Threxton, Bodney, and Little Cressingham.

Migration is certainly beginning to pick up now with good numbers of Warbler species seen and heard widely this morning.  Some of my known areas for migrants were checked and it was interesting to note that 5+ Chiffchaffs were found in one small patch of woodland habitat at Threxton.  Also at Threxton, signs of the approaching autumn evident when my first passage Meadow Pipit heard overhead.

Threxton
I parked at the church and walked south along the road leading to 'The Arms'. The mature woodland along the periphery of the Clermont estate held Blackcap, Coal Tits, several Goldcrests and 2+ Bullfinches.


Whitethroat (juvenile) Threxton 3 September '13

My intention was then to walk back to a small, but well stocked patch of woodland which has always been a favourite destination for me this time of year for finding migrants.  5+ Chiffchaffs were present, including one singing bird.  Also, 2 Blackcap (female seen), Whitethroat (juvenile), but my star bird was a single Lesser Whitethroat which flew into the woodland from the north, spent a minute or two in a large Hawthorn, and then flew purposefully south out of the woodland....good evidence of passage with this bird.

Also of particular interest was an overhead calling Meadow Pipit, my first for September and a sure sign that autumn approaches.
Resident species here included many Blue Tits and Chaffinches.

Bodney Church
Further migrants found at this small church included Blackcap and Chiffchaffs (including one singing), also Long-tailed Tits and Coal Tits seen and heard.

Little Cressingham Windmill.


Blackcap (juvenile) Little Cressingham 3 September '13

The migrant theme continued here with 2+ Blackcaps (including a juvenile seen), Whitethroat, and Chiffchaffs.  Overhead was 50+ House Martins and a Swallow.  Most, if not all of the House Martins seen swarming above me would have bred in their communal nesting site at the nearby cottage.


Migrants list and notes
50+ House Martins
1 Swallow
Blackcap
Chiffchaff - widespread with a concentration of 5+ at one small site
2+ Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat - Threxton. Dropped in briefly before continuing south.
Meadow Pipit - Threxton. Overhead migrant heard (first of autumn).

A search for migrants but no Shrike.

Bright and cool at dawn but with increasing warmth.

Moderate to Fresh SW wind.

 

The wind direction today was not conducive to significant migrant passage, however, given recent finds I thought it likely that previously arrived birds will be found before conditions change to allow continuation of migration.

Bodney was the place to be this morning, however, evidence of light passage at sunrise was noted over Great Cressingham:
 

Wheatear 02/09/13 Bodney (One of 2 birds). Poor, over-exposed record shot.

1 Hobby
Lapwing

Golden Plover

1 Little Owl

1 Yellow Wagtail (passage Gt Cressingham)

3 Whinchat

2 Wheatear

 

Great Cressingham

A dog walk at dawn produced a calling Little Owl along Priory Road, further along on the Peddars Way, farm machinery put up a mixed flock of Lapwings and Golden Plover.
Evidence of passage heard with an overhead calling Yellow Wagtail.

Bodney
An early morning walk to Bodney was in order to check for signs of Shrike species following yesterdays discovery of an impaled beetle on barbed wire, however, there was no sign of Shrike species. The beetle had not been touched.
An initial check of rolling grassland habitat produced 2 Wheatear, these birds had a liking for the bronze age tumuli where this species has bred in recent years.  Given the habitat here it is likely breeding also occured here this year.  Old Rabbit burrows which provide nesting sites for Wheatear saw these two birds often frequenting one on this site.
A check for migrants along weed-lined ditches and flood-plain was rewarding with 3 Whinchats on fencing. these birds often flew down to the ground for prey and at times spent some time searching for food but they were always close to the cover by the ditch.

Hobby near Watering Farm, Thompson.
A walk around a recently cleared area of pine forest mid-afternoon saw good numbers of Dragonfly species, the most numerous appearing to be the Emperor..
The highlight of this visit was a single Hobby which was seen hunting insects above woodland, it clear the bird was feeding as the legs were held from the body and the head reached under the body so that food could be passed to the bill.  Minutes later whilst sitting on the edge of the clearing, the same, or another Hobby was seen flying at great speed at a couple of feet above the ground before passing by quite close to me.  I am sure that the Hobby was intent on hunting dragonflies given their relative abundance at this locality.

