Long Day in North Norfolk 21.09.21

 Setting off at 5am, arrived in Wells Next The Sea for a coffee at 7.15. Slow journey due to fog in places. After the coffee I headed to North Point Pools where it was apparent is was going to be a bright day. Great for photos but meant that I was unlikely to come across any rarer migrants that may have been pushed inland off the North Sea due to the very calm conditions.

Usual fare at NPP, a ruff flew in, several snipe and herds of greylag and Pink footed geese. I checked the dense hawthorn but just a few chiffchaffs. A reed warbler scratched a call, unseen before I headed back to the car. The sun was still low so viewing to the east was not good whereas looking west was superbly lit. However, far to the east, a Spoonbill was noted.

Ruff

3 of 100's of greylag geese

Upbeat and noisy Black headed gull

Still noisy on the downbeat

I now headed to Cley beach where I first checked the sea. A sandwich tern went by with a food item, 3 Guillemots dived relatively close in and a Red throated diver headed west. From here, I wandered east along the shingle. I checked the wire fence and posts for the inevitable Wheatear, at least 3. Also, a solitary Whinchat and plenty of Meadow pipits. Back at the sea, I noted another 2 Guillemot close in and a Common seal popped up to check me out.

Typical Wheatear pose

Another distant Wheatear

Guillemot

Guillemot, showing small wings that are used as flippers underwater.

Gone again

Back up

Common seal, youngster, I suspect

Common seal.

Back to the car and parked at Snipe's Marsh to check Walsey Hills before a wander along the East Bank. Not too much around, finches at Walsey Hills and plenty of butterflies and Colletes hederae (Ivy bee) on flowering ivy. Plenty of Black tailed godwit around the Serpentine but the sun meant views over Arnold's Marsh were silhouettes and heat hazed. I headed back to the car and off to Gramborough Hill.

Here, a large flock of Goldfinch along with more Meadow pipits, Wheatears and very territorial Pied wagtails. I sea watched from the top of Gramborough Hill. A very distant Great Skua headed into the sun towards Sheringham whilst an Arctic skua chased a Sandwich tern, too fast for the camera.

Red admiral

Comma

Goldfinch

Juvenile Little grebe

Battling with a shellfish

Pied wagtail on Salthouse beach

Meadow pipit, Salthouse beach

Time to head west, so off to Brancaster Staithe for a check on the mud as by now the tide was out. Black tailed godwits, Turnstones and a Little egret all present, plus a selection of gulls. Chatted to a photographer, Sheila who was busy getting great images of a confiding Turnstone. By now the temperatures were approaching 20C and the sun was at its highest, a little too sharp for photos but all was enjoyable.

Adult Turnstone

Herring gull

Black tailed godwit

Common gull

Turnstone, another adult showing the last few summer plumage feathers

Little egret

Off to the final destination: Titchwell RSPB Reserve. If you have not been here for a while, plenty of changes with diggers putting in new channels in the reedbeds and plenty of new islands upon the Freshmarsh. This area was full of birds: 100's Golden plover, Lapwing, Ruff, several Dunlin and Avocets. In one corner of the Freshmarsh near the path to the Parrinder Hide, Meadow pipits, Pied wagtails and a flock of linnets sat on the mud whilst a skulking Reed warbler was noted in the reeds.

From the Parrinder hide more of the same along with Ruff and Teal. A Little stint busied itself in the newly turned mud, distant and tiny.

Off to the beach. A Grey plover on the Tidal Marsh before a trek out to the mussel beds which are uncovered at very low tides. These were covered in waders and gulls but nothing on the sea apart from a small raft of Common scoter. A wonderful place to be and by now the light was just beginning to fade as the sun began to set over towards Holme. Another check from the hides to see if the Stint had moved closer, it hadn't, before I finished the day with a few photos showing pleasing reflections in the calm conditions and low sun.

Back to the car and home by 9.30 after a coffee stop on the way. Super day out. I shall be returning on Saturday with a birding friend. I would like the weather to be a little more damp and stormy on Friday but presently, that does not look likely, so more of the same species, I suspect.

Incoming Golden plover

Another ruff

Moulting drake Teal

Starlings

Redshank

Juvenile Herring gull at the beach

Group of Knot

Oystercatcher

Curlew on Thornham Marsh

Spot the Little stint, about the size of a greylag's webbed foot!

Meadow pipit

Reed warbler

Yet another ruff.

Species List for the day

1. Red throated diver
2. Little grebe
3. Cormorant
4. Little egret
5. Grey heron
6. Great egret
7. Spoonbill
8. Mute swan
9. Pink footed goose
10. Greylag goose
11. Canada goose
12. Brent goose
13. Shelduck
14. Egyptian goose
15. Mallard
16. Gadwall
17. Shoveler
18. Wigeon
19. Teal
20. Tufted duck
21. Common scoter
22. Red Kite
23. Marsh Harrier
24. Common buzzard
25. Kestrel
26. Peregrine falcon
27. Pheasant
28. Moorhen
29. Coot
30. Oystercatcher
31. Avocet
32. Grey plover
33. Golden plover
34. Lapwing
35. Knot
36. Sanderling
37. Turnstone
38. Dunlin
39. Little stint
40. Redshank
41. Black tailed godwit
42. Bar tailed godwit
43. Curlew
44. Snipe
45. Ruff
46. Great skua
47. Arctic skua
48. Black headed gull
49. Common gull
50. Herring gull
51. Lesser black backed gull
52. Greater black backed gull
53. Kittiwake
54. Sandwich tern
55. Guillemot
56. Wood pigeon
57. Collared dove
58. Green woodpecker
59. Great spotted woodpecker (heard)
60. Skylark
61. Swallow
62. Meadow pipit
63. Pied wagtail
64. Wren
65. Robin
66. Wheatear
67. Whinchat
68. Blackbird
69. Cettis warbler (heard)
70. Reed warbler
71. Willow warbler
72. Chiffchaff
73. Great tit
74. Blue tit
75. Coal tit (heard)
76. Long tailed tit
77. Bearded reedling (heard)
78. Magpie
79. Jackdaw
80. Rook
81. Carrion crow
82. Starling
83. House sparrow
84. Chaffinch
85. Greenfinch
86. Goldfinch
87. Linnet
88. Reed bunting

Linnet

Black tailed godwit with a single Lapwing

Guillemot

Final ruff.

