Norfolk Day: Sedge warblers and wheatears

Another day trip to North Norfolk on Friday 28th April. I was hoping to find a few more migrants and with a light north easterly blowing I thought there may be a chance of something good.
My first stop was at Burnham Overy Staithe for a walk down the track, on to the sea path and boardwalk and then all over the dunes at Gun Hill. The track from the A149 can be superb for migrants and at 7.45 was full of singing birds. Sedge warblers proliferated, with a background chorus of whitethroat, blackcap, solitary willow warbler, chaffinch, wren and a single reed warbler. Along the path overlooking the harbour where it was high tide gave views of more sedgies, a reed bunting and the first of over 20 wheatear. Dunnocks, as usual, in the brambles by the apple tree along with the customary linnet flock.
On to the dunes where more of the same where noted, including in excess of 20 wheatear, including one particularly confiding male. A whimbrel was flushed from the water's edge where oystercatchers, a curlew and plenty of redshank were also noted.
After wandering here for a few hours I headed back to the car on the main road, having covered close to 5 miles by 10a.m. On the way back I noted a large fly on the sluice gates, a Mesembrina meridiana, a rare fly for Herts but not sure of its status in Norfolk.

Successful larvae hunting by this male chaffinch

1st of many sedge warblers

Sedge warbler

Reed bunting in Alexanders, a plant that is invading the whole of the coast here.

Meadow pipit

Skylark

Dunnock

uick fire shot of a flushed whimbrel

Wheatear

another wheatear

Gunhill looking west towards Burnham Deepdale

Mesembrina meridiana: record sent to County Recorder

A short drive found me at the beach Car park near High Dunes Campsite at Stiffkey. The walk west to the metal gibbert can give up migrants but today just whitethroats, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and another willow warbler. I was surprised to see so many brent geese still feeding on Warham Greens and, in the distance, 2 spoonbill. A kestrel was the first raptor of the day and in an adjacent field, 2 brown hare, whilst a stoat trundled along the path in front of me, causing much alarm with the resident blackbirds and whitethroats.

Brown hares

Brent geese

A distant spoonbill

Time for refreshment, so off to Cley NWT centre for a coffee. Very handily, it rained whilst I was driving and continued to do so as I sat in the centre. Upon finishing the drink, it stopped. A check on the board indicated not too much on the reserve, so off for a walk along the East Bank. More reed and sedge warblers and at Arnold's Marsh, a summer plumaged dunlin and a ruff. A sea watch gave up literally nothing so back through meadow pipits and linnets and off to Kelling Water Meadows.

Grey Heron from the East Bank

Dunlin from the Richie Richardson hide overlooking Arnold's Marsh. Great to see Richie being acknowledged here, a place he loved and could often, if not always, be found wandering the East Bank. Sadly, died far too young in 1977, a great ornithologist, artist and all round good bloke.

Kelling Water Meadows is a good site for passage wood sandpipers, but not today! Very little apart from my first lesser whitethroat of the year, more finches and warblers, avocet, teal, swallows and sand martins. A chiffchaff posed a while for the camera as I chatted to a fellow birder as we headed back up to the road, he for the bus, me off to Kelling Heath.

chiffchaff

Same bird

As I arrived at Kelling Heath car park, I noticed a chap with a moth net.He had set a pheromone lure and was busy netting a male Emperor moth. I then wandered over to the level crossing with more warblers but no dartfords or woodlarks on this occasion, so back to the car, noting 2 calling willow warblers. Time was now running out and I wanted to finish the day at Titchwell as the light is best for photography later in the afternoon.
Just a walk as far as the Freshmarsh where 2 Mediterranean gulls were noted again and a red crested pochard got on to the day and year list. A check for redstarts and turtle doves around the extensive car parks was unsuccessful, so back in the car for the journey home. This took over 3 hours due to a crash on the A14 near Bury St Edmunds, which meant traffic was totally jammed at the Mildenhall roundabout.
In all, a wonderful day in good weather, totalling 77 species of birds. Most pleasing. Plan on returning again, maybe next Friday?

Spot the 2 med gulls

swimming avocet

Red crested pochard