2020 Bird Year list

I don't often keep a year list of birds but thought this year has been so different I thought it would be worth recording for posterity. This is a list, as far as I can recall up until 17th December.

Goldcrest

Song thrush

1. Red throated diver
2.  Little grebe
3.  Great crested grebe
4.  Fulmar (Weybourne beach, Norfolk)
5.  Gannet
6.  Cormorant
7.  Cattle egret (Burnham Overy Staithe)
8.  Little egret
9. Great egret (Titchwell)
10.  Grey heron
11.  Spoonbill (Stiffkey, Norfolk)
12.  Mute swan
13.  Pink footed goose
14.  Greylag goose
15.  Canada goose
16.  Barnacle goose
17.  Brent goose
18.  Shelduck
19.  Egyptian goose
20.  Mallard
21.  Gadwall
22.  Shoveler
23.  Teal
24.  Pochard
25.  Tufted duck
26.  Common scoter
27.  Goldeneye
28.  Red kite
29.  Marsh harrier
30.  Hen harrier (Wighton, Norfolk)
31.  Common buzzard
32.  Sparrowhawk
33.  Kestrel
34.  Hobby
35.  Peregrine
36.  Red legged partridge
37.  Grey partridge
38. Pheasant
39.  Water rail
40.  Coot
41.  Moorhen
42.  Oystercatcher
43.  Avocet
44.  Little ringed plover
45.  Ringed plover
46.  Grey plover
47.  Golden plover
48.  Lapwing
49.  Knot
50.  Sanderling
51.  Turnstone
52.  Dunlin
53.  Green sandpiper
54.  Redshank
55.  Greenshank
56.  Black tailed godwit
57.  Bar tailed godwit
58.  Curlew
59.  Snipe
60.  Red necked phalarope (Salthouse, Norfolk)
61.  Ruff
62.  Great skua (Titchwell)
63.  Black headed gull
64.  Herring gull
65.  Lesser black backed gull
66.  Greater black backed gull
67.  Common gull
68.  Mediterranean gull (Titchwell)
69.  Sandwich tern
70.  Common tern
71.  Wood pigeon
72.  Collared dove
73.  Cuckoo (heard)
74.  Tawny owl
75.  Little owl
76.  Short eared owl (Wallington nr Baldock)
77.  Barn owl
78.  Swift
79.  House martin
80.  Sand martin
81.  Swallow
82.  Hoopoe (Wighton, Norfolk)
83.  Kingfisher
84.  Rose ringed parakeet
85.  Green woodpecker
86.  Great spotted woodpecker
87.  Skylark
88.  Rock pipit
89.  Meadow pipit
90.  Pied wagtail
91.  Yellow wagtail
92.  Grey wagtail
93.  Wren
94.  Dunnock
95.  Robin
96.  Redstart
97.  Wheatear 
98.  Song thrush
99.  Mistle thrush
100.  Fieldfare
101.  Redwing
102.  Blackbird
103.  Ring ouzel (Garden Drove, Warham Greens, Norfolk)
104.  Barred warbler (Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk)
105.  Garden warbler
106.  Blackcap
107.  Lesser whitethroat
108.  Whitethroat
109.  Sedge warbler
110.  Cetti's warbler
111.  Reed warbler
112.  Willow warbler
113.  Chiffchaff
114.  Radde's warbler (Wells Woods, Norfolk. Only the 3rd I have ever seen in UK)
115.  Yellow browed warbler (Wells Woods, Norfolk)
116.  Pallas's warbler (Holkham Pines, Norfolk)
117.  Goldcrest
118.  Spotted flycatcher
119.  Pied flycatcher (Wells Woods, Norfolk)
120.  Red breasted flycatcher (Wells Woods, Norfolk)
121.  Great tit
122.  Coal tit
123.  Marsh tit
124.  Blue tit
125. Long tailed tit
126.  Bearded reedling
127.  Nuthatch
128.  Tree creeper
129.  Brown shrike (Warham Greens, Norfolk)
130.  Magpie
131.  Jay
132.  Carrion crow
133.  Raven (Garden!)
134.  Jackdaw
135.  Rook
136.  Starling
137.  House sparrow
138.  Chaffinch
139.  Brambling (Burnham Overy Staithe)
140.  Linnet
141.  Lesser redpoll
142.  Goldfinch
143.  Greenfinch
144.  Siskin
145.  Bullfinch
146.  Reed bunting
147.  Yellowhammer
148.  Snow bunting
149.  Siskin
150.  Woodcock
151.  Goosander
152.  Corn bunting
153.  Merlin
154.  Stonechat
155.  Iceland gull (Weybourne beach, Norfolk)
156.  Red breasted merganser
157.  Eider
158.  Wigeon
159.  Great northern diver

