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markgolley.bsky.social
The White Falcon
@markgolley.bsky.social
1.1K followers 820 following 1.1K posts
Freelance TV sport producer || Limosa obsessive L3 ❤️ || BOURC voting member || Cley Moth Obs || TG04 = the Patch || ex-Norfolk Records Committee member || Gulls & Geese👌|| Music lover: give me as much Neil Young as you like ☮️🕊️ || Don't Spook The Horse.
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markgolley.bsky.social
A brief snapshot of the hub-bub & constant chitter-chatter of the Starlings at Titchwell last night. I failed to get anything of the actual murmuration (larids occupied most of my time!) but the dusk performance was mesmerising ~ 1000s of birds in the air.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
November 10, 2025 at 9:17 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Years ago, we coined the phrase "fuscus o'clock" that time of night when adult LBB's suddenly darkened to the same sort of tones that you'd be wishing to find on a fuscus. Yesterday's BG at Titchwell didn't need fuscus o'clock to look as black as Whitby jet. Presumably a ♂️ on size.
#NorfolkBirding
November 10, 2025 at 11:08 AM
markgolley.bsky.social
...and that bird of the day was...
Baltic Gull ~ an outrageously black-backed adult with minimal mirrors, an almost cachinnans-vibe around the head, a colour tone like nothing else on the scrapes, a brown wash on the tertials, bright bare parts...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
1/3
November 9, 2025 at 10:02 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
...the American Goldie was the warm-up act ahead of the main attraction ~ the gull roost! Maybe 250 more birds than Cley's roost last night: 4 Caspian Gulls (x3 1w, x1 2w) & 3 Yellow-legged Gulls (x2 ad, x1 1w) played 2nd fiddle to the bird of the day...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
November 9, 2025 at 9:45 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Juvenile American Golden Plover
Titchwell RSPB
November 9 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
November 9, 2025 at 9:13 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
We strayed out of the Cley Square this afternoon & headed to Titchwell. It's been a decade or so since I saw a juvenile American Golden Plover in Norfolk & although the bird today was generally distant & frequently hidden, it was still a smart bird to see.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
November 9, 2025 at 9:09 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
...abysmal effort at trying to get a shot of the furtive Siberian Chiffchaff along Meadow Lane this morning. I'd say this was...atmospheric 😅
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 9, 2025 at 9:04 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Red Kites over Meadow Lane, Salthouse this morning, each one looking sensational in the low autumn sun & each one in immaculate condition, the deep rusted tones intensified against the bright blue sky.
Really beautiful birds...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 9, 2025 at 8:58 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Highlights galore today. A wander along Meadow Lane offered up nice views of a sometimes showy Siberian Chiffchaff (no call heard, but looked the part) but a random 45 minute westerly movement of 15 to 20 Red Kites absolutely stole the show.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 9, 2025 at 8:50 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Absolutely loved seeing these two 1st winter Caspian Gulls together tonight on the North. For all the cachinnans I've seen here over the last 30 years, I don't often see Caspo side-by-side, so this was a real Larid treat.
Love it!
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
1/2
November 8, 2025 at 9:06 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Really pleased to find 3 new Caspian Gulls in a modest-sized roost on the North. An almost adult/4w was in first, followed by two 1w birds (one a real snazzy looker). Interesting to see a still largely juvenile LBBG with the 4w/adult cachinnans.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 8, 2025 at 8:35 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
In the gloom across North Scrape, I noticed a tagged female Marsh Harrier in the grass (w/4 more nearby). Orange A4 was the code (honest!), ringed near Letheringsett in 2022, it's been here a few times since (see ALT).
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
@harriermanphil.bsky.social
Adult female Marsh Harrier Orange A4. Ringed at the natal site near Letheringsett in June 2022, she's been seen at Cley on nine previous occasions, all in winter bar a September 2024 sighting. The bird has also been seen around Salthouse & Salthouse Heath while it's been seen further away from TG04, at Stiffkey in late May last year and also near Babingley, out towards Sandringham, in February 2024.
