So, how many bird species can you record in the club area on the first day of the new year? The origin of the New Year’s Day Birding Challenge was an attempt to shake off the cobwebs and sluggishness most of us are guilty of over the festive period and get our personal yearly lists off to a good start with a bit of exercise and fun but you can take part in any way that works for you . All we ask is that you get your records up on our website afterwards from any point in the 24 hour period so we can see how you all do and your records can contribute to our collective data repository – every record counts!

 

ACCESSIBILITY: As this isn’t a led club event, you can plan your day to meet your own needs. If you want to be out and about from dawn to dusk, fab! If you want to do a bit of sneaky birdwatching whilst you are supposed to be doing something else, great! If you are trying to beat the record you set last year, fantastic! If you are new to birding and just learning to identify a few species, wonderful! If you want to bird from your living room, excellent! Everyone welcome to participate in whatever way works best for them 

 

STAR STATUS: Any bird species you see or hear within the NENBC recording area can count towards your own NENBC Star Badges (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards based on the number of species you have personally seen or heard in the club area and recorded on our website since becoming a member).

 

GOING GREEN!: If you are able to walk or cycle from home, or have opted for a bit of living room birding instead of a trip out, all the birds you see or hear within the NENBC recording area can contribute to your personal NENBC Eco-badges (Green or Super-Green) for birding without the use of motorised transport!

 

LOCATION: Buckenham Marshes

DATE: Sunday 5th January 2025

TIME: 12:30pm to 5:30pm

WALK LEADERS: Janice Darch and other committee members

NO BOOKING REQUIRED: It is always nice to know if you are coming via nenbc@aol.co.uk but by no means essential so if it takes your fancy on the day, please just turn up to this 10th Anniversary Walk as we would love to see you!

WALK DESCRIPTION: The walk for wintering geese and ducks, with the option of staying on at the end of the afternoon to watch the Rooks gathering for the evening roost which Buckenham is famous for. The target birds for this trip are the small wintering flock of geese, maybe even Taiga Bean Geese, with the White-fronted Geese - the grazing marshes along the River Yare between Buckenham and Cantley is the only regular English site for this species. The flock can roam widely, so be prepared for a good walk if the flock is feeding towards Cantley. The marshes are good for other wildfowl including flocks of Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall and raptors such as Marsh Harrier are common. The Rook roost is famous, has featured on TV programmes and is even mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
 
SUGGESTIONS: This area is very exposed and can be bitterly cold in winter so warm clothing is a must - lots of layers, a hot drink and a snack maybe welcome too! A torch will be useful to walk back along the road to the cars after the Rook roost. It may well be muddy so boots are advisable. Also bringing a scope if you can is highly recommended.
 
MEETING POINT: Meet at Buckenham Station, TG 351056. Nearest post code is NR13 4HN.
 
PARKING AND SITE INFORMATION: Leave the A47 at the left turn (from Yarmouth direction) to the B1140 towards Cantley. Follow this road until you see the Cantley Cock pub. Turn right onto Cantley Road and continue along it as it becomes Wood Lane. Turn left when you reach School Road and follow until you reach a left turn into Station Road. Follow Station Road to its end and the car park is a right turn immediately before the station and a house.
 
DISTANCE: tbc.
 
ACCESSIBILITY: The walk is on roads and footpaths but isn’t suitable for wheelchair users. Do please contact us on nenbc@aol.co.uk to see which of our events can currently accommodate wheelchair users or could be adapted to do so.
 
FACILITIES: There are no facilities at Buckenham.
 
STAR STATUS: This walk is not within the NENBC recording area so the bird species you see or hear won’t be able to count towards your personal NENBC Star Badges on this occasion (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards based on the number of species you have seen or heard in the club area).
 
GOING GREEN!: This walk is out of the club area so the bird species you see or hear can’t count towards your Eco-badges for birding without the use of motorised transport but if you are able to walk or cycle to the start point from home, or even use public transport, that would be fantastic! Alternatively, car-sharing is encouraged. We are working on a way to best facilitate this but in the meantime, have a chat with folks at any of our events or message them via the member page of our website to arrange something for next time.
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Binoculars are always recommended to gain full enjoyment from your birding and if you want the added bonus of using a scope, please do bring your own along. Stout footwear is recommended as paths may be slippery or muddy particularly after rain. Young people aged 16 and 17 are welcome to attend unaccompanied with prior written consent from a parent or guardian who has also supplied a phone number where they can be contacted in an emergency but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Sorry no dogs except guide dogs. Please respect social distancing on the walk when appropriate for current conditions and preference of participants.

The forecast weather for Sunday's walk remsins wet and windy with possible snow. None of those conditions are conducive to birding at our advertised location Buckenham Marshes which is very exposed, or for the Rooks to put on a good roost display. 

So, here is our new plan. We are postponing the 10th Anniversary Buckenham Walk scheduled for Sunday afternoon and will let you all have a new date for that once we have sorted one out. 

Instead we will be meeting at Felbrigg Park Main Car Park at midday for a stroll around the estate, location of our 1st club walk back in 2015. It will be interesting to see how the bird sightings differ from our usual morning spot but be aware that the car park might be a bit busier on a weekend afternoon so leave yourself a little extra time to park.