Redstart

Knot

Stonechat

Iceland gull

Short eared owl

Return to Norfolk

 Last Wednesday (14th October) there were easterlies blowing over the North Sea along with heavy rain. Perfect conditions for forcing migrants to seek shelter and as Friday was a free day, I set off just after 5am for another day based around Wells Next the Sea. 

My usual coffee and snack at Wells Co-Op and then along to Garden Drove, some 3 miles east of Wells. Along the very muddy track before parking near the pig fields and down the track which emerges on Warham Greens. A covey of young Grey partridges greeted my arrival as I changed into my walking boots, collected the camera and binoculars and was off. Everything and anything was possible here so each tree was checked along the 600 yard track. Goldcrests in their 100's! A sycamore and adjacent oak was absolutely swarming with them but the light was not good enough so I planned to get some snaps as I returned to the car.

On to the Coastal Footpath and headed west towards Wells. Thrush species in good number: Fieldfare (a few,) Redwing (loads,) Scandinavian blackbirds showing their all black bill (100's) along with a few rattling Mistle thrushes and a solitary Song thrush. Goldfinches and linnets also in good sized flocks whilst out on the Greens: Brent geese, Little egrets, Redshanks and curlews along with Black headed gulls a plenty. A good start. Flocks of Skylarks overhead and further inland the constant sound of Pink footed geese. Wrens alarm called, Robins sang and a very brief view of a Ring ouzel, my first of the season, its silvery wings distinguishing it from the numerous blackbirds.

After about a mile, I decided to head back and there was nothing new appearing. I checked a well known hollow, full of brambles but just thrush sp, reed buntings and finches. I arrived back at Garden Drove to note a few more goldcrests hovering over and under leaves. Always a chance of a Siberian warbler species in with them and it wasn't long before I caught sight of a larger bird with bright yellow over the eye, a Yellow browed warbler. This bird breeds upon the Siberian Taiga. First of 3 that I found.

Back to the main flock of goldcrests that appeared to have grown in number. All very active and busy feeding, so much so they often came too close for the camera to focus. Again, I checked through them for anything else, but nothing was apparent. A superb sight, the most I have ever come across in such a small area. Needless to say, I fired off many photos in still grey light. I messed around with manual settings and a few came out reasonably well lit but many did not!

A flock of wigeon headed west as I arrived back at the car, already suitably pleased and rather muddy.

Grey partridge

Pied wagtail

Pink foots

Linnets

Song thrush, note arrow head shaped spots that helps distinguish from Mistle thrush

Scandinavian/Siberian blackbird showing black bill

Feeding frenzy of Goldfinches

Goldcrest

Male goldcrest showing orange crown

Goldcrests were never still!

Female goldcrest showing yellow crown

The wingbar here helps search out yellow browed warbler as they have two bars

Checking for insects and spiders

This sycamore leaf gives an indication of how small this female is

Great expression from this female

Wigeon flock heading west

I now headed off to Wells Woods and stumped up a rather extortionate £3.50 for two hours of parking at the beach car park. I headed towards the Dell but by the time I arrived there it was clearly apparent that there were few, if any migrants present. In fact there were hardly any birds: Great tits, Long tailed tits, wrens, Blue tits and Robins along with an overhead kestrel. These were expensive birds! A yellow browed warbler called from a distant birch, proving too fast for the camera and a female blackcap sat atop a bramble pile. I continued to check the bushes but very little to be found so, having checked the boating lake where Little grebe got on to the day list I was back at the car after 45 minutes. 

Little grebe

Definite sign of few birds if you resort to photographing Grey squirrels!

