Little Hadham Birding: 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 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.