rutland Water, 20 March 2005
A large group of PBC members assembled in the Egleton car park on a cold and damp Sunday morning. After being greeted by trip leaders Trevor Williams and Will Bowell (and the strange sight of a pair of Egyptian Geese sat in a tree), we then ambled down the lane towards the imposing Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre. A number of us were distracted by the hide in front of the centre and had a quick glimpse of the Tree Sparrows on the feeders and a good showing of more familiar garden feeder species.

Once in sight of the Centre we were greeted by Tim Appleton, the Reserve Manager, and ushered towards the desk where permits were purchased (its worth noting that groups and those of a certain age do get a slight discount). After buying our permits we headed off through the woods surrounding the Centre, having more views of the Tree Sparrows as they “chirped”, noisily around the many nest boxes placed around the site.

Whilst walking towards the hides the group passed a few dead trees in the middle of a field. Will happened to comment on the fact that they look good for Little Owl and with that he promptly found one. A few members weren’t convinced of course that the leaders hadn’t had this bird staked out on their pre-trip recce-ing in the early hours, but they assured us it was pure fluke!

At Tern Hide many people had their first Sand Martins of the year, as a group of five birds flew up high against the grey, cold sky; no doubt wondering why on earth they had bothered leaving Africa in the first place! A small flock Golden Plovers wielded over the islands of Lagoon 1, including some sporting the first signs of summer plumage; the black belly. Other birds present included Curlew, Dunlin, Pintail, Goldeneye and Ruddy Duck.

Surprising to some, but Oystercatchers are actually summer visitors to inland sites so to see these and Sand Martins contrasted nicely to the many winter visitors still present such as the Goldeneye and Wigeon.

After returning to the Birdwatching Centre we had lunch and a welcome hot drink. After lunch we visited the northern hides. We saw some Goldeneye displaying in Lagoon 2 together with Little Grebes in breeding plumage. The head bopping motion of the Goldeneye is always a delight to see, and at this time of year is always done with new vigour for the oncoming breeding season.

A Kingfisher was a nice find in the opposite bank; it sat preening for all to see and was a nice change to the usual flash of blue view most people get, as the bird flies away!

On our return to the car park we learned of a female Scaup on the Fishponds from Tim Appleton. Whereupon we all decamped to the Fishponds part of the reservoir, north of the village of Egleton. After quizzing some birders already there we eventually found the Scaup.

Eventually, when the bird awoke the group could examine the main identification features which made this a female Scaup. The bigger build, rounder head (no tufts of course), extensive white round the bill and the different shade of brown all stood out. Surprisingly, the Scaup blended in quite well when roosting.

After returning to the car park, details of a long-staying Great Grey Shrike in nearby Oakham were discussed and a number of the group decided to head off and try and re-locate the bird. Unfortunately, despite much scanning of the railway land it had been inhabiting in previous sightings, no views were to be had.

Despite the gloomy weather the final trip list totalled 70 species.

Peterborough Bird Club's March 2005 Rutland Trip Report
by Chris Monk

Winter Wildfowl and Wind

2005-02-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

Thrampston Gravel Pits, 19 February 2005

The Thrapston and Titchmarsh Gravel Pits form the northern end of a chain of gravel pits stretching from Northampton; this chain of gravel pits is nationally important for its wintering waterfowl and regularly holds in excess of 20,000 wintering water birds.

Both complexes allow for circular walks of 2-3 miles or a longer figure of 8 walks of 5-6 miles. The walking is easy although muddy in places and some parts are impassable if the River Nene has flooded its banks. In winter the site is good for common water birds and occasionally turns up something good. In summer the scrubby habitats surrounding the pits are good for warblers and I have seen Nightingales there during spring passage.

The winter of 2003/04 saw 3 Bitterns over-winter at Titchmarsh and it was these and Goosander that were the original target species for the PBC trip. The relatively mild winter of 2004/05 meant that no Bitterns had been seen regularly at Titchmarsh so the walk focused on the water birds of the lake.

Following a late change of meeting place to Thrapston, half a dozen or so keen members braved the biting cold wind to explore the Thrapston/Titchmarsh Gravel Pit complex.

We walked along the edge of Thrapston Town Lake which gave us a chance to look at Pochard, Great-crested Grebes and Goldeneye. The Goldeneye were already engaging in their distinctive “head bobbing” display and proving challenging to try and point out to people. “It’s behind that Pochard… nope, it’s just dived…”; eventually I think the whole group managed to catch up with some.

Town Lake also gave us the first chance to see Goosander, with two females and a male clustered near the bank. Whilst the males are very distinctive we took the opportunity to have a discussion about how to pick out birds in flight (flying cigars) and the difference between female/immature goosander and Red-breasted Merganser.

A Green Woodpecker gave good views in flight to everybody and a lucky few managed to pick it up again as it sat in a nearby willow. At this point we were joined by a flock of Long-tailed Tits and everybody enjoyed watching these attractive balls of feathers as they foraged and twittered nearby.

The walk continued into Titchmarsh Local Nature Reserve, which is managed by the local Wildlife Trust. A Stock Dove was sat on top of one of the owl nest-boxes trying not to get blown off and eventually gave up. We also decided that we had had enough of the biting wind and retreated to the nearby hide to have a closer look at the birds on the main lake. Sharp eyed watchers managed to pick out Gadwall and Tufted duck amongst the flocks of Canada geese, Coots and Mallards. Another 8-10 Goosanders were also seen. Grey Herons were a common sight and were often seen flying in and out of the nearby heronry.

I know the site quite well and know that the Little Grebes are generally only seen on one part of one pit. I’d said this to the group and bet that we’d find some Little Grebes there. Initial looks revealed a flock of Wigeon feeding on the grass banks, their whistling calls immediately transporting us back to the north Norfolk coast; but no Little Grebes… Eventually two were found in a sheltered bay and my reputation was intact!

Whilst people were speculating about the origin of the white Aylesbury duck on the lake, Peter Beesley picked out what for many was the bird of the trip. A superb male pintail! Just as it swam out of view, the “rest of the group” (those people that I hadn’t managed to find at the original meeting point to divert them to Thrapston) arrived. We compared notes, they had seen a Shoveler on a lake that we hadn’t looked at, gave them directions as to the location of the Pintail and went our separate ways. Our walk back to the cars in Thrapston was fairly quiet, with a few Lapwing seen flying over.

In all a total of 40 species were seen, and members were introduced to a new site that holds promise at most times of the year.

