Tuesday 22 September 2020

Superb day in Norfolk

 Following last week's Easterlies, birding looked good for Monday so I was off to Norfolk at 5.30am for a day along the coast, mainly around Wells Next the Sea but with a chance to pop along to Cley also.

I arrived at Garden Drove, east of Wells and walked to the coastal footpath and headed west. Here, there had been sightings of a rare Brown shrike, just the 2nd ever record for Norfolk. As I wandered along the track, many of the trees were dripping with birds including an elusive Yellow browed warbler and several brambling. These were mobile and high in the oaks and with poor light, not worth getting photos of. I arrived at the brown shrike site where there were 10 - 15 birders. The shrike had been seen feeding on the nearby marsh before returning to its favoured hawthorn. In the distance, 3 wheatear sat atop a hedge. After half an hour of nothing, I decided to cut my losses and move on. I stopped by a small hollow surrounded by hawthorns and brambles. Perfect spot for a shrike as it uses thorns to impale its prey such as lizards, occasional small birds and beetles. I spent a good 15 minutes checking but just a redstart, Pied flyctacher and plenty of reed buntings along with a wren and a robin.

Male reed bunting

Female reed bunting

Robin in full voice

I headed back to the car thinking that if I had time, I would return late in the afternoon for another check. A meadow pipit posed nicely as I re checked the trees along Garden Drove, much as before.

Meadow pipit

Next stop was Wells Woods near the Beach Road carpark. Usually a good site in mid September and I was not disappointed. Plenty of birders about, many showing no awareness of social distancing at all. I wasn't comfortable and moved off. Red kites over Holkham Marsh, curlews, cetti's warbler, blackcap all made the day list before I came across a group studying a line of birch trees. Here, 2 more Yellow browed warblers but, keeping my distance meant I was too far for any photos. Good views through the binoculars. A huge skein of Pink footed geese came in, all very noisy, having flown from Siberia and the Arctic Circle. In another birch, a pair of willow warblers and a chiffchaff.

Curlew



Over 75 geese just in this cropped shot
Holkham Red kites

I turned to wander back to the car park when I encountered another group, again, all close together. I stood back just as a Red breasted flycatcher popped up on to a rosehip laden branch. Much too fast for the camera before it disappeared into a leafy silver birch. Most of the birders then circled the tree and cameras shot endless photos. This tiny bird, a first year bird will have fledged somewhere in North Eastern Europe or Siberia and has either been blown off course or, more likely headed west rather than instead of South East to Western Asia. They usually stay for a few days before continuing their journey but it is not known if they carry on in the wrong direction and perish or recalculate and make the journey back to where they should have been. Alternatively, they stay around and usually perish through the insectless winter. This splendid bird turns up in very small numbers in North Norfolk most autumns. Another Pied flyctacher was noted and yet another Yellow browed warbler, another bird from Siberia and found annually in Wells Woods and Holkham pines, often associating with the smaller goldcrests.

Pied Flyctacher


I returned to the car with just a few minutes remaining on my ticket and headed off to check the East Bank at Cley. Upon arrival, I checked Snipe's Marsh, just a teal so off the the East Bank. Redshank, meadow pipits and curlew on The Serpentine along with mallards and gadwall, little egrets and black tailed godwits mixing with curlew. A distant Marsh harrier rose from the reed bed as I arrived at the Richie Richardson hide, an open construction so permissive entrance. From here: avocet, ruff, grey plover, redshank, solitary greenshank, numerous cormorant and shelduck. In the far distance, a large female peregrine sat upon a fence, a photo impossible due to so much heat haze, but a great sight, nevertheless. A quick check on the sea, a few far off gannets and a variety of gulls only, so I returned to the car in 20+C temps. 

Little egret

Redshank

Spot the peregrine falcon
Too much heat haze


Teal

By now it was mid afternoon so I thought a return to Garden Drove and a few hours searching for the elusive shrike. Once parked by the pig farm I checked the trees as I headed back to the coastal path. More of the same and the light was still bright and harsh so I thought I would try upon my return. I arrived to find a group of birders next to the hollow I had checked in the morning. The shrike had been seen in another hawthorn hedge at the back of the site. I raised my binoculars and there it was, in the bush, not great for photography. This is another bird from Siberia and should have migrated to East Asia, perhaps Thailand or Sri Lanka. This is known as reverse migration where a bird basically goes 180 degrees in the wrong direction. Again, the outcome for the bird is not known. This was, as most incorrect migrants are, a first year bird showing barring on the breast and the beginnings of the black mask that most shrike species show. This was a new UK bird for me, having seen plenty in Sri Lanka over the years. It moved several times but never offered itself for a good photo, a few of my efforts here.







I left and I as I wandered to the car there were still plenty of birders heading along the path to see it, relieved to hear that it was still present. Along Garden Drove Long tailed tits and chaffinches lent themselves nicely to some photos in the orange light of early dusk. A large flock of Golden plovers came in to roost on the marsh before I was back at the car and ready to head home. Been a long but fruitful day. A small copper butterfly alighted just as I got back to the car, a pleasing conclusion to the day!

Golden Plover

Long Tailed tit

Chaffinch

Small copper

Species list, which is certainly quality over quantity for a Norfolk Day and with most of the hides on the very busy reserves closed, I will have missed out on probably 30 - 40 definite species. Pleasing list, though.

  1. Little grebe
  2. Gannet
  3. Cormorant
  4. Little egret
  5.  Grey heron
  6.  Mute swan
  7.  Pink footed geese
  8.  Greylag geese
  9.  Canada goose
  10.  Brent geese
  11.  Shelduck
  12.  Egyptian geese
  13.  Mallard
  14.  Gadwall
  15.  Wigeon 
  16.  Teal
  17.  Red kite
  18.  Common buzzard
  19.  Kestrel
  20.  Peregrine falcon
  21.  Marsh harrier
  22.  Red legged partridge
  23.  Grey partridge
  24.  Pheasant
  25.  Coot
  26.  Moorhen
  27.  Oystercatcher
  28.  Avocet
  29.  Grey plover
  30.  Golden plover
  31.  Lapwing 
  32.  Dunlin
  33.  Redshank
  34.  Greenshank
  35.  Black tailed godwit
  36.  Curlew
  37.  Snipe
  38.  Ruff
  39.  Black Headed gull
  40.  Herring gull
  41.  Lesser black backed gull
  42.  Wood pigeon
  43.  Collared dove
  44.  Green woodpecker
  45.  Great spotted woodpecker
  46.  Skylark
  47.  Meadow  pipit
  48.  Pied wagtail
  49.  Wren
  50.  Dunnock
  51.  Robin
  52.  Redstart
  53.  Wheatear
  54.  Song thrush
  55.  Blackbird
  56.  Blackcap
  57.  Cetti's warbler
  58.  Willow warbler
  59.  Chiffchaff
  60.  Yellow browed warbler
  61.  Goldcrest
  62.  Red breasted flyctacher
  63.  Pied flycatcher
  64.  Great tit
  65.  Blue tit
  66.  Long Tailed tit
  67.  Nuthatch
  68.  Brown shrike
  69.  Magpie
  70.  Jay
  71.  Jackdaw
  72.  Carrion crow
  73.  Rook
  74.  Starling
  75.  House sparrow
  76.  Chaffinch
  77.  Goldfinch
  78.  Linnet
  79.  Bullfinch (heard)
  80.  Brambling
  81.  Reed bunting
  82.  Yellowhammer


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This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander