A New Year brings lots of changes on Christmas Eve I started a new job, part-time and more local to home. This will give me more time to care for my daughter and be closer for school runs etc, but also will give more time for local birding. As a minimum I will update the blog at the end of each month, but hope fully more frequently.
It maybe a couple of weeks late but I'd like to wish anyone who's still reading my blog a Happy New Year and prosperous birding in 2020.
1st January - 2020 Norfolk Bird Race
As is tradition my taxi to Titchwell (Gary) arrived at 5.30am and we headed off to be in place by dawn. A few birds were added on the drive, and a few silhouettes and heard birds added on the walk out to the beach. Rather shockingly someone was already at beach, this has never happened before, but undeterred we setup to scan the see as the sun started to rise. A good number or Red-breasted Merganser passed through, and it was nice to watch some smart Long-tailed Duck close to shore. Black-throated Diver and Ringed Plover, often hard to see on 1st Jan were seen before we headed back onto the reserve. With high water levels on the Fresh Marsh and few feeders handing up we added nothing unusual to the list, leaving Titchwell on a slightly disappointing total of 69.
In an unusual move we headed next to Holkham in a bid to avoid the crowds that gather. A brief stop looking out over Burnham Overy Marshes/Dunes added Red Kite, Great White and Cattle Egret. We stopped at Wells to see the encamped Rough-legged Buzzard before first looking for the Black-necked Grebe on Holkham Lake. The Grebe showed well at close quarters and we added most of the expected woodland species. Lady Ann's Drive was already crowded so we abandoned any ideas to look at Holkham Bay and again headed back West. A Spoonbill over the marshes brought us up to a total of 96 species
At Chosely we added Tundra Bean Goose (species 100), with Rock Pipit and Twite subsequently seen at Thornham before we headed further West to see the Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Sedgeford. This was bird 105 but more importantly a 'life tick' and a good start to a new year. Arriving at Flitcham with a few additional species in transit Tree Sparrow was added but no sign of any Little Owl.
We now embarked on a West to East drive to look for the Desert Wheatear at Eccles-on-sea. The drive and subsequent hunt for the bird took a large amount of time out of the day, and eventually only added Guillemot to our days total. Desert Wheatear would have been a 'Norfolk tick' and with few other targets was worth the effort. We didn't have far to drive to Hickling to view the roost from Stubb Mill. We had been told to expect the roost to be quieter than normal with high water levels forcing may raptors to roost else where, but I was surprised by the very few harriers coming onto roost. We added Crane, Song Thrush, Kingfisher, Bullfinch and Woodcock before the light faded leaving us with a January 1st 2020 total of 116 species.
2nd January - Eccles-on-sea
After failing to locate the Desert Wheatear at Eccles on the 1st I headed down to Eccles mid-morning at caught up with the smart little bird within seconds of arriving on the beach. The bird showed at close quarters, hopping about on the boulders for 5 minutes of so before flitting into the dunes. Content with my views of my second 'Norfolk Tick' of the year I popped into visit my uncle in Eccles after parking it his house to save a walk! Driving to Eccles I saw my first Fieldfare of the year and a couple of Mediterranean Gull in a nearby field, while a detour on the way home meant I also caught up with the Bewick's Swan at Ingham.
6th January - Southrepps
Agnes was back to school and after a few house chores during the morning I set off early to Southrepps for a wander around The Common before pick up at 3pm. Much of the reedbed amd wet meadows had cut to ensure the special habitat is maintained, but few birds were in this area. The carr by the beck gave up Siskin and Marsh Tit, new for the year among fixed tit and finch flock. A quick stomp down toward the sewage farm proved fruitful with Grey Wagtail on the Beck, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest with another tit flock and the surprise bird of the day a calling Firecrest. A Sparrowhawk over School Common was new.
7th January - Buckenham
After dropping Agnes at school I headed to the Yare valley to try and catch up on a few specialist birds that would be new for the year. In the fields north of Buckenham Station a large flock of Pink-footed Geese allegedly held a few Tundra Bean Geese but not that I could locate, though the field undulated quite a bit. Walking out to the river I picked up three distant geese that looked good for Taiga Bean Goose, but had to wait for slightly improved views before a helicopter spooked everything. Walking the causeway I soon located the Barancle and Canada Goose flocks, a few Ruff and Snipe. Among the Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler in the pools to the West I located a sleeping pair of Pintail. Closer to the Old Mill scanning the marshes reviled the large White-fronted Goose flock and a smart male Stonechat on a fence post along with a couple on resting Buzzard, including the very pale individual that has caused some confusion. East of the mill I located one of the Water Pipit present but the high water levels offered little mud for waders. Walking back to the car I met David Bryant (Birds of the Heath), someone often seen in passing but this time we had a good chat. Before leaving a Peregrine threw everything up into the air and a Red Kite drifted West.
11th January - Ranworth
A family trip to Ranworth to look for the Ferruginous Duck. Parking at the church we walked out along the board walk to the NWT Visitor Center. A couple of Great Spooted Woodpecker showed well and Lesser Redpoll among the commoner finches was new for the year. Standing by the staithe it was clear that the Ferruginous Duck was probably hiding in the waterside bushes with no sign for over an hour. Agnes and I had a good scan of Ranworth Broad seeing lots of other duck including Wigeon, Shoveler and Goldeneye. An unexpected bird was a Bittern flying along the right hand edge of the Broad, before a kettle of raptor flew overhead, made up of 3 Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier and a Red Kite. Not wanting to test Agnes' patience we decided not to wait on the Ferruginous Duck any longer heading to Wroxham for some lunch.
14th January - Ranworth/Acle
With strong winds forecast for the afternoon I decided on a second trip to look for the Ferruginous Duck at Ranworth Broad. Stomping out along the board walk I saw all the expected species of my previous trip, but as previously the favoured area for the bird was devoid of any activity. Workmen were driving in piles to the left of the Visitor Centre so most wildfowl were distant on the Broad. I decided to have a look at Malthouse Broad and the boat yards the boarder it. Lots of Coot, Mallard and a few Tufted Duck seemed to be all that was around Malthouse Broad, but scanning out from one of the boat yards I finally saw the Ferruginous Duck near to the mooring on the far bank. Having spent to long already with jobs to do I decided to head home.
Detouring via Acle Bridge only added a few minute to my journey and gave me a change to scan the marshes from a higher view point. Shortly after stopping a Merlin flew through and a distant Short-eared Owl was out in the direction of Thurne Mill. By the car a Green Sandpiper called and landed in a nearby ditch. At Clippersby by the now infamous barn c12 Common Crane where close to the road but with a sugar beet lorry 'up my trumpet' I was unable to pull in for closer views. Ludham Airfield held a mixed flock of Bewick's and Whooper Swans
139 - Norfolk Year Total
139 - Britain Year Total