Apology
A chance phone call in the week told me that a group of travellers had taken up residence at the original meeting point. The car park there is small anyway and would not have fitted both travellers and members’ cars. The decision was taken to move the meeting point to Thrapston. I managed to put this out on Peterbirder but unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to make the changes on PBC website. Despite sitting at the original meeting point until after the start time to re-direct people we still managed to miss a group of people.

I’d like to apologise to those members that I didn’t manage to find and hope that the “self guided” walk made up for it.

Peterborough Bird Club's February 2005 Northamptonshire Trip Report
by Nicola Orchard

A Very Happy New Year

2005-01-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

North Norfolk, 9 January 2005

New Year’s birding in Norfolk has become something of a tradition for the club, with a well rehearsed itinerary and a good track record of 100 plus birds on most previous occasions. This year’s event was as popular as ever; and close on thirty club members assembled at the traditional meeting point of the wet weather shelters on Hunstanton Cliffs, with various car loads eagerly exchanging their early morning lists.

Fulmar at Hunstanton Cliffs, Norfolk, 09.01.05. © William Bowell

Despite some eager beavers being in position at the Golden Pheasant site for dawn neither they, nor other groups were successful in seeing this increasingly elusive species. One group of early birds found time for an excursion into Sandringham Woods to achieve a pre-meet list of 40 species!

Other cars had secured difficult-to-get species including Short-eared Owl and Grey Partridge. Those who had taken the detour to the boat ramp were generally ill-rewarded with no interesting grebes or sea ducks present and no sign of any Purple Sandpipers which you would usually expect to find here, at this supposedly loyal spot. For one individual (the trip leader) this proved to be a bad omen indeed, as his scope blew over in the strong wind and received a fatal ‘injury’!

After a rather slow sea watch (or rather watching the sea!) the party split into two groups. Those taking the more leisurely itinerary, ably led by Gordon Hamlett - the beginner’s friend - went on to Holkham Woods and Lady Anne’s Drive. The razzabouts, less-than-ably led by yours truly went first to the Hawk and Owl Trust reserve at Sculthorpe in search of the much declined, Willow Tit. They failed in this mission, but did make contact with its more common cousin, Marsh Tit, and a variety of other woodland species. Common Buzzard- never an easy bird in Norfolk- brought up 60 for his group. Their four car convey, sped off to Stiffkey Fen where Lesser Yellowlegs, a lifer for a number of the party, was quickly ‘in the bag’.Lesser Yellowlegs at Stifkey Fen, Norfolk, 09.01.05. © Josh Jones

On to Lady Anne’s Drive where, seconds after parking the cars this group were lucky enough to observe a male Peregrine perform a low level fly past – much to the consternation of the local Lapwing flock.

A brisk yomp across the salt flats at Holkham was rewarding with the spectacle of 29 Shorelarks and close on 200 Snow Buntings seen at close range. A flock of Fieldfare prior to a hurried lunch brought up the 80. A brief encounter with Gordon’s group confirmed that there was little of particular interest in Holkham Woods despite their thorough thrashing- the most exciting species being several Brambling close to the main gate.

With time on our hands- well about 20 minutes! – the razzabouts went to collect the Bramblings. A brief dash into the surrounding parkland to obtain Green Woodpecker yielded the amazing bonus of a male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker- much to the delight of the whole group. This elusive species was seen well and even photographed!

On to Choseley Drying Barns for more farmland species and for most, but not all (Gnash!), a thirty strong Waxwing flock fly over! Titchwell was our last stop and before reaching the shop we had added the three Redpoll species to the day list, taking us over 90. A brisk walk to the sea added more expected species but, on this occasion, no sign of Sammy the Stilt. Activity on the sea had quietened down according to a break away group of PBC birders, but Red-throated Diver at 105 brought the day to a close… but not quite!

A pager message indicated that the previously reported White-tailed Sea Eagle had been relocated ten miles inland. A twilight dash saw members of the group watching the sun go down over a damp wood near Great Bircham- but alas no sign of the ‘flying barn door’ on this occasion. A small set-back in an otherwise perfectly executed New Year birding century.

PBC’s North Norfolk Trip Report by Trevor Williams

Owldernell

2004-12-05T05:12:00.000-08:00

Kings Dyke & Eldernell, 5 December 2004

What a fickle lot our club members are! You take them out to Eldernell, try to show them the Tree Sparrows on the feeders, and a Gadwall on the lake and what happens? As soon as the first Short-eared Owl put in an appearance, there were 'oohs' and 'aahs' all round, bins and scopes were trained and that was that. No interest in anything else for the rest of the afternoon.

OK, so you go with the flow and point out every flypast by an owl and what happens next? That's right, there were so many fly-pasts that by the end of the afternoon, people were becoming so blasé that they didn't even lift their bins.

The trip started off at King's Dyke, a new reserve for many of the 30 or so members that turned up. Here we were very lucky to have a talk from Philip Parker, the head honcho in charge of the reserve. He explained the plans for expansion of the reserve and talked about the workings of the brick factory - now the largest in Europe.

This is an excellent all-round reserve. As well as the bird life, in summer, you can often get really close up views from the hide of water voles, grass snakes and assorted dragonflies. Reed Buntings on the feeders were new for some members and a couple of Green Woodpeckers flew past really close, fortunately just after I had said what a good spot this was for them. Predictions don't often work that well. A few of us saw a covey of ten Red-legged Partridges fly up in front of us as we returned to the car park.

The car park at Eldernell was already full when we arrived so it took a bit of time to sort out the parking during which there were distant views of three Shorties out towards March Farmers.

We set off towards Lord's Holt and it wasn't long before the first owl appeared. To be fair, they were lit up brilliantly in the oblique winter light. Three or four were hunting around the reed bed and the action soon hotted up as a ringtail Hen Harrier came out of the reeds, its white rump showing Persil-white as it quartered the ground. Owls mobbed the harrier, Crows mobbed the owls and a Kestrel just decided to make a nuisance of himself and have a pop at anything that moved. One sight that caused a lasting impression was the sheer number of birds on the washes. Seemingly devoid of any significant numbers, several times during the afternoon, thousands of Lapwings and Golden Plovers shot into the air, no doubt trying to avoid the attentions of a hunting Peregrine. We never did track down the hunter though; you have to be very lucky to find one particular bird when so many are in the air.

We did find one strange raptor perched just beyond Lord's Holt but the combined talents of the club's 'experts' couldn't identify it. One of the first rules of birdwatching is that you shouldn't expect to put a name to everything that you see. As well as the waders, there were plenty of Wigeon, Teal and Pintails to watch. Two more Green Woodpeckers flew past and there was a flock of about 50 Fieldfares. Several more Shorties flew past, one coming very close. We saw at least ten Short-eared Owls in total.

