Around Holt

Last Sunday Laura and I decided to have a look around Holt and get a bite to eat. James' recent trip to Baconsthorpe inspired me to visit while nearby. The Ruins of Baconsthorpe Castle are down a long track and we had the site to ourselves. The nearby farmyard and Castle mere provided us with a selection of avian delights. We watched a family of 6 Little Grebe fed on the mere along with Coot, Moorhen and Mallard. 3 Grey Heron flew over as we walked back towards the car and a small group of Stock Dove were in the area. Back at the car i noticed a large group of small bird son the nearby wires, and getting out the scope i was delighted to ID them as c30 Corn Bunting. We had our wander around Holt before calling into Cley NWT for a cup of tea and cake. We didn't wander to far but still scanned over the scrapes and marshes, noting Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Sandwich Tern and 2 Spoonbill, as well as the more common waders.

Upper Yare Valley

The coast is still quite a trek on public transport, so even with the prospect of a few early migrant on the coast i decided to stay local and walk the River Yare between Eaton and Bowthorpe. By Cringleford Mill i spent awhile looking at the Dragonflies and Damselflies in the area, mulling over the identification of a few. Banded and Emerald Damoiselles, Ruddy Darter, Migrant and Brown Hawker were all in the area along with a few butterflies enjoying the sun's early warmth. Not far along the riverside path and i had the best bird of the day a Honey Buzzard flew low over the meadows, before drifted south out of sight. Although the best bird of the day had shown up early there was plenty more to see. Before reaching the UEA i had seen 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Sedge Warbler amongst other common birds. The UEA Broad was quiet with a lone family of Great Crested Grebe and a few Mallard. The playing fields offered more with a large group of Starling on the pylons, c30 Goldfinch, 2 Stock Dove and female Kestrel. Pied Wagtails often gather here in winter and i was surprised to count 41 on the cricket pitch nearest the hospital. A lone Common Tern and Swallow passed over head as i approached Earlham Park, where a Kingfisher perched up and then whizzed past me. On Bowthorpe Marshes a helicopter flushed a family of Red-legged Partridge and almost everything else. Walking the grazing marshes and riverbank i found a further 6 Green Woodpecker and 2 more Great Spotted Woodpecker, a large group of Long-tailed Tit, 2 family groups of Linnet and a lone Bullfinch. At Bowthorpe as the sun once again emerged from the clouds dragonflies zoomed about, a mixture of Ruddy and Common Darter, Migrant Hawker and singles of Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly. As well as more Banded Demoiselle and Common Blue Damselfly. I also saw 2 Mink on the river near the ponds, with Jim seeing them at Surlingham does this mean they are increasing in number once again? On the subject of 'pests' i counted over 30 Magpie at Bowthorpe! The final bird of the walk was a Sparrowhawk which flew across Earlham Park as i started to walk home along Earlham Road. 44 species of bird, 8 species of dragonfly/damselfly and 9 species of Butterfly was much more than i had hoped for when setting out.

Waders at Thorpe

From experience I've learnt not to be at Cley when rain in forecast, the only sure thing is you'll get soaked. So despite my initial intention to look for the Pectoral Sandpiper, Spoonbill and Little Stints, i decided to keep nearer home and went down to Thorpe Station Marsh. Approaching the footbridge over the railway i noticed a family of Linnet and a Whitethroat on the rough ground. From the cattle pen the mashes and scrape were deserted so i walked along the river bank to view the spit and shingle. I soon found the Lapwing that recently have been gathering on the scrape area, I counted 46, but also 5 Greenshank, 4 Oystercatcher and 2 Green Sandpiper. The most waders I've seen on site at once. Walking the rest of the circuit I flushed c30 Stock Doves from the grazing marsh, but saw little else, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Wren and a few Carrion Crow. though I did think i heard a Yellow Wagtail overhead.

Pub Birding in Thorpe St Andrews

With Laura settling into her new job I found myself with a day off while she was at work. So on Tuesday I met up with James to have a look around Thorpe Station Marshes. In short the marshes were deserted except for a growing flock of c65 Lapwing and the small resident Stock Dove flock. We stopped at the Town House for a carvery lunch and dispite the drizzle we decided to sit in the garden. The next hour was the most fruitful of the day, as the drizzle soon eased i picked up 2 'pub ticks' in Whitethroat and Garden Warbler, while James also added Kingfisher to his publist. Other beer related birds included, Coal Tit, Blackcap, a family of recently fledged Goldcrest and a Bullfinch we could hear but not sadly see. Walking back through Carey's Meadow we only added a juv. Chiffchaff to the days list and saw more Blackcap.

Out of Norfolk!

It's been a month since my last post, put simply i haven't been out, and on the odd occasion i have I've been looking at orchids, butterflies and dragonflies. With Laura starting a new job next week and me having this week off work i booked a few days away in Derbyshire, as well be working slightly different shifts patterns from now on.
Driving up to Chesterfield on Monday, we made Rutland Water our midway stop off. This gave me a chance to pick up a life tick with a stonking adult Spotted Sandpiper, we also watched c15 Common Sandpiper and and maybe 1o Green Sandpiper from the Lyndon Reserve. It as always nice to see the Osprey with 3 fledglings starting to fly. A family of Kestrel were still just small enough to huddle in their nest box to avoid a shower but the Tree Sparrow were notable by their absence.
The Western Bonelli's Warbler still remained on territory, so with unsettled weather forecast for the next few days we headed out first thing on Tuesday. Shortly after arriving at the site i heard a call i would not have recognised until a few nights before when i had been researching. That said i could not see the bird in question, a Willow Warbler then a Chiffchaff briefly exciting me before the heavens opened. After the shower passed the Bonelli's called again this time much closer. I got brief flight views twice as it flitted across the path and finally a clear in brief view perched. A second heavy shower seemed then to lay the bird low. After 30minutes of waiting we decided to leave but not after watching fledgling families of Meadow Pipit, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Song Thrush, not to mention Swallow and House Martin skimming the meadows. As we walked back to the car the Bonelli's Warbler again called, but i contented myself with close views of a male Bullfinch, before changing out of my wet clothes in the car.
Wednesday and Thursday the weather remained overcast but still pleasant enough. We didn't really go looking for any other birds, but the large numbers of Swallow nesting in the ruins of Old Hardwick Hall kept us amused as we visited the NT property and we also had an Osprey fly over the car as we drove home some where in Lincolnshire. Two life ticks rounded off a nice short break.

Insects and Nightjar

With a long weekend off i finally managed to get down to Horsey on Friday to look for the 1st-summer Red-footed Falcon. After picking up mum and dad we headed off, near Hickling we saw what turned out to be the best bird of the day with a female Montagu's Harrier crossing the road and quartering the field. With that been the best bird you would have guessed that the Red-footed Falcon had gone. We took a slow pace down the track as this was the first time mum has walked any distance since her knee replacement, but this gave us time to admire the many butterflies and insects amongst the nearby flowers. 6-spot Burnet Moth were on every thistle, but also Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, a lone Gatekeeper and best of all 4 Dark-green Fritillary by the dunes. Back in North Walsham a short walk on Spa Common gave up a Great Spotted Woodpecker and my first Ringlet butterflies of the year, before we enjoyed a lovely meal a Skyton Goat Inn.

On Saturday Laura and i had a Chinese with Gary and Claire before heading out to see if we could locate Nightjar for Laura. Going to our normal site for around 9pm we expected a longish wait as it was rather light, and a nearby party was pumping out music. The music stopped shortly after we arrived and after only 5/10 minutes a Nightjar started to churr. Then from behind us a second bird flew over our heads and perched up. The bird flew a few circuits around us between perching in a Silver birch. The good light meant we could see all the features of the bird clearly. I counted atleat 4 birds in flight across the site before we left, with it still being light enough to see a late flying Hawker Sp. dragonfly.

A Green Surprise!

