A good birding selection near Norwich, 11 November 2018

A delayed start to the day due to rain but meeting at Jus's at 10.30 we headed straight for Houghen Plantation at Horsford and met Andy who popped out briefly to join the party.

We were rather lucky with the crossbill flock which was being watched as we arrived although, in the windy conditions viewing was difficult. The small group were feeding concealed most of the time but after several Common Crossbills we got onto a lovely chunky male Parrot Crossbill which showed well eventually after being half concealed for ages. A flock of 15 Fieldfares flew over but that was it. The crossbill flock then flew off revealing a total of 10 birds.

After a pit stop at BK we headed out to Bowthorpe where the single adult Waxwing was present on arrival and showed nicely. Indeed it didn't move from the same branch in all the time we were there!

We then opted to finish the day at Whitlingham CP where we located the female Red-crested Pochard near the island on Great Broad. 22 Common Pochard were also counted and a (presumably now wintering) Chiffchaff was on the north side of the broad.

With some superb directions from James Emerson we then did a lap of the broad to scoop a few fungi - Shaggy Inkcap, Crimped Gill, Stubble Rosegill and Poison Pie.

Yearlist = 244

Parrot Crossbill

Waxwing

Red-crested Pochard

Shaggy Inkcap

Crimped Gill

Stubble Rosegill 

Poison Pie

      Wrinkled Peach

A Miscellany of Fungi

Over the past couple of weeks I've been to a few spots in Norfolk and Suffolk for short strolls looking for fungi. These have included Gawdyhall Wood near Harleston, Buxton Heath, Thornham Walks and Roydon Fen near Diss. With the purchase of the Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools (Sterry and Hughes) and much help from James Emerson here are a few of the identified species. This new-found interest has certainly livened up the late autumn when there haven't been to many birds around to spark the interest. Today (10th Nov) a very late Common Darter at Roydon Fen was nice to record.

Saffrondrop Bonnet

Snapping Bonnet (probably!)

Bay Bolete

Alder Bracket

Black Bulgar

Brown Cup

Brown Roll Rim

Candlesnuff Fungus

Pleated Inkcap

Clustered Inkcap

Glistening Inkcap

Magpie Inkcap

Sheringham, 3 November 2018

A quick afternoon trip out to Sheringham with Jus and Andy for some filthy twitching!

Upon arrival at the arch on the esplanade the 2nd year male King Eider was on show on the sea in good light. Although a little distant for photography it was very nice indeed through the scope. I was very pleased to see this one as I've never seen many and this was only my 2nd in Norfolk.

Having scored so quickly and easily we were then a bit stumped as to what to do next so un the end opted for a re-visit to the presumed Stejneger's Stonechat at Salthouse. This time it showed a little closer than before allowing some slightly better photos.

Then, after a coffee and some book perusal in the Cley visitor centre it was back to Sheringham where we located a single Purple Sandpiper, 31 Turnstones and a fly-over flock of 72 Pink-footed Geese near the Funky Mackerel cafe before a Sparrowhawk flashed past the Tesco carapark in town.

Yearlist = 243

King Eider

presumed Stejneger's Stonechat

 Purple Sandpiper

   

Twitching a fungus - whatever next?! Whitlingham CP, 31 October 2018

Thanks to my mate James Emerson I was armed with precise directions to a fungus I've long wanted to see. Having waited a few days for some good weather at 07.30 this morning it was a glorious frosty, misty morning with the low autumn sun breaking through the trees at Whitlingham CP.

Following the directions I was very soon watching my quarry - Wrinkled Peach, a gorgeous looking fungus growing out of moss on a fallen log. The same log had Jelly Ear and the curious Tripe Fungus which looks like a bracket fungi but is soft and wrinkly underneath. Nearby I also found 2 Wood Blewits before I had to leave and head for work.

I'm very much a fungus newbie but could see this becoming a new area of great interest!

