Shrikey

Oct16

After another frustrating afternoon in Wells Woods dipping on OBP and Pallas’s Warbler I responded, with little hesitation, to a pager message announcing the presence of an Isabelline Shrike, just up the road at Warham Greens. For once I was at the front of ‘the pack’, parked up at Stiffkey and headed west along the track towards the ‘whirligig’. There were a couple of dozen birders looking randomly in the hedgerows where the bird was last reported but no one was on the bird. More birders were arriving by the minute but, with ‘no further sighting’, this was beginning to have a bad feeling to it. As the light was starting to fade I looked back to see a small crowd looking intently in our direction from across the marsh. As we started nonchalantly walking in their direction (there’d already been a few false ‘gallops’) the pager announced that the bird was showing. The pace quickened considerably until the growing crowd was lined up peering intently into a hawthorn bush, where it had just been seen. A brief view of the bird as it flew to a nearby bare Elder bush, followed by a couple of partially obscured views of it apparently eating a blackberry and that was it – show over! Still, another much needed Norfolk ‘tick’, third or fourth Shrike species (depending on whose list you use) in as many days and a satisfying end to an otherwise ‘damp squib’ of a day. Alas, no photo of the bird, but here is the obligatory crowd scene – spot the ‘celebrity’ birders!

Plugging a gap

Oct14

Radde’s Warbler, Wells Woods, 14th October 2014

Yesterday’s weather brought some good stuff to the Norfolk coast, including several Radde’s Warblers – a glaring omission from my county list! So when there’d been a couple of confirmatory messages about a bird in Wells Woods we set off in pursuit of this rare Siberian species, which should be on the way to it’s wintering quarters in South East Asia. For a generally skulking species, this particular individual showed pretty well. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the Olive-backed Pipit or Red-flanked Bluetail, which we tried for but dipped. We did see Long-eared Owl, Great Grey Shrike, plenty of Redstart and Brambling by way of consolation however.

A couple more photos of the ‘main attraction’

This is the usual view of Radde’s, skulking in the undergrowth

And the more unusual sight of Radde’s in the open

The supporting cast included this Great Grey Shrike, one of a few on the Norfolk coast over the last week

Long-eared Owl, another Norfolk ‘year tick’

and Redstart, which were in good numbers at several locations

Another Holiday Hangover

Oct12

Steppe Grey Shrike, in the mist – Burnham Norton, 12 October 2014

Each time we’ve been away this year, something exciting has turned up in Norfolk. Having just returned from a week’s family holiday on Tenerife, I wasn’t at all sure about our chances of catching up with the Steppe Grey Shrike, which first appeared in Norfolk over a week ago. Then, to add to the general anxiety, there was an early morning ‘negative news’ message before we set off today. Our next obstacle, once we got to Burnham Norton, was the fog – however, we did manage to see the bird, but for the best part of an hour it remained a small, static silhouette in a hawthorn bush! Eventually it did come closer and the sun did manage to break through at about the same time. Good views finally of this ‘first for Norfolk’ and our second rare shrike of the autumn.

The views did improve a little..

Until finally we were close enough to enjoy the finer details of this ‘first for Norfolk’

I understand that the bird has been fed continuously on a diet of meal worms, by the eager photographers. Not quiet the luxurious gastronomic inducement as smoked salmon, offered to the Ivory Gull in Humberside last year (see my post Arctic ‘pigeon’ 29th Dec 2013) but obviously sufficiently enticing to get it to stick around. I guess I should be grateful..

Time Out on Tenerife

Oct10

Blue Tit, of the distinctive endemic sub-species Parus caeruleus teneriffae

We’ve just had a weeks family holiday on Tenerife with two of our kids, their partners and two of our grandsons – consequently, opportunities for birding have been limited. In fact most of the birds seen have been from or around our villa at Callao Salvaje. We did manage a trip up to El Teide, including calling in at the play park/picnic site at Las Lajas and a quick excursion to the pools Erjos.