BODNEY, Norfolk. A good start to September but a big prize missed.

Today dawned very autumnal with cloud and much cooler conditions. 
Wind: Moderate westerly occasionally increasing fresh.

I parked at 'The Arms' at Little Cressingham and walked west along the B1108 towards Bodney with the intention of checking the area for migrant birds.  As expected, some good migrants were found, however, it was clear that something special had passed through.
I paid two visits to the same locality with the following results:

Beetle 01/09/13 Impaled on barbed wire at Bodney

1 Hobby
1 Kestrel (female)
Common Buzzard
House Martin (light westerly passage)
4 Pied Wagtail
Blackcap
3 Whinchat
2+ Wheatear
60+ Mistle Thrush (flock)
6 Goldfinch (largest flock)



Whinchat 01/09/13 Bodney (One of 3 in the area)

Walking along the B1108 at Bodney and whilst checking fencing I found this beetle species impaled upon barbed wire, this was very good evidence of a Shrike species recently being in the area, most likely the species was Red-backed Shrike, although Lesser Grey or Woodchat Shrike should not be ruled out.
The finding of this impaled beetle clearly prompted a careful search of suitable habitats for a Shrike and both the morning and mid to late afternoon visits did not reveal the bird.  A careful look at the beetle showed the insect to be in fresh condition, therefore the Shrike may have been here either earlier this morning or no earlier than the previous evening.

As far as migrants are concerned the afternoon visit provided the best observations.
At least 3 Whinchats were seen distantly early morning although 2 birds gave the best views in the afternoon when they frequented fence-posts and fencing wire from where to observe and collect food from.
An afternoon check revealed 2 Wheatears typically inhabiting open grassland.  These birds were mostly seen on the ground where they ran fast to catch insect prey. Interestingly, both Wheatears were also seen close to an old Rabbit burrow which is a favoured breeding site, however, these were probably passage migrants stopping here to rest and feed.

Finally, although a relatively common species, the presence of a flock of 60+ Mistle Thrushes on the heath was a very good count indeed.
 



 

Threxton, Little Cressingham, and Ashill, Norfolk.

The day dawned dry although it was noticeably cooler than of late with an autumnal feel about it.  It was generally bright throughout the day but cloud increased by late afternoon and into the evening. The wind was a moderate westerly.
A good variety of birds seen included evidence of passage, also some reasonably good counts of farmland species seen.

200+ Lapwings
250+ Golden Plover
10+ Stone Curlew (flock)
1 Sparrowhawk (female) North Bridge
80+ Stock Dove (impressive count)
Swallows (Good numbers Threxton)
House Martins
1 Whinchat (Watton Brook valley)
Chiffchaff
Blackcap
1 Whitethroat
40+ Goldfinch (flock Threxton)
6 Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Rooks

The Threxton area in the morning was particularly productive with good numbers of Swallows and House Martins in the area of Hall Farm.  Several birds perched on overhead wires comprised a number of juveniles.
Further along the lane near Woodcock Hall I checked the long grasses and herbage in the Watton Brook valley for migrants and found a distant Whinchat sitting on wire fencing. Watton Brook valley is always worth looking for migrants which will feed up on insects taken from this valuable habitat.
A little further along the lane in another small 'migrant magnet', a charm of 40+ Goldfinches comprising both adult and juvenile birds was impressive, also here was Blackcap, 3+ Chiffchaffs, and a fresh, smart looking Whitethroat.

Golden Plover (250+) along Peddars Way at Ashill/Great Cressingham

 

Most of my attention later in the day was given to a large field close to the Peddars Way where a good variety and mix of birds were seen. 
A decent count of 250+ Golden Plovers associated with 200+ Lapwings, however, these were best seen in the evening when both species were wheeling above the field, possibly having been disturbed by a raptor species.  The above photograph shows varying degrees of moult in the male Golden Plovers. Having wheeled over the field on numerous occasions, the Golden Plovers then settled in stubble where they became more difficult to observe.  Also seen in the same field as these waders was 10+ Stone Curlews and a very impressive count of 80+ Stock Doves.  When the angle and light was right, most of these Stock Doves showed their diagnostic black bordered grey wings.....a beautiful compact and well proportioned Dove species.

