Showing posts with label Cattle Egret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cattle Egret. Show all posts

Wednesday, 30 December 2020

Autumn highlights from East Anglia - Part 3

 A final selection of photos from the autumn with these being from mid-October until I returned home in mid-December...

Incredible numbers of Red-flanked Bluetails turned up along the Norfolk coast with up to at one site alone. This one lurked in the undergrowth in Holkham Pines. 

Pallas's Warblers are always great to see. This individual was in Holkham Pines, while other late autumn highlights there included a putative Stejneger's Stonechat, Barred Warbler, Hawfinches, Yellow-browed Warblers and up to 17 Cattle Egrets. 


The rarest bird of the autumn and biggest surprise was the eastern-race Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin at Stiffkey. 

Another, more showy Pallas's Warbler was also at Stiffkey the same day as the Scrub Robin.

This Red-flanked Bluetail showed superbly at Holme Dunes. 

Two of the Hawfinches at Holkham.

A Lesser Yellowlegs showed down to a few metres at Cley late in October.

An influx of Caspian Gulls to Cley the same day as the Yellowlegs included this smart Dutch-ringed first-winter (phonescoped). 

During the lockdown these Glossy Ibis turned up at Horsham St Faith - within cycling distance of my Norwich house. 

I managed one post-lockdown trip to the coast before returning to Northumberland, with a juvenile Iceland Gull at Weybourne being the highlight and a Black Brant at Cley. 

Monday, 28 December 2020

Autumn highlights from East Anglia - Part 1

Here is a selection of photos from the first part of my birding in and around Norfolk over the autumn (in roughly chronological order). With so many good birds around and lots of uni work to do, I struggled to find much time to post my photos on my blog. Instead I’m going to try and sum it up over three posts in the next few days...


 
One of two Red-backed Shrikes at Waxham in September.

A flyby from 9 Cattle Egrets on the marshes at Burnham Overy. One darker-billed juvenile can be seen in this image.

The first of two Lesser Yellowlegs during the autumn giving a nice flyby at Runham Mill.

A Red-breasted Flycatcher along the south side of The Dell at Wells Woods.

One of a group of five Yellow-browed Warblers together in Holkham Pines.

Juvenile Purple Heron in a tree at Ormesby Little Broad.



Brown Shrike at Warham Greens. I had better views than the photos suggest and it was one of my highlights of the autumn.

There were good numbers of Lapland Buntings on the Norfolk coast with this showy individual being on Blakeney Point.

Saturday, 22 February 2020

The last month...

I've had a particularly busy few weeks at uni but I've still managed to fit in a bit of birding as well. Here are a few of the best bits from the last month or so...




First-winter Caspian Gull at Sheringham. A day in the Holkham area produced 8 Spoonbills, 137 Russian White-fronted Geese, 3 Great Egrets and 50+ Snow Buntings among others.
Lesser Yellowlegs at Lingham Lake, Nosterfield. A redhead Smew was also on the lake.
Cattle Egret in the roost at Bolton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire. 2 Great Egrets were also in the roost and a drake Ring-necked Duck was at nearby Ellerton Lake.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (unfortunately I can't disclose any more details)

Great Crested Grebes

Tuesday, 12 November 2019

Up and running in Norfolk...

Yesterday I finally had the chance to go on a twitch since arriving at uni! I woke up to see that my three-hour practical for the day had been cancelled so decided to get straight on the bus and head to Cley! For a change the public transport was quite simple and we arrived mid-afternoon. The Isabelline Wheatear was on view immediately and, as the afternoon went on, started to show even better. It came within metres of us on several occasions, although never seemed to stand side on!

Other highlights during the afternoon included 3 very confiding Snow Buntings, a Long-tailed Duck and a Purple Sandpiper feeding on Arnold's Marsh.

I have also got out birding on a couple of other occasions, managing some nice sightings, even if not quite as rare as the Wheatear! These have included a Pallas's Warbler at Waxham, 8 Cattle Egrets and 3 Great Egrets at Burnham Overy Marshes, and Yellow-browed Warbler, Jack Snipe and Ring Ouzels at Walsey Hills.





Isabelline Wheatear at Cley
Snow Bunting at Cley
Three of eight Cattle Egrets at Burnham Overy

Saturday, 11 May 2019

Garganey

Last night I finally found my first Garganey of the year with a drake at Druridge Pools. The Cattle Egret was still present along with 25 Black-tailed Godwits and a Whimbrel. At Hemscott Hill, two Yellow Wagtails and 5 Wheatear were in the field to the north.


I also managed to get a short sound recording of the Garganey calling...

Monday, 6 May 2019

Cattle Egret...

After years of hoping, Druridge finally produced a Cattle Egret this morning. Some nice, if distant, views were had as it fed among the cattle to the north of the pools...


Video should be viewed in HD at 1080p

Sunday, 21 May 2017

Mallorca - Albufera (part two)...

Finally had the time to edit some more photos from Mallorca and on our penultimate full day of the holiday we returned to Albufera. Highlights included a male Little Bittern a few metres away, a Collared Pratincole, Temminck's Stint, 7 Little Stints, 50+ Spotted Redshank, a Water Pipit and a hybrid Little Egret x Reef Heron. We also had a Marbled Duck, but later found out this was from one of the reintroduction schemes taking place over the last few years to boost the population there...




Little Bittern
Cattle Egret
Sardinian Warbler
Black-winged Stilt



Collared Pratincole
Great Reed Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Little Egret x Reef Heron

Water Pipit


Iberian Yellow Wagtail intergrade (?)

Purple Heron

Marsh Harrier