In the brancos, by the side of the villa there was a small irrigation dam, surprisingly with some water still left in it. This proved to be a good area for the regular species like Canary Island Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Blackbird, Spectacled Warbler, Canary, Blue Tit, Berthelot’s Pipit and Common Kestrel but it also attracted Grey Heron, Night Heron – up to four, Little Egret and Grey Wagtail. On the surrounding hillside we saw Peregrine, Southern Grey Shrike and Barbary Partridge. From the pool we had views of the sea and La Gomera. Yellow-legged Gull were the only regular day-time species but we did see Cory’s Shearwater flying over-head at night, an Osprey one evening and Plain Swift, which were a nightly occurrence, with up to 150 seen. We even had a whale species ‘spouting’ off-shore. On our two excursions we managed to add Blue Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Raven, Robin, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and at the nearby golf course a couple of Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper.

A selection of birds from the local brancos, female Sardinian Warbler

Canary Island Chiffchaff, easy to locate, less so to photograph

Spectacled Warbler, female

Berthelot’s Pipit

Southern Grey Shrike, of the race koenigi

Peregrine Falcon, madens

Little Egret

Black-crowned Night Heron – up to four came into roost each evening

On the nearby golf course reservoir, two Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper

At Erjos pools there were plenty of birds but nothing out of the ordinary. Chaffinch, of one of the island races

Grey Wagtail – probably canariensis

The local wildfowl collection – Mallard, of questionable parentage and a Muscovy

Robin, of the race superbus – note the ring

At the popular picnic spot at Las Lajas, plenty of Canary

Great Spotted Woodpecker of the distinctive canariensis race

Finally, the only really different species – Blue Chaffinch

All in all, not a bad selection for a non-birding, family holiday on an island, not renown for it’s abundant bird life.

Late Run un-Masked Lifer

Oct2

1st winter Masked Shrike, Kilnsea, 2nd October 2014

Nearly two weeks ago Britain’s third Masked Shrike (there are a couple of additional records pending), a species of restricted distribution in the eastern Mediterranean, turned up on Spurn. First identified as a Woodchat, it’s true identity was quickly established and it rapidly became one of this autumn’s big twitches – the two previous birds having been in Fife, Scotland a decade ago and a ‘one day wonder’ on Scilly. Unfortunately for us we’d just embarked on a week’s holiday in Dorset and on our return, last weekend, we were busy doing stuff in Norfolk. Today then was our first opportunity to go for the bird and I was extremely relieved when part-way into our four and a half hour drive, the bird was reported as still present in it’s usual hedge!

We parked up and joined a couple of birders in the field from where the Shrike could be observed distantly in the hedge. Over the next hour and a half it did creep nearer but was never close. Great ‘scope views of this first winter bird but no real opportunity to photograph it properly – however that didn’t detract from a cute little bird which was virtually in constant view. A UK ‘lifer’ for me, which repaid the long and anxious wait.

A couple more shots showing the extensive white wing panels/tail sides and the emerging apricot coloured flanks

Finally a photo of a similar looking bird, taken in Eygpt, a couple of years ago

Postcript The Masked Shrike wasn’t seen again after mid-afternoon and appears now to have gone – how lucky was that!

The birth of AND

Sep28

Felbrigg Lake at dawn – courtesy of Robin Williams

For anyone remotely interested, I’ve recently started another blog, the Aylmerton Nature Diary or AND for short, which is intended to do ‘what it says on the can’ that is, to cover the wildlife events in and around the small parish of Aylmerton, here in the north east corner of the delightful, bird-rich county of Norfolk. A sort of internet, fun-sized, version of the Natural History of Selbourne, if you will – only lacking the observation, insight and literary style of Gilbert White! As you’ll see from the blog, a good proportion of the Felbrigg estate is conveniently situated within the parish. Felbrigg has a notable place in the ornithological history of Norfolk, being the first place that Honey Buzzard and the only place that Pied Flycatcher have successfully nested. It remains the county stronghold for Mandarin Duck. There are other important birding sites within the parish too, including the ancient wooded Cromer ridge, a known fly-way for migrating raptors and breeding stronghold of Firecrest.

You can get to my Aylmerton Nature Diary by clicking this link

Mandarin Duck – a rare breeder in Norfolk

Thomas Hardy Trail, part 2 – Behind the Scenes

Sep27

We’re just back from Dorset, where we stayed at Lower Bockhampton and travelled around much of Hardy’s Wessex searching out the sites believed to have been the inspiration behind many of the locations used by him in his popular novels and poems. Here is a selection of some of the fabulous and fascinating places we visited.

