Gordon Hamlett
@gordonhamlett.bsky.social
Lives and birds in North Norfolk. Author of the Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands. Volunteer warden at Sculthorpe Moor HOT. Owner of 30,000 classical CDs. Man City fan. Quiz setter.
We were enjoying close up views of a male hen harrier this afternoon when a merlin appeared from nowhere, in hot pursuit of a meadow pipit. The harrier followed it and so, within the space of 5 seconds, we were watching both birds over the bonnet of the car parked next to us. Mind blowing.
January 14, 2026 at 9:02 PM
We were enjoying close up views of a male hen harrier this afternoon when a merlin appeared from nowhere, in hot pursuit of a meadow pipit. The harrier followed it and so, within the space of 5 seconds, we were watching both birds over the bonnet of the car parked next to us. Mind blowing.
Merry Christmas one and all. Nice present from Santa in the form of a cracking male Eastern Black Redstart at Sheringham. Seen down to a few feet, and also a car tick! Also peregrine, kingfisher, Jack snipe, turnstone, 20 avocets, 25 black tailed godwits, a guillemot and 12 gannets at Cley.
December 25, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Merry Christmas one and all. Nice present from Santa in the form of a cracking male Eastern Black Redstart at Sheringham. Seen down to a few feet, and also a car tick! Also peregrine, kingfisher, Jack snipe, turnstone, 20 avocets, 25 black tailed godwits, a guillemot and 12 gannets at Cley.
Highlight at Cley this morning was a woodcock in-off the sea, pursued by a marsh harrier. Supporting cast included a very obliging jack snipe and kingfisher, plus three stonechats. A peregrine beat the place up in full attack mode, before flying off and spooking 2000 golden plovers over Blakeney.
December 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Highlight at Cley this morning was a woodcock in-off the sea, pursued by a marsh harrier. Supporting cast included a very obliging jack snipe and kingfisher, plus three stonechats. A peregrine beat the place up in full attack mode, before flying off and spooking 2000 golden plovers over Blakeney.
Sometimes you forget just how small crests are. At Titchwell this morning, we had a flock of 6+ goldcrests and 2+ firecrests straight out their roost, fossicking around 2-3 feet in front of us. They are seriously tiny. Magical experience.
December 6, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Sometimes you forget just how small crests are. At Titchwell this morning, we had a flock of 6+ goldcrests and 2+ firecrests straight out their roost, fossicking around 2-3 feet in front of us. They are seriously tiny. Magical experience.
Just returned from leading a birding trip in Speyside. Highlights included a hen harrier mobbing a sea eagle, ring-necked duck, green-winged teal, 3 little gulls, flocks of 60 purple sandpipers and 20 bullfinches, plus all the usual suspects. As usual on these trips, dipped dipper 🤬
November 7, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Just returned from leading a birding trip in Speyside. Highlights included a hen harrier mobbing a sea eagle, ring-necked duck, green-winged teal, 3 little gulls, flocks of 60 purple sandpipers and 20 bullfinches, plus all the usual suspects. As usual on these trips, dipped dipper 🤬
Saw my first house festooned with Christmas decorations today, at the same time as they were letting off bonfire fireworks. Come on guys, make your minds up. FYI, xmas decorations should not go up before Xmas eve. 🤣🤣🤣
November 7, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Saw my first house festooned with Christmas decorations today, at the same time as they were letting off bonfire fireworks. Come on guys, make your minds up. FYI, xmas decorations should not go up before Xmas eve. 🤣🤣🤣
A great day with a dusky warbler, 2 yellow-browed warblers, 3 crossbills, and a large passage of chaffinches, bramblings and redwings at Walsey Hills, a barred warbler, another ybw, and 6 glossy ibises at Blakeney, and a pomarine skua with full spoons and a red-breasted merganser at Cley
October 15, 2025 at 6:18 PM
A great day with a dusky warbler, 2 yellow-browed warblers, 3 crossbills, and a large passage of chaffinches, bramblings and redwings at Walsey Hills, a barred warbler, another ybw, and 6 glossy ibises at Blakeney, and a pomarine skua with full spoons and a red-breasted merganser at Cley
Any techies out there? My emails will not download to Outlook. I can get them on my phone, or on my BT Web page, but not where I want them. Any ideas? Am currently trying to reinstall Outlook. Thanks in advance.