Since the Waxwing left my walk to work has been rather quiet, but yesterday i got a surprise. Cutting across Jenny Lind park close to where James and i used to live i over heard a couple "...oh they've got parakeets here like at home" they pointed at something and carried on walking. Well I've been to Titchwell recently and I've heard some bizarre ID calls by people with spotless Swarovski scopes and a pristine Collin's Guide. This said i had to look, without my bins i couldn't see a thing in the tree they pointed at, but as i was about to go sure enough a Ring-necked Parakeet flew over my head into a different tree. Whether the bird is genuine or an escape I'll probably never know, unless i spot a 'Lost Parakeet' poster on Monday morning, none the less a nice little surprise before work.

With today being Father's Day we took Laura's dad for a walk around Strumpshaw Fen. The cool breeze and occasional drizzle killed on the chance of seeing many dragonflies or butterflies, i only saw a unidentifiable hawker buzz past and single Blue-tailed Damselfly all the way around. Bird life was much more promising with many young fledglings in the reed beds and bushes seemed alive with warblers. Cetti's, Grasshopper, Reed, Willow, Sedge, Blackcap, Whitethroat, and Chiffchaff were all seen. The ducks all looked rather drab in ellipse plumage, not good when trying to give Laura's dad a lesson in Bird ID. At least 4 Marsh Harrier hunted over the reserve with a pair of Hobby zooming around amongst the hindrines. A Cuckoo was heard but couldn't be found and of the other small birds 2 Marsh Tit by the river proved the highlight. Kingfisher and Otter had been seen from Reception Hide but after 20min or so we decided to head home for lunch.

Supper: Roller, Breakfast:Swallowtail, Lunch:Osprey followed by cake!

I finally have had two days off work that have given up birds worthy of having their own blog, rather than a belated catchup thingy! Monday i was planning a day out to look for dragonflies and butterflies, but with the morning over cast Laura and i just pottered round the house. This changed when i checked Birdguides over lunch, 'Roller at Upper Hollesley Common', i need a lift as Laura was going to her mum's. A quick chat with Gary and a plan was drawn up, but the 3 hours i had to wait while he finished at work dragged on. Driving down was quite tense with Gary, Philip and myself all desperate to see the bird, and a quiet pager didn't help. We needn't have worried as arriving just before 6pm we watched the bird for about an hour, giving good views at mid-distance. A bird i will remember along time, sadly i couldn't get a photo.

On Tuesday Laura and i decided a stroll on the Broads was in order and headed to Ranworth. While driving over the Postwick Viaduct we had a Marsh Harrier flying level with us over Whitlingham Marshes, a new patch tick. At Ranworth, from the Maltsters pub i could see Common Tern, Great Crested Grebe, Egyptian Goose , Chiffchaff and Marsh Harrier to name a few. Walking the nature trail we were surrounded by warblers calling, mainly Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler but also Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler, all probably with young. A hobby also screamed past chasing dragonflies. Quite a few Black-tailed Skimmer zipped about and Laura picked out a Swallowtail not far from the path. From the info centre a located the long staying Osprey, before we went on a guided boat trip of the broad. It was very relaxing giving close views of the Common Tern, Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe and the Osprey perched up, before catching a fish close by. c400 Greylag Geese are roosting on the broad while they moult and where joined by 2 escaped Bar-headed Geese. We got the ferry back into Ranworth village where a second Swallowtail of the day powered past as we sat enjoying a nice slice of Victoria sponge. All in all a very enjoyable 2days off.

A Quiet Month for Me

I haven't posted for nearly a month because well i haven't seen much, i had no luck with the Great Snipe, found few migrants, should have gone to look for the Broad-billed Sandpiper, Rosefinch and Bonaparte's Gull but didn't and yesterday i should have gone to see the White-throated Robin, but again work got in the way. I have managed to drag myself a few times but single trips to Cley, Salthouse and Whitlingham has been the limit of my birding adventures. A trip to Cley on the 13th May was probably the month's highlight. Although the Great Snipe was not showing i still saw the Lesser Yellow-legs, Temminck Stint, Wood Sandpiper on the pools, before finding a male Ring Ouzel along the back roads. A trip to Salthouse with Gary was rather windswept on the 15th. We walked the shingle and then the middle track before endulging in some 'Pub Bird Watching' A male Whinchat was probably the highlight on the track with a few Wheatear on the shingle and Whimbrel over from the pub. My net trip out wasn't then until the 5th June to Whitlingham. Being the end of half-term it was rather busy with boats and canoes every where. I soon found a pair of Spotted Flycatcher not far from were James had advised me to look but failed to connect with either of the two Cuckoo he had seen the previous day. A Garden warbler at the east end of the Great Broad was the only other bird of note, but Damselflies were everywhere along with a few dragonflies darting about. Walking down Magdalen Street it was nice to see a male Peregrine bombing over a rooftop level, if still a bit unexpected.

Minsmere RSPB

Finally I'm nearly up todate with my postings. On the last day of our extended Easter Break (04/05/11) Laura and i headed to Minsmere, hoping that the White-winged Black Tern remained, however well aware with the change in wind conditions it would probably have gone. On the way we stopped near Halesworth to look for the Woodchat Shrike, we met four other bird who hadn't seen the bird but after 30 minutes or so i found a distant perched bird through the growing heat-haze. With the bird facing away the white scapulars were the only obvious feature. Although always distant the bird did move to give a conclusive ID. At Minsmere as expected the WWB Tern had moved off, and also the North Wall path was closed, so we walked via West and South Hides to the beach where we had lunch in the dunes before looking at East Hide and returning via the same route. The scrapes were all dominated by Black-headed Gull but i did manage to pick out 2 Med. Gull, 1 Caspian Gull and 2 Yellow-legged Gull, as well as Common, Sandwich and Little Tern. At least 3 Common Sandpiper were seen along with 2 Curlew Sandpiper and the usual waders. On the return trip i thought I'd check the sightings board in West Hide, and as i did so 2 Black Tern were being added to the list. They briefly stopped on the scrapes before heading towards Island Mere. A quick stop at the pond by the centre gave us views of Hairy Hawker, Common Hawker and 4 Spot Chaser, before we returned home via Southwold for an ice cream.

May Bird Race

Although not a true bird race (as we are the only team) every spring Gary, James and myself aim to see as many birds as we can in 1 day. The last two years we gone on 'Late May Bank Holiday Weekend' have notched up 113 (+4 heard) and 115(+4), this year in a bid to get more migrants we decided to move the race forward to the 'Early May Bank Holiday'. Also in previous years we have wandered very slightly over the borders this year, it was a solely Norfolk Bird Race.

Gary collected James and I about 4am and we arrived at Santon Downham before sunrise. This gave us time to walk down river to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but also ment a blank list as we had added nothing on our journey there. 1st bird of the day was Moorhen, followed by Woodpigeon, Mallard and Carrion Crow. Gary then briefly saw a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, that James and i sadly missed, we spent the next 30min or so looking for the bird but without success. We did however add 24 more species before returning to the car, highlights being Willow Tit, Garden Warbler, Mandarin, Grey Wagtail and Crossbill. We then drove to the St Helen's Picnic area, here we added 13 more species, including Siskin, Goldcrest and Green Woodpecker. James also spotted a Kingfisher zoom past that Gary and i missed. 41 birds had us well ahead of the 27 we had as we left Santon Downham last year.

A brief stop at Grimes Graves gave us Tree Pipit before Weeting gave up Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Stone Curlew, Lapwing, Mistle Thrush and Chiffchaff.

As last year Lakenheath Fen was the next stop, but with the main reserve being in Suffolk we had to be content viewing Norfolk's Hockwold Fen across the river, this saved us time as we didn't wait around looking for Golden Oriole, Hobby or Cuckoo. Scanning The Flash we soon found Gargany (3+), Little Grebe, Shoveler and other common waterfowl. In the air Sand Martin, House Martin, Common Tern and a surprise Arctic Tern few around. I picked up a distant Meadow Pipit and Skylark, before James and Gary found Marsh Harrier and Kestrel. Before a Reed Bunting duly flew from Suffolk into Norfolk for us, and as we were about to leave c15 Bar-tailed Godwit flew through. We had added 25 species at Hockwold before moving on.

