Rob Smith

A couple more pics but off the camera this time..

A grass from Winterton beach car park this morning which I think might be Early Meadow-grass (Poa infirma)?

Two niceties from the Brecks today - Rhizocarpon geographicum on the roof of Weeting church (thanks @garyhibberd.bsky.social) & Early Sand-grass (Mibora minima) on a housing estate in Thetford

Just a few Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) enjoying yesterdays sunshine here in Norwich.

First 2-hour vis-mig watch of the year at Waxham. 173 Chaffinch heading south made up the main bulk of passerines and a single Grey Wag was nice. The sea was lively too, with 288 Red-throated Divers north and similar numbers of Gannets passing by.

Little Gull and Sanderling from Sea Palling on Saturday.

Does anyone have experience recovering images from a corrupted XQD card?

Besides the sublime Little Gulls (my memory cards corrupted 🤢, so I’ll have to make do with these shots grabbed from the camera via my phone in the field earlier), a yomp around Waxham also produced a Tundra Bean Goose, Purple Sandpiper, and a small number of Kittiwakes moving south.

Little Gull at Waxham this morning! 😍 Ad and 1st winter on beach. #norfolkbirding

A super showy Great Northern Diver in the channel off the Wells-next-the-Sea lifeboat station this evening! #Norfolkbirding

Pleased to finally catch up with the Ring-necked Duck at Filby and for once it wasn’t lurking right at the back! The redhead Smew, on the other hand, was tight to the furthest reed fringe… Two Scaup still hanging about too.

Travelling down to Oxford for the ORFC, I couldn’t resist a leg stretch on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Plenty of Crossbills about, mostly heard rather than seen and I was lucky enough to spot this inquisitive Otter just downstream of the bridge!

25 White-fronts still hanging around with the Greylags at St Benet's, giving lovely close views from the floodwall. #Norfolkbirding

This point blank Great White Egret was a nice distraction from scanning the distance ducks at Filby this morning! #Norfolkbirding #UKbirding

The Black-winged Kite & Marsh Harrier from a few evenings ago. #Norfolkbirding #Rarebirdsuk

Following North Point we headed east to Sheringham where we enjoyed coffee, cake and in the shelter of the groynes the Eastern Black Redstart. #Norfolkbirding #UKbirding

Proper baltic conditions at times today, and I really questioned what the hell we were doing as we headed towards Wells-next-the-Sea this morning. But after recently spending time watching several Tundra Bean Geese, I couldn’t resist the North Point Taiga! #Norfolkbirding

Perseverance paid off and I managed to pick out at least two Tundra Bean Geese amongst the Pinks at Upton Marshes this afternoon. One Barnacle Goose too! #Norfolkbirding

Tough viewing conditions today and absolutely freezing, but a rewarding haul out east nonetheless: Ferruginous, Scaup, Eider, 3 Tundra Bean, 2 Bewick’s Swans, 5 White-fronts, 2 Water Pipits and the Black-winged Kite.

My OH went to see the Kite this evening and sent me this...gripped 🥲

Brief but good views of the Kite again this morning. #Norfolkbirding

Black-winged Kite returning to it's favoured trees this morning with prey item. ISO8000😅 #Norfolkbirding

Excellent prolonged views of a Black-winged Kite this morning! #Norfolkbirding

Gripped! 😬

An early Crimbo present for Norfolk birders today with the counties second Eastern Black Redstart feeding along the seafront at Sheringham. #Norfolkbirding

Spread the word!

'Twas a bit of a shock! Saw this bird looking downriver and into the light, thought it was going to be a Cormorant, then realised it was a Diver, and neither Red-throated nor Great Northern! Hardly see them now since moving away from NW Norfolk.

Quality day around St Benet’s and Ludham with @robertsjsmith.bsky.social and K. Nixon. Black-throated Diver, 5 Bewick’s and 31 Whooper Swan, 45 Crane, 5 Cattle Egret, 2 White-fronted Goose, 2 SEO, Barn Owl, Beardies etc

Good to see Filby Broad still topping the wildfowl charts. Consistency is everything. 😋

Of all the rarities and scarcities I hope to find on my regular-ish Swan/Crane/Goose circuit in the Northern Broads, I never expected to come across a Black-throated Diver on the River Thurne! #Norfolkbirding