I now headed to Lady Anne's Drive opposite the Victoria hotel at Holkham. Same price structure for parking here so another £3.50 and off I went. A Great white egret flew over before landing in a ditch at distance whilst Grey lag geese, Egyptian geese, wigeon, lapwings and a few curlews probed the muddy pastures. A Wall butterfly roosted on a car hubcap.

Into Holkham pines and headed west. Again, very little apart from goldcrests again. I stopped to check through this very mobile flock but just another Yellow browed so I moved further west. Just before the Jordan tower hide another fall of goldcrests in an oak. Surely this time I would get something else, a Firecrest perhaps, but no, better than that. Right at the back, feeding rapidly in a birch a bird slightly larger than goldcrest but showing a yellow crown stripe but with 2 broad yellow eye stripes, too and a pair of wingbars, a Pallas's warbler. I watched it hover over leaves much like a goldcrest whereupon the yellow rump was visible, sealing the id. Another Siberian taiga bird brought over by the easterlies. I fired of photos but the light was so poor and the bird so fast that it was pointless.

Photo here from the internet to get an idea what this wonderful sprite looks like. Not a regular bird for the UK, just my 5th ever and all from Holkham and Wells Woods

By now my time was close to expiring and I know how diligent the car park attendants are along here so back to the car and off to my final destination of the day.

Distant great white egret

Incoming Greylags

Unusual roost for a Wall butterfly

Greylag

Pink foots

Pallas's warbler (not my photo)

I parked opposite a path that leads to the dunes some 2 miles out from Burnham Overy Staithe and set off again, checking hedges. A chiffchaff called its autumn wheet wheet call and in neighbouring fields plenty of geese. Meadow pipits greeted me on the old sea defence wall, not the coastal footpath and over the mud flats plenty of redshanks probed. Huge parties of linnets and goldfinches as I started to check bushes around Gun Hill but, as last time I was there, very little to be found so I headed back to the board walk for the 1.5 mile walk back east towards Holkham Pines. Far across the fields a Short Eared owl sat on the ground, another season's first and plenty of stonechat on top of brambles.

Just before entering into the pines, not 400 yards from where I hade been near the Jordan tower hide, there is well known hollow which is overgrown with brambles and plenty of cover for skulking migrants. Several other birders were already present but there was plenty of room for us all so I was content being there. A Barred warbler had been seen earlier in the day as well as a Siberian stonechat. The Barred warbler is a bird that usually stays well hidden in deep vegetation as is often found on call rather than sight. After a few minutes a rounded grey bird popped up, took a berry and was gone. That was the view for the next 20 minutes before it showed a couple more times. By now, it was useless light but I fired away more in hope than expectation. The results speak for themselves.

No sign of the unusual stonechat but in a field of Belted Galloway cattle, a grey heron and a pair of cattle egrets. One of the egrets was feeding upon a frog. Huge numbers of cormorant were coming into roost, often in parties of 35+ and the pink foots were heading off to their night time roost as well. I headed back to the car in the gathering gloom having had another great day. So many birds within just a few miles of Wells and no need to visit a busy bird reserve. I had covered over 10 miles on foot. Before finishing I managed a few grey photos of dunlin on the mud but sadly, by the time I got a reasonable view of the hunting Short eared owl it was just too dark to bother. Another day for this species. 

Wading redshank

A very strange and short lived light over the dunes

Greylags

Feeding goldfinch

More goldfinches

Loads of linnets, 1 Goldfinch

Best I could manage of the distant and elusive Barred warbler

No sooner seen, than gone!

Grey heron using the Belted Galloways to disturb its prey

Cattle egret with frog

Cormorants off to roost

Golden plover flock

Cormorant in rapidly darkening sky

Feeding dunlin

Last photo of the day, Pink footed geese.

Species list

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

Yet another Goldcrest, female

Amazing day in North Norfolk

 There had been some superb North easterlies pushing birds into North Norfolk at the end of last week and Monday was the first opportunity I had to see what had arrived. I appreciated plenty would have moved on but felt sure there would still be birds about in good numbers. I wasn't disappointed. Leaving home before 5am, coffee at Wells Co-Op at 7, a quick drive down Lady Anne's Drive to check for late owls and then straight to Burnham Overy Dunes along the sea defence as thought the path down from the road may be too much of a quagmire and wet feet early in the day wouldn't be great.