At Welney the wind was much stronger, the idea was to look for the Bluethroat, but with the wind we stood little chance. There were no Corn Bunting on the wires, but a Yellow Wagtail fought the winds as it flew over the car park. Lady's Fen gave us only Avocet and Redshank before we wandered down to the Lyle Hide looking for the Bluethroat, with the wind whipping about we first scanned the marsh, picking up Wigeon, Whooper and Bewick's Swan. We had almost given up on the Bluethroat before we started when Gary hear a faint call, after only a few minutes wait the Bluethroat popped up in full view close to us, although brief we had enough to admire the bird. 2 Little Ringed Plover were on the Scrape and Tree Sparrow were on the feeders.

A couple of Swift near Nordelph was my first of the year, and with a few other common bird we arrived at Roydon Common with 90 species already under our belt. We heard then located a Yellowhammer before Gary located James and i a Cuckoo (he had seen one at Hockwold), followed by a Whimbrel and a fly-over Common Buzzard, but with little else about we moved on. Flitcham was equally disappointing the wind kept the Little Owl out of sight, but James did spot a Wheatear nearby and quite a few Grey Partridge were in the area.

As we reached the coast the wind really picked up at Titchwell we would barrely be able to stand at times, but first we checked Choseley, atleast 1 Lesser Whitethroat was near the farm but again we failed to see Corn Bunting. On the RSPB reserve we rounded up a few of the waders missing from our list, inclusing Spotted Redshank, Ruff and Common Sandpiper, and most of the gulls. A very brief look out to see left us sand blasted and with only a single Common Scoter to add to the list. Somehow through a swaying scope Gary located 2 Little Tern and then a male Red-crested Pochard. Despite the wind we had added 16 species and heard a Turtle Dove.

The next few stops only added the odd bird here and there. At Friary Hills the Ring Ouzel had gone but we spotted a Greenshank, Cley had no Spoonbill, but Sandwich Tern, Reed Warbler, Green Sandpiper and my first Hobby of the year. Kelling Heath produced nothing, but the Water Meadows added 3 Woodsandpiper to the list. The light was fading but we returned to Cley Coastguards hoping the Spoonbill would roost, they didn't but i found a small group of summer plumage Golden Plover in the Eye Field. Salthouse Heath was nearly in darkness as we picked up a Nightingale singing close to the road, picking out its silhouette we listened to the bird awhile, a satisfying end to a long day. As we approached Holt one final bird added itself to the list as a Barn Owl perch up close to the road. A finally tally gave me a total of 123 species seen and 6 extras heard, James and Gary saw one more bird than me, but heard 1 less.

End of April

If i don't do my write ups as soon as i get home i tend too forget, and of late the Internet has been a right a***, so once again i find myself typing another 'catch-up' post. I had the week after Easter of so made the most of the weather, getting out as often as possible.

23/04/11 - Eaton Common, Norwich
Not much to write home about really, a Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat and Chiffchaff the only migrants. A pair of Kingfisher at Keswick Mill kept Laura and i entertained while we had a picnic and i was confused by a mimicking Song Thrush.

24/04/11 - East Runton
Getting ready for a family BBQ Gary called to inform me of the Citrine Wagtail on the coast, so we immediately left to be back in time for food. The sun of Norwich gave way to thick sea mist, and i froze in my shorts, but the stunning male Citrine Wagtail showed well despite the light. In the same meadow 3+ Yellow Wagtail, 3 Wheatear numerous Linnet also fed.

25/04/11 - Surlingham Church Marsh
I've only over walked the river bank path of Surlingham Marsh so Laura and i had a more thorough investigation to avoid the Easter Monday crowds of the coast. The reserve itself was bigger than i expected and despite a great habitat for many species i failed to find that many on a hot day. 2 LRP on the scrape were the highlight, with most of the expected expected warblers also about.

26/04/11 - Whitlingham CP
With the children back at school i found Whitlingham quiet once again, this was only my second walk around of the year so i was soon adding patch year ticks to my under visited patch. The first highlight was a Peregrine over Colmans factory viewed from Trowse Water Meadow, no doubt one of the nesting birds from the cathedral. A large number of Sand Martin were joined by smaller numbers of House Martin and Swallow over the Great Broad and i found a Common Sandpiper resting on one of the fishing platforms. In the conservation area a Kingfisher sat in the reeds and 2 Stock Dove were on the island, behind me a Grasshopper Warbler reeled and after 10min or so i located it in the scrub by the path to the screen. Whitethroat were singing all along the river bank, and in the same bramble patch as the last 2 years i located my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year. Scanning Thorpe Station Marsh i found my 2nd Common Sandpiper of the day with 2 LRP and a Green Sandpiper all on the stony spit.

29/04/11 - Stiffkey Fen/Cley/Salthouse/Kelling
A trip around a few sites in North Norfolk with dad turned up some good birds but also left me slightly frustrated. At Stiffkey we has 2 Firecrest on the track, Common Sandpiper in the margins and Whimbrel on the saltmarsh. But the most frustrating bird was the probable Black Kite that i had while walking back to the car, the bird drifted inland as i watched through my binoculars, but as soon as i moved to the scope the bird drifted behind the tree line before i could confirm the ID, a later report of the bird in the same place niggled at me the rest of the day. At Cley we quickly visited the main cluster of hides before having a cuppa in the cafe. We still added Spoonbill (3), Sandwich Tern and Garganey to my year list before walking Gramborough Hill at Salthouse, my favorite migrant spot. The wind was quite strong, but we sound found 2 Whinchat in the bushes and a Wheatear on the posts. Scanning the marshes from the hillside i found my 4th Common Sandpiper of the day (there was 2 at Cley) and also a Woodsandpiper both in a dyke i wouldn't have seen at ground level. Salthouse Heath failed to deliver a Nightingale, though it was early afternoon so we head to Kelling Heath. It didn't take to long to locate a Dartford Warbler singing not far from the place i last saw one last year. Further along the same track i nearly stood on 2 Woodlark before they flew skywards singing, a further 2 were seen perch nearby. Walking back towards the car i flushed a pipit that on closer inspection was a Tree Pipit, a year tick just before we headed home.

Spring Update

Haven't really been out that much and when I have been out haven't got around to writing things up, so here goes with a whistle stop update!

02/04/11 - Headed out with Gary and his dad to Landguard in Suffolk to look for the Short-toes Treecreeper, which we duly found, also of note were 2 Black Redstart, Firecrest and my first Chiffchaff of the year. From here we moved onto Upper Hollesey Common, where after finding the right site we viewed a Great Grey Shrike near the military base. A brief stop at Lowestoft failed to turn up the Iceland Gull that has been present all winter, be we did see the large numbers of Kittiwake that have returned to nest.

09/04/11 - A visit to a complaining customer had me visiting South Norfolk to put right the wrongs of a delivery driver, and adding a few year tick on the drive. A House Martin was seen in New Buckenham, a Grey Partridge tried to land on the bonnet near Kenninghall and a Turtle Dove was seen on wires not far from Banham.

11/04/11 - A late afternoon walk around Marston Marshes a site I've not visited in a while gave me a single Swallow, and a whole host of warblers, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff, but the best bird of the evening was a male Hawfinch which was in the ''island' of trees by the river before flying towards the Pheasant pens.

12/04/11 - The previous day being sunny would have been nice at Strumpshaw RSPB, but this day was cool and breezy, not ideal for migrant hunting. Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow hawked on the pools along with 4+ Marsh Harrier. The riverside bushes held large numbers of Blackcap singing as loud as ever, as well as a Cetti's Warbler and many often elusive Sedge Warbler. A Willow Warbler sang in the open as we approached the Fen Hide, where we views a Ferruginous duck of unknown origin, but it showed no sign of any leg rings. Walking back via the woods we go close views of Marsh Tit and another Willow Warbler.

17/04/11 - An afternoon trip to Thorpe Station Marsh added many bird to my Whitlingham Yearlist as i haven't visited the area much this year. Pausing by the cattle pen i soon had seen 3+ Little Ringed Plover as well as the resident Stock Dove flock and a distant Buzzard flying over Thorpe St Andrews. I then walked along the river back scanning back across to the spit i picked up most of the resident ducks, as well as a single Snipe and late staying female Goldeneye. 2 Whitethroat were near the bird screen and a Little Gull was in the air then later seen on the shingle. Back by the railways and reed bed i picked up Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warbler as well as Chiffchaff and Blackcap in the railways side trees. By the foobridge i heard a Grasshopper Warbler so sat down for a while hoping to hear the bird again and locate it, something i never did. While waiting however i spotted what i initially though was the Buzzard again heading high and east over Thorpe St Andrews but closer inspection reveled the tell-tail features of a Red Kite, a very welcome patch tick.