October 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Any techies out there? My emails will not download to Outlook. I can get them on my phone, or on my BT Web page, but not where I want them. Any ideas? Am currently trying to reinstall Outlook. Thanks in advance.
Brilliant evening @rspbtitchwellsnett.bsky.social -red-necked phalarope, glossy ibis, pectoral, wood and curlew sandpipers, 4 little stints, greenshank, spotted redshank, 35 spoonbills, 5 cattle egrets, great white egret, 30+ dunlin, golden plovers, and 1,000+ starlings
September 9, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Brilliant evening @rspbtitchwellsnett.bsky.social -red-necked phalarope, glossy ibis, pectoral, wood and curlew sandpipers, 4 little stints, greenshank, spotted redshank, 35 spoonbills, 5 cattle egrets, great white egret, 30+ dunlin, golden plovers, and 1,000+ starlings
Highlights at Cley this morning included a male crossbill that dropped in for 2 seconds, an influx of snipe, a curlew sandpiper, wheatear, and an early flyover pink-footed goose. There were good numbers of juvenile chiffchaffs and willow warblers for comparison purposes.
August 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Highlights at Cley this morning included a male crossbill that dropped in for 2 seconds, an influx of snipe, a curlew sandpiper, wheatear, and an early flyover pink-footed goose. There were good numbers of juvenile chiffchaffs and willow warblers for comparison purposes.
If you are in the area tomorrow, and fancy a bit of a laugh, I am giving a talk entitled 'Molotovs and Merlins', a light-hearted look at the trials and tribulations of writing a 'Where to Watch Guide'. The Assembly Rooms in Swaffham at 7.30pm. £4 for non-members.
August 26, 2025 at 6:59 PM
If you are in the area tomorrow, and fancy a bit of a laugh, I am giving a talk entitled 'Molotovs and Merlins', a light-hearted look at the trials and tribulations of writing a 'Where to Watch Guide'. The Assembly Rooms in Swaffham at 7.30pm. £4 for non-members.
Brilliant morning at Cley. Osprey low over our heads. Wood sandpiper and water rail right in front of us. Spotted redshank, raven, yellow-legged and Mediterranean gulls, 5 green sandpipers, 16 ruff, 2 dunlin, 34 curlews, Sandwich tern, 3 spoonbills, all 3 egrets etc. Plus a clouded yellow butterfly
August 9, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Brilliant morning at Cley. Osprey low over our heads. Wood sandpiper and water rail right in front of us. Spotted redshank, raven, yellow-legged and Mediterranean gulls, 5 green sandpipers, 16 ruff, 2 dunlin, 34 curlews, Sandwich tern, 3 spoonbills, all 3 egrets etc. Plus a clouded yellow butterfly
Oh the irony. I had a bad headache and went to take a couple of ibuprofen. Managed to slice my finger open on the plastic packaging as I popped the tablets out. #worstpapercutever
August 7, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Oh the irony. I had a bad headache and went to take a couple of ibuprofen. Managed to slice my finger open on the plastic packaging as I popped the tablets out. #worstpapercutever
A gentle seawatch at Cley this morning, but it did produce my first two arctic skuas and manx shearwaters of the year. Autocorrect wrote seawater, arctic squash, and many shearwaters. Ho hum.
July 27, 2025 at 7:53 PM
A gentle seawatch at Cley this morning, but it did produce my first two arctic skuas and manx shearwaters of the year. Autocorrect wrote seawater, arctic squash, and many shearwaters. Ho hum.