See you there!

DATE: Wednesday 15th January 2025

TIME: 9.00am to 11:00am

WALK LEADER: Trevor Williams

NO BOOKING REQUIRED: It is always nice to know if you are coming via nenbc@aol.co.uk but by no means essential so if it takes your fancy on the day, please just turn up as we would love to see you!

 

WALK DESCRIPTION: This walk caters for all levels of birding ability so come and give us a try! We are a friendly bunch and always pleased to have folk join us whether they are NENBC members or not. We take a leisurely walk around the park and lake, route dependent on the local bird and other wildlife recently reported or likely to be present on the day. We regularly see over 40 bird species on an average walk and even on the worst of days more than 30.
 

MEETING POINT: National Trust Main Car Park, Felbrigg Park [Postcode: NR11 8PP will get you to the main entrance | what3words: denoting.reminds.bags for the car park | Grid Reference: TG197394 for the car park]
 

PARKING AND SITE INFORMATION: Although access to the grounds is free to all and parking is free in the main car park for National Trust [NT] members with their machine-validated membership card, a parking fee is payable via the machines for non-NT members (£5 per vehicle). At time of writing, Sexton’s Lodge car park at the western end of the estate however remains free to all users and you can walk up from there along the internal estate road to our start point (about 10 mins). Do check out the NT website nearer the time though in case of any changes to their arrangements, including the free car parking at the Lodge. For further information see Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate | Norfolk | National Trust
 

DISTANCE: Approximately 2-mile circular walk
 

ACCESSIBILITY: The walk is usually ‘off-road’ along dirt footpaths and tracks, across fields, through woods and can include a few stairs by the lake. As such, this event isn’t suitable for wheelchair users but please do contact us on nenbc@aol.co.uk to see which of our events can currently accommodate wheelchair users or could be adapted to do so.
 

FACILITIES: Toilets and café facilities available at Felbrigg Hall.
 

STAR STATUS: This walk is within the NENBC recording area so any bird species you see or hear can all count towards your personal NENBC Star Badges (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards based on the number of species you have personally seen or heard in the club area and recorded on our website since becoming a member).
 

GOING GREEN!: If you are able to walk or cycle to the start point from home, that would be fantastic, and as the walk is within the NENBC recording area, all the birds you see or hear can contribute to your personal NENBC Eco-badges (Green or Super-Green)! The Weavers’ Way and many other public footpaths bisect the park, as does the regional cycle route formerly named route 30. Bicycle racks are also available in the main car park. Felbrigg village and Aylmerton are also served by public transport, but buses are not frequent and unfortunately unlikely to fit with walk timings. Alternatively, car-sharing is encouraged. We are working on a way to best facilitate this but in the meantime, have a chat with folks at any of our events and contact them by email via the member page of our website to arrange something for next time.
 

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Binoculars are always recommended to gain full enjoyment from your birding. We don’t specifically carry a telescope on the walk unless one of our regulars brings theirs as it usually isn’t necessary but if you’d like to use one, please bring one along. Stout footwear is advised as paths may be slippery or muddy any time of year, particularly after rain. Young people aged 16 and 17 are welcome to attend unaccompanied with prior written consent from a parent or guardian who has also supplied a phone number where they can be contacted in an emergency but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Sorry no dogs except guide dogs. When appropriate for prevailing conditions and preference of participants, please respect social distancing when requested.

Simply choose an hour anytime in the three-day period 24th to 26th January and count the birds you see land in your garden, on your balcony, or in your local park. Feed your results back to the RSPB for the national survey but also, if you live in the NENBC area, we’d appreciate having your records logged too. Thank you! You can sign up on the RSPB website (which also has loads more info on attracting birds, what you might see, what it’s all about etc) but please add your sightings to the club website if you live in the club area, adding RSPB or something similar in the comments box, and we’ll see how we all do. Don’t live in our area? Just drop us an email to nenbc@aol.co.uk  with your list of birds and we’ll include you in our next newsletter write up.  Have fun!

DATE: Thursday 30th January 2025

 

TIME: 7.30pm to 9.30pm

 

JOIN IN: Either in person at Gresham Village Hall or live online via Zoom from home

 

A BIT ABOUT THE SPEAKER AND THEIR TALK: Roger started birding in his early teens and spent seasons working as a Voluntary Warden on Skomer Island and then the Farne Islands between 1977 and 1980, where his passion for ringing began. Since 2011, he has been involved in studying migratory and resident species in West Africa, participating in, and now leading, regular twice-yearly expeditions to Kartong Bird Observatory located in the southwest corner of The Gambia and overlooking a former sand mine. Since mining stopped, these areas have filled with water during each rainy season and created one of the best birding sites along the coast of The Gambia with its rich tapestry of habitats. These offer migratory, inter-African and resident birds a broad range of contrasting environments. Bird ringing began at Kartong in 1996 and continues today with a team of ringers from the UK establishing a permanent station in 2010. An impressive range of species have been caught in large numbers allowing them to develop new ageing and sexing criteria for an avifauna that is understudied. They have caught many migrants from the Palearctic and aim to increase knowledge of their migration patterns through West Africa and beyond. They run regular ringing expeditions for bird ringers from the UK. and each expedition sponsors a number of Gambian students to gain valuable work experience learning the skills of ornithological research. To date 396 species of bird have been recorded at the Observatory. For his talk Roger will focus on the education work, research and conservation efforts there into a variety of species including those common to us in the UK as well as those that are globally critically endangered like the Hooded Vulture.