Wheatear and some Mist

With 6 days off Laura and I had set aside Monday as 'Bird Watching Day' and after a bit of thinking decided on a trip to Titchwell RSPB rather than Minsmere RSPB, some i later regretted. I started by having a quick look out into the garden, only 6 common species but it was a start. Our first stop was Guist, but before we arrived another 6 common species had the total at 12, but nothing of note. A drake Mandarin was on the river, but was chased out of view by a pair of Egyptian Geese before Laura saw it, 5 Reed Bunting where on the wires nearby and a Buzzard was circling as we left the village. Arriving at Choseley we had totaled 19 and soon added a further 9 species. The mixed flock of Yellowhammer/Corn Bunting was bathed in lovely spring sun shine. c30 Golden Plover also held a lonely Turnstone and 2 Stock Dove feed on spilt grain. Looking down the hill we then got a surprise, below us was a very thick blanket of sea mist, covering the reserve and all the coast. Walking the Fen Trail i picked out a Bullfinch and Cetti's Warbler, as well as more common stuff on the feeders. The pools to the west of the main track and fresh marsh could not be viewed through the mist, with only a few waders visible near the margins. The new hides don't seem to bad if full of 'novice' birders. A female Goldeneye was close in along with c12 Snipe, as for the rest of the birds it was a challenge to ID them. Visibility did improve from time to time and eventually i had most of the common waders. The beach and sea were even thicker in mist, but i picked up a close Spotted Redshank and Rock Pipit on the brackish marsh. Back at the centre with a bacon bap we had a female Brambling and Siskin on the feeders. We left the reserve about 1pm just as the mist started to thin, with a total of 67 species. A brief stop near Holkham Church added a few lingering Pinkfeet, a single White-fronted Goose and a singing Marsh Tit, but also our first Wheatear of the year. A final stop on the way home failed to add the hoped for Woodlark or Dartford Warbler although the former was heard. 3 more common species gave a total of 76 not bad considering the appalling visibility at Titchwell, but to top it off 3 Penduline Tit were found and showed well at Minsmere all day!

Gary's Birthday Birding

After visiting my parents on Friday we decided to drop in at Horstead Mill. There was a few people around so i wasn't expecting the local Grey Wagtail to be around but after initially no sign and a walk across the meadows, Laura located a Grey Wagtail as we returned to the car. I promptly located a further 4 all feeding in or by the sluice. 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker called in the trees and i though i briefly heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker also calling.
On Saturday Gary and I headed to The Poachers Pocket in Walcott for a bit of Birthday Beer and Birding. We picked up one new 'pub list bird' with a breeding plumage Fulmer, a group of 5 Dunlin flew through and 2 Med Gulls where in the area. Also worth noting was a small passage of Gannet east with c20 passing through in the 45min or so we watched the see. A brief walk around the Witton area failed to turn up a couple of hoped for birds, but we did find probably our last large group of winter thrushes of the winter, with c50 Fieldfare and c25 Redwing in the meadows by the church. At least 2 Buzzard where in the area but the biggest surprise of the day was a juv. Red Kite over.

Starling Dance

Walking home from work Laura and I spotted a large cloud of Starling swirling, calling and trailing across the sky over Sainsbury's in Norwich. The flock of c2000 Starling skitted about for about 10 minutes before all diving into a couple of trees on on Grove Road. This spectacle I've seen over the reed beds of the Broads a couple of times but never before in the city, and it captivated Laura.
Yesterday I finally made it down to Whitlingham, despite hoping to visit my local patch atleast fortnightly this year this was my first visit of the year. It was rather quiet, not to mention cold. Most of the wintering wildfowl appears to have moved off and a failed to connect with the Siskin, Redpoll, Finch or Tit flocks, with just odd birds. That said the 80+ Teal in the conservation area are worth noting as were the 2 female type Goosander asleep against the island. The bird of the day though was probably the single Dunlin wandering on the shingle spit of Thorpe Station Marsh, viewed across the river from Whitlingham. The Great Crested Grebes have started to pair up and we watched one pair as the performed there weed dance.

Marlingford Great White Egret

Last Thursday Laura told me she had seen 3 men standing in the road near Marlingford with optics, wasn't sure what was there and couldn't stop to ask them. No news the blogs or birdguides so i thought nothing of it. Saturday morning and news of a Great White Egret near Marlingford, working Saturday and Sunday i hoped the bird stayed put. Online directions meant little, so Laura drove me to the place she had seen the men in the road. No birders, no cars but a Great White Egret in clear view. The bird was feeding in the dykes and flooded meadows just east of the village, feeding in the open the bird gave great views, even giving us a fly past, before continuing fishing. This was a long over due life tick, I've looked for a few in the past without success, and i really hadn't anticipated the massive size of this bird. Back in the garden another new 'garden tick' was a Redwing perched up in a tree two gardens down, but still viewable from our garden. The Blackcap appears to have left but the female Siskin still remains with the Goldfinch flock which has doubled in size to 10 birds in the last week.

Oriental Not So Slaty-backed Turtle Gull Dove

Basically we saw the Oriental Turtle Dove in Chipping Norton but dipped the Slaty-backed Gull at Rainham RSPB. That pretty much sums up last Friday when Gary and i went on our first long distance twitch of the year, and also our last for a while with Gary and Claire's baby due in the next couple of weeks. In Chipping Norton the Turtle Dove although elusive at times eventually gave good views, i did need a box though! I big thanks must go to the residents of the area that have let many birders trample their gardens. Also noted was a surprisingly large number of Bullfinch, 2 Brambling, a Blackcap and numerous Tits. Driving from there we passed along the M40, an area I've always been told is great for Red Kite. Sure enough we saw probably 35+ between Oxford and London with one group of 15+ quite a spectacle. At Rainham the RSPB carpark was closed after an accident near the access road the night before, but finding a suitable verge we parked up before heading off towards the tip. 2 hours scanning the large gull flock roosting on the marshes failed to turn up the Slaty-backed Gull. Although one bird looked an idea candidate until it moved, allowing us to then dismiss it due to its small size. A fly though Peregrine was also my first of the year.

Pack in the garden my regular 10 minute feeder watch before work on 22nd, resulted in a unexpected female Siskin on the Niger feeder, a new garden tick in the form of a male Bullfinch perched in the back hedge and rare for the garden a Wren which seemed to take objection to a Dunnock under the feeders.

40th Garden Tick

I still haven't been able to find much birding time, as we have now started some wedding prep, but luckily there has been very little of interest to look for anyway. I have however been keeping an eye on the garden, although the very cold days seem behind us, quite a lot of birds are still frequenting t he feeders. Today in a free 10minutes before i had to leave for work the male Blackcap that first appeared 2/3 weeks ago was back and also a Goldcrest briefly stopped on the suet feeder before disappearing deep into the hunnysuckle of the hedge, my 40th 'garden tick' since moving in last August.

Waxwings at work

After reading of Waxwing on Bar Street on Bird Guides i wondered if they actually meant Ber Street, so being a little early for work i decide to have a look around. Sure enough in the apple tree where the 'Pot Company' used to be, opposite work 3 Waxwing were frantically feeding on the apples. They seemed unaware of the people walking past, in fact standing by the fence of was probably less than 10ft away. Tomorrow I'll take my camera to work, and because of this I'm sure they would have gone.

Painting and Garden Watching

Most of this weekend was spent visiting Gary to paint his new nursery. I had promised i would paint some birds for him and with the baby due in 6 weeks i though i better start. Before catching the train to Gary's i had a brief look in the garden, the male Blackcap was still about and a female Sparrowhawk flew over, but with only a small amount of time put off the 'RSPB Garden Watch' until Sunday. Between painting Gary took me for a pint and bowl of Cheesey Chips at the Poachers Pocket at Walcott. The surprised look on the barmaids face when we rested to be served outside was great. We soon added Red-throated Diver to the pub list, with them flying in all directions, i gave up counting at about 15. Lots of gulls were about but no Med Gull. Just before we left a smaller wader flew past which Gary relocated, a Purple Sandpiper was then duly added to the pub list. We had a Buzzard driving back, Brambling and loads of finches in Gary's garden.