The light was really poor, making photos tricky but I persevered in manual as much as possible. Meadow pipits everywhere, 3 wheatear on the fence and wire, several low flying swallows and a few cattle egret with the cattle. A first for me in Norfolk, cattle egrets that is, not cows!

I arrived at the boardwalk and checked the brambles and apple tree which has held many good birds for me over the decades. A pair of blackcaps skulked here, whilst wrens, dunnocks, blue tits were scrabbling around in the brambles. Nothing too noteworthy in the dunes and marram grass so over the boardwalk to Gun Hill. Meadow pipits everywhere, 100's if not 1000's. I checked some to see if there were any other species such as olive backed pipits, but drew a blank. There are only so many pipits you can look at.

Cormorant flyover and a chiffchaff in brambles also. Several fieldfare were flushed but nothing on the ground as I checked as many bushes as possible. Back to the board walk where a rock pipit popped up before I noted movement under a sueda bush. Just about to dismiss them all as House sparrows when a brambling popped out onto a rock. My first of the season. Constant movement of geese overhead, too

Rock pipit

Little egret

Greylag geese

Distant cattle egret

Chiffchaff

Meadow pipit

Meadow pipit at Gun Hill

Westerly cormorant

Wren

Goldfinch under darkening skies

Male blackcap

Wheatear balancing in the breeze

wheatear and meadow pipit

windswept Reed bunting

Mute swan

A very early morning Goldfinch

Superb Brambling

Once back at the car I headed towards Salthouse, with a plan to work my way back to Wells over the course of the day. I took a short detour to Wighton following reports of a hoopoe. Arrived on site but too many folk for my likening and as non were looking through scopes or binoculars I assumed it wasn't showing at that point, so off to Salthouse.

Here, the skies were threatening. I left the camera well hidden in the car, not wanting to get to Gramborough Hill and be caught in a downpour. This virtually guaranteed either a really good bird would be found or a bird would pose perfectly for a shot. The former happened as there was a red necked phalarope on water to the west of the beach road. As it happened, it was probably too distant for a photo anyway as I tried to get the best views. Very little on Gramborough Hill, plenty of curlew and gulls on the fields, so I headed back, thinking Wells Woods should offer some consolation. I stopped off to check Walsey Hills and Snipe's Marsh but nothing here to add to the list apart from a greenfinch before I parked at the beach carpark, bought 3 hours worth of time and headed off, the skies being clearer so camera in tow.

Blackcaps and chiffchaffs regularly seen as I headed to The Dell. The wettest I have known it for years, with plenty of standing water. Small copper, Wall butterflies and several Migrant hawkers caught the eye, as did a pair of busy Yellow browed warblers flitting through birch. I fired off a few shots before realising I hadn't checked the settings. All hugely over exposed after Burnham greyness. A pied flycatcher flew into trees beyond the Dell and more c]blackcaps. I took the path along which a 1st year red backed shrike had been reported, but no luck for me today. Suddenly, all the lapwings and gulls went up from the adjacent field. I looked skyward and there, high over the woods, a hen harrier, its white rump reflecting in a rare moment of clear sunshine. A hobby flew over at the same time. I tried for some shots of the harrier but just too high to be more than a hugely cropped dot!

Back into the woods between the caravan site and the toilet block. Trees were loaded with birds: goldcrests, goldfinches, Lesser redpoll, Chaffinches, chiffchaffs, blackcaps etc. Now cloudy and dark under the canopy. I arrived at the huge Scots Pine with the rope swing attached. Here, plenty of bramble on the sandy slopes, great for skulking warblers so I took time just to stand and look and listen. Wrens, blackcaps and a chiffchaff popped up before a browner bird showing, in the brief moment it was atop a bramble, a thick white eye stripe, yellow/pale orange legs and feet and a warm yellow colouring under the tail. The breast was a warm yellow colour, too with a white area under the beak. Within 5 seconds it was gone. A Radde's warbler. To confirm it then clicked several times from the depths of the brambles. First I have seen for a few years, my last was here, too.

I arrived back on the path and a kestrel appeared and hovered directly overhead. I shot off photos but it was too close, I had to wind down the lens. It dived into grass right in front of me before flying off. Too close for the camera. This led to chats with several other birders and walkers who had stopped to watch it. One final check through the birches and, in the darkest area of the wood, a redstart popped up and posed just long enough for a snap. I pushed the ISO right up to compensate.

