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Friday 20 January 2023

A day with the Family.

A day with some very special youngsters.

Three very special little people, had to bribe them with food to get them to sit still long enough for a picture.
I was really happy to spending a few days with my Son Alan, his wife Becki and the three Grandchildren Ryan, Zach and Finn over Christmas, It was now getting close to the end of my trip to the UK so It was great to spend another day with them all again before I leave in a few days.

Wednesday 18 January 2023

A drive back to Albrighton, Shropshire, UK.

After a nice visit to Pam and John's I return home.

Handbook of the Birds of the World already back in Spain by the time I am writing this Post.
We were up and about fairly early and soon out to a local Café the Ber Street Kitchen, where we had a very nice breakfast.
Pam and I returned to their house and John went for a paper, once back I loaded the car with my stuff and a full set of the Handbook of the Birds of the World which John and Pam very generously gave me.
I was over the moon with the books but think my cars suspension was less so, after saying a big thank you for a nice stay and the books I headed back to the Midlands and as usual the M6 was a nightmare.
During the drive I saw Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) as well as Chinese Water (Hydropotes inermis) and Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus).

Tuesday 17 January 2023

Thornham Marsh and Titchwell, North Norfolk Coast, Norfolk, UK.

Birding at some site not visited for a few years.
 
The Salt Marsh at Thornham.
Pam, John and I were out and headed off to the North Coast, our first stop was at a very cold Thornham where we parked out on the Saltmarsh where we scanned the channels finding Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola) and Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna).
Flooded Meadows at Thornham.



Out on the saltmarsh and on the fields we added Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and a flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla).
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata).
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata).
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus).
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus).
Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola).
We walked back along the road a short way seeing a large flock of
Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) overhead and several Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) which flushed from a track side ditch.
Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).
Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).
Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).
Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).
We moved up the coast to Titchwell were we parked and booked in at the center, had a coffee before walking up the main track to the beach, on the open water we found Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Northern Lapwing, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Shelduck, Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla).
Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla).
On the beach there were good numbers of waders feeding and roosting along the shoreline including Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and they were joined by a flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese.
Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) male.
Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) female.
I set up the scope and we scanned the sea, we soon found a female Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado /Bucephala clangula), a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers (Serreta Mediana / Mergus serrator), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).
Titchwell RSPB.
Titchwell RSPB.
Titchwell RSPB.
We walked back to the center and then to the car where we had our lunch, John and I then went for a walk along the boardwalks, we found Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis).
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) in the car park.
On the pool at the end of the track we added Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).
Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).
Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).
On the way back we drove through some farmland, we added Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) and several Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis) and a couple of European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus).
Bar-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) and Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus).

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) and Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus).

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) with Bar-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

Later in the evening we went out into Norwich where we had a very nice Chinese Meal.
 

Monday 16 January 2023

Driving to Norwich, Cantley and Buckenham Railway Station, Norfolk, UK.

A visit to see some good friends as well as some birding.

Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis).
I set off nice and early to try and miss the chaos that is the M6 but I failed and crawled along as far as the A14 but then things got better and I was soon at Pam and John's in Norwich where we had a good catch up, something to eat and we then headed out for some birding along the Yare Valley where our first stop was near the Railway stop at Cantley.
We stood by the gates on the far side of the tracks where we saw Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Pink-footed (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) and Greater White-fronted Geese (Ánsar Careto / Anser albifrons), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), a flyover Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and several Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis.
It started to rain so we retreated to the car and John drove us around to the Station at Buckenham where we crossed the railway and walked out to the hide and onto a bank near there, the wind was cold but we spent some time scanning the marshes finding many of the same species but added Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).
Again the rain started so we headed back to Pam and John's adding Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris) and Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) on the way, later we had a nice meal and some wine.