Meeting up with the in-laws, a delightful stroll around Ranworth had something for everyone. An Easter trail was being run by NWT so that kept Agnes (and the rest of us) amused for a while, I managed a couple of year ticks from the floating Information Center, with Osprey, Arctic and Common Tern, before we all tucked into a delightful lunch at The Maltsters.
21st April - Paston / Southrepps
An early start at Paston Cliffs gave up 2+ Ring Ouzel, 5 Wheatear a handful of Hindrines and 6 newly arrived Whitethroat, but no new patch migrants or exciting arrivals. I therefore headed off for a quick walk around Southrepps Common, an area now walked almost weekly with Agnes attending the nursery opposite, it should almost be part of the patch! I was looking for a Pied Flycatcher reported the previous evening by Fox Beck, but like the Great Grey Shrike earlier in the week I failed to find anything. With jobs to do I headed home, at least I still had 3 days left of my extended Easter Break.
22nd April - Holt / Potter Heigham
With few Bank Holiday events that took our fancy we headed out as a family to Holt Country Park. Agnes loves playing in the woods and the sculpture trail added an extra bit of excitement. I had hope to show her some lizards and snakes, a sure thing on the Lowes, however her over eagerness meant she scared the lizards I found before she saw them and we failed to locate any Adders often basking in the sun. Climbing the Observation Tower I was aware of the calls of a Woodlark and after a short wait finally located one of probably two singing birds. Arriving home by lunchtime Laura decided on a nap/chill out, but was happy for me to go out for a longer amble.
I had put off going to see the Black-winged Stilt at Potter Heigham, not because I didn't want to see it but because I was hoping to find some birds myself or something rarer to arrive. Being midday I was expecting lots of heat haze but after power walking the river back I was pleasantly surprised with a refreshing breeze in the air. I wasn't sure where the Black-winged Stilt was so checked each pool in turn. This proved quite rewarding with the pool closest the mill holding a Wood Sandpiper and two Gargany, as well as the commoner waders including some Ruff almost in summer plumage. The next pool held a Spoonbill feeding at close quarters and the last a Great White Egret and a Little Gull hawking about for good measure. As is often the case I had again myself the wrong side of the pools when for a target bird and had to walk around the far end and view from the other track, but today I couldn't complain. By the tin hut a local birder/dog walker advised me he had seen the Black-winged Stilt asleep almost tucked out of view. Luckily after 10 minutes or so it woke up, had a stretch and a wander before dozing off again. While waiting a second Great White Egret was seen along with a Common Crane feeding near by. I also realised that I had been listening to a few Reed Warbler calling, a new year tick so took the trouble to get visuals of one.
29th April - Paston / Worstead
A quick visit to Paston after dropping Agnes at Nursery offered up little, with only a couple of Whitethroat singing and a lone Wheatear still lingering. News that Dad had a Cuckoo by the Allotment first thing meant a quick trip out to Sandy Hills. I could hear the Cuckoo in the direction of Meeting Hill but despite a drive found failed to locate it, (that wouldn't matter as the next day would have it) but almost as exiting was a Spotted Flycatcher on the track to the Allotment. Dad now tells me the bird had been there about a week!
30th April - Burnham Overy / Salthouse
After 10 days with limited rarities arriving it was inevitable something would turn up the day I went back to work, a Purple Heron, a Norfolk Tick! Last year I sat patiently for almost 2 hours at Cley with my two year old waiting for a Purple Heron to emerge from a reed bed, (I eventually left when we ran out of snacks) the bird duelly appeared 15 minutes later. So with the bird showing well and sticking all week I headed to Burham Overy after the 9am nursery drop off. Near Egmere I spotted a Cuckoo perched up in a bare tree and two Red Kite. Luckily I then got stuck behind a very slow moving, very smelly mature cart!? Lucky because the s got withing a low pace enable me to catch sight over the hedges of the unmistakable outline of a Eagle, pulling over the bird was a little distant but undoubtedly a White-tailed Eagle mobbed by two 'small' Buzzard.
Parking up by Gun Hill I was met by a returning birder say 'it's a long walk, it's distant it's hazy', had I used my day's birding luck? Thankfully his friend added 'maybe worth a look from the harbour'. I jumped in the car and parked in Burnham Overy, a 50m walk along the wall and the Purple Heron came wandering across the grazing marsh, with unobstructed views the bird even struck a few poses, stretching out it elongated neck. After 20 mintes I had had my fill, just as I was getting in the car the birders from earlier reappeared offering up that a Great Spotted Cuckoo was at Salthouse. It was only 11.30 but I was already heading homeward.
I was amazed to find only two birders at Grambrough Hill, but apparently the Great Spotted Cuckoo had been seen only once before 9am and people had drifted away. I never saw the GSC but did see a lovely Whinchat. 3 Wheatear, 7 Whimbrel and a Common Cuckoo. The Cuckoo was gauging on Brown-tail moth Caterpillars, and I unintentionally got within a few a few meters, only alerted to his presents by two deafening 'cuckoo' calls, but even then he carried on eating. Almost a pleasing was standing by the 'cliff' edge and having a few dozen Sand Martin swirling around my head. More than delighted with my morning's birding I headed to Cley visitor center for a cuppa and cake, to finish of a Yellow Wagtail few across the road by Salthouse duck pond.
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