10th ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH: We will be telling you more about some of our planned activities and events such as our new International Young Birder Bursary, Anniversary Walks, our summer club social event and our June conference “Whose birds are these? - exploring Anglo-African bird migration”. Now that is just for starters … Thursday is also the launch of our 10th Anniversary Commemorative Book, a look back at some of the fantastic birds, habitats and people that have made our first decade so memorable. There is a free copy for each household so please come along if you can to collect yours on the night. If you can’t make it, we will be hand-delivering them or posting them out in the coming weeks. We will also be handing out the first batch of our 10th Anniversary Badges. These will be given out twice a year from now on to households which have been members with us for 10 years so a huge thanks go out to the first 50 recipient households who joined us in the first half of 2015 and were still here in 2024! We’ve listed you below and if any of you can be there in person on Thursday to receive the badge, that would be great …
Judith Anderson, Jonathan Anderson, James Appleton, Julian Bhalerao, Colin & Val Blaxill, Greg & Val Bond, Phil Borley & Lin Pateman, Andy Clarke, Greta & Mark Clements, Peter Colston, Norman & Joy Couchman, Jane Crossen, Doug & Jenny Cullern, Mick Curran, Giles Dunmore, Bob & Violet Farndon, Cherry & Francis Farrow, David Fell, Peter & Rita Fisher, Barbara Gardner, Ian Gordon, Larry Graham, Stephen Green & Clare Wilson, Nick & Julia Harvey, John Hurst, Paul Laurie, Tony Leech, Roger & Lesley Lougher, Patricia & Graham Maile, Anne Mansfield & Pam Tregunna, Peter & Sue Morrison, Steve & Anne Poole, Rob & Judith Portch, Ian Prentice, John & Patsy Rampling, Alex Randall, Nigel Redman, Anne Sims, Moss Taylor, Carol & Ken Thornton, Sue & Bob Titman, Sarah & Eric Van Hoek, John Wagstaff, Adrienne & John Walsh, Pauline Walton, Trevor & Jane Williams, Matthew Williams, Heather & David Wilson, Stephanie Witham, Dawn & Tim Wright
 

AT THE HALL: Those of you attending in-person at the hall can expect a selection of home-made cakes plus tea, coffee, hot chocolate, wine and cold drinks during the interval and of course the chance to socialise with other members. We can cater for gluten-free or other requirements if you let us know in advance. We have a 2nd hand ‘natural world’ book stall for you to purchase from / contribute your no-longer-required stock to, supplies of our publications to buy (including our annual bird reports), a display of member photos and details on our upcoming events. We are happy to offer members’ old birding equipment for sale at our events (or in our newsletter) with a contribution going to club funds.

 

BOOKING ARRANGEMENTS: It is always nice to know if you are coming to the hall but by no means essential so if it takes your fancy on the evening, please just turn up as we would love to see you and we have plenty of space! However, on this occasion, we would really appreciate having a heads up if you are coming so we can better sort out the logistics of distribution of the book and badges.  If you are intending to join via Zoom though, you definitely need to let us know in advance so we can get the link out to you in good time. 

 

ACCESSIBILITY: The hall is wheelchair accessible. The level car park at the hall is shingle but we can reserve a space next to the entrance if you need it. 

 

GOING GREEN!: The hall isn’t really accessible by public transport but if you are able to walk or cycle to the event that would be fantastic! Alternatively, car-sharing is encouraged. We are working on a way to best facilitate this but in the meantime, have a chat with folks at any of our events and contact them by email via the member page of our website to arrange something for next time, or let us know and we will try to put you in touch.

 

DIRECTIONS: Gresham Village Hall, East Beckham Road off Church Lane, Gresham, Norfolk, NR11 8RT but note the published postcode might not take you to exactly the right spot! If you are coming through Aylmerton and Lower Gresham, turn right by the church (just after the school) and the hall is on your left. If you are coming through Gresham, turn left at the church (just before the school) and the hall is on your left. If you are dropping down from East Beckham, the hall is on your right opposite the church.

 

PARKING: Access to the hall car park is off East Beckham Road, opposite the church. There is additional parking on the road along the side of the church itself and an overflow car park has kindly been offered to us by Gresham Village School. The school car park is located on Cromer Road to the left of the school as you face it and at the left-hand end of the row of houses – about a 300m walk from the hall. Please park considerately to allow maximum number of cars in the car parks and on the road but with enough space for passing traffic to be able to get through, including agricultural vehicles. We can send you a map of the locality on request. 

 

FOR THE ZOOM LINK OR ANY QUERIES: Contact Carol on nenbc@aol.co.uk