Thompson Water, Lynford Arboretum, and Houghton-on-the-Hill (with David and Susan McCarthy, and Daniel Watson)

Today was a very special day for me as I met new friends from Melbourne, Australia, David and   Susan McCarthy. David and Susan were researching a trip to the UK and in doing so found this blog, they contacted me in order to arrange a birding trip and today we had a thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable day.  I was also accompanied by my very good friend Daniel Watson.

David and Susan McCarthy (from Melbourne, Australia) and Daniel Watson (right)

Thompson Water
At 0830, I met David and Susan and we proceeded to our first birding venue for the day at Thompson Water.  Arriving at the water we saw Mute Swan (adults and young), Gadwall, and Moorhen, whilst Kingfisher was seen frequently darting close to the water between cover.
A highlight on this visit was a single Hobby (adult) which was initially seen perched in a dead tree, this delightfully fast, and agile Falcon was also seen hunting insects close to the water. The ageing of the Hobby presented no problems with the red ventral area showing this as an adult bird.
A Grey Heron, Carrion Crows, House Martins, and Wood Pigeons were frequently seen.  The woodland around the water held Bullfinch, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Common Buzzard was often heard.

Lynford Arboretum
At about 1100, we picked up Daniel Watson and proceeded to Lynford Arboretum.  This beautiful location has been hosting Two-barred Crossbill, therefore, we chose this venue for the possibility of finding this bird as well as enjoying other species attracted to this reliably rich birding area.
Shortly following our arrival at this locality, Common Crossbills were evident with small numbers flying above the treetops, however, making our way to an area of mature Larch trees soon provided an arrival of a decent sized flock of 30+ Common Crossbills, their presence intiailly being given away by their highly distinctive "chip chip chip" flight call.
Also seen in the same area was  a number of Siskins feeding high in conifers along with a few Coal Tits.  Nuthatch and Goldcrest were also present.
Although it was likely the Two-barred Crossbill was associating with Common Crossbills, we were unable to locate it.  We therefore decided to check Lynford Water, hopefully for passage wader species.  Common Crossbills continued to be seen flying overhead and the intial overview of the area did not seem promising for waders, however, I just managed to briefly glimpse 2 Common Sandpipers flying away behind trees.
Hoping also for Hobby, the only raptors seen was a single female Sparrowhawk flying low over the water and distant soaring Buzzard.
On the larger lake, the only offering was a single Great Crested Grebe.

Early afternoon, we then moved off for lunch at 'The olde windmill' at Great Cressingham.  It is at this point that I offer my sincere thanks for David and Susan providing a very welcome lunch.
After lunch we visited the beautiful isolated church of St Mary the Virgin at Houghton-on-the-Hill where we were treated to a superb tour of this wonderful church.

Great Cressingham and Ashill
Following the visit to the church at Houghton-on-the Hill, we made a couple of stops along the Peddars Way where excellent birds were seen.
Firstly, a single Red Kite was picked up by Daniel soaring at distance, however, a while later, I saw another Red Kite drifting out of sight behind woodland.
I picked up a small flock of Golden Plover flying into a large field where further investigation provided an excellent count of 12 Stone Curlews.  Several Lapwings also seen in association with the Golden Plover.  2 Mistle Thrushes and a small number of Stock Doves were seen.

Thompson Water
This second visit to Thompson Water was our last stop of the day and with the sun behind us on this occasion, any birds over on or the water should be seen in good light.
As expected, Hobby was seen but on this visit this was a juvenile bird, despite its young age, the Falcon demonstrated superb agility as it hunted dragonflies over the water.  After several sweeps over the water for food the Hobby then drifted off North.
Around the water, a single Grey Heron stood motionless in reeds whilst close by in a Sallow, noisy juvenile Reed Warblers could just be glimpsed in the darkness of cover.