Wrinkled Peach

Wood Blewit

Tripe Fungus

   Jelly Ear

Tyrrels Wood Fungus Foray, 28 October 2018

With the clocks gone back and the dark nights with us I felt something suitably autumnal was in order this afternoon. So it was a wander around our local ancient wood - Tyrrel's Wood.
I didn't find any fungi that were spectacularly beautuful but there was a reasonable variety of these fascinating things.
I didn't have much of a clue to the id's so many thanks to James Emerson for helping me out!

Rosy Bonnet

Pipe Club Fungus

Common Puffball

Birch Polypore

Ugly Milkcap

Trechispora mollusca

Probably a lichen rather than a fungus but a nice looking thing!

Bonnet sp

Birch Polypore

  Glistening Inkcap

South Africa, Day 27, 27 September 2018 - Graskop area and El Roi Guesthouse, Mpumalanga

The final day of our epic month before flying home early the following morning.

It began with a visit to one tourist scenic site we'd not visited the day before - God's Window. Just before we got there a raptor spotted from the car turned out to be a new one for me - Black-chested Snake-eagle, which was a great bonus. The site itself was mainly in cloud preventing decent views and the birds just consisted of Red-winged Starlings, a Kurrichane Thrush and Common Waxbills.

We then popped in to a couple of waterfalls briefly before a coffee in town. From here we headed to  likely looking grassy/rocky area 2km NNW of the town and I headed out over the grass. Belinda eventually decided to follow me and it proved to be a very good hunch indeed. Within just 30 minutes I'd seen a Wing-snapping Cisticola, 2 Cape Longclaws, 3 Buff-streaked Chats, Cape Rock Thrush, African Stonechats, Jackal Buzzard, House Martin and on the walk back a pair of Plain-backed Pipits. The day had suddenly livened up!

Buff-streaked Chats

 Plain-backed Pipit

Deciding it was time to leave we couldn't resist one last site in the area - Graskop Gorge. Having initially shot right past it for several miles we turned round and it was a good job we did. This place has a lift that takes you down into the gorge where you can follow a nice boardwalk through the forest (ignoring the noises from the zip line above!). About halfway round the walk I hit gold with my another, much wanted tick, a male White-starred Robin that showed supremely well, probably because I'd left my camera in the car!

 Graskop Gorge

We really did then have to leave and took the very potholed road back down towards the airport at Nelspruit. After checking in at the El Roi Guesthouse I had an hour left of light so walked around the grounds/farm. And it really was surprisingly good. Top of the bill was my last lifer of the trip Amethyst Sunbird but the back-up cast of 2 Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, 2 Southern Grey-headed Sparrows, Tawny-flanked Prinia, 2 Fork-tailed Drongos and Southern Black Flycatcher really was a fitting way to end a memorable trip.

A total triplist of 348 included 238 lifers with 42 mammal species into the bargain. 

         

South Africa, Day 26, 26 September 2018 - Strydom Tunnel and Blyde River Canyon

We left the Bramasole Guesthouse after breakfast and began the journey south to Graskop with a few stops en-route.

The first was at the impressive Strydom Tunnel where I found the described spot by a roadside curio stall and was quickly joined by the local guide! Sadly, despite our best efforts we were unable to find any of the target Taita Falcons which was a bit of a blow. The guide did however rescue the day by finding me a singing Striped Pipit which would mean I didn't have a single day without at least one lifer! We also had a Peregrine around the cliffs plus a Cape Vulture, 2 Black-backed Puffbacks and a White-bellied Sunbird before I tipped the guide and we moved on.

We spent the rest of the day at various scencic tourist sites in the Blyde River Canyon area (The Three Rondavels and Bouke's Luck Potholes)  so birding opportunities were limited. I did however score with Southern Anteater Chat plus 2 Cape Rock Thrushes, Mocking Cliff Chat, Yellow Canary and 2 White-necked Ravens.

While driving during the day I added European Roller to the trip list and also saw White-crested Helmet Shrike, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill and Common Fiscal of note.

After checking in at the Zur Alten Mine guesthouse just outside Graskop a walk nearby produced African Stonechat, 2 Drakensberg Prinias, several Speckled Mousebirds and c8 Swee Waxbills. 

 Southern Anteater Chat

The Three Rondavels

Bourke's Luck Potholes