Darkness descended as we returned to the car park and the last dregs of coffee. A Tawny Owl hooted in the distance though, surprisingly, no-one saw a Barn Owl. One final 'treat' was watching all the Christmas lights. The residents of Coates seemed to be in competition with each other to produce the most garish house. Some of the decorations have been in place since Halloween though to be fair, most of the pumpkins have now been taken down!

PBC’s Cambridgeshire Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

The Joys of Migration... and Trip leading!

2004-10-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

North Norfolk, 17 October 2004
Migration is always a favourite and our October trips always seem to be a hit with our members- is there a link? You bet there is and this year’s traditional “slog” round the north Norfolk coast was another success with thirty or more members assembled at the end of Lady Anne’s Drive, Holkham on a wet miserable looking Sunday morning.

The two leaders, Josh Jones and Will Bowell did it in style and stayed over night at the Jones’s Docking pad (thanks guys!) sussing out where all the birds were in Holkham Pines on the Saturday afternoon. An easier task than it might sound though, as the pine needles were dripping with birds and we saw loads of (well 5) Firecrests and a lemon rumped tiger- Pallas’s Warbler. The next morning the pine needles were dripping with rain as well as birds and the area was stuffed with birders.

Despite the fact that the two leaders were based just down the road they were actually later than most (something about the alarm clock not working or something…) but I’m sure the members didn’t mind as the fields either side of them were filled with all kinds of odds and sods. Plus PBC veteran Gordon Hamlett was on hand offering friendly greetings in the slack leaders place.

On walking along the track rumours of Pallas’s and Yellow browed Warblers being about filtered through and the sharp eyed Josh Jones soon picked up a Firecrest at the front of the “queue” of members. Unfortunately, as a lot of times during woodland field trips, only privileged, quick members got to see the beautiful blighter; the rest of us at the back had to make do with a Treecreeper.

Scanning over the fields the trip list was boosted by further wildfowl additions and a Peregrine which glided over us with out flapping its wings once. Arriving at the spot which hosted 4 Firecrests together the previous afternoon (or so the leaders claimed) it seemed dead with just a few Blackcaps and Bullfinches knocking about. Good instincts and bad leadership (but we will forgive him) told JJ to temporally abandon the group and wander down the track alone. Here he discovered a Ring Ouzel- a lifer for this teen birder (I don’t know these young twitchers, American Robin and White’s Thrush on his Brit list before Rouzel- doesn’t seem right some how does it?). The rest of the group were hot on his heals and some caught a fleeting glimpse of this silvery winged beauty.

On the same piece of track we were suddenly surrounded by Long tailed Tits and sat in the a small bush a few metres away from us Nigel spotted a Firecrest; this one actually posed long enough for most to get views of what has got to be one of the best birds on the British list. As it bounced across the track it was replaced by a Yellow browed Warbler found by JJ; this one was even more considerate and decided to sit on the edge of the bush for a while. Oh what photos we could have got…

A Pallas’s also called but remained elusive for our happy team of birders so we carried on (though some later confessed to have been rather distracted by a Marsh harrier and missed the ‘crest and Yellow browed!). At this point we decided to miss the masses of frantic listers trying to see Pallas’s and carried on through to the dunes (managed to attract a few non-members along the way, who tagged along with us until they realised we weren’t heading to the dunes and were an organised party!).

The sea was dead clam and only a few passing Swallows were of note, so we decided to head back to car park (where we saw two more Firecrests) for a much deserved cuppa and a bite to eat; and of course to plan the route to our next destination- Salthouse!

A Salthouse downpour
Most people tend to ignore this spot for the delights of Cley, but us PBCers are pioneering folk and have no fears of visiting new places and I’m sure even though we didn’t see a great deal most members will be calling in at a later date. Probably the highlight from here was a Snow Bunting and a very close Red throated Diver until a downpour stopped play.

After the sun had come back out, a clear division in the group occurred with some wanting to stay at Salthouse and some wanting to look for the Radde’s Warbler just in case it was still about after being rung at Weybourne in the morning. This split was helped further by breaking news of a Red throated Pipit at Weybourne and I am ashamed to say the two leaders rather selfishly “dumped” the members who didn’t want to make a mad dash for a pipit on Gordon. These twitchers, only thinking of their lists….

Well actually no, as it turned out since the two leaders ran ahead of the 7 or so members who tagged along but one of the leaders decided to stay behind and waited for the others at the coastguards (or maybe he just couldn’t be bothered to walk another half mile for flight views of a small brown bird?) whilst the other ran ahead to the Pipit field.

Whilst at the coastguards the group got a nice Red necked Grebe, Little Gull and more Red throated Divers, whilst the single leader at the Pipit field got an unsatisfactory flight view of the Red throated in among a hundred or so Meadows. But then as if it sensed Will’s utter dissatisfaction the bird dropped down on the stubble field and was the only pipit to be showing out in the open! A quick call to Josh and the rest soon followed but only three of us saw it before it disappeared into the stubble.

Despite the bitter ending for some (and they didn’t really miss much- just a dark, well marked Pipit with tramlines down the back really!), most enjoyed this unforgettable day and nearly everyone added birds to their lists with the trip list weighing in at just under 100 species (and we didn’t even get Canada Goose!).

Peterborough Bird Club's October 2005 Norfolk Trip Report
by Will Bowell

The 'Lake District' Tour

2004-09-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Deepings, 5 September 2004
With a gap in the club’s outdoor programme in prime return migration month of September, a tour round the “Lake District” was organised. As the event drew ever closer to the two leaders were just slightly worried about the complete lack of birds at the star of the piece; Welland Bank Pits (or to give it, its official Lincs Trust name: Deeping Lakes). Thankfully the event wasn't particularly well advertised so even if we didn’t see many birds there wouldn’t be many people to see the leaders’ failure.

On the day our prediction was wrong on both accounts with 12 “hardcore” club members turning up in the soon to be blistering heat of the September sun. As we gathered at the entrance of Welland Bank Pits a Marsh Harrier was picked up circling over the maze fields.

The first pit seemed pretty dead on first appearances, but as usual they were deceptive and on closer inspection we found two Snipe as well as several Teal. The usual collection of odds and strays were present in among the Greylag flock including Bar-headed, Barnacle and Blue winged Goose. A flock of 5 Ruddy Shelduck flew round and landed on the first pit as well provoking all kinds of theories about their origin including the idea that 3 were escapes but the new two are wild (August/September being a traditional time for wild ones of course). Sounds good to us!