On Sunday morning Laura and I started by doing our hour of the RSPB Garden Watch, racking up 18 species, before heading off to Gary and Claire's for me to continue with my painting. A Treecreeper was a new 'Garden Tick', the Blackcap and Sparrowhawk appeared again. Also flyover were more Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Carrion Crow and Feral Pigeon.

14 - Long-tailed Tit
10 - Blackbird
9 - Chaffinch
3 - Goldfinch
3 - Blue Tit
3 - Collared Dove
3 - Woodpigeon
3 - Great Tit
2 - Starling
1 - Magpie
1 - Black-headed Gull
1 - Dunnock
1 - Blackcap
1 - Treecreeper
1 - House Sparrow
1 - Sparrowhawk
1 - Coal Tit
1 - Greenfinch

Cley East Bank

Having stayed overnight with my parents, we all went out for a morning drive/walk to Cley. We parked up in East Bank carpark and walked down the bank to look for the American Wigeon. Walking out we could see very few Wigeon of any type, but did pick up a couple of Bearded Tit in the reeds and a Spotted Redshank on Arnold's Marsh. A large flock of Snow Bunting could also be seen flying along the shingle ridge. Walking back some of the Wigeon had reappeared and after a bit of scanning we located the drake American Wigeon. Geese streamed overhead, mainly Pinkfeet and Dark-bellied Brent. Dad then picked out 6 Bean Geese near the back of the main group as they flew west, a Barnacle goose was also with the Brents and a lone Whooper Swan was near the Coast Road. Looking over the main scrapes i added Avocet and a surprise Green Sandpiper to my fledgling yearlist, as well as Dunlin, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit. We then moved onto Blakeney, before returning to the NWT Info centre for a warming cup of tea.

New Year Proposal

Work, the weather and other engagements have limited my birding activities so far this year. On the 1st after a quiet New Years at Gary and Claire's, Gary and i rose early to start our Jan 1st bird race. With Gary still suffering and on crutches, Gary's dad joined us acting as stand in driver and we head towards Titchwell for first light. The first bird of the year was a Barn Owl near Morsten. The day was dull and drizzly so a good total wouldn't be easy. We picked up a few birds walking out to the beach in the near darkness, but the best birds of the day was on the beach, a group of 9 Shore Lark east of the boardwalk. We collected a lot of the usual waders, and wintering ducks on the sea and a group of Snow Bunting flew through before we returned to the main reserve. We briefly saw the Northern Harrier over Thornham Marshes, and 2 Water Pipit were of note on the fresh marsh, before we watched the feeders by the cafe, as we ate our bacon baps. Choseley was very disappointing with only a single Mistle Thrush on the wires. Stopping to look for Tree Sparrow we stumbled upon a group of 200+ Brambling, the biggest surprise of the day near Burnham Market, large numbers of Linnet were also in the area. Back on the coast we watched the 2 Rough-legged Buzzard at Holkham, but missed the 2 Smew at Wells, and added Red-throated and Great Northern Diver from Salthouse beach. A brief call at Felbrigg added Goldcrest and Nuthatch, before we caught up with the Whooper/Bewick's Swan flock near Catfield. Last stop of the day was Stubb Mill, from the roost we added 5 Crane and Woodcock to the list, also hearing Kingfisher and Tawny Owl. i counted 43 Marsh Harrier, 3+ Ringtail and 1 Male Hen Harrier while at the roost and watched the 1000's of Pinkfeet returning to roost. For the full days listing see my main website.

On the 9th Laura and i visited some of the places we visited on out very first day out birdwatching, staring first at Barton Broad where i soon added Tufted Duck and Pochard to the year list. I then found drake and redhead Smew which frustrating then swam out of view, it then took a frustrating 15/20 minutes before i relocated them through a gap in the trees so Laura could see them. A Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid was also found, but no Scaup. Horsey was the next stop, while walked down the Nelson track to see the Seals a skein of White-fronted Geese flew over. There were lots of people at the seal watch point, but few birds on the beach or surrounding area. Sanderling and Turnstone about it, so i had a quick sea watch. 2 GN Diver headed east along with 2 Red-throated Diver and 2 Kittiwake. A Black-throated diver was the surprise find as it headed west. I had plans to go to the Nelson Pub and sit in front of the fire, but arriving at 12.15, 15 minutes after it opened it was standing room only! Once back home and warm, i proposed to Laura, something i wanted to do in front of the pubs roaring fire, she said yes!

Today with yet more drizzle, and not many birds about to go see, i decided against a planned trip to see the American Wigeon at Cley, instead opting for a little shopping in the City. This did give me a chance to catch up with the Waxwing on Lower Clarance Road, before heading home.

Final Whitlingham Trip

Gary, James and myself had planned a trip out in North Norfolk, but with Gary suffering more ligament damage James and i slid and skated around an icy Whitlingham. Walking down the lane we first inspected the large flock of Greylag Geese on the meadows, the usual 'little hybrid' and 2 new Greylag/Domestic Geese were with 145 other Greylags. Walking along the edge of Little Broad we located a Coal Tit and at least 3 Lesser Redpoll in the Alders, but with the broad frozen solid no wildfowl. The Great Broad was almost as frozen, with only 2 ice free pockets containing most of the birds. Whilst scanning through the gulls on the ice i located a juv. Herring Gull adorned with a large red ring 'YZC' and a smaller metal tag. James has since found out this bird was ringed at Halvergate Island and has been seen in Southwold this autumn. While James was counting Coot and Gadwall, i found a single female Goldeneye amongst the Tufted Duck, Pochard and Coot. I had been told that Nuthatch had been on the feeders and knowing Jame still need it as a patch tick we paused to check. After only a few minutes a Nuthatch briefly appeared on the feeders joining the Blue Tit, Great Tit and large group of Long-tailed Tit. The second ice hole held a lone Teal, Little Grebe and lots more Tufted Duck, Coot and Gadwall. We watched a fox run across the ice and 2 Redwing flew over, before a walk through the woods revealed little of interest.

A wild goose chase?

With a rare a day off work, i agreed to met James at the station and head to Buckenham to look for the Lesser White-fronted Goose that appeared last week. We got of the train at Cantley and planned to walk back via Buckenham and Strumpshaw. From Burnt House Road we located the main flock of Bean Geese, but due to the lie of the ground couldn't see the whole flock. Moving further along the footpath we got better views and located the Lesser White-front with 100+ Bean Geese. A Barn Owl drifted along the railway hedge line and a Buzzard was perched up on a nearby gate. Approaching the river a ringtail Hen Harrier flew east and 2 Peregrine were perched up in a dead tree. A second Barn Owl flew along the river bank nearer Buckenham, before the elevated position gave us better views of the geese. On the Buckenham side of the reserve most of the Wigeon had been forced onto the river along with a few Shoveler and a Black Swan. 2 Dunlin flew over the new hide as we gave it a one over and a single White-fronted Goose was with a small splinter of Bean Geese. Walking back through Strumpshaw we met Ben, and discussed the merits of the Lesser White-front. I would like to think that historical evidence of the species at this site, the weather when the bird arrived and the fact it seems to have arrived with Bean Geese and associates with them should be enough to suggest it is a genuine bird. But with many feral geese now in Norfolk, it looks like it is guilty until proven innocent.

Winter Update

With working unusual hours at work, Christmas shopping, and recent spell of cold weather, i have manged all but no bird watching in the past few weeks. I have had to make do with glancing out at the feeders during the few hours of daylight i seem to see! A few new birds were added to the 'Garden List' while snow was on the ground. A Mistle Thrush flew over the back of the house on 25th Nov while on the 3rd/4th Dec a female Brambling was under the feeding station. In the large tree opposite a Nuthatch was seen with a tit flock on the 5th Dec Waxwings have been in the area with a single over as i put the bins out on 3rd Dec and other small groups over since. Walking to work via the back streets between Unthank Road and Newmarket Road i have found the main Waxwing flock on a few occasions recently, sadly i could only watch them a few minutes before having to carry on. A brief walk around the back of the UEA, revealed the feeders in the compound to be empty, but large numbers of tits were still sifting through the detritus under them, there included my 1st Marsh Tit at the site for some time and Laura's first Nuthatch.

