North Norfolk with Anoma from Galle, Sri Lanka

On Monday of last week I picked up friend and fellow naturalist, Anoma Alagiyawadu from Heathrow after his long journey from Galle in southern Sri Lanka to Colombo airport, followed by an 11 hour flight. We arrived back in Little Hadham quite late and after a drink turned in as we were off to Norfolk the following morning.
Following a brief shopping trip to get Anoma warm clothes we headed off and were birdwatching at Cley before lunch. We noted that the boats to the seals were departing at 5.30pm so purchased two tickets having checked in to the superb Manor Hotel in Blakeney. Before arriving at Morston for the boat we popped into Wells to buy Anoma a pair of gloves as he was really feeling the cold.
The boat trip was brilliant with great views of the seals, both common and Atlantic grey. We also spotted 4 species of tern: arctic, common, little and sandwich as well as the regular waders that are frequently around Blakeney, Cley and Morston salt creeks. Back at the hotel we warmed up with a beer and had a meal in the White Horse before further pints in the Kings Arms. We then returned to the hotel bar for a scotch before preparing for a long day birding, beginning with an early start for Blakeney Esker and Kelling Heath.

Common seal

Common seal

Common tern

little tern

grey heron

greylag goose

Oystercatcher

arctic terns

avocet

arctic tern

Atlantic grey seal

First stop on the Wednesday morning was Blakeney Esker, near Wiverton. No hoped for nightingales but yellowhammers, willow warblers and chiffchaffs a plenty plus the first of many kestrel. We then headed for Kelling Heath, adding expected warblers but nothing more apart from a common buzzard and distant red kite. Then, on to Kelling Watermeadows. By now it was genuinely cold and very windy, the birds were not showing well, but a shoveler, little egret, linnet, red legged partridge added to the trip list. From here a quick visit to Salthouse beach before a coffee at Cley. No trip to Cley is complete without a walk to Arnold's Marsh along the East bank. Reed and sedge warblers, bearded reedling heard and plenty of sandwich terns, redshanks at Arnold's before we did a quick check from the beach, very little here due to the breeze and cold, so on to Wells Woods where we added coal tit and goldcrest along with a surprise Tawny Owl calling. A search for it proved fruitless but we added jay to the list. From here, Lady Anne's Drive and then a quick visit into Holkham Estate to see the deer. Finally, we took a walk down to Stiffkey Fen to scan over the lake, not too much about  but a common sandpiper made the list before we returned to the hotel having had a great day out. We spent a few minutes over a pint checking out list, now totalling 86 species for the trip. 14 needed on the Thursday for the century and plenty of species still possible.

avocet on eggs

mixed plumage black tailed godwit

Hare at Kelling water meadows

Hovering kestrel

same bird

little egret

flyby marsh harrier at Stiffkey Fen

singing reed warbler

reed bunting

Thursday dawned and another early start at Blakeney Esker. We added yellowhammer  but nothing else so off to Cley Beach hoping for the white barn owl that is present there. No luck but great views of good numbers of gannets, a wheatear in the car park and a grey wagtail on the roof of the "Beach Hotel." All went on to the list before we set off for a long walk to Gun Hill from Burnham Overy Staithe. Reed buntings, sedge warblers called everywhere before we got another new bird, a blue tit! Egyptian geese in the field before clocking a whimbrel on the salt marsh and then another new bird, a robin being the 90th  bird of the trip.
We wandered back, looking for the hood to my lens that I lost here a fortnight earlier. No luck but great views of red kite and marsh harrier.
We popped up to Choseley Barns but no grey partridge so into Titchwell which seemed very busy. 9 species to go.
Into Titchwell where we made it 92 with med gull on the Fresh Marsh. Over on Thornham Marsh a superbly plumaged grey plover (93) and a solitary female teal (94)
We headed to the beach where dunlin and sanderling took us to 96 and then into the Parrinder Hide. Here, a little ringed plover, followed by finding both knot and bar tailed godwit in with a hoard of black tailed godwits so on to 99. As we trudged back to the car park another check for red crested pochard and there, right at the back of a small pool was a pair. 100 birds and soon after we added Whinchat.
A flying visit to Holme gave great views of a cuckoo, 102! but no hoped for greasshopper warbler or turtle dove
Later we added a little owl in Allens Green, a grey partridge and Green woodpecker in Little Hadham and peregrine falcon on the left hand spire of Kings College Cambridge on a visit Anoma and I made on the Friday morning, having returned home in time for us to have an enjoyable Indian meal on the Thursday. The Bangladeshi owner of The Star of India said that he thought Sri Lankan curries were too hot, even for him so when Anoma's Jaipuri chicken arrived it was accompanied by an extra plate of fried and dried red and green chillies!
A superb trip and hopefully one that Anoma will remember for a long time. It was great to spend time with this leading expert on whale migration around the coast of Sri Lanka, just a shame the temps were rather low.
 I can highly recommend the Manor Hotel in Blakeney, overlooking the duck pond: great single rooms at a sensible price along with an excellent breakfast.  A good bar, too and Chantelle at the front of house was great fun in the bar on the Tuesday night. With the average age of guests here being north of retirement age, they don't often have guests in the bar at gone 10.30 at night, never mind later. www.blakeneymanor.co.uk for details and booking. For those who travel with their pet dog, the hotel is 100% dog friendly, permitted in the bar and the rooms.