The hedges were alive with Chiffchaffs and the occasional Willow Warbler and a single Garden Warbler was seen, unfortunately we failed to connect to any decent tit flock which at this time of year can usually produce a few interesting birds. From the hide over looking Dandridges, the younger of the two leaders, Josh Jones picked up three Pintail roosting just in front of us and later another two were picked up further back by Trev. These birds can be easily overlooked when searching the masses of wildfowl at this time of year, but their long necks, pointy tail and shiny black beaks are always a dead giveaway. This was a much needed WBP year tick for the leader who’s patch this is.

Winter has truly arrived as the single female Goldeneye was still present along with a Red crested Pochard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard and all the winter ducks you would usually expect! A slightly mad Green Sandpiper flew low over the Lake apparently appearing from the trees with a Common Sand in the more usual spot of phase 1.

Soaring high over the group as we stood on the high bank, a pair of Buzzards headed off towards Deeping a sure sign things were on the move despite the wintry feel (in everything but the weather!). Will Bowell has to thank Trev for these beauts as this was a big WBP bogey bird of his before the trip and a useful addition to his WBP list which is nearing the 150 mark.

A few hardcore members clung on for the part of the trip at Baston/Langtoft GP where we picked up no Red crested Pochards, 1 Yellow legged Gull, several Marsh Harriers and a Hobby. The trip list ended on 60 odd species- a creditable list considering how quiet things have been of late.

Josh and Will ventured back out to BLGP later on as the hefty gull flock looked promising to us, but despite over an hours coverage from the back of the New Workings no new interest gulls were picked up but we did get 3 Snipe and a Common Sand as well as spanking Clouded Yellow near Pocket Park.

Peterborough Bird Club's September 2005 Lincolnshire Trip Report
by Josh Jones & Will Bowell

Eldernell, Cambs, 21/2/04

2004-02-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

It has been obvious for some time now that the club's walks have become increasingly successful and our annual trip to Eldernell was no exception. Several new faces turned up and a big welcome to you all.

What is perhaps less obvious, is the degree in planning that makes sure that numbers will be kept down in future. The wind was so bitter and the weather so raw that I think we can safely guarantee that not many will turn up for the next one!

The trip started with a chorus of jeers and boos for your esteemed leader who announced that as he had a foot full of blisters, he couldn't actually walk and so left the eye-watering struggle against the elements to Chris, Janet Darke and Malc Holley while all the time staying no more than five yards from the football and rugby on the car radio and the warmth of the essential flask of coffee.

Most of the birds at the feeders were staying on the ground but at least they were getting a good look in. Tony Parker had constructed a wire cage that allowed the small birds in but kept the greedy Pheasants away. Over a dozen Yellowhammers and a Reed Bunting were seen among the tits and finches.

One thing about the Washes is that they can look devoid of birds until a hunting raptor spooks them all or you get good views of the right bit of land. So it was that some 4,000 Wigeon, 3,000 Teal and 1,500 Pintails were seen along with 100 or so Bewick's Swans.

Waders were present too but more elusive - four Black-tailed Godwits, about 30 Redshanks and the odd Snipe and Dunlin were noted. There were plenty of Lapwings too, including some hardy souls who tried the odd bit of displaying but the Ruff and the rest of Dunlin kept well down.

Anyone walking past Lord's Holt automatically breaks the skyline and it was unfortunate that a few people ignored requests to go no further and so scared off many of the birds before the rest of the group had a chance to see them properly.

As the group struggled back to the car park, now into the teeth of the gale, we managed to cheer them up with news that a Kingfisher was perched just along Morton's Leam and was showing really well. We also found a couple of Stonechats. These were lifers for some of the group but they kept quiet about it, no doubt deciding that the wimp of a leader didn't deserve to have a pint bought him for every lifer found!

Between the time of the last dregs of coffee being consumed, and terminal frostbite setting in, a Buzzard drifted over our heads to join the wintering Marsh Harrier we had seen hunting earlier and the odd glimpse of the escaped Saker Falcon, putting the fear of God into everything avian.

So, for those of you who have never been to Eldernell before, I'm sorry about the weather. It's not always that cold. It just seems like it.

PBC’s Eldernell Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

Southey Woods, Cambs, 18/1/04

2004-01-18T05:23:00.000-08:00

Taking a large group through woods is a logistical nightmare. Those at the front see everything; anyone after the first couple of rows sees nothing. So while it was great to see so many people turning up, as leader, my heart was moving ever southerly, in the general direction of my boots.

We kept sending out nice manageable groups of half a dozen or so but I still ended with 15 birders around me in the car park. Never mind. Something was bound to turn up and sure enough, it didn't take long.

There were a couple of Treecreepers knocking around and a Marsh Tit showed well, always a tricky identification problem until you hear the diagnostic 'pit-choo' call. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was proving harder to get on to, lurking round the backs of the tree trunks and giving only the briefest of views.

Providence appeared in the form of the last member to arrive, who chose to park his car right under the tree where the woody was hiding. Ease the car gently forward. Slow, slow, slow, clunk. The unmistakeable sound of number plate making contact with wood. 'Blimey,' said one of the members. 'Not only do you find the birds for us, you even try and shake them out of the bl**dy trees!'

The walk, though pleasant enough, wasn't a great success bird-wise, with most of the flocks staying in inaccessible areas. Still, we found a few Siskins, Goldcrests, Bullfinches and Coal Tits. Several Jays - never an easy bird to find in the PBC area - showed well. We almost found more mammals than birds with muntjac, roe deer and hares all logged.

Male Bullfinch at Southey Woods, Cambs, 18.01.04. © Brian Stone

One group had a possible female Crossbill, our target species. Another found a Brambling. Green Woodpeckers yaffled but remained hidden. The Little Owl in oaks by the farm just south of the wood, showed brilliantly for some but not at all for the rest. Ditto the Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammers. It was that sort of day. However, when we returned to the car park, the Great Spotted Woodpecker was still flitting around. Shaken, but not stirred.

PBC’s Southey Woods Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

Blatherwycke Lake, Northants, 8/11/03

2003-11-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

It was one of those mornings when you looked out of the window and thought 'Why on earth are we doing this?' It was cold, dull and drizzling and it would have been quite easy to spend another hour or so in bed. However, the thought of going on another one of PBC's (in)famous field trips, especially one so close to home, was too much of a temptation. So we rose, showered, donned several layers of clothing and made our way to Blatherwycke.

