The return home day, after three great days birding in Norfolk. The plan was to return via RSPB Adwick Washlands on the way thru. finally arriving at Adwick at about 1pm to a full car park, so I had a wait of about 10 – 15 mins before a space became available.
Little bit of a steady walk down to the actual Marsh area, along Lowfield Lane, lots to se on the way down there, Chaffinch, Robin, Kestrel, Crow, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Canada Geese, Greenfinch, Long tailed Tit and Woodpigeon.
At the marsh area, first pool, plenty of Avocets along with Black headed Gulls, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Mallards and a couple of Redshank. I then moved off and had a look at the feeders, along the hedgerow in the left field, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Reed Buntings, Robin, Blue and Great Tits all to be found.
Further down the lane, another pool, again on the right side, there was a small number of birders assembled, looking at the bird I’d forgotten about, a drake Garganey, always a nice bird to see, a summer migrant to these shores.
Saturday and Day 3, the plan was to stop at Cley Marshes for the day, a place I hadn’t been to since September 2011, so long overdue a visit. A good start on arrival, I was buzzed by a Sparrowhawk as it went thru the car park. Five pound for a permit, purchased at the visitor centre, this includes the car park fee, centre opens at 10am, all a bit completed to me.
Anyway out on the reserve, my first port of call was to bishop’s hide, where there was a splendid Grey Wagtail along with a couple of Pied Wagtails. A few Ruff about, with no shortage of Avocet’s, and a couple of Redshanks in and amongst. Wildfowl included Mallard, Teal, a lot of Shovelers, Shelducks, Wigeon and a pair of Pintail, to finish off with Coots, Crows and Marsh Harriers.
After Bishops it was on to the East Bank, in the hope of seeing the star birds at Cley at the moment. The first bird was a no show on Arnolds Marsh , I walked down the bank to the call of Cetti’s Warblers, Redshanks and Curlews bubbling away, soon down on the shingle beach looking for quarry number two, they were soon located, with the help of other birders, always a pleasure in seeing Snow Buntings, Along with the SNOBS as some people like to cal them were, Meadow Pipits, who blended in nicely with the surrounding fauna.
The first of the rain moved in so I took refuge in the shelter at the bottom of East Bank, where I could look over the marsh, watching Brent Geese, Black tailed Godwits, and Ringed Plovers. After the rain ahd moved thru it was back onto the bank, looking for and finally finding the Long billed Dowitcher, very close as well. This is an American wader, a Snipe sized bird, with plumage and shape looking like a cross between a snipe and a Bar tailed Godwit. I’d managed to get some video footage just before the rain moved back in, press HERE but by the time I’d got back to the car for dinner I was cold and wet.
After a dry out, it was back over to Bishops Hide, mainly to avoid another down pour, I just made it into the hide before the heavens opened, we even had to shut the hide windows, as rain was coming in. When the rain eventually stopped I moved over to the Avocet, Daukes and Teal hides, I ended stopping here for the rest of my time at Cley, watching and photographing Redshanks, Black tailed Godwits, Ruff, Dunlin, Meadow Pipits, Avocets, Wigeon, Mute Swans, Teal, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing and Marsh Harriers and finally for the day a pair of Egyptian Geese, 41 species for the day.
Bird List :- Avocet, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Black backed Gull, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Little Egret, Long billed Dowitcher, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied wagtail, Pintail, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Rook, Ruff, Shelduck, Snipe, Snow Bunting, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal Wigeon, Woodpigeon (41)
Friday and Day 2, todays plan was to head out to a new reserve, I hadn’t visited before, called, Sculthrope Moor Nature Reserve near Fakenham.
On entering the reserve your soon upon the first hide, called Dragonfly Hide, here I saw Dunnocks, Nuthatch, Siskin, Greenfinch, Stock Dove, Chaffinch, Long tailed Tit, Blue Tit, heard a Song Thrush and Little Grebe. Moved away from the Dragonfly hide and made my way to the Woodland Hide, where the first surprise of the day was a paie of Muntjac Deer, feeding around the bird feeders, one female and one male, I ended up taking a few photos. Birds here included Blackbird, Bullflinch, Robin, Blue and Long tailed Tit.
I made my way slowly onwards taking in the scenery of Scultrope, a very wooded reserve along with areas of fen, meadows and wetland areas, I was enjoying the place. I finally came across the Whiteley Hide, there are seven hides in total, this is the place to see Red Kites and it wasn’t long before one was spotted over the tree tops, along with the Kite was a Common Buzzard and Rooks. Down at the nearby feeders were Long tailed, Blue and Great Tit, Male Reed Buntings, Chaffinch, Coal and Marsh Tit.
After a while I moved on to the new Wetland Area and the hide there, but on the my walk there I came across a roosting Tawny Owl, which was a nice experience of seeing one of these in the day time, nearby was a calling Chiffchaff. So from the Wetland hide, Common Snipe was a nice addition to the day list, along with a Common Redshank.
