Tuesday 14th Dec and a day trip to North Norfolk. Leaving Stortford at 5.00am in order to be on the reserve and beach at Cley for first light. First birds of note were a spoonbill and several thousand brent geese. A walk along the beach gave great views of snow bunting whilst ruff, dunlin, ringed plover and a curlew were found at Arnold's Marsh, east of the reserve. A coffee before heading into the hides where we saw plenty of expected duck before a trip to Salthouse beach for turnstone and a very confiding dunlin. From here we were off to Stiffkey Fen where kingfisher, greylag geese, a single pink footed goose, bullfinch. A goldcrest and marsh tit were heard but not observed. Then, on to Titchwell were a sea watch gave great views of common scoter (600+), 2 velvet scoter, 6 red breasted merganser, 5 goldeneye, 4 great crested grebe, 1 great northern diver, sanderling, bar tailed godwit along with merlin, hen harrier and peregrine over Thornham Marsh.
In all, 90 species for the day. Excellent stuff. Photos so far attached, from the top:
In all, 90 species for the day. Excellent stuff. Photos so far attached, from the top:
- Cley Reserve North Scrape at first light: mainly shelduck and wigeon
- Looking west towards Salthouse at first light
- avocets, wigeon and shoveler on the North Scrape
- looking west at dawn
- next 3: snow buntings on the shingle, Cley beach
- flyover brent goose
- common gull
- dunlin
- black headed gull
- turnstone: a confiding 1st year bird. Can be distinguished from an adult by the white tips to the feathers.
- small flock of brent geese.
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