By the time we arrived (just before 9am) about five people had already positioned themselves by the side of the lake and had identified just about every bird in sight! With a warning about being careful to avoid the local speed kings, we crossed the road and got ourselves set up, hopeful of seeing some interesting birds. All the time, other cars were arriving and on the final count, over 25 people had turned up.

We were not disappointed with what we saw, both on and off the lake. To name but a few of the waterfowl identified, we saw Wigeon, Pochard, Shoveler and Gadwall, as well as one of my favourite species, Pintail. Mac Bell found a Mandarin, typically fast asleep and hiding under the far bank.

As we had hoped and expected, at least six Red Kites showed well. A highlight for me was being able to compare the size and shape of a Kite against a Buzzard when both conveniently flew within a short distance of each other.

Wandering down to the village, we added Fieldfare, Redwing, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Red-legged Partridge to a day-total of 51 species. We all had fantastic views of a Red Kite when it decided to perch in a tree near to the bridge where we were standing. Totally oblivious of the crowd lurking in close proximity, it proceeded to enjoy a tasty morsel held tightly between its talons. Despite our best efforts, the morsel could not be identified! After three hours, we were all chilled to the bone, despite having drunk copious amounts of coffee and decided to call it a day.

The morning was every bit as eventful and enjoyable as I had anticipated it would be, despite the weather. One particular incident stuck in my mind, which I would like to share with you. During our walk towards the village, I was busy chatting to someone about nothing in particular, thus taking my eye off the ball, so to speak.

Gordon then tried to direct everyone's attention to a bird that was flying overhead, which in a flash he identified as a Snipe. I was far too slow in focussing in on it and didn't recognise it at all. When I queried how on earth he had managed to identify it so quickly, Gordon, in his inimitable style and with tongue stuck firmly in his cheek, quipped 'That's why I'm the leader and you're not!' All I can say Gordon is watch this space!

Margaret Smith added: When I left the group this morning it was suggested that I drove back via the Bulwick/Southwick road, which I did. I couldn't see anything at all so thought I'd stop in a gateway and have my coffee. I saw some Pheasants running across the field and a little way away there was a small clump of something, which didn't look all that interesting so I thought I'd drink my coffee first and then get my binoculars on to it.

The next thing I knew the 'clump' had flown upwards and lo and behold there were four Red Kites with one remaining on the ground - WOW! The one on the ground was there for ages but the other four flew over a rise so I moved the car and caught up with them. Then the one that was still on the ground decided he'd kept me waiting long enough and also flew over my head - another Wow!

PBC’s Blatherwycke Trip Report by Helen Moore & Margaret Smith

Holme, Holme on the range

2003-10-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

Holme & Titchwell, 19 October 2003

There might not have been any deer or antelope playing but the PBC trip up to the Norfolk coast proved very successful…

The whispers started about Tuesday. 'Have you seen the weather forecast? High pressure over Scandinavia and a prolonged run of south-easterly winds. Should be really good for the weekend.' Sure enough, vagrants, blown off course from their migration from Siberia to South-east Asia duly turned up along the east coast in good numbers. All that was needed now was for them to hang around until Sunday.

Over 30 members turned up at Holme and it was good to see several new faces. The clear blue skies had vanished and the wind had shifted to the north east so there was some coniderable trepidation as to whether the rare birds would still be there. Certainly in the dunes, the brisk wind was keeping the small birds down. There didn't seem to be much movement either. Small parties of Redwings moved all day but more often than not carried on inland.

Down to the big house and ringing area we went. 'Should have been here yesterday mate' was an all too familiar story. 'We had Pallas's Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler and Barred Warbler all in the same tree.' In the event, the Pallas's Warbler proved still to be in the same tree and we then had the problem of making sure that everyone saw this tiny little Siberian waif. For once, the bird stayed in the same place and we all managed good views of it.

If you've never seen one before, think of a Goldcrest with go-faster stripes: two wing bars, eyebrows and an extra stripe down the middle of the head, all completed by the flash of a yellow rump as it hovered furiously, looking for food. These birds are rare but annual visitors to Britain, with the North Norfolk coast being the best place to catch up with them in late autumn. Just to show how fickle migration can be, a late Swallow was seen, still heading south for the winter while winter visitors such as Bramblings were coming the other way.

On the beach, there was a steady passage of Little Gulls, a few Gannets stooging past and the odd Great Skua. Small flocks of Common Scoters and a couple of Eiders popped up behind the waves. For the beginners, the first frustration of seawatching quickly set in; not being able to find the bird in the first place, let alone identify it. They will just have to take our word for it that Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Guillemot, Razorbill and Red-throated Diver were all present.

On to Titchwell in the afternoon where another rare bird - a Red-necked Phalarope - gave tantalising views. Spending most of its time right at the back of the marsh, when my group started scanning, it suddenly appeared at relatively close range in with a flock of Golden Povers. We just started putting everyone on to it when every bird in the place suddenly spooked. Needless to say, it couldn't be relocated.

Never mind, there was a good selection of waders to worry over and even Sammy the Stilt showed well to the delight of several people who had had never seen the world's most twitched bird before. A few skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew over and Brent Geese were everywhere, their dark colouring contrasting well with the Persil-white of the Little Egrets.

All in all, an excellent day that everyone seemed to enjoy. Between us, over 100 species were logged.

PBC’s North Norfolk Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

Confessions of a Trip Leader

2003-02-08T01:32:00.000-08:00

Eyebrook & Kite Country, 8 February 2003

In theory, it should be pretty easy to lead one of the club trips. After all, you’ve picked the place to go, so there shouldn’t be too many surprises. It’s a bit like having home advantage in a sports fixture.

All you really need to do is arrive half an hour before everyone else for a quick bit of reconnaissance, ask any other birders what they have seen and then sit back with a know-it-all expression when the others arrive.

At some stage during the walk, you should call out an exotic raptor, disappearing fast over the horizon. Coupled with a few semi-inaccurate directions, this ensures that no one else sees the bird well enough to query your identification.

If by any chance, someone finds a bird you can’t identify, you either pretend that you can’t follow their directions, look at the disappearing raptor instead or go and show someone else a Robin through your nice shiny new scope, thus generating comments such as “He’s really good with beginners….” Hopefully, the mystery bird will have disappeared by the time you return or someone else will have identified it for you.

And that’s all there is to it. Now all you have to do is just sit back and accept the plaudits at the end of the day.

Occasionally, though someone bowls you a googly. On the club’s recent trip to Eyebrook Reservoir, it was Elizabeth Parkins, who had been ‘reading up all about Smew for the last week, had been told that this was a good site for them and couldn’t wait to see one.’ Suddenly, the pressure’s on and you have to perform.

