Little Hadham Birding: Back to Norfolk for 2 days

Chance opportunity to return to Norfolk, camping at Stiffkey for one night. Off after emptying the moth trap and straight to Garden Drove between Wells and Stiffkey as this area can be good for migrants. First bird as I got out of the car at the concrete pad, a tree pipit. Hadn't even got the camera from the boot! Year lister 1. A walk to Warham Greens gave views of 20+ red legged partridge, whitethroat and, on the coastal footpath, lesser white throat. Over the marsh, little egrets, golden plover in their hundred, wrens and gulls, but nothing unusual. As I drove back down the muddy track birds were flocking around an oak. Blackcap, great, long tailed and blue tit, willow warbler, whitethroat and chiffchaff all flitting around. Off to Burnham Overy Staithe track where more regular warblers were noted, including a family of sedge warblers. At the end of the track, the icterine warbler showed well as I arrived with one other birder, before disappearing into the brambles and not seen again whilst I remained, hoping for better photos than these! Year lister 2

Whitethroat

Icternine warbler

another disappointing shot of this scarce migrant

From here, I set off to the campsite and put up my little one man tent before heading off for a check on the East Bank at Cley. Again, surprisingly, nothing too noteworthy and this remained the situation throughout the 2 days. Very few good waders, just plenty of godwits, ruff and dunlin.
A coffee at the VC before leaving the car at the campsite and a wander to the gibbert roundabout. Few whimbrel on Stiffkey Greens but no migrants in the sueda.
After fish and chips in Wells and a bit of sleep, I awoke to note a stooping peregrine high over the village. Year lister 3. I set off to net moths on the saltmarsh. A clear night and incoming tide meant I stayed to the footpath, but netted around 40 moths, none of which were unusual, with plenty of large yellow underwings and Pleuropyta ruralis, snout, square spot rustic. All of these were shown to some interested youngsters on the campsite.

avocet

3 dunlin and black tailed godwit at Cley

avocet and 2 ruff at Cley

2 of the 3 little stints

Juvenile little stint

The next morning and rain! A quick wander around the campsite and along the footpath showed that nothing new had come in overnight, so off again to Burnham Overy to see if anything had arrived here. Just the same, with good swift movement overhead, so back to the campsite, pack up tent and off to check the hides at Cley. From Daukes Hide 3 little stint in with good dunlin and ruff numbers. Year lister 4
I then thought Kelling Quag maybe good, but met a chap who had just returned from there with negative news on anything worthwhile, so a check along the coast road, stopping at Lady Anne's Drive, Morston Quay, Choseley and eventually Titchwell. Here, I bumped into Colin, birder from Stortford and we both commented on lack of quality waders. A pintail made the trip list whilst a sea watch gave year lister 5: an arctic skua chasing common and sandwich terns. 2 spoonbills flew over before I finished the trip with a drive down to Thornham harbour but again, just everyday fare, including linnets, redshanks, black headed gulls etc. A quick stop off at Hunstanton for a view across the Wash. Plenty of oystercatchers, sanderling etc on the exposed mud and hundreds of common and black headed gulls on the pitch and putt course before the drive home.
A trip list of 91 species is not to be dismissed, but all the same, I would have expected a bit more quality. I plan to return next Wednesday, so fingers crossed for some south easterlies or easterlies on Monday and Tuesday.