Black tailed godwits over Titchwell

chaffinch

Gannet off Cley Beach

Lapwing

Little Ringed plover

Meadow pipit

Ragged robin at Titchwell

Redshank, Eye Field, Cley

Wheatear, Cley Beach

Distant whimbrel at Titchwell Freshmarsh, our 2nd of the trip

Species List

1. mute swan
2. greylag goose
3. canada goose
4. brent goose
5. shelduck
6. mallard
7. gadwall
8. shoveler
9. pochard
10. red crested pochard
11. tufted duck
12. red legged partridge
13. pheasant
14. gannet
15. cormorant
16. little egret
17. grey heron spoonbill
18. red kite
19. marsh harrier
20. common buzzard
21. sparrowhawk
22. kestrel
23. hobby
24. moorhen
25. coot
26. oystercatcher
27. avocet
28. ringed plover
29. lapwing
30. turnstone
31. common sandpiper
32. reddshank
33. black tailed godwit
34. ruff
35. black headed gull
36. common gull
37. herring gull
38. lesser balck backed gull
39. great black backed gull
40. little tern
41. sandwich tern
42. arctic tern
43. common tern
44. stock dove
45. wood pigeon
46. collared dove
47. tawny owl (heard)
48. swift
49. skylark
50. sand martin
51. swallow
52. house martin
53. meadow pipit
54. pied wagtail
55. grey wagtail
56. dunnock
57. song thrush
58. mistle thrush
59. blackbird
60. garden warbler
61. blackcap
62. whitethroat
63. sedge warbler
64. cetti's warbler
65. reed warbler
66. willow warbler
67. chiffchaff
68. goldcrest
69. wren
70. great tit
71. coal tit
72. long tailed tit
73. beared reedling 
74. magpie
75. jay
76. jackdaw
77. carrion crow
78. rook
79. starling 
80. house sparrow
81. chaffinch
82. linnet
83. goldfinch
84. greenfinch
85. reed bunting
86. yellowhammer End of Wednesday: 14 needed
87. wheatear
88. blue tit
89. egyptian goose
90. robin
91. whimbrel
92. med gull
93. grey plover
94. teal
95. dunlin
96. sanderling
97. knot
98. little ringed plover
99. bar tailed godwit
100. red crested pochard
101. whinchat 
102. cuckoo

Brent geese

Guiding in North Norfolk

Yesterday I picked up Little Hadham residents, Frank and Karin for a day birding in Norfolk. Departing the village at 6am and grabbing a coffee at Wells meant we were at  Kelling Heath before 8.30am.
A wander along the track to the level crossing gave up many songsters, including: chiffchaff, whitethroat, blackcap, robin, garden warbler which we heard but did not see along with several yellowhammers. Our search in the usual habitat for Dartford warblers proved unsuccessful but this was made up for by the sight of 2 wood larks heading into distant birches. Maybe the long hard winter has done for the dartfords as we chatted with local birders who had not seen them for a while either.
We moved off to Kelling water meadows where swallows were on the wires and a lesser whitethroat greeted us along the track. More warblers before we scanned the ponds: shelduck, avocet, shoveler and Egyptian geese. We checked all perched birds, finding 3 whinchat and several more whitethroats. Towards the beach meadow pipits, little egrets and wheatear made the list before we returned to the car, noting red legged partridge and a hare in adjacent fields.

Linnet at Kelling Heath

swallow at Weybourne

Lesser whitethroat

red legged partridge

Kelling water meadows: one of several distant hares

Posing goldfinch

Common whitethroat in with the Alexanders.