Day List (Highlights)

Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
Moorhen
1 Great Crested Grebe
2 RED KITE
Common Buzzard
2 Hobby (adult and juvenile)
3 Sparrowhawk (males and 2 females)
2 Common Sandpipers
30+ Golden Plover
Lapwing
12 STONE CURLEW
Red-legged Partridge
Pheasant
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
12+ Stock Dove
1 Grey Wagtail
Kingfisher
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
2+ Nuthatch
House Martin
Swallow
2 Mistle Thrush
Treecreeper
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Reed Warbler
Coal Tit
Yellowhammer
30+ CROSSBILL
Siskin

Today will always be in my memory for obvious reasons....my meeting with David and Susan McCarthy.  Not only was this an excellent days birding, it was also a great day for learning about the history of the beautiful church of St Marys at Houghton-on-the-Hill.
I will end this entry for today to offer my sincerest thanks to David and Susan for initially making contact with me and accompanying me and my dear friend Daniel Watson, for treating us to a great lunch, and finally to David who presented me with his wonderful book, the 'Field Guide to the Birds of Australia', this book will be treasured...thank you so much David and look I forward to maintaining contact with you..

Little Cressingham and Threxton

A beautiful cool dawn with a feel of autumn about it and my day started with a 4 mile dog walk around the Little Cressingham area.
Highlights on this walk included:

6 Common Buzzards
2 Little Owls (singles at 2 localities)
Reeve's Pheasant x Common Pheasant
1 Kestrel
Blackcap  

Threxton (Evening into dusk)
With the sun fast sinking to the west, I decided to visit Threxton to check for migrants along the Watton brook valley and various ditches between the church and Woodcock Hall.  Although many will feel that sewage treatment works are not particularly endearing places to visit they are in fact superb magnets for migrants and resident birds.  Sewage treatment works provide good feeding for birds with swarms of millions of midges gathering around the tops of trees and bushes which form a screen.  Well established Hawthorn and Elder also provide good feeding and the conifer screen will offer warmth and places for roosting.
This evenings visit produced a few Chiffchaffs as well as probable local Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits.  Chiffchaffs will roam with Tit flocks in their search for food and occasionally a few may remian through the winter months providing the weather is not too severe.  Sewage Treatment have their own micro-climates in winter where midges and other invertebrates provide feeding for over-wintering warbler species.  The relative warmth of dense cover which forms screens to these works will provide good roost sites during the long winter nights.
Also seen this evening was a number of Stock Doves (6+), around the plant and adjoining farmland. Stock Doves are more of a well-proportioned bird compared to Wood Pigeons which are very large with a small head.  In flight, Stock Doves are easily recognised by their mostly lead-grey body, the  wings are similarly grey but have a diagnostic Black border.

Little Cressingham

The weather dawned bright, sunny, and warm today with a continued easterly airflow which increased to moderate in strength by the afternoon. Given the bright start to the day I was not hopeful for any local 'falls' of migrants, however, birds which made landfall on the coast yesterday may well have moved inland over the previous night.

Little Cressingham Mill
I stopped at the mill this morning to check for migrants in the dense fruiting bushes adjacent to the Watton Brook and Fairstead Lane area nearby.  Probably 30+ House Martins were overhead and often gave false alarm calls as they do and also a few Swallows were also seen.
The dense cover along the brook produced 3+ Blackcaps and a Whitethroat, whilst Chiffchaff was heard further along the valley.  Greenfinch and House Sparrows were typically in the hedgerow on Fairstead Lane close to the bridge.

Blackcap in Elder at Little Cressingham Mill 26/08/13.

'The Arms' to Watton Brook (Little Cressingham)
Mid afternoon and it was quite warm and sunny with an increased easterly wind from the mornings light to a moderate in strength.
I parked close to the 'The Arms' to walk to the valley to check for migrants, on the way there I encountered a good number of Butterfly species in the long grass and weedy verges.  Common Blue was the most numerous, also some Adonis Blues (photographed) were seen along with Brimstone.
Also seen was a Common Lizard which ran across the road in front of me. 

Upon my arrival on the Watton Brook Valley, I carefully searched the fences and vegetation and my earlier hunch paid off when I found a Whinchat perched on fencing and occasionally making sallies for probable food on the ground. This was a very distant bird, too distant for photographing, however, I could just make the bird out as a juvenile.  A good end to the day.