Sculthorpe Moor is a great place, one I think I could gladly spend all day there, lovely big hides, good reception area, clean toilets, and friendly staff, definitely be visiting again, 31 species encountered.
Bird List ;- Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Coot, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Red Kite, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Siskin, Snipe, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Tawny Owl, Teal,
Muntjac Deer
After Sculthrope I moved onto Heacham South Beach for the reported Slavonian Grebe, after about a 20min walk, thanks to another birder showing me the way and another birder on site we were soon onto the bird, it did give us the run around as it was moving up and down the river, I did manage a few distant photos of the bird.
After the Slavonian Grebe encounter it was then on to RSPB Titchwell were on arrival and just thru the hub, I had my first rain shower of the day, so I sat down at the visitor centre feeders watching Woodpigeon, and Dunnocks to pass the time away whilst the shower went thru.
After the rain I was onto and into the Island Hide where , Black headed Gulls, Shovelers, Avocets, Pochards, Mallards, Pintail, Marsh Harriers, Brent Geese, Mediterranean Gulls, Teal, and a few returning Sand Martins and Swallows could all be seen. Moving on then I soon stopped off at one of the seats along the pathway down to the beach which overlooks the reserve, from here I got to see ten Mediterranean Gulls in all, also Gadwall, Pied Wagtail, Avocets, Brent Geese, Shovelers and Greylag Geese.
On at the Parrinder Hide, ducked in here mainly to dodge another rain shower, bird highlights from here were a fine Male Pintail, three Turnstones, Redshank, and a single Ringed Plover. After the rain I headed down to the beach, stopping off firstly at the salt marsh to scope through some more birds, Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Grey Plovers and Curlews.
Finally down at the beach, I was greeted by a guy coming off saying “I had all the beach to myself, as there were no people and no birds to be seen”. Funny that as I found Red breasted Mergansers on the sea, on the beach were, but at a distance, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Sanderling, and Bar tailed Godwits.
Itt was now late and I was getting a bit cold, so I decided on heading back to the car park, seeing Little Egret and more Marsh Harriers and Cormorants on the way. 42 bird species seen at Titchwell, plus another Muntjac Deer at the visitor Centre.
Bird List :- Avocet, Bar tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Buzzard, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Mediterranean Gull, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pintail, Pochard, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Sand Martin, Sanderling, Shelduck, Swallow, Teal, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren
A couple of days birding into Norfolk, first port of call on the way down was to Willow Tree Fen, this year it was open, so I drove onto the viewing platform and parked up, time 9:30am, the weather was cloudy and very windy. On getting my gear together, one of the volunteers came over and asked if I was there to see the Cranes, of which I was of cause, with his help I managed to see five birds in total, with two fairly close to the viewing platform, he also pointed out a Great White Egret which was at a distance, and Marsh Harriers. Other birds about were plenty of Teal, with Woodpigeon,Stock Dove, Shovelers, a few Greylag Geese, a distinctive call from behind me draw my attention to some nearby trees, where a small flock of Fieldfare were hanging out. Back on the reserve a pair of Oystercatcher had come in, along with a pair of Pied Wagtails.
Bird List : Black headed Gull, Collard Dove, Cormorant, Crane, Fieldfare, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Red legged Partridge, Shoveler, Starlin, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodpigeon (21)
Common Cranes
After the great views of the Cranes I moved onto RSPB Frampton Marsh, which was about thirty mins away. I arrived at about 11:30am and had dinner before moving onto the reserve, however from the car park, in the close by field, were lots of Wigeon, a few Redshank, Gadwall, Shelduck and Ruff.
Moving onto the reserve then, it seemed the wind was getting stronger, no hope on small stuff the. Called in to the new visitor Centre, toilets stop, but from here I could see a few Great Crested Grebes, lots of Greylag Geese, Cormorants, Little Egrets, with a fair amount of Pochard. I then walked on down to the Reedbed Hide where very little was happening, but managed to see Spoonbill, and a couple of Grey Herons. Moving on then, I placed myself behind one of the screens close to the reeedbed hide, to keep out of the wind so I could view over the 360° hide fields. So out of the wind I could view Brent Geese, Avocets, Ruffs, Lapwings, Black headed Gulls, and Shovelers, without being thrown around.
Finally within the 360° hide I picked up on some Dunlins, Redshanks, and a party of five Ringed Plovers. After the 360° hide I had a hour down at the wash on the banking overlooking the Marsh, no raptors seen, not in this wind, but I saw Meadow Pipits, a few more Redshanks, a Little Egret, Black headed Gulls, and Brent Geese.
On the walk back down to the car park, more Ruff, a large flock of Dunlin, a pair of Blue Tit, a few Linnets and some Black tailed Godwits.
Bird List :- Avocet, Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Great Black backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen , Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pochard, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Shelduck, Skylark, Spoonbill, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Wren (40)
Huddsbirder 