By now, my 3 hours were almost up. I headed back to the car, checked the boating lake but just a Little grebe made the day list.

Migrant hawker

super Redstart

Female blackcap enjoying blackberries

Goldcrest

Wall butterfly

Wall underwings

Nectaring upon knapweed

Another chiffchaff

Overhead kestrel

Being watched

same bird

Male blackcap highlighting photo problems of birds hiding in brambles on a cloudy day in a wood

Pleasing kestrel shot, another bird 

Greenfinch

Robin

I got to the car 7 minutes after my time expired but all was fine so off to park at Stiffkey High Creeks campsite and take a wander along to the Whirligig roundabout along the coastal footpath. Had a chat to several birders who had walked from Morston to the east and reported very little apart from waders and wildfowl at Stiffkey Fen and a few bits and bobs, so I stuck to my plan of heading west. I too didn't find too much and nothing to add to the list. I scanned Warham Greens for spoonbill but only Little egrets. No signs of a merlin and probably too early for hen harriers to come into roost. I then caught sight of a few blue tits and a female blackbird flying irritatedly around some ivy. Worth a check and sure enough, a magnificent Tawny owl was tucked away. Super to see. I checked the marshes once again and by now, at around 5.30pm the light was getting really poor and some cars had headlights on. Time to pop up to see if the hoopoe was still present before cutting through to Egmere and home. 

Distant redshank in the last of the sunshine

Black headed gull in the gathering gloom

Golden plover flock

A watchful Tawny owl

Wonderful to see

Think I'm being watched

Looking east

I arrived at Wighton and only 3 other birders present, so plenty of room. The hoopoe was feeding and probing around in tall weeds near a dung heap. I messed around with settings to try for some shots but by now cricketers would have certainly left the field for bad light. I stretched to ISO a little and had some success, if somewhat grainy. My first Norfolk hoopoe after one at Dungeness and the well watched one I found in Bishop's Stortford in 2007. Great to see and a fitting finale to a superb day. 

Hoopoe in semi darkness

Species List.

1. Little grebe
2. Cormorant
3. Cattle egret
4. Little Egret
5. Grey heron
6. Mute swan
7. Pink footed goose
8.  Greylag goose
9.  Canada goose
10.  Shelduck
11. Egyptian goose
12. Mallard
13.  Gadwall
14. Shoveller
15.  Wigeon 
16.  Red kite
17.  Marsh harrier
18.  Hen harrier (female)
19.  Common buzzard
20.  Sparrowhawk
21.  Kestrel 
22.  Hobby
23.  Red legged partridge
24.  Grey partridge
25.  Pheasant
26. Moorhen
27.  Coot
28.  Golden plover
29.  Lapwing
30.  Redshank
31.  Red necked phalarope
32.  Curlew
33.  Black headed gull
34.  Herring gull
35. Lesser black backed gull
36.  Wood pigeon
37. Collared dove
38.  Tawny owl
39.  Hoopoe
40. Skylark
41.  Swallow
42.  Rock pipit
43. Meadow pipit
44.  Pied wagtail
45.  Wren
46.  Dunnock
47.  Robin
48.  Redstart
49.  Wheatear
50.  Fiedlfare
51.  Blackbird
52.  Blackcap
53.  Cetti's warbler
54.  Chiffchaff
55.  Radde's warbler
56.  Yellow browed warbler
57.  Goldcrest
58.  Pied flycatcher
59.  Great tit
60. Blue tit
61. Coal tit
62.  Long tailed tit
63.  Bearded reedling
64.  Magpie
65.  Jay
66.  Jackdaw
67.  Carrion crow
68.  Rook
69.  Starling
70.  House sparrow
71.  Chaffinch
72.  Greenfinch
73.  Goldfinch
74.  Brambling
75.  Linnet
76.  Lesser redpoll
77.  Reed bunting

Certainly a long way short of a good list by species count but not everyday you get: Red necked phalarope, Hen Harrier, Redstart, Pied flycatcher, Hoopoe Tawny owl and Radde's warbler, so, as I did a fortnight ago, settle for quality rather than quantity