Under the Greenwood Tree

The replacement of the church choir by an organ is a prominent theme in the novel. Although the setting was the church at Stinsford, where Hardy’s father was a musician in the choir, the gallery was subsequently removed. TH took guests to see one of the few remaining galleries in Dorset, at nearby Puddletown

17th century graffiti on the musicians gallery

Keeper Day’s cottage, in Yalbury Wood – based on this remote cottage in Yellowham Wood

Pair of Blue Eyes

The Smith’s cottage in the Valency valley – where, in the book, the young architects parents reside

Widow Jethway’s cottage – based on another cottage in the same remote Cornish valley

In real life, Hardy’s takes Emma down to the stream in the Vallency valley for a picnic and, in a famous event, she loses a glass in the water. Hardy captures the moment in a sketch and later a poem – Under the Water Fall

Paddle steamers feature in several of Hardy’s novels, in this particular one there is only a brief reference. The Waverley, here pictured moored at Swanage, is the only working ocean-going vessel of her kind left in the world

Far from the Madding Crowd

This grand property was the model for Upper Farm, which Bathsheba inherits from her uncle (photo courtesy of RW)

This, now converted tithe barn at Cerne Abbas, is thought to be the inspiration for the wedding celebration barn in the novel

Lulworth Cove, the scene of Sergeant Troy’s thwarted attempt to drown himself

TH’s poem, At Lulworth Cove a Centuary Back

The Hand of Ethelberta

In the novel, Ethelberta rides to Corvesgate (Corfe Castle) on a donkey

Christopher Julian, one of Ethelberta’s suitors, plays the organ in Melchester cathedral – Salisbury, in real life

The Trumpet-Major

The lower mill at Sutton Poyntz is believed to be Hardy’s inspiration for Overcombe Mill, where the heroine lodges and from where she can observe the regimental goings-on in their camp, on the hill behind

Anne, the heroine, watches the Fleet departing for Spain from Pulpit Rock, close by this lighthouse on Portland Beal

Figure of King George III, carved in this Dorset chalk escarpment, to honour a visit by the royal

King George is also commemorated in this recently restored statue on Weymouth seafront

Major of Casterbridge

Some of the remaining booths at Weyhill Fair, where the drunken Michael Henchard sold his wife, Susan, to a passing sailor!

Henchard’s Casterbridge house after he’s made his fortune and became mayor of the town

Susan spies Michael Henchard at a meeting in a first floor room of the King’s Arms Hotel, years after their estrangement

Gray’s Bridge – frequently visited by Henchard in his more melancholy moods (photo courtesy RW)

Through an unfortunate chain of events Henchard is financially ruined, but is then given, by the townsmen of Casterbridge, a seed merchant’s shop to manage, overlooking the church yard

Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The model for Tess’s family home, before the death of her father and their subsequent eviction

Tess goes to work as a milk-maid on Talbothays Farm, before her marriage to Angel. The dormer window is said to be the bedroom where Tess prepared for her wedding

West Stafford church, used by Hardy as the location for Tess & Angel’s wedding

Wellbridge manor where Tess & Angel spend their honeymoon

The fatherless family camp in the churchyard, under the d’Urberville window at Bere Regis church, seeking recognition of their rightful inheritance

The Cross in Hand, hidden in a Dorset hedgerow – omen of mis-fortune for Tess

After Tess murders Alec, she and Angel run away. They take shelter at Stonehenge, where she is arrested and subsequently tried and hanged

Jude the Obscure

Jude finds employment as a stonemason, working on Melchester cathedral (Salisbury)

Jude is believed to have resided in accommodation close to Town Gate

Sue, Jude’s cousin, lives in Shaston (Shaftesbury)

The Well-beloved

Thought to be the model for Avice’s cottage, now the Portland Museum

Pierston rents Sylvania Castle in his pursuit of Avice

Photograph of Thomas Hardy, taken in his study at Max Gate, shortly before his death in 1928. From humble beginnings he became one of the most prodigious 19th century British authors, with more than ten popular novels and nearly a thousand poems to his name. He lived the majority of his life in Dorset and created a virtual landscape – Wessex, through which he captured, described and preserved many of the customs, traditions and hard-ships of a by-gone era.

