Day in North Norfolk

Wednesday found me heading off at a sensible time for North Norfolk. My plan was to check out the good, non reserve sites for migrants, so I headed to Burnham Overy Staithe track to begin. Here, a flock of 138 pink foot geese came in off, my first of the autumn. Also, a little distant, a flock of brent geese, again, 1st for the autumn. A couple of chiffchaffs, single wheatear and a late lesser whitethroat called along with bullfinches. Curlews, pink foots, greylags and egyptian geese in the fields and a couple of common buzzards but nothing unusual. I decided to leave the dunes for another day and headed off to Lady Anne's Drive, Holkham.

pink foots in off the North Sea

More of the same

Touching land for the first time in a while at Burnham Overy Staithe

Burnham Overy Staithe long tailed tit

Not too much as I parked and scanned the fields. A fly over marsh harrier before I headed west towards the Washington hide. Goldcrests, chiffers, a solitary willow warbler by the pond was all I had along with regular fare of great, long tailed and blue tits, so back to the car and on to Wells Woods.
Here, I headed into the woods by the beach steps and plenty of bird activity in and around both the conifers and drinking pool. Good numbers of goldcrests and a few coal tits flitted around, with even more chiffchaffs and then a call I was awaiting, yellow browed warbler. A year lister and in total, at least 3, probably 4 and possibly 5. Over 45 minutes attempting photographs proved to be an abject failure as these birds were on the move constantly. So too, with the 2 firecrests I came across at the drinking pool, 2nd year lister. A little grebe and kingfisher at the boating lake before I decided to head for Garden Drove.

Meadow pipits: pig farm, Garden Drove

Robin: Garden Drove

Chiffchaff: Wells Woods

Great Tit: Garden Drove

End of season Speckled Wood: Lady Anne's Drive

Immaculate Comma: Lady Anne's Drive

Here, I walked down to Warham Greens. Robins, long tailed tits, meadow pipits along the track and on the salt marsh, a marsh harrier, golden plover and good numbers of little egrets but still no new additions to the unusual migrant list. Too warm and (maybe) too breezy.
Off to Cley and a coffee at the VC. From here I noted plenty of birds on Simmonds Scrape and Pat's Pool, so popped over to Bishop's Hide. Ruff, teal, wigeon a plenty, lapwings, golden plover, redshank etc all made the day list. A hobby flew over, putting everything up but nothing out of the ordinary, so off to Gramborough Hill. Rather breezy, but still warm here, so a stonechat on top of the bramble patch here was a first for the day. A yellow browed called from deep inside the vegetation but didn't appear whilst I was there.Off for a quick sea watch at Cley beach where 4 gannets, a guillemot and one balearic shearwater east were noted
From here, Kelling Water Meadows where chaffinches, linnets, goldfinches, more stonechats and a single whinchat were noted. Plenty of meadow pipits, a bullfinch and several curlew in the fields. On the water meadows just a few black headed gulls, teal and a single lesser black backed gull before I headed further along to check the willows around Weybourne beach car park. Nothing new here, several stonechat, a wheatear and pied wags so along to Sheringham cliffs to finish with a sea watch. Still warm in the sun but the easterly breeze was quite chilling as I watched several gannets east and not too much else..
Heading home, I totalled a list of 75 species, which could have easily been increased had I popped into Cley hides and a flying visit to Titchwell, but very pleased with both year listers although I failed to get any photos of the 2 sp.

Teal: Bishop's Hide

Shoveler: Bishop's Hide

Sparrowhawk: Kelling Water Meadows

same sparrowhawk

red admiral: Weybourne beach car park

Stonechat: Weybourne beach

Gramborough Hill

Species List:
little grebe, balearic shearwater, gannet, cormorant, little egret, grey heron, mute swan, pink foot goose, greylag goose, canada goose, brent goose, shelduck, egyptian goose, mallatd, gadwall, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, teal, marsh harrier, common buzzard, sparrow hawk, kestrel, hobby, red legged partridge, pheasant, moorhen, coot, golden plover, lapwing, dunlin, redshank, black tailed godwit, curlew, ruff, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, guillemot, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, wren, robin, wheatear, stock dove, wood pigeon, collared dove, kingfisher, skylark, stonechat, whinchat, blackbird, lesser whitethroat, willow warbler, chiffchaff, yellow browed warbler, goldcrest, firecrest, great tit, coal tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, goldfinch, bullfinch.