Avocet pair at Kelling water meadows

Shoveler

distant whinchat: 1 of 3 around Muckleborough Hill

feeding meadow pipit

From here we headed west, parking in the small car park at East Bank, Cley. The temperature continued to rise as we scanned for the Great white egret we had seen from the car earlier, but no further sign. Greylags and marsh harriers in view as we checked Arnold's Marsh. Redshank, few black tailed godwits and shelduck here, but too much water for small waders and a disappointing lack of terns. Reed and sedge warblers were heard, but no bearded reedlings. We had time for a quick check around the beach car park, several gull species got on to the list before we encountered at least 6 more wheatear and a grey wagtail. Jackdaws, carrion crows and rooks made the list here, too.
Time for lunch at Cookies crab shop. Excellent value for money and polite and prompt service before we checked the board at Cley NWT Visitors' Centre. Nothing too exciting had been noted on the reserve so we continued west to Burnham Overy Staithe path down to the sea defence path and into the dunes around Gun Hill.
More finches and warblers along the track and plenty of avocets in the harbour but the tide was out,so no terns fishing. A bush at the end of the boardwalk contained 2 stonechat and a whinchat, the latter legging it before I could get a photo. In the dunes were numerous linnet and wheatears abounded. No sign of the reported wryneck so we trooped back to the car, checking for sights of sedge warblers that sang invisibly from hawthorn. At this point I realised my lens hood had fallen off the 400mm lens, not to be refound! The field near the gate on to the sea defence path gave great views of 3 whimbrel. Another lifer for Karin and Frank and a year lister for me.

Shelduck at Arnold's Marsh, Cley

Carrion crow mobbing a common buzzard over the East Bank

Skylark in the Eye Field

first of 3 wheatear from the Beach Road

Another wheatear

Distant marsh harrier at Burnham Overy

whimbrel near the sea defence footpath

Yet another wheatear on sueda

nest building linnet

distant stonechat, Gun Hill dunes

Having stopped at Burnham Deepdale for refreshments we parked at Titchwell. The day list in the book looked good so off we wandered. From the island hide we scoped med gulls, teal, godwits, brent geese, sandwich terns and common terns. As we walked to the Parrinder Hide a spoonbill flew towards Thornham Marsh. I got a very brief glimpse of a bearded reedling as I checked Patsy's pool for red crested pochard (5 were present) along with pochard. We chatted to a chap who had never seen bearded reedling. He wandered off and I stated it was highly likely one would turn up as he had gone. Almost immediately a male came into view, resplendent with grey/blue head and excellent moustache. We called the chap back and he got views of his first bearded reedling. Pleasing stuff.
A scope view over Thornham Marsh gave up views of a superbly summer plumaged Grey Plover before we got to the Parrinder Hide. From here, several smart male ruff and dowdier reeves, pied wagtail but no small waders.
We once again headed back to the car, stopping at the White Horse, Burnham Deepdale for a much required pint as we had covered 10 miles plus in temps touching 17C.
We then returned to the village, having reckoned on a species list of in excess of 80. A brilliant day with great company.

Yet another wheatear

Flyover little egret at Titchwell

Thornham Marsh little egret

Confiding robin along the sea footpath

coot chick, Titchwell

distant sedge warbler

black tailed godwit on the Freshmarsh

singing sedge warbler near the Island Hide

Species list:

1. little grebe
2. cormorant
3. little egret
4. great white egret (year lister)
5. grey heron
6. spoonbill (year lister)
7. mute swan
8. greylag goose
9. canada goose
10. brent goose
11. egyptian goose
12. shelduck
13. mallard
14. gadwall
15. shoveler
16. teal
17. pochard
18. red crested pochard
19. tufted duck
20. marsh harrier
21. common buzzard
22. kestrel
23. red legged partridge
24. pheasant
25. moorhen
26. coot
27. oystercatcher
28. avocet
29. grey plover
30. lapwing 
31. redshank
32. black tailed godwit
33. whimbrel (year lister)
34. ruff
35. black headed gull
36. mediterranean gull (year lister)
37. herring gull
38. great black backed gull
39. sandwich tern (year lister)
40. common tern
41. wood pigeon
42. collarded dove
43. cuckoo
44. skylark
45. wood lark
46. swallow
47. house martin (year lister)
48. meadow pipit
49. pied wagtail
50. grey wagtail
51. wren
52. dunnock
53. robin
54. wheatear
55. whinchat
56. stonechat
57. song thrush
58. blackbird
59. garden warbler (year lister)
60. blackcap
61. lesser whitethroat (year lister)
62. whitethroat
63. sedge warbler
64. reed warbler
65. willow warbler (year lister)
66. chiffchaff
67. great tit
68. coal tit
69. blue tit
70. long tailed tit
71. bearded reedling (year lister)
72. magpie
73. jackdaw
74. rook
75. carrion crow
76. starling
77. house sparrow
78. chaffinch
79. linnet
80. goldfinch
81. greenfinch
82. reed bunting
83. yellowhammer

Did I mention wheatear?