November 8, 2025 at 8:32 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Like snowball baubles on a tree, the glowing figures of Cattle Egrets stood out, even from North, as they hurried into North Foreland tonight. Lynnette picked them up as they came across the reserve, a minimum 30 in all, off the Freshes I guess.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
The Glossy Ibis invasion ground to a halt a little while ago but we've still got a few around the Cley square. These three were out on the North this evening ~ they always seem a bit bemused when skeins of Pinks drop in & make a roost racket.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 8, 2025 at 8:20 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
After a cracking morning, we headed out for the North Scrape roost & it was cracker there too! Triple Glossy Ibis & Caspian Gull, a minimum 30 Cattle Egrets, 1000 Pink-feet (oh & the Ruddy Shelduck too). Here's the dusk view from Gillmor Hide.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 8, 2025 at 6:34 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
So, our 15k steps was great fun today ~ Common Crane + 5 Snow Buntings by Sea Pool, Water Pipit on the Serpentine, a late Whinchat on the reserve, plus Marsh Harrier in-off, Peregrine, 6 Red Kite, 400 Golden Plover, fields of Linnets & buntings 👌
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 8, 2025 at 2:28 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
No doubting the highlight of a very entertaining walk around the back of the patch was finding this Common Crane heading west over Sea Pool, Arnold's Marsh & away over the reserve mid-morning ~ pretty sure this is my first November Grus at Cley.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
November 8, 2025 at 2:14 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
A few more from a very enjoyable haul of autumn moths last night ~ Feathered Thorn, White-point, Barred Sallow & Dark Chestnut.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth
November 7, 2025 at 8:48 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Coming in a close 2nd last night was our 2nd-ever Oak Rustic. The 1st record here was on December 1st last year & Lynnette had been hoping for another record this week. She definitely talked it up!
2025 moth left, 2024 moth right.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth
November 7, 2025 at 8:45 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
A few more of the brilliant Cosmopterix pulchrimella that showed up at CMO HQ for the first time ever last night. Top drawer micro 😎
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth
November 7, 2025 at 8:38 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Mothing at the back end of the year doesn't always come with nights like last night, calm, mild & cloudy. 48/23 was a great result & *BOOM* along came a a cracker of an NFG too! Cosmopterix pulchrimella (Pellitory Beauty), only the 2nd for TG04.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
Here's a moth that captured our imagination when we were shown our first ones at Sandwich Bay last year, several adults on the foodplant along one of the avenues near the Obs. This year, we had one in one of our traps on our September visit to SBBO while, here at home, we've checked so much Pellitory-of-the-wall locally (for leaf-mines and adult moths) with not a hint of a single moth. Until last night! We couldn't believe it as this tiny, super-smart micro scurried around the actinic light. Somehow, it went in a pot! Really quite a rare moth across Norfolk (as in very few adults ever seen) and really rare on the coastal strip. Chuffed to bits with this one 😁
November 7, 2025 at 8:30 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
...I didn't connect with 100s of Suffolk gulls late this afternoon but the flocks I did get to enjoy held several smart argentatus Herring Gulls amongst them, including this fine adult. Always so beefy! Always super smart.
#SuffolkBirding
#gulling
November 6, 2025 at 10:52 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
Today's Caspian Gull near Sizewell has to be one of the best looking (most "traditional" looking) cachinnans I've seen in a long while, a sensational looking big male. Here he is throwing some shapes (unimpressed pseudo (?) heinei, dark mantled Common Gull looking on).
#SuffolkBirding
#cachinnans
November 6, 2025 at 10:50 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
At the back end of the 90s, when Caspian Gull was still a very scarce species, Richard Millington & I would travel to the pig fields of Suffolk, honing our cachinnans ID skills. All change now of course, but it was great to scan fields again today: this magnificent adult made my day.
#SuffolkBirding
November 6, 2025 at 10:40 PM
markgolley.bsky.social
We needed a day out today & four months after the historic discovery of breeding Zitting Cisticolas at Walberswick, we *finally* headed to Suffolk & enjoyed smart views of 3 birds, across a couple of hours. Thx @cach22.bsky.social for up to date info 👍
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#RareBirdsUK
1/2
November 6, 2025 at 9:23 PM