Felt like the start of autumn passage at Cley this morning, with the first few waders starting to trickle through - whimbrel, golden plovers, greenshank, green, wood and common sandpipers all noted. A couple of flypasts by a bittern were a nice bonus. 22 cattle egrets in the air at once. #ukbirding
July 20, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Felt like the start of autumn passage at Cley this morning, with the first few waders starting to trickle through - whimbrel, golden plovers, greenshank, green, wood and common sandpipers all noted. A couple of flypasts by a bittern were a nice bonus. 22 cattle egrets in the air at once. #ukbirding
Green sandpipers were on the move at Cley this morning, with 11 counted. Also saw my first white wagtail of the year, together with the usual array of spoonbills, cattle egrets, marsh harriers, etc. Seven male ruff in various states of moult are known locally as scruffs. 56 species seen. #ukbirding
July 13, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Green sandpipers were on the move at Cley this morning, with 11 counted. Also saw my first white wagtail of the year, together with the usual array of spoonbills, cattle egrets, marsh harriers, etc. Seven male ruff in various states of moult are known locally as scruffs. 56 species seen. #ukbirding
Best thing at Titchwell this morning was a full 'broken wing' display from a ringed plover, as it lured an oystercatcher away from its nest. Other highlights included a turtle dove and spotted flycatcher among 70 species seen. #ukbirding
July 2, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Best thing at Titchwell this morning was a full 'broken wing' display from a ringed plover, as it lured an oystercatcher away from its nest. Other highlights included a turtle dove and spotted flycatcher among 70 species seen. #ukbirding
Watching City - Juventus on DAZN. Unfortunately, the commentary is out of sync with the pictures by about 2 seconds. So, for example, I knew that Doku had scored before he had received the final pass. Not good.
June 26, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Watching City - Juventus on DAZN. Unfortunately, the commentary is out of sync with the pictures by about 2 seconds. So, for example, I knew that Doku had scored before he had received the final pass. Not good.
A day of flocks at Cley, starting with a sky full of egrets - 14 cattle, 4 great white, numerous little, and 4 spoonbills
Then 336 bar-tailed godwits, plus both races of black tailed godwit. Finally, over 200 sand martins appeared from nowhere, hawking low over the scrape. #ukbirding
Then 336 bar-tailed godwits, plus both races of black tailed godwit. Finally, over 200 sand martins appeared from nowhere, hawking low over the scrape. #ukbirding
June 25, 2025 at 5:18 PM
A day of flocks at Cley, starting with a sky full of egrets - 14 cattle, 4 great white, numerous little, and 4 spoonbills
Then 336 bar-tailed godwits, plus both races of black tailed godwit. Finally, over 200 sand martins appeared from nowhere, hawking low over the scrape. #ukbirding
Then 336 bar-tailed godwits, plus both races of black tailed godwit. Finally, over 200 sand martins appeared from nowhere, hawking low over the scrape. #ukbirding
Female Chinese water deer with a fawn in tow at Cley yesterday and Titchwell today.
June 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Female Chinese water deer with a fawn in tow at Cley yesterday and Titchwell today.
Just found a night heron flying west at Cley. Also 214 barwits, 85 blackwits, 12 knot, 26 med gulls, 4 spoonbills, 2 cattle egrets etc. #ukbirding
June 22, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Just found a night heron flying west at Cley. Also 214 barwits, 85 blackwits, 12 knot, 26 med gulls, 4 spoonbills, 2 cattle egrets etc. #ukbirding
First garden record of a hummingbird hawk moth. Whooooo!
June 21, 2025 at 7:13 PM
First garden record of a hummingbird hawk moth. Whooooo!
Just witnessed a mid-air collision between a meadow pipit and an emperor dragonfly at Cley this morning. No casualties. #ukbirding
June 21, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Just witnessed a mid-air collision between a meadow pipit and an emperor dragonfly at Cley this morning. No casualties. #ukbirding
I've just started The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre. 'Give it all the awards now...the most original crime novel of the year', says top crime author Mark Billingham in the blurb. Mmm, sounds good. Then I see that the book is dedicated to a certain Mark Billingham. Hmmmm. Naughty publishers.
June 11, 2025 at 9:46 AM
I've just started The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre. 'Give it all the awards now...the most original crime novel of the year', says top crime author Mark Billingham in the blurb. Mmm, sounds good. Then I see that the book is dedicated to a certain Mark Billingham. Hmmmm. Naughty publishers.
A close encounter day at Hickling Broad. Sitting in Bittern hide (appropriately), a bittern flew towards us, practically within stroking distance, closely followed by one of many marsh harriers. Then a swallowtail butterfly flew between my legs! #ukbirding
June 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
A close encounter day at Hickling Broad. Sitting in Bittern hide (appropriately), a bittern flew towards us, practically within stroking distance, closely followed by one of many marsh harriers. Then a swallowtail butterfly flew between my legs! #ukbirding