"For now we are young let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see" Neutral Milk Hotel.

Sunday 22 November 2015

NWT Holme Dunes

    Sunday 22 November 2015


Counting period: 07:25 - 14:55
Count type: seawatch
Weather: wind North3
Observers: Robert Smith, Gary Hibberd, Andy Brown, Greg Beeton, Mark ??? and Fiona ???

SWNESWNESWNE
Red-throated Diver  10  -  Mallard  23  -  Dunlin  53  -  
Great Northern Diver  1  -  Pintail  11  -  Great Skua  6  -  
Great Crested Grebe  8  -  Tufted Duck  9  -  Black-headed Gull  265  -  
Fulmar  5  -  Eider  53  -  Glaucous Gull  1  -  
Gannet  10  -  Long-tailed Duck  1  -  Kittiwake  5  -  
Dark-bellied Brent Goose  92  -  Common Scoter  198  -  Guillemot  15  -  
Shelduck  740  -  Velvet Scoter  4  -  Razorbill  2  -  
Wigeon  651  -  Goldeneye  19  -  Razorbill/Guillemot  13  -  
Gadwall  12  -  Red-breasted Merganser  46  -  Black Guillemot  8  -  
Teal  171  -  Goosander  3  -  Starling  8400  -  

Totals: 10835 individuals, 30 species, 7:30 hours

Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number)
Comments: Probably the biggest passage of Shelduck in Norfolk for 40 years and just 30 short of Norfolks highest ever count.

Glaucous Gull

During the weekends sea watching this bird briefly pitched down on the tideline before heading off west and then back east an hour or so later.



Saturday 21 November 2015

Hunstanton Cliffs

    Saturday 21 November 2015


Counting period: 08:30 - 11:30
Count type: seawatch
Weather: wind North7
Observers: Gary Hibberd, Andy Brown, Pete Clements and Robert Smith

SNSNSN
Red-throated Diver  -  1  Common Scoter  -  127  skua sp.  63  -  
Manx Shearwater  -  2  Goldeneye  7  -  Kittiwake  62  4  
Gannet  4  148  Red-breasted Merganser  8  2  Razorbill  -  2  
Shelduck  12  -  Pomarine Skua  16  -  Razorbill/Guillemot  5  2  
Wigeon  126  -  Arctic Skua  2  -  Starling  385  -  
Teal  8  -  Great Skua  57  6    

Totals: 1049 individuals, 17 species, 3:00 hours 

Monday 16 November 2015

Sunday 15 November 2015

A Vine Weevil

Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, Hunstanton, 8th November 2015



Tuesday 10 November 2015

A few fungi at Holme Dunes

On our West Norfolk NWT Group walk today we found numerous fungi, mostly in the pines and dunes. We were able to identify a few but most had to be left unidentified. 
Just on the top of the sand to the east of the sand ladder I found a stinkhorn which I am pretty confident is a Dune Stinkhorn, even though it was past its best.



There were quite a good number of Scaly Stalkballs in the dunes.


In the pines we found Collared Earthstars

and Sessile Earthstars.


Sunday 1 November 2015

The week's vis. mig. data for the cliffs

              Wednesday 28 October 2015


          Counting period: 06:36 - 08:36
          Count type: coastal vismig (landbased birds only)
          Weather: wind SSE2, cloud-cover 8/8
          Observers: Andy Brown, Chris Mills, Robert Smith, John Baker and Richard Belter

          SNSNSN
          Wigeon  34  -  alba wagtail sp.  5  -  Brambling  22  -  
          Pintail  2  -  Fieldfare  4  -  Greenfinch  16  -  
          Lapwing  264  -  Redwing  10  -  Goldfinch  1  -  
          Woodpigeon  96  -  Jackdaw  17  -  Siskin  4  -  
          Skylark  9  -  Carrion Crow  1  -  Linnet  3  -  
          Meadow Pipit  11  -  Starling  36536  -  Yellowhammer  2  -  
          Rock Pipit  1  -  Chaffinch  241  -  Reed Bunting  4  -  

          Totals: 37283 individuals, 21 species, 2:00 hours

          Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number)
          Comments: An escaped vasa parrot was also noted!

          Thursday 29 October 2015


        Counting period: 06:36 - 08:36
        Count type: coastal vismig (landbased birds only)
        Weather: wind SSE2, cloud-cover 1/8
        Observers: Andy Brown, Gary Hibberd, Chris Mills, Robert Smith, Hilary Shipton, John Baker and Richard Belter

        SNSNSN
        Great Crested Grebe  2  -  Meadow Pipit  15  -  Starling  12172  -  
        Wigeon  25  -  Grey Wagtail  2  -  Chaffinch  389  -  
        Common Scoter  50  -  alba wagtail sp.  1  -  Brambling  8  -  
        Goldeneye  2  -  Fieldfare  1  -  Greenfinch  33  -  
        Golden Plover  3  -  Redwing  22  -  Goldfinch  5  -  
        Lapwing  1021  -  Mistle Thrush  1  -  Siskin  30  -  
        Woodpigeon  3  -  Great Tit  1  -  Linnet  12  -  
        Collared Dove  3  -  Jackdaw  36  -  redpoll sp.  1  -  
        Skylark  38  -  Rook  3  -  Reed Bunting  1  -  

        Totals: 13880 individuals, 27 species, 2:00 hours

        Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number)


        Friday 30 October 2015


      Counting period: 06:45 - 07:45
      Weather: wind SSE3, cloud-cover 8/8, temperature 11 ℃
      Observers: Andy Brown

      SN
      Woodpigeon  24  -    
      Rock Pipit  1  -    
      Starling  4980  -    
      Chaffinch  19  -    
      Brambling  3  -    
      Goldfinch  1  -    

      Totals: 5028 individuals, 6 species, 1:00 hours

      Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number)
      Comments: Very quiet and then rain after an hour - so I left !

      Saturday 31 October 2015


    Counting period: 06:40 - 08:30
    Count type: coastal vismig (landbased birds only)
    Weather: wind SSE1, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 1000m, temperature 11 ℃
    Observers: Gary Hibberd

    SNSNSN
    Grey Heron  5  -  Rock Pipit  2  1  Chaffinch  258  -  
    Lapwing  203  -  alba wagtail sp.  3  -  Brambling  2  -  
    Herring Gull  7  -  Blackbird  9  -  Greenfinch  13  -  
    Woodpigeon  6  -  Redwing  2  -  Siskin  4  -  
    Wood Lark  1  -  Mistle Thrush  1  -  Linnet  3  -  
    Skylark  28  -  Jackdaw  2  -  Reed Bunting  3  -  
    House Martin  -  1  Starling  12250  -    
    Meadow Pipit  24  1  House Sparrow  1  -    

    Totals: 12830 individuals, 22 species, 1:50 hours

    Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number)

    Sunday 1 November 2015


Counting period: 06:55 - 07:55
Weather: wind South1, cloud-cover 2/8, temperature 8 ℃
Observers: Andy Brown

SNSNSN
Mute Swan  1  -  Fieldfare  10  -  Greenfinch  14  -  
Snipe  1  -  Long-tailed Tit  12  -  Goldfinch  2  -  
Woodpigeon  130  -  Magpie  3  -  Siskin  4  -  
Skylark  2  -  Jackdaw  4  -  redpoll sp.  3  -  
Rock Pipit  2  -  Chaffinch  41  -    
Grey Wagtail  2  -  Brambling  2  -    

Totals: 233 individuals, 16 species, 1:00 hours

Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number)
Comments: Fog delayed start and its re-appearance finished the session after an hour. Its also prevented specific ID of a Buzzard which flew low in off the sea.........