As it happened, I had already found a pair of Smew, but they were feeding actively - a potential nightmare. For some reason, the birds are above water when you look at them, but under water and appearing miles from the described spot when the group is looking.

Fortunately, another drake decided to swim sedately past, posing really well. The assorted yelps and squeals of delight at the sight of the ‘white nun’, surely one of the most stunning ducks in the world, suggested that:

a) most of the group had seen it and
b) we wouldn’t have to look very much further for the bird of the day

Over 30 people attended the walk; another record turn out. Many of the group were soon adding the like of Ruddy Duck, Goosander, Goldeneye and Pintail to their lists. Lifers in many cases too. The woodland birds also showed well with an obliging Marsh Tit, Treecreeper and Goldcrest. At the shallow end, we had excellent views of the waders, including good numbers of Lapwings, Golden Plovers and Dunlin, with a Ringed Plover and Redshank thrown in for good measure.

No Brownie Points, though for the half of the group who found a Merlin, decided that we must have seen it, so didn’t bother telling us about it! Thanks guys. A Buzzard then entertained us by repeatedly flying up and down to a hedge.

Rutland and Kites!
The group then split at this stage, some going with Trevor to Rutland Water where they found, among others, Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Little Egret and a possible Peregrine. The rest of us carried on round the reservoir to the feeding station where several Tree Sparrows and three male Yellowhammers, shinning like the brightest topaz against a dark background, were the pick.

Off in a convoy past the stately homes of Northamptonshire to Deenethorpe, where half a dozen Red Kites showed over various woods. One flew right over our heads but was somewhat silhouetted; another flying against a darker background showed the plumage in much more detail. Chris Monk explained about the different coloured wing tags we were seeing.

It was as we set off again that we realised we had managed to loose a car- Ray and Jackie Laurie, with passenger Helen Moore, had only just managed to find Deenethorpe – we thought they’d gone with Trevor until we guiltily remembered that they’d been with us at the feeding station- sorry!

Blakerwycke Lake gave us more wildfowl, a nice flock of Fieldfares, another Buzzard and more Red Kites, including an untagged adult that showed much more red in the tail than the juveniles we had been watching earlier. A Barnacle Goose was a surprise fly past but was no doubt just heading back to the collection whence it came.

Lunchtime beckoned and the group broke up, with Chris Monk kindly volunteering to take a couple of diehards to the Kite roost where they managed over 20 birds in the air at once.

The final tally for our half of the group was 57 species, an excellent morning’s work. Along with Eldernell, this is our most popular trip and already, we have been asked to do it again. We will, but only when we’ve got the Smew nailed down!

PBC’s Leicestershire/Northamptonshire Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

New Year- new birds

2003-01-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

North Norfolk Bird Race, 5 January 2003

The New Year trip to Norfolk is always one of our more popular trips and a good crowd assembled, splitting more or less into three groups. Trevor, having promised faithfully to stay with the rest of us, lasted about 30 seconds in that mode before rushing off like a demented Sanderling. Consequently, though we met his group occasionally, no-one really has much of an idea where he went or what he saw. Naturally, he claims to have won easily…

Will’s group started at Wolfterton Triangle in the hope of Golden Pheasant, which would have been a lifer for our entire car load. As usual, there was no sign. As the group approached Hunstanton, the meeting place for the trip, a flock of about 100 Pink-footed Geese flew across the sky, in perfect V-formation, as they left their roost at Snettisham. A brilliant way to start any day’s birding.

A Hunstanton there was very little out at sea, so some of the group headed south to the Ski Ramp where Gordon had assured us that there were Purple Sandpipers. He lied- or rather we should have got up earlier! There was plenty of Common Scoter and Eiders, with a few Red-breasted Mergansers thrown in for good measure. The prize however was a superb Long-tailed Duck. Some amazingly confiding Turnstones often came too close to focus on!

Titchwell was as productive as ever, with the main highlight being the seawatch. Trevor picked out a Slavonian Grebe, a lifer for many members, as were several Velvet Scoters, close in with a flock of Goldeneyes. We also found a cracking male Scaup.

We then headed for Holkham Hall, where Will’s group failed to see the Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers and the Tawny Owl. Gordon’s group however had decided to give the joys of Titchwell a miss and spend more time in the woods instead. They had struggled to find Nuthatch and Treecreeper and having also missed the Owls, this was looking to be the wrong decision.

Suddenly Gordon started falling over Lesser-spots with at least four birds seen. Unfortunately, they all flew just as he tried to get others onto them. Eventually, one tired of flying off and sat obligingly in a top of tree top allowing many to add this delightful species to their life list. Green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers were equally as obliging.

Wacky Races
At Lady Anne’s Drive the groups met up. Out over the fields Pink-footed Geese were present as was a flock of White-fronted Geese (which we missed). As we walked towards a crowd of birders standing out in Holkham Gap a Rock Pipit was located as it flew over, quite low calling.

The target species here were Twite, Shore Larks and Snow Buntings, all present in good numbers and more lifers for many in the group. As we walked back to the car, Trevor phoned with news of a flock of Waxwings at Stifkey, so Will’s car load split from Gordon’s gathering and ran (well… almost) back to the car. There was no sign of the Waxwings, but we did add Bullfinch at 60mph (us, not the bird).

On to Wareham Greens were a rare Pallid Harrier had been roosting for the last month. Out on the marsh, the place was alive with Little Egrets. They seemed to be in almost every creek, some of them feeding quite close. Several ring-tail Hen Harriers drifted by and Merlins hunted, occasionally perching obligingly. A couple of Short-eared Owls and a Barn Owl quartering the marsh, beautifully lot in the late afternoon sun.

One of the Harriers seen at about 3pm seemed a little different to the rest and everyone agreed that it might have been the Pallid Harrier. It seemed slightly thinner than the other Hen Harriers we had been watching, and the flight was also different. But all of these differences could have been as a result of the poor light, distance and heat haze. I don’t think anyone was convinced enough to tick it.

Gordon’s group was at the western end of the saltmarsh and had no trouble picking out the Pallid Harrier. Funniest incident was watching a group of Waxwings perched in the trees immediately behind the twitchers at the Stifkey end. Despite several phone calls to friends and Birdlines telling the birders to look behind them, no one did and the birds flew off though Mac Bell was lucky enough to find them in a hedge next to the path when he walked back to his car.

