North Norfolk Day

Today, I had been booked to take Kathy and Dave out birding along the coast, so, leaving home early, I picked them up in Wells Next The Sea at just after 7a.m. and we were off to Titchwell. We arrived before first light on what is the shortest day so we needed to get the most out of what light we had. Some quick watching as we headed to the beach where the regular waders were all noted. The light was very poor and not many photos were taken as the sun was yet to appear over the horizon behind Titchwell village.
Nothing at all on the sea and only gulls and cormorants, so off to the Parrinder Hide. As we walked along the path we noted a stoat pulling a dead blackbird into the verge. Sadly, although we got cracking views, the light was still too poor for the fast shot needed to freeze the action. On the Freshmarsh huge numbers of teal, with avocets, godwits, brent geese and wigeon. We heard a cettis warbler before we had a quick wander around the meadow trail that realised greenfinch, goldfinch and chaffinch along with blue and great tits. Over coffee at the VC we added coal tit and long tailed tit. A search for a possible woodcock was not successful, so off to Choseley for yellowhammer, linnet and finches. Shame, but since they tidied the farm area no corn buntings have been seen here. Several red legged partridge made the day list along with more curlews and geese, both in the fields and overhead. From here; Burnham Overy Staithe for a check to see if the rough legged buzzard was about.

teal and a brent goose

shoveler

Immaculately plumaged drake teal

Brent geese

At Burnham Overy Staithe we stopped at the layby and scanned all the way to Holkham Pines. Eventually, a white tailed rough legged buzzard came into view and, after disappearing several times, finally alighted on a tree where good scope views were had. A lifer for David and Kathy. Numerous geese including a party of surprise barnacles in amongst the pink foots, brent and greylags.
So, on along the A149 to Holkham. A brief stop just before the Victoria and Lady Anne's Drive gave great scope views of a white fronted goose. Several were present. A lifer for my guests and a year lister (#221) for me.

white fronted goose; a year lister

Pink foots in with greylag geese

From here we popped down Lady Anne's Drive where more wigeon and pink foots were encountered along with lapwings. A quick trip to the pines but far too windy for crests to be on the wing, so we had to settle for hearing them, high in the conifers.
By now, still windy and grey, we set off for Cley and a planned sandwich at the VC. A check on the sea from the beach car park gave up nothing again, but Kathy and Dave got close to some brents for a photo or two. At the centre they had run out of sausages, so we had to settle for bacon sandwiches and another coffee for me. Very little on the board so along to Salthouse where the resident turnstones performed well before a walk along the East Bank to Arnold's Marsh. Redshank, shelduck, black tailed godwits and a grey plover as well as more little egrets but no snow buntings on the shingle. Again, too windy, so back to the car. A pair of stonechat showed well near the car park  and then off for a stop and walk to Warham Greens at the whirlygig. After a brief wait and a solitary marsh harrier, we got views of 2 ring tailed hen harriers coming in to roost.
More linnets and finches along the footpath before we decided to complete our day with another check on Lady Anne's Drive where we got more geese including tundra bean geese, our 8th goose species of the day. A spectacular arrival of pink foots and greylags carried on for 15 minutes but no hoped for barn or short eared owls,. By this time the light had all but gone and so back to The Globe for a pint, goodbyes and my return home.

Egyptian geese

Common gull at Salthouse

Turnstone on the Salthouse shingle

Little egret from the East Bank, Cley

All in all, a super day and I trust my guests enjoyed their day, with 3 lifers for them and 2 year listers for me. As we unpacked the car at Wells more pink foots headed Holkham way overhead. We must have observed over 10,000 of them during the 9 hours we were out.

Species list:
little grebe, cormorant, little egret, grey heron, mute swan, white fronted goose, tundra bean goose, pink footed goose, greylag goose, canada goose (10 sp) barnacle goose, brent geese, shelduck, egyptian goose, mallard, gadwall, pintail, shoveler. wigeon, teal (20 sp) pochard, tufted duck, red kite, marsh harrier, hen harrier, rough legged buzzard, common buzzard, kestrel, red legged partridge, grey partridge (30 sp), pheasant, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, grey plover, golden plover, lapwing, knot, sanderling (40sp) turnstone, dunlin, redshank, black tailed godwit, curlew, snipe, ruff, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull (50 sp), lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, stock dove, wood pigeon, collared dove, skylark, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock (60 sp) robin, stonechat, song thrush, mistle thrush, blackbird, cettis warbler (heard) goldcrest (heard) great tit, coal tit, blue tit, (70 sp) long tailed tit, magie, jay, jackdaw, carrion crow, rook, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, (80 sp) goldfinch, greenfinch,reed bunting, yellowhammer.