Gary had invited me to join him and James to go and see the Northern Harrier, that had finally been pinned down at Thornham long enough to be positively ID'ed. Rising at 5.45 i wondered was it really worth it. A trudged to the station in the snow where i met James, from North Walsham we slowly made our way to Thornham. From the harbour we didn't have to long to wait, once a snow shower had passed the juv. male Northern Harrier showed well before drifting west over Holme. The bird was much darker than i expected above, and below the orange/chestnut hues showed well as the bird banked and turned in surprisingly good light. A food stop at Titchwell RSPB saw us watching a female Brambling among the commoner birds around the feeders, as well as brief views of an over wintering Chiffchaff. Refuelled we headed onto Wells Woods. 2/3 Goldeneye were on the boating lake as we arrived and a exiting birder informed us that the Northern Bullfinch had been showing along with a probable Siberian Chiffchaff and Northern Treecreeper, all would be new sub-species for me. We soon heard the 'trumpet' call of the Northern Bullfinch, but initially could only locate its commoner cousins. A male Northern Bullfinch eventually flew across the path and after a bit of repositioning we got good views. At least 1 female Bullfinch of a much heavier set was also probably of the Northern race. While viewing the Bullfinch at least 1 Mealy Redpoll was feeding in the birch trees above us. A brief look for the Chiffchaff produced nothing and news of a Baikal Teal in Cambridgeshire got us excited before we opted for a drink in the Dun Cow at Salthouse. Sadly there was not alot to report from the pub-birding hotspot but the 6+ Snipe were a new 'pub tick' and a Barn Owl was seen. A quick half at the Bluebell in North Walsham before our train also failed to added more birds to our list.

A Snowy Morning

Yesterday saw the death of one of the biggest names on the British bird scene, no not Lee Evans but Bernard Matthews, can you think of another Bernard as famous? I tried not to let this news get me down and headed out into the first snow of the winter. Walking around Eaton Park i found a large mixed group of finches and tits, mainly Chaffinch and Blue Tit. Walking through the pitch and putt i added a Great Spotted Woodpecker and scrutinised a very large Long-tailed Tit flock, sadly no northern race birds. UEA Broad was useless with only Black-headed Gull and Mallard, not even or Moorhen or Coot. The feeders in the Rabbit enclosure were much more successful, with Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Robin, Wren, Nuthatch, Jay, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Blackbird all flitting about. Standing on the bridge i heard another Nuthatch, a nearby tree actually held 3 Nuthatch, i watched these birds for 15 minutes before walking along the river towards Eaton. 2 Kingfisher whizzed passed together, and 4 Mistle Thrush were sat up in a tree, then snow again stated to fall heavly so i headed home.

Whitlingham Wander

Having not been out birding i decided to have a wander around Whitlingham on Sunday, but no sooner had i been dropped off it started to rain, great! Looking across the Little Broad i could see the 2 drake Red-crested Pochard still remained. The drizzle then misted up everything and i saw very little until i reached the conservation area. Most of the wildfowl had concentrated in the bay, with Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Wigeon and Shoveler. a group of 4 Little Grebe hugged the island and a 2 Snipe were in the margins. The highlight was being surrounded by a flock of Siskin while at the viewing screen with birds coming within a few feet. Walking around the east end of the broad i added little else, until i reached the meadow opposite Little Broad carpark, where a Green Woodpecker was on the grass and the 'little hybrid goose' was with a group of Greylag.

American Bittern and Cley Marshes

Sadly the American Bittern was not at Cley, but Walmsley in Cornwall, so on Friday after watching a firework display in Walcott, Gary, Philip, Laura and myself headed off to Cornwall. We arrived at first light, a Tawny Owl flying past as we made out way to the reserve and hides. We joined the queue for the hide and waited for the light to improve and our turn in the hide. The bird was very elusive, so turn over in the hide was low as people struggled to get good views. Two birders literally were at each other throats arguing over the time one had been in the hide! I managed a fleeting view of the bird as it walked between two ditches, peeping through the slatted screen as i waited to get in the hide. I had to wait a further 2 hours before i again got good views of the bird, i was moving between the two hides queuing and rotating through, often only seeing the reeds move rather than the bird. Laura still hadn't seen the bird until finally the bird settled a bit and another birder allowed us to view the bird resting in the reeds through is scope. We then drove home via Derbyshire hoping to see the Franklins Gull but the bird could not be located among the large gull flock in fading light.

After a lie in to recover from our Cornwall trip Laura and i headed out to Cley. Parking at the Coastguards we headed to the North Hide. One Grey Phalarope was still present but soon flew to Billy's Wash. Large numbers of Wigeon and DB Brent, combine with the strong sunlight meant a i could not locate the Green-wing Teal seen earlier in the day. With news of a few Little Auk passing i had a 30minute sea watch which produced a single Little Auk, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, lots of duck mainly Wigeon but also Eider and Common Scoter, loads of DB Brent Geese, and distant a Skua sp and auk sp.

Birds and Beer Festival

Since returning from the Scilly Isles i haven't really been out birding to much. During a brief stop at Walcott on the 25th October i saw a small skein of Brent Geese and a single Great Northern Diver fly through. Walking to work on 1st November a Waxwing flew over Christchurch Road in Norwich and on 5th Nov i finally made it down to Whitlingham to catch up with the Red-crested Pochard James had found while i was away.

On Saturday 30th October Gary and i attended the Norwich Beer Festival. While supping our 1st drink, a spicy ale called 'Hey Pesto' we devised a drinking strategy while looking though the beer guide, if it has a birds name we would aim to quaff if down. As it was the last night we found our task harder than expected and had to use our imagination a little.

Hey Pesto - Tipples, Acle, Norfolk.
White Dove - Ole Slewfoot, Hainford, Norfolk.
Gannet Mild - Earl Soham, Earl Soham, Suffolk.
Swift One - NOT AVAILABLE.
Fledgling - Front Street, Binham, Norfolk.
Burston Cuckoo - NOT AVAILABLE
Norfolk Black - NOT AVAIABLE.
Bitter(n) - Elmtree, Snetterton, Norfolk.
Phesant Plucker (cider) - NOT AVAILABLE.
Kingfisher (cider) - NOT AVAILABLE.
Wheat(b)eer - NOT AVAIABLE.
An (Teal)lach Suilven - An Teallach, Garve, Ross.

Pallid Harrier Tick?

Got back from a holiday to the Scilly Isles and south-west late last night, i will do a full report soon. Highlights including Tawny Pipit, Melodious Warbler, American Golden Plover, Red-eyed Verio, Subalpine Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail, Green Heron, Squacco Heron and Cattle Egret, plus many commoner birds giving great views.

Catching up on the blogs and websites i was surprised to see a retrospective ringtail Pallid Harrier reported at Holme. This has created a dilemma for me, i was at Holme and saw the bird, noting it down as a probable Montagu's Harrier, but not giving it much attention, before concentrated on looking for 'rarer' migrants. The bird has now been re-identified from photos, so do i have a new tick, or is this just a lesson in being more attentive?

