Holkham Beach, Titchwell and Thornham Harbour

Another morning set off for North Norfolk. Today, first stop was to be Holkham Beach. En-route I recorded various birds: red kite, kestrel, common buzzard along with regular sightings of corvids and gulls etc. A huge, 300+ flock of fieldfare were noted near Swaffham.
Having parked in Lady Anne's Drive, I checked the Freshmarsh, large number of wigeon and brent geese whilst a water rail, scurrying across the road was a pleasant surprise. I got on to the beach and headed towards Holkham Gap to the East. A sign told me Northern Lark were present. What is it with the usage of American birds names in the UK? They are shore lark!! Anyway, the area was roped off, pleasing to see as last year, when 13 were present, photographers were perpetually trying to get too close and this meant the birds were constantly being moved on, using up valuable energy. Basically, if you stayed quiet and still there was the chance the birds would come close enough for a photo and, in poor morning light, indeed they did. In total, I counted 24 present along with a large flock of 90+ snow buntings which were constantly on the move.

Injured brent goose

Sign on the beach, right message, wrong name!

Distant snow bunting, heavily cropped

another snow bunting

distant shore lark

enhanced colour

another shore lark

I then headed off for a spot of sea watching. Several cormorant on the water but after checking backwards and forwards came across a great northern diver and a slavonian grebe, both fairly far out and viewed through the scope. On a spit of sand, oystercatchers, common, herring and black headed gulls and a few sanderling. At 6C and a good breeze, it was not a time to spend sitting in the dunes for too long, so I headed back to the car. By now the clouds had lifted and the sun was making an effort to climb into the sky.

Holkham Beach, low tide

A brief stop at Burnham Overy Staithe, then Burnham Deepdale to buy lunch. I took this to Brancaster Staithe where I watched waders on the mud. A particularly menacing herring gull gave me the eye, probably expecting my ham sandwich! AsI left, a rock pipit popped up on one of the boats moored on the mud.
Then off to Titchwell, arriving at 1.45, with the sun already on a downward path. The island hide gave views of regular species (black tailed godwits, avocets, shoveler, wigeon etc) so off to the Parrinder Hide where a water pipit settled briefly, too briefly, in front of the hide along with a large flock of linnet. Several dunlin, hundreds of golden plover and lapwings as well as shelduck and more teal and wigeon.
Then, off to check the Volunteer Marsh and then the Tidal Marsh: grey plover and pintail were added but by now the sun was very low and getting dark, so I returned to the car. As I did, all the plovers went up as one, something had spooked them. A quick check of the sky gave up the answer: a peregrine.
With little light left I headed to Thornham Harbour. I was greeted by a mixed flock of finches, containing mainly goldfinch, several redpolls and 5 twite. Pleasing to see as my last visit here a week last Monday had concluded in only hearing them as they flew high in a bright sky.

Turnstone, Brancaster Staithe

winter plumaged herring gull expecting my lunch!

drake teal

duck teal

Inquisitive lapwing

Plovers put up by the peregrine

drake shoveler

Brent geese awaiting permission to land

Permission granted

Dusk time dunlin and 2 wigeon

over the Freshmarsh

Species list:

1. Great northern diver (new for year)
2. Slavonian grebe
3. Cormorant
4. Little egret
5. mute swan
6. pink footed goose
7. greylag goose
8. canada goose
9. brent goose
10. egyptian goose
11. shelduck
12. mallard
13. pintail
14. shoveler
15. wigeon
16. teal
17. red kite
18. common buzzard
19. marsh harrier
20. peregrine falcon
21. kestrel
22. pheasant
23. water rail
24. moorhen
25. coot
26. oystercatcher
27. avocet
28. grey plover
29. golden plover
30. lapwing
31. sanderling
32. turnstone
33. dunlin
34. edshank
35. black tailed godwit
36. bar tailed godwit
37. curlew
38. snipe
39. black headed gull
40. herring gull
41. common gull
42. wood pigeon
43. green woodpecker
44. shore lark
45. water pipit (new for year)
46. rock pipit
47. pied wagtail
48. wren
49. dunnock
50. robin
51. redwing
52. fieldfare
53. blackbird
54. great tit
55. blue tit
56. coal tit
57. magpie
58. jackdaw
59. carrion crow
60. rook
61. starling
62. chaffinch
63. linnet
64. goldfinch
65. twite
66. lesser redpoll
67. reed bunting
68. snow bunting

Looking over Thornham Marsh towards Titchwell

Pink foot geese coming in to roost near Holme

Thornham Harbour

Tricky to get depth of field right here!