After deciding it was probably too late for the harrier Will and Trevor’s groups decided to go for the Yellow-browed Warbler at Stifkey. By the time they had walked there, the light was fading dramatically, and in the trees it was even worse. Unsurprisingly the groups gained brief and unsatisfactory glimpses of it in the gloom so it was untickable for those who needed it.

In total, about 114 species were recorded, with some luck members recording five lifers. Both the quality of the birds and the company was of the highest standard. As the light all but vanished, thousands of Pink-feet flighted back towards Scolt Head to roost for the night; an excellent end to an excellent day’s birding.

PBC’s Norfolk Trip Report by William Bowell & Gordon Hamlett

Birthday Treat

2002-10-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

North Norfolk, 6 October 2002

Norfolk in October, under favourable weather conditions can be unbeatable. So it came as no surprise to anyone, when the PBC trip the North Norfolk coast was represented by both members and birds. As it happened the date of the field trip clashed with my 16th birthday, but thankfully I persuaded my parents that it was a good idea to go to Norfolk for the day.

Early risers in the group enjoyed views of Crossbills at Sandringham and Great and Arctic Skuas, Manx Shearwaters and Great Northern Diver along the coast. But by 10am everyone was gathered at the East Bank car park, Cley, where they enjoyed excellent views of a Stonechat in the reedbed with Bearded Tits for a lucky few.

A flock of Dunlin on Arnold’s Marsh provoked considerable discussion in the group about the identification of some of the birds. They got turned into everything from Temminck’s Stint to Sanderling, showing just how variable this ubiquitous wader can be.

Other waders included Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover and a lone, dull Avocet. The sea was alive with birds and the best was almost the first bird seen. Trevor put the group onto it by saying ‘There’s a Skua going left and it looks interested…”

It turned out to be a Long-tailed Skua! This was a lifer for me and I was surprised at how close the bird was. The sea also held Gannets, Auks, Common Scoters and a few Red-throated Divers. My first Brent Geese of the year flew by. A Short-eared Owl over the reedbed was nice, but scant consolation for those who missed the Skua.

Our next destination was Well’s Wood, a place that can be heaving with birds or totally dead. Heading towards the Dell, we were greeted with two Treecreepers along with two Bramblings, which eventually everybody saw. We needn’t have bothered- the place was full of them!

Among the usual Tits and Chiffchaffs, we also found a Lesser Whitethroat and Redstart. Unfortunately both were seen by only a few members- one of the problems with taking a large group through woods. We came to a little drinking pool, which attracted Bullfinches, Bramblings, dozens of Goldcrests, Blackcaps and other common species.

The group then moved towards Old Hunstanton where a rare Sardinian Warbler had been resident for a week. One car load managed to get five Cranes flying over. Others stopped for the escaped Ross’s Goose among the hundreds of Pink-feet.

Joining the small crowd of twitchers, the bird finally came out into the open for all to see. There was a huge contrast between the black head and white throat. The red eye ring was also clear when the bird was in the open, but it spent most of its time deep in the bush, skulking about.

This was bird of the day for all and a lifer for many- a fine way to finish the day!

PBC's North Norfolk Trip Report by Will Bowell

Snettisham, Norfolk, 27/11/99

1999-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

With a touch of good fortune, we managed to pick just about the only fine day in November. The reserve has altered in recent months with the opening of a new RSPB car park - an attempt to please the owners of the holiday chalets who were fed up with the constant march past of birders.

The facilities look promising but the paths are incredibly muddy and don't bear thinking about if you visit after a prolonged spell of rain.

We started off with a bonus when a Hooded Crow flew over though poor Malcolm continued his run of bad luck by getting out of his car just in time to see a distant speck disappearing over the horizon. Parties of Pink-footed Geese were constantly flighting out from their overnight roosts and there were both Fieldfares and Redwings round the car park.

Reaching the sea, Trev picked out a small party of Scaup - the marine equivalent of Tufted Duck and a lifer for several members of the group. A flock of 14 or so Snow Buntings flitted up and down the beach, giving excellent close views as they searched for sea-poppy seeds.

It was rare to look at the sky and not see parties of several hundred Knot as they formed ever increasing flocks as high tide pushed them further and further into the Wash. There were tideline corpses of a Red-throated Diver and Pink-footed Goose for the not-so-squeamish and three Short-eared Owls hunted, one flying over the heads of half the group. Odds and sods on the pits included a Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Greenshank.

On to Holme village where good numbers of Waxwings had been reported. Though they had been seen earlier, we had no joy. Apparently they were feeding on windfall apples tucked behind a wall out of view. We saw a Barn Owl - slightly unusual at noon, good views of Green Woodpeckers and Sparrowhawks and Trev's group found a wintering Chiffchaff.

News broke that the White-tailed Eagle had just been seen a couple of miles inland so off we chased to Fring. The bird had been coming in to roost regularly for a week or so, so we settled down to wait. And wait. And wait. Naturally it didn't show so we had to make do with a few Grey Partridges and some 2500 Pinkfeet feeding in a field in front of us.

Several people - they know who they are, names available or suppressed for a suitable fee - got fed up with all the waiting and went back to Holme. It wasn't the fact that they saw ten Waxwings that hurt, it was evil delight they took in gloating so much. Prancing up and down the road, pointing to pictures in the field guides, counting up to ten in a manner likely to provoke. Expect a motion at the next AGM to drum them out or at least issue a yellow card!

PBC's Snettisham Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

North Norfolk, 17/10/99

1999-10-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the weather can be just too good. A prolonged spell of easterly winds had everyone licking their lips in anticipation of what might be around. In the event, the skies were totally clear and bright so that though there were many birds migrating, most of them were continuing inland rather than being forced down on the coast in front of us and flight views only are never that satisfying.

Not that there weren't good birds around, We started off at Choseley, a couple of miles inland from Titchwell where an absolutely cracking male Pied Wheatear strutted his stuff on the roof and walls of one of the local houses. An excellent bird but I'm not sure how pleased any of us would be to open the curtains one morning and see over 50 scopes peering intently towards us.

This is an excellent area to work if you have not been before with plenty of Tree Sparrows around, Fieldfares and Redwings moving in good numbers - something that was repeated everywhere we went - together with fields full of gulls and plovers and hedgerows full of finches. There were plenty of Pink-footed Geese on the move too.

At Holme, there were small parties of Chaffinches and Bramblings passing overhead and we had just found a family party of Stonechats when two birders started running like mad back towards their car. This could only mean one thing and news quickly filtered through of a Red-flanked Bluetail just five miles along the coast, a major rarity from Siberia.