Olive-backed Pipit...No Thanks

High tides meant that early afternoon would be the best time to look for the Olive-backed Pipit at Stiffkey, so Laura and i started off at Holme. Walking the dunes towards the Warden's house there was an obvious fall of Song Thrush and Brambling with birds in nearly every bush. I also saw my first Fieldfare of the autumn and Richard's Pipit was briefly seen on an area of short turf. At least 2 Lapland Bunting flew over the dunes and Thrushes continued to come in-off. Around the Warden's House i saw 2 Redstart and a Black Redstart, before Laura found a Yellow-browed Warbler in a clump of Buckthorn. A Great Grey Shrike had been seen on the grazing marshes but looking from the hide we could see little. From the footpath to Thornham the Great Grey Shrike could be seen, albeit distantly. By the time we walked further down the footpath the bird had gone, first flushed by a Magpie then Sparrowhawk. A juv. Montagu's Harrier flew through, but we couldn't be bothered to walk further so returned to the car, and then had lunch at 'The Hero' in Burnham Overy. It was about 2.30 when we parked by the campsite in Stiffkey, cars were everywhere and i could see a line of birders distantly across the very muddy saltmarsh. Before setting off i made a phone call to check if the bird was showing, it was but an Isabelline Wheatear had also just been found in Lowestoft. Before even getting my boots on i had decided to leave the Olive-backed Pipit and go to Lowestoft. After a frantic drive across the whole of Norfolk we eventually arrived at North Denes. The Isabelline Wheatear was showing extremely well at close range, with little need for a scope, it was a shame the camera was at home. In the early evening sun the pale tones and posture of the bird along with it 'pot-belly' appearence distinguised it from a Northern Wheatear near by. We headed back to Norwich, mud free and rather content at seeing a stunning bird, leaving Stiffkey was probably a good call.

Whitlingham BIG Count!

With rain forecast i decided not to venture far from home, and there wasn't much about anyway. I headed down to Whitlingham, and thought I'd take a leaf out of James book and actually count what i saw, but not just the waterfowl but everything. If it moved it was counted! I started by the Canoe club, walked the South shore of both Little and Great Broads, then scanned Thorpe Station Marsh and returned via the Conservation area and North shore, before working the scrub near Little Broad Car park. The despite light drizzle most of the morning i counted plenty of birds with a few surprises. Of note were 9 Mistle Thrush on the Meadow near Whitlingham Lane, a 2nd Winter Yellow-legged Gull (patch tick), 35+ Robin possibly part of the autumn influx seen at the coast, 3/4 Kingfisher (i'm normally lucky to see one) and Cormorant are now roosting on the large pylons at the west end of the site.

Whitlingham Total Count
(Great Broad - GB, Little Broad - LB, Thorpe Broad - TB,
River Yare - RY, Other - Oth)

Great Crested Grebe 7 (4 GB, 2 LB, 1 TB)
Little Grebe 2 (2 GB)
Cormorant 25 (13 GB, 5 TB, 7 Oth)
Grey Heron 2 (2 GB)
Mute Swan 79 (76 GB, 2 TB, 1 RY)
Black Swan 1 (1 GB)
Egyptian Goose 10 (8 GB, 2 TB)
Greylag Goose 4 (4 GB)
Feral Goose 10 (8 GB, 2 RY)
Wigeon 2 (2 GB)
Mallard 156 (76 GB, 39 LB, 3 TB, 38 RY)
Gadwall 63(27 GB, 5 LB, 31 TB)
Shoveler 1 (1 GB)
Teal 2 (2 GB)
Pochard 10 (1 GB, 9 TB)
Tufted Duck 98 (95 GB, 3 TB)
Pheasant 1 (1 Oth)
Coot 258 (211 GB, 41 LB, 6 TB, 2 RY)
Moorhen 19 (15 GB, 4 LB)
Snipe 5 (5 TB)
Black-headed Gull 35 (11 GB, 8 LB, 5 TB, 11 Oth)
Common Gull 2 (2 GB)
Yellow-legged Gull 1 (1 GB)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 (2 GB)
Feral Pigeon 8 (8 Oth)
Stock Dove 2 (2 GB)
Woodpigeon 36 (19 GB, 2 LB, 6 TB, 11 Oth)
Collared Dove 1 (1 Oth)
Kingfisher 4 (2 GB, 1 TB, 1 RY)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (1 GB)
Dunnock 3 (2 GB, 1 Oth)
Wren 7 (2 GB, 1 LB, 4 Oth)
Robin 36 (17 GB, 5 LB, 14 Oth)
Blackbird 17 (4 GB, 2 LB, 1 TB, 2 RY, 8 Oth)
Redwing 1 (1 Oth)
Mistle Thrush 11 (11 Oth)
Cetti's Warbler 4 (3 GB, 1 RY)
Chiffchaff 1 (1 Oth)
Blackcap 2 (2 GB)
Goldcrest 1 (1 Oth)
Long-tailed Tit 17 (13 GB, 4 Oth)
Marsh Tit 2 (2 Oth)
Coal Tit 1 (1 Oth)
Blue Tit 33 (6 GB, 3 LB, 24 Oth)
Great Tit 9 (2 GB, 7 Oth)
Jay 12 (3 GB, 4RY, 5 Oth)
Magpie 6 (3 LB, 3 Oth)
Jackdaw 13 (13 Oth)
Carrion Crow 2 (2 Oth)
Chaffinch 2 (2 Oth)
Goldfinch 17 (4 GB, 13 Oth)

Wells Wood

Many of the good birds of the weekend had already passed through, but i still thought I'd give Wells Wood a look, with nothing else to do on my day off. The constant drizzle felt blissful compared to last Saturday's rain and gale force winds. Walking the sea wall to the woods i saw 3/4 Wheatear, and then by the toilet block in the woods found my best bird of the day, a Red-breasted Flycatcher. In the Dell i found 2 Redstart, 1 Pied Flycatcher and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A few tits flitted in the treetops but the light was not great to look through the canopy. The scrubby area south of the main path proved to be the best area by far, i walked the area twice, turning up 1 Ring Ouzel, c20 Brambling, 4 Redwing, 5+ Redstart, 8 Blackcap, 1 Barred Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler and numerous Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Between times i walked a short distance towards Holkham on the main track to where the Bonelli's Warber had been seen earlier in the week. No sign of the Bonelli's today, but while in the area with another guy we found a second Barred Warbler, Garden Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and 3 Redstart. Robin seemed to be in every bush and probably included many 'migrants', a large number of Pink-footed Geese where in the fields south of the woods and more seemed to be joining them in off the sea. I thought about walking to Holkham hoping to find the Wood Warbler, but 3 hours of drizzle had me quite wet. Walking back via the toilet block it was nice to see a birder i had sent in that direction earlier had finally found the Red-breasted Flycatcher and a flock of Siskin flew through. Although quick look in the bushes by the lifeboat station failed to turn up much, 2 probable Twite few over landing on the saltmarsh across the channel.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in a Gale

A trip to Yarmouth with Laura's younger sisters was interrupted at 2pm when my phone rang, 'MEGA Flycatcher on the Point!' Gary was on his way but i couldn't really go. Well after 10 minutes i changed my mind, playtime in Yarmouth was over! I was dropped in the car park at Cley about 3.45pm. I started walking against a gale force wind and driving rain, with no birding equipment or real water proofs. I was still thinking Willow/Alder Flycatcher when Gary text again, 'Yellow-bellied Flycatcher', honestly I've never heard of it or have a clue where it's from. But if correct this would be a 'MEGA MEGA' a western palearctic first. Lookig up between waves of lashing rain i saw a Leach's Petrel flyby in the surf. I met Gary near Yankee Ridge as he started to walk back, i borrowed his binoculars and carried on to the plantation. I joined the throng, the bird was skulking away, a brief flash of the bird could have been 'any' bird. 15 minutes later the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher showed well for 3-4 minutes, pinching a scope i got some good views, before my line of vision was blocked. With Gary, my lift halfway back i called time and started walking back, much easier with the wind behind me. A Puffin zipped past before i decided to walk along the marsh edge rather than beach. I disturbed 3 Wheatear along with a probable Snow Bunting around Halfway House. Back in the car, Gary and I agreed this had to be the hardest twitch we had been on, wet and cold we drove home knowing if the ID was confirmed we had just seen the biggest and best bird of the year.

