A chance for my first Norfolk trip of the year. I had nothing else on and the forecast looked favourable, so setting off fairly early meant I was in Wells for a coffee before 10 and then on to Lady Anne's Drive at Holkham. Here the usual fare on the Freshmarsh, wigeon, redshank, brent geese, few pink footed and plenty of greylag. A search through all of this didn't give up any white fronted. Overhead, 2 geese were noted flying towards Holkham Hall, I looked up and was surprised to note they were barnacles, not an everyday goose in Norfolk.
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| Barnacle geese |
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| Looking west over Holkham Freshmarsh |
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| Noisy redshank |
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| drake wigeon |
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| wigeon from Lady Anne's Drive |
I then wandered on to the beach, noting a flock of goldfinch in the dunes as I headed east towards Holkham Gap. Here, a party of 9 shore larks were fairly confiding. In the same area where a group of 30+ had been a couple of years ago. I then set off for a sea watch, but rather disappointing with just a few red throated divers flying towards The Wash along with numerous gulls and cormorants.
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| 7 of the 9 shorelark |
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| I remained still and they slowly headed towards me. |
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| Pleased with this one. |
I then headed back to the car. Skylarks and meadow pipits called. A brief check in the pines failed to give up anything unusual so back to the drive where a snipe was evident, if distant and a stonechat popped up near the building site that will soon be a new cafe, apparently.
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| very camera shy stonechat |
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| snipe |
I then drove to Cley and Salthouse. not too much on show at Cley due to high water levels everywhere, so a check on Gramborough Hill from Beach Road, Salthouse. The usual turnstones were feeding on the shingle whilst around the back of Gramborough Hill, 80+ snow buntings. A good sight, indeed.
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| white fringes to wing coverts indicate 1st year turnstone |
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| How many snow buntings here? |
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| Good flight detail of a 1st winter snow bunting |
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| feeding flock of snow buntings |
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| Black headed gull, Salthouse beach |
Time was still on my side, so off to Sheringham for a quick sea watch. Not too much from the Promenade but a confiding black redstart was great to see, dropping down on to some waste ground by the flats on the left as you wander towards the prom. It seemed to favour a small clump of vegetation in the corner of this area.
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| Black redstart's favoured perch |
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| coming down to feed |
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| a very showy bird |
I then headed back west, stopping off for a quick check from Cley beach and a rapid scan over the Eye Field, but just more of the same so on to Titchwell. En route, I popped onto the mud at Burnham Overy Staithe, near the sailing club and was pleased to note all the teal and oystercatchers go up as one just as a female merlin sped over. Another good bird for the day. I like to be at Titchwell mid afternoon as the light is best, but today, having enjoyed cloudless skies all morning, it was becoming increasingly grey. After a brief stop for sustenance I headed off on to the reserve. Again, water levels were as high as I have seen them, so just wildfowl on the Freshmarsh. Therefore, it was possible the waders would be on the saltmarsh and, indeed they were: redshank, black tailed godwits, dunlin, grey plover, avocet along with shelduck and a solitary ruff. Little grebe, teal, mallards and a few wigeon were also on the water.
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| avocet in fading light |
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| Black tailed godwit |
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| curlew |
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| Dunlin |
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| Grey plover |
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| Looking towards Thornham in the west |
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| Last photo of the day, much enhanced lighting on a group of Knot |
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| Little grebe |
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| Drake Teal |
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| Looking east over the Salt Marsh |
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| Sunset over Thornham |
I then spent some time on the beach, scoping the sea. Good birds, all too far out for any photos but a raft of common scoter moved west on the incoming tide and in with these, 2 goldeneye. A little further west, 3 great crested grebes and 2 red breasted mergansers. On the tide line: grey plover, sanderling, oystercatchers, bar tailed and black tailed godwit. A great day out, managing to be back home before 7.30pm. A good way to get my 2018 bird list up and running.
Species from the day:
- red throated diver
- little grebe
- great crested grebe
- cormorant
- little egret
- grey heron
- mute swan
- pink footed goose
- greylag goose
- barnacle goose
- brent goose
- shelduck
- egyptian goose
- mallard
- gadwall
- shoveller
- wigeon
- teal
- pochard
- tufted duck
- common scoter
- goldeneye
- red breasted merganser
- marsh harrier
- kestrel
- merlin
- common buzzard
- red legged partridge
- pheasant
- moorhen
- coot
- oyster catcher
- avocet
- ringed plover
- grey plover
- golden plover
- lapwing
- knot
- sanderling
- turnstone
- redshank
- dunlin
- black tailed godwit
- bar tailed godwit
- curlew
- snipe
- ruff
- black headed gull
- common gull
- herring gull
- great black backed gull
- lesser black backed gull
- stock dove
- wood pigeon
- collared dove
- skylark
- shorelark
- meadow pipit
- pied wagtail
- wren
- dunnock
- robin
- black redstart
- stonechat
- blackbird
- great tit
- blue tit
- magpie
- jackdaw
- rook
- carrion crow
- starling
- chaffinch
- goldfinch
- linnet
- bullfinch
- snow bunting
- yellowhammer
A pleasing first list of the year: not everyday in Norfolk you'll get barnacle goose, shore lark, snow bunting, black redstart and merlin on the day list!