A quick vote saw the party split up, the sensible deciding to stay and watch the migration at Holme with the idiots (most of the 19 who had turned up I hasten to add) charging off and joining the convoy of cars heading towards the churchyard at Burnham Deepdale.

It soon became clear though that bird had quickly disappeared, a pity as it was one of four in the country that day and the only one not to show well. So the convoy moved off to Wells where there were reports of Dusky and Yellow-browed Warblers - more eastern vagrants. Both birds had been seen earlier but naturally, there was no sign of either when we looked. Best bird here was good views of a Brambling, a lifer for several group members.

The group now split up; some went to Blakeney Point where they found a Pallas's Warbler, others to Titchwell where there was a Great Grey Shrike showing and others back to the wheatear.

A slightly frustrating day. There were plenty of rare birds seen - Radde's Warbler and Richard's Pipit were also reported, but with the exception of the wheatear, nothing showed very well. Too much chasing and too few birds. Those who stayed at Holme probably picked the sensible option.

PBC's North Norfolk Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

King's Dyke & Nene Washes, Cambs, 5/9/99

1999-09-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

This new reserve between Peterborough and Whittlesey attracted a record turn out in the blistering sunshine and the early arrivals were treated to a new bird for the reserve in the form of a Buzzard that found a thermal to its liking. A second bird was also reported by one person.

Whether these birds had moved down from Eldernell (there had been four there the previous day) or were part of a larger movement (several birds were reported moving through Norfolk the same day) is open to speculation. A family party of four Kestrels also enjoyed the column of warm air.

Apart from the raptors, the heat was keeping most of the small birds down and the general feeling was that it would have been better to visit early in the morning. A walk down to the hide produced a few Meadow Pipits and a Sedge Warbler with a Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff in front of the hide along with a few sleeping Teal, a couple of Ruddy Ducks, five Little Grebes and a few Tufted Ducks including a female with a huge amount of white round the base of the bill which we tried our hardest to make into a Scaup.

Surprisingly, there were no passage waders but 22 Lapwings dropped in and a Green Woodpecker shot over. As we wandered back to the cars, a Great Black-backed Gull drifted across - another reserve first.

This is an excellent little reserve, very well managed and nicely compact. There are not many people watching it at the moment so you have a good chance of making a name for yourself and finding something out of the ordinary.

I would suggest looking out for a Whinchat on the wires in the next week or so as well monitoring the build up of waterfowl over the next few months. In spring, the scrub should be alive with warblers. If you would like your own key to the hide, then contact Chris Hamlett on (01733) 331814. Please record all your sightings.

The group then moved on to Eldernell, hoping to see the Montagu's Harrier that had been present the night before. As we arrived, the Red Arrows shot over, putting up a couple of thousand Lapwings. Almost immediately, two harriers came up in front of us. The first was a Marsh Harrier but the second had a white rump. I screamed out 'Monties' to make sure that everyone got onto the bird but it soon became apparent that the bird was far too large for a Montagu's Harrier and was a lot darker than the bird seen previously. It was a very early female Hen Harrier instead..

We had several more Marsh Harriers as well plus another couple of Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and Kestrels seemingly everywhere - they seem to have had a really good breeding season. Six Yellow Wagtails perched on the roof of one of the barns and a Kingfisher flew up and down Morton's Leam calling its head off. Other wildlife seen included a grass snake, eel and lizard.

These two reserves can be easily combined and should make for an excellent afternoon's birdwatching as autumn moves towards winter and numbers of wildfowl, waders, raptors and owls build up. Ideally, you should aim to be at Eldernell for the last couple of hours of daylight (remember to take a hot drink and lots of warm clothing) with, say, an hour and a half at King's Dyke.

Peterborough Bird Club's King's Dyke & Nene Washes Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett

North Norfolk, Aug '99

1999-08-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

You know it's going to be a funny sort of day when the first two birds that you see are Golden Pheasant and Helmeted Guineafowl! The former, introduced from

China

you are allowed to count, the latter, brought over from Africa to provide additional sport for shooters is not tickable.

We had called in at Wolferton en route to Hunstanton, an easy an occasionally worthwhile detour though we only reckon to see the pheasants about one time in ten on a casual drive past.

Arriving at the front at Hunny, it soon became apparent that this was not going to be one of the classic seawatching days with the sea doing a mighty fine impression of a mill pond and what bit of wind there was coming from the south-west rather than the north. Nevertheless, we started to pick up a few birds ranging from Fulmars gliding in front of our faces to a couple of distant Common Scoters and a total of five Gannets flying past.

A few Sandwich Terns were moving and they are always likely to attract the attention of any passing skua. These pirates tend to follow the coast down and fly in to the Wash, only to find that it is a dead end and fly out again. Consequently the person standing on the left hand end of the group has the best chance of picking up birds first. And so it was with Chris Garvey being the first to get on to the only two skuas of the day. The second bird was an Arctic Skua - the commonest skua found in these parts but the first bird was altogether heavier, especially around the chest and had a much more ponderous flight - a much rarer Pomarine Skua.

Don't overlook the use of jizz, especially when seawatching. How a bird flies can often be a useful identification pointer, especially for distant birds or those seen in poor light. Unfortunately, while we discussing the finer points of skua identification, a dog decided to try and scent-mark Malcolm's field guide in the traditional canine manner. It would be unfair to say that Trevor and myself nearly followed suit by laughing too much but it was close.

We moved on to Titchwell and the reserve was alive with birds and we clocked up a total of 20 species of wader including about 6000 Knot, a few Curlew Sandpipers - part of a nation-wide influx - and a dozen Greenshanks. No trip would be complete without an appearance from Sammy the Stilt, now in his sixth year on the reserve. A Little Egret flew over the path and we heard both Bearded Tit and Water Rail.

We moved on to Swanton Novers for lunch. This raptor watchpoint just outside Fakenham is famous for its Honey Buzzards though most of the group had been there several times previously without much success. A Buzzard came up which Trevor, anxious to get away, tried to string as a Honey Buzzard. Fortunately, the real thing came up behind us about five minutes later giving good but distant views of the main identification features including small head, pinched wings and soaring on flat wings unlike the Buzzard which holds its wings in shallow V.

Of course, having seen the genuine article, Trevor was now quick to concede that the first bird was in fact just a Common Buzzard and add it to his day list. How fickle the leading lights of the club can be!

The trip ended there but half the group decided to go back via Holbeach St Matthew where a Spotted Sandpiper had been reported. There was no sign of this American equivalent of our Common Sandpiper but they did report excellent views of Merlin, Peregrine and 100 Whimbrel.

PBC's North Norfolk Trip Report by Gordon Hamlett