A Taste of America

The whole of this week I'm off work, and predictably the forecast hasn't looked good for birding in Norfolk. So last Sunday when Gary suggested a foray outside of Norfolk i jumped at the chance to see at least something decent this week. We headed for Kent hoping to see Wilson's Phalorope, White-rumped Sandpiper, Great White Egret and Ring-billed Gull. Leaving at 5am we were at Westcliffe-on-sea by 7ish, to look for 'Rossi' the returning Ring-billed Gull. I've looked for this bird on at least 5 previous occasions without luck, but today he sat on the beach only a few meters away. Our early visit no doubt the key, as no people were about to distract him with a bag of chips. News on the other birds had us first heading to Oare Marshes. Walking along the sea wall we soon located a large mixed flock of waders, Godwit, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Golden Plover, and as we were advised 'somewhere' a White-rumped Sandpiper. We briefly picked up the bird in flight before we waited for the flock to shuffle around, finally the White-rumped Sandpiper moved into the open but only for a short while before burying itself once again. A juv. Curlew Sandpiper was also amongst the flock. Moving off we headed for Grove Ferry NNR, the Wilson's Phalorope had flown out of view and not been seen for over 1 1/2 hours, but we sat down to wait. The tall reeds masked many areas of the scrape and pools so the bird could have been under our noses, after 30min or so the distinctive bird flew in and fed on the back of the scape. Although a little distant a great bird to see. The Wilson's Phalorope was the 3rd North American bird of the day and with time on our side we headed to Dungeness hoping to add Great White Egret to the days list. The wind was blowing strongly across the reserve, if the GWE was there it was anchored down well out of view, so after a quick flit around the reserve, we headed home. Lots of Chiffchaff were on the reserve, holding on until the last minute to leave and a Hobby was also of note.

A Mixed Bag

With a week off work i thought would finally get an opportunity to get in a good sea watch. Westerlies are forecast all week so Saturday was my only real chance to go with some moderate NW overnight. I left the house at 4.30am and walked to the station, arriving at Sheringham at 6.15am. I soon had a Manx Shearwater pass mid-distance it was then quite until the Sandwich Tern started to move though, with Skua appearing to harry them. c20 Arctic Skua, 2 Great Skua, 1 Pomarine Skua and 1/2 Long-tailed Skua passed through in 2 hours, although some birds circled back and probably got counted twice. The LT Skua was called by a regular in the shelter and at first look I'm not sure would have correctly called it, i can see why it causes so much debate on the message boards. A distant shearwater was noted as Sooty Shearwater, but shearwater sp. only totalled 4 in 2 hours, with 2 being to distant to ID. Gannet were passing through in reasonable numbers, mainly travelling east. (167e/86w). Other birds of note included 3 Red-throated Diver, 6 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Fulmer, 5 Common Scoter and a few odd waders and ducks.

I munched my way through a bacon bap before James join me on the bus to Cley, i was originally going to go straight home so anything we could see would be a bonus. From Daukes Hide we located 2 Little Stint and a few Dunlin but wader number were very low. A large number of Wigeon were probably new arrivals. The wind had dropped and the North Scape was as deserted as the others, so we walked the ridge towards Salthouse. After hearing a Lapland Bunting overhead we eventually located 4 on the ridge behind Arnold's Marsh. Walking to Salthouse we added Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and 2 Wheatear on a rather disappointing walk. The Dun Cow failed to give me any further pub birds, but to pub dragonflies in Migrant Hawker and Common Darter. Sheringham had provided a good sea watch considering the mediocre conditions, and Cley as half expected was quiet, but all in all no pleasant day out.

A Handful of Wheatears

....was all i had to show for the 7 1/2 mile walk along the coast from Cley Coastguards back to Sheringham. I wasn't hopeful for much as the wind had swung around to a strong SW, scuppering any plans to sea watch or finding many migrants. I caught the 8.23am train and the trip to Sheringham produced some of the best birding of the day, 2 Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and what was to be the days biggest surprise 2 Quail near Northrepps. They'll soon be leaving and are normally hiding in the crops, but the harrowed ground gave these two nowhere to hide. At Cley the wind was strong, anything good was going to be skulking down low. A quick look on North Scrape just gave the normal waders, so i soon headed off towards Salthouse. Behind Arnolds Marsh a Wryneck has been present a week, but despite looking thought the bushs and scrub i didn't find it. (I later learned no one saw it all day.) In the same area though a group of 7 Lapland Bunting fed on the shingle ridge, but were easily spooked by walkers. 2 Wheatear and a lone Whimbrel were the only migrants i could find, though a fly through Merlin let me know Winter is on its way. Moving onto the Little Eye at i found a further 4 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat and a few juv Common and Sandwich Tern. Grambrough Hill so often a migrant hotspot gave me close views of Kestrel but only another Wheatear to the migrant list. Weybourne looked more promising with the seaward side of the hill sheltered from the wind. With 6 Wheatear, 3 Stonechat, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Whinchat and a Willow Warbler, that was debatable. The walk from here to Sheringham along the coastal path was even less eventful with a Whitethroat and 2 Wheatear hardly worth noting. Not the best migrant hunting conditions by a long shot but t was still nice to get out.

Black Tern Influx

A message yesterday alerted me to a single juv Black Tern at Whitlingham, a would be patch tick, but after a meal at the in-laws meant i was hoping it would stay around. After the briefest of lay in courtesy of the gas man, Laura and i went down to Whitlingham about 9.30-10.00. We hadn't stopped the car and i had a Black Tern flying over the Great Broad, and upon stopping i soon located a further 3 birds. The last couple of years despite the regular passage I've only seen Black Tern while sea watching so it was nice just to spend some time looking at the plumage detail. A Black Swan has also returned to the area and was in the conservation area, and just as we were leaving a Common Buzzard flew over the car. We then moved onto Rockland Broad in the hope of catching up with an Osprey in Norfolk. Walking along the track i peeped through the trees to see another juv Black Tern but little else on the Broad, so we continued onto the hide. Just prior to the hide i scanned out towards Buckenham and Cantley Marshes, and found the Osprey although at distance flying along the river. We sat in the hide for about 30-45 minutes. Two Black Tern were present along with the usual waterfowl and gulls. The Osprey didn't return while we were there, but a Kingfisher flew past the hide just before we left to cap off a pleasant morning.

The Drunk Birders Ride Again!

We might not have the skills of the 'Punk Birders' but someone must be reading our birds and beer pub watching blogs, Gary was asked recently '...are you one of those 'drunk birders?'. On Sunday for the first time in a few months Gary, James and myself went out again as a trio to hunt for autumn migrants. With the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler leaving Yorkshire overnight, we instead headed for Holme NOA and NWT reserves. We first looked in on the juv.Red-necked Phalorope at NOA's Redwell. A smart male Redstart added a little extra value to the £3 fee for entering the hide! We had a walk around the forestry behind the NWT Info Centre where eventually Gary located a Pied Flycatcher, but little else was around. Along the entrance track we watched a Garden Warbler catching flies at close quarters, a female Redstart, Stonechat and a juv. Red-backed Shrike, before two Peregrine then drifted over low. We then went to the pub, not just pub but the best birding pub there is, the Dun Cow at Salthouse. Here i added 5 new 'pub ticks', Canada Goose, Common Tern, Hobby, Whinchat and Greenshank. We also picked out Sandwich Tern, Wheatear and Gannet all good pub birds. Doubling back to Stiffkey we eventually caught up with a Barred Warbler not far from the campsite, and also saw Garden Warbler and Whitethroat. A brief stop at Cley coastguards failed to turn up any Lapland Buntings but during a quick seawatch we saw dark, light and intermediate Arctic Skua, a few distant Gannet and a close flyby Guillemot. With the sun starting to fall in the sky we walked the back of Weyborne Camp. We failed to locate the Wryneck seen earlier in the day, but Gary found our second Red-backed Shrike of the day, large flock of 30+ Pied Wagtail failed to hold a White Wagtail and a couple of Wheatear flitted about in the orange glow.

Strumpshaw Fen

This week as been the best so far for autumn migrants, with lots turning up in North Norfolk, but i was stuck at work, then ill. Today the only birds of note where at Holme, a rather long drive for Barred Warbler and Red-necked Phalorope when not feeling 100%, we instead opted for a lay in and something more local. With the Willow Emerald Damselflies relocated again at Strumpshaw that was our first stop. Although Lackford Run is closed, part of the Fen Trail has been reopened to allow views of the damselflies. Luckily someone had just located a female as we arrived and then a male was also found, a little to far away for good photographs but i tried. As the sun came out Common and Ruddy darters appeared everywhere, and we also saw Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker and probably a Norfolk Hawker, but its a bit late for them to be flying. From the Fen Hide we watched a Hobby zipping around and two Marsh Harrier, but bird life was lacking. We then went on to Ranworth, enjoying an ice cream before returning home.