Moon rising

Titchwell and Thornham Harbour

A last minute decision found me heading for Titchwell Reserve this morning, arriving 10am at Holkham, but little about as estate workers were in the fields. A quick check along the track to Burnham Overy dunes gave up usual finch and tit fare but little else, so off to Titchwell.
Bright light yet chilly made photography non too easy and by 2pm it had clouded over and the light was poor.
Year listers for the day were Pintail, 3 on the Fresh Marsh and a pair of eider, firstly hauled up on the beach and then feeding in the surf. Good numbers of birds, especially on the beach.
A few early photos in what was a very blue light for most of the morning and early afternoon.

shoveler

redshank

skulking grey plover

feeding black tailed godwit

 I then wandered from the Island Hide to the beach, checking the fresh marsh and tidal marsh. Not too much on the latter.

Drake Eider hauled up on the beach

Black tailed godwit

another BlTG

pLENTY OF BIRDS TO CHECK HERE: HERRING, BLACK HEADED AND LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, OYSTERCATCHERS, GODWITS, TURNSTONES, GOLDEN PLOVER, DUNLIN etc

flyby Oystercatcher

menancing looking herring gull

bright light on the beach

pair of eider

turnstone

Back to the Reserve and some views from the Parrinder Hide.

redshank and little egret helping each other find food

blue lit Little egret

dunlin

pair of wigeon in poor light

Finally I popped along to Thornham Harbour. Heard twite overhead but too bright to locate them. Groups of finches were checked but just gave up goldfinch, lesser redpoll along with a pair of reed buntings.

curlew

redshank

flyover curlew

species list:

1. red throated diver
2. slavonian grebe
3. cormorant
4. littleegret
5. mute swan
6. pink footed goose
7. greylag goose
8. brent geese
9. shelducl
10. egyptian goose
11. mallard
12. pintail
13. shoveler
14. wigeon
15. teal
16. eider
17. common scoter
18. marsh harrier
19. common buzzard
20. kestrel
21. red legged partridge
22. pheasant
23. water rail (heard)
24. moorhen
25. oystercatcher
26. avocet
27. ringed plover
28. grey plover
29. golden plover
30. lapwing
31. sanderling
32. turnstone
33. dunlin
34. redshank
35. black tailed godwit
36. curlew
37. black headed gull
38. herring gull
39. lesser black backed gull
40. wood pigeon
41. barn owl
42. green woodpecker
43. skylark (heard)
44. meadow pipit
45. pied wagtail
46. wren
47. dunnock
48. robin
49. fieldfare
50. redwing
51. blackbird
52. great tit
53. blue tit
54. long tailed tit
55. magpie
56. jay
57. carrion crow
58. rook
59. jackdaw
60. starling
61. chaffinch
62. goldfinch
63. lesser redpoll
64. twite (heard)
65. reed bunting

Visit to Udawalawe National Reserve

This splendid reserve is some 3 hours drive north west from Galle. Charlene, on her last day after a month's volunteering at the MindGarden Centre and I were picked up by Pasindu and friend who were to drive us there.
After stopping for snacks and tea we arrived in time to watch the baby orphaned elephants feeding time. Shortly after, the 4 of us boarded a safari jeep and were off for a three hour drive around the magnificent reserve. The main target were the elephants that inhabit this large area whilst I was, not surprisingly, keen to observe and photograph some of the bird species present. I was not disappointed, seeing 2 new species for me in Sri Lanka and managing to get some pleasing shots into the bargain. However, the highlight was surely Charlene's excitement at seeing wild elephants close up as they wandered in front of the jeep or just stood by the side of the track. Excellent trip and well worth the 6 hours in the car. If I was to do this trip again, may book into one of the local hotels and stay the night, but is is feasible to visit in one day from Galle.
These photos are in no order, just ones that seem to have come out quite pleasingly. These first 4 are of the orphaned elephants being given milk and then feeding.

En route to the Reserve the jeep drives over a dam that has created a man made lake around which were several bird species including cattle and little egrets and red wattled lapwings, all common species for Sri Lanka.

Rising water levels submerging trees.

Upon arrival into the reserve, I asked the driver to stop for bird photos. This he did, frequently pointing out birds that we would not of otherwise seen. A few species here that we saw upon arrival on the sandy tracks.

Paddyfield pipit

Green bee eater: such photogenic birds. More later

Common kingfisher: female

A lucky capture!

Crested hawk eagle

Let's get the elephants out of the way!

Back to some bird species.

Another superb green bee eater

Great white egret being watched by a water buffalo

Grey heron

Blue tailed bee eater

Yet another green bee eater

Red wattled lapwing

Spot billed pelican floats past a water buffalo

Wooly necked stork, a new bird for me

Black shouldered kite, the 2nd new Sri Lankan bird for me

Painted stork

Painted stork

White throated kingfisher

Another black shouldered kite

Posing peacock

Time for a few mammals and other bits and bobs:

Laid back frog species

Water buffalo. Larger the horns, the older they are

Distant water buffalo

Grumpy macaque momkey

Same creature

swarms of butterflies feeding on minerals from the sand

More water buffalo

Penultimately, a shot of the typical terrain

To finish, my 2 favourite shots from this superb trip.

The Painted stork gives a great perspective to the whole landscape.

Just got lucky with this pose.