Records committee accept 'my' bird shock!

Some time ago, I did a post about a Skua that I couldn't correctly identify (it is here).  I did the right thing and submitted the description to the good people at the Norfolk Records Committee.  After cogitation, they accepted it to the records as a Long-tailed variety.  Which was nice.

Here is a picture of another bird that I took that day.

And here is a picture of people getting too close looking at the bird above that didn't see the Skua.  Except one, who doesn't yet know that it was a Long-tailed variety.

Various images from the weekend

 Did a dirty filthy twitch...

...found a Kittiwake...

...had a (distant) Spoonbill all to myself...

... and checked out the old favourites.

Nice.

Monday Whitethroat

Muggy day yesterday with grey skies, not ideal...

Whitethroat breeding patch tick

Patch tick rounded off with confirming a breeding pair by the end of the week.  Not many opportunities to photograph them last week, but I know where they are...

 

I suspect that there will be more images of this bird on the interweb in the future.

Robin

London

Been to London twice in the last few weeks (business and pleasure) and managed to NOT see any of the Parakeets.  Not sure if this is a blessing or not. The hole in the year list remains.

 What I have noticed (and this behaviour has been verified by scientists) is that the Starlings are really loud, and that I wasn't cognisant of this when I lived there - I think it may be that the more central you get, the louder the birdsong.

Anyway, here are some pictures that are not of birds.  There will be some more in time.

Tower Millennium Pier

Smoker

Le Boreal and the Shard

Bullfinches at Sculthorpe Moor

 Went to Sculthorpe Moor the other day to see Bullfinches, and did so.  The supporting cast was pretty good with my personal highlight watching a Sparrowhawk hone into view before scattering all at the feeding station.  Natural inclination was to say rude words loudly, but I contained myself for the sake of the sensitive ears in the hide.  Hides are not my favoured environment, they are strange places full of people who know much more than you.

Sculthorpe Moor (run by the wonderful Hawk and Owl Trust) is a cracking little reserve, well worth a visit.

The light was rubbish, but Bullfinches are not.

Carrion Crow and a crane

Cley, Sunday

Little Egret

In the days of the Observers Book Of Birds, these things were pretty exotic in this country.  I still respond to any proximity with them in much the same way as I would have done back in those days.