For more photographs, covering the whole Thomas Hardy Trail week, visit http://www.robinwilliamsphotography.com/thomashardy

Thomas Hardy Trail, part 1 – Life & Times

Sep24

Portrait of Thomas Hardy, born 1840 – died 1928

We’ve come down to Dorset for a few days with my brother Robin – over from Australia, to do the Thomas Hardy Trail. Staying at the wonderfully atmospheric Old Post Office in Lower Bockhampton – which features explicitly in a couple of his poems, is opposite the old primary school which the young Hardy attended – just a short walk from his birthplace, close to Dorchester – Hardy’s Casterbridge and central for most of the important location throughout his life and, consequently, many of the places on which he based his novels and poems. We (well actually Jane and Robin!) have drawn heavily on the many available sources to create the itinerary, but we’ve found The Landscape of Thomas Hardy by Denys Kay-Robinson to be amongst the most useful. The majority of locations we’ve visited are to be found in the delightful county of Dorset but we have wandered more widely around ‘outer Wessex’ in our quest of discovery.
This blog is divided into two parts, the first covers most of the places significant in Hardy’s own life, the second, details the actual locations – about which there is a whole library of material and much debate, believed to have been used by Hardy as the backdrop to his novels and poems.

Lower Bockhampton, location of the Old Post Office

The Old Post Office, Lower Brockhampton

The porch of the old village school where Thomas Hardy was a pupil

The water meads across which TH would have walked on his way to and from school (courtesy of RW)

Thomas Hardy’s house in Upper Bockhampton, now in the care of the National Trust

The interior of the cottage, with Jemima his mother’s chair and his father’s violins

At the back of the cottage, Hardy’s Egdon Heath – location for much of the action in Return of the Native

Jemima’s parents cottage in Melbury Osmond

As a young architect, Hardy travelled to the remote church of St Juliot, Boscastle

Here, at the Rectory (now a B&B), he met Emma and fell in love. He married her more than a decade later

Hardy was responsible for supervising a major restoration of the church

The house in which Hardy lived briefly in Swanage, best observed from Sentry Road

Their first home together was on the banks of the Stour, at Sturminster Newton

The mill on the river which featured in his poetry

Max Gate in Dorchester, designed by TH and built by his father, where he lived for over forty years – first with Emma and later with Florence, his second wife. Now in the care of the National Trust (photo courtesy of RW)

The Hardy’s reconstructed sitting room – all of the original furniture & fittings having been sold off after his death

Details of Emma’s upstairs accommodation

The contents of Hardy’s study – removed from Max Gate, on his instruction, and relocated to the town museum after his death (photo courtesy of RW)

Thomas Hardy’s grave in Stinsford churchyard – his heart is buried here whilst his ashes rest in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey. He lies in the company of both Emma & Florence

Part 2 will feature the settings for most of his major works…

No Holds Barred

Sep17

Barred Warbler, Gramborough Hill, 17th September 2014

You’re lucky to get good views of Barred Warbler. Usually all you get are fleeting views of a variety of body-parts, as this scarce eastern autumn migrant creeps through the brambles. The bird today at Gramborough Hill was something of an exception. If it hadn’t have been for the leaden grey skies and persistent gentle misting sea fret, the views would have been pretty exceptional! A typically plain looking juvenile bird which did show some pale feather fringing to the coverts, tertials and primaries and was quite strongly barred on the under-tail with a marked two-tone pink and grey bill. It’s been years since I saw one as well as this.

Some more photos of this obliging bird:

Now this is the sort of view that would typically be classed as ‘showing well’

But this is more like it..

Finally, a nice shot of the under tail barring

Another day at the ‘office’

Sep15

Yellow-browed Warbler, Salthouse, 15th September 2014

Monday is ‘duty day’ at Cley NWT and there was plenty to keep us entertained today. Up to six juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, three Common Sandpipers, Whinchat, lots of Wheatear, a nice flock of Pintail, a rather showy Cetti’s Warbler, 3 Hobby, a couple of Water Rail and, after ‘work’, a superb Yellow-browed Warbler – just up the road, at Salthouse.

One of three Common Sandpipers on Pat’s Pool

There were over a dozen Wheatear on the fields along Beach Road

This little chap nearly sat on my boot!

To finish with, a few more pics of that delightful long-distant migrant, which breeds east of the Ural mountains and should be wintering in South East Asia – Yellow-browed Warbler