Busy Times in North Norfolk

 Arising at 5am and picking up Rick at 5.30 in Stortford we arrived for the obligatory coffee in Wells Next The Sea at 7.30am and then headed off to North Point Pools just east of the town.

Chat with a local birder. Few waders were present and a flyover Spoonbill was a good start to the day. Light was a major issue for photos and remained poor throughout the day. Forever changing shutter speed and/or ISO settings. Many photos didn't make it and after downloading 300+, I ended up with 40 that were OK. 

Dunlin: North Point Pools

Spoonbill over North Point Pools

Off to Walsey Hills and Snipe's Marsh. A Spotted flycatcher here and although a Pied Flycatcher had been seen, we didn't connect with it. Coal tit and Marsh tit here, along with Little grebe and plenty of Greenfinches. Chatted with Steve before he went off to volunteer at the Visitors' Centre. Very helpfully, he gave us a list of what had been reported locally that morning.

juvenile Little Grebe: Snipe's Marsh

Cormorant: Snipe's Marsh

We then headed east to Kelling Heath where we saw next to nothing, a few chiffchaffs called but little else so down for a wander along to Kelling Water Meadows and The Quags. A juvenile kittiwake here that I tried to turn into a Sabine's gull but no stonechats or whinchats present. A quick check on the sea from the shingle ridge proved we were right not to spend time at Cley Beach doing a sea watch. Very little movement so wandered back to the car, checking the water meadows again where 2 Black tailed godwit came in. 3 Common buzzards overhead.

Chaffinch, Kelling Water Meadows track

Reed bunting: Kelling Water Meadows track

Black tailed godwit coming into Kelling Water Meadows.

Black tailed godwit: Kelling Water Meadows

Red Admiral: Kelling track

The lack of migrants in bushes or on the ground meant we gave Gramborough Hill at Salthouse a miss and headed for a coffee at Cley Visitors' Centre. Very good Bakewell Tart, too!

Parked and wandered along the East Bank to Arnold's Marsh. Snipe, dunlin, a ruff, avocets and loads of curlew and Sandwich terns present but no Bearded reedlings. 

Snipe: The Serpentine from East Bank

Back to the car and off west. Bought lunch in Blakeney, parked at Stiffkey Greens by the campsite, enjoyed the sandwiches and then took the footpath west to the Gibbert roundabout. Very little here. A warbler scratched and clicked but remained unseen. Suspect Lesser whitethroat, but one of several possibles for the day. Little egrets on the marsh at Warham Greens before returning to the car.

We headed west, stopping to check Brancaster harbour but a high tide meant no mud, therefore no waders and arrived at Titchwell around 3.30pm. Once past the rather brusque meet and greet chaps who asked if we were members and then demanded to see our membership cards. I enjoyed another coffee and yet another bakewell. Sugar and caffeine being the order of the day.

Plenty of birds from the island hide before a trek all the way to the beach. Here, waders in their 1000's and we spent the next couple of hours photographing these. Great fun and plenty of decent shots of the everyday waders that frequent this brilliant beach. We had a few minutes of sun before heading back. Over Thornham Marsh I got a very brief (2 seconds) distant glimpse of a very large grey bird that I immediately thought Common crane. Showed dark and light grey on the wing. Not seen again as it went down behind a large reedbed, but in reality, couldn't have been anything else really.

Curlew: Titchwell

Teal: Titchwell

Avocet feeding from the Island Hide, Titchwell

Juvenile Turnstone out of its depth: Titchwell

Redshank: Titchwell

Pintail; Titchwell

Pint of Wherry at the Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead and home by 9.45pm Brilliant day.

Species List:

1. Little grebe
2. Great crested grebe
3. Cormorant
4. Little egret
5. Great egret
6. Spoonbill (North Point Pools)
7. Mute swan
8. Greylag goose
9. Canada goose
10. Shelduck
11. Mallard
12. Gadwall
13. Pintail (Titchwell)
14. Shoveller
15. Wigeon
16. Teal
17. Tufted duck
18. Marsh harrier
19. Common buzzard
20. Kestrel
21. Red legged partridge
22. Pheasant
23. Moorhen
24. Coot
25. Common crane (probable) (Thornham Marsh)
26. Oystercatcher
27. Avocet
28. Ringed plover
29. Grey plover
30. Lapwing
31. Knot
32. Sanderling
33. Turnstone
34. Dunlin
35. Curlew sandpiper (Titchwell)
36. Green sandpiper (North Point Pools)
37. Redshank
38. Spotted redshank
39. Greenshank (Arnold's Marsh)
40. Black tailed godwit
41. Bar tailed godwit
42. Curlew
43. Snipe
44. Ruff
45. Black headed gull
46. Common gull
47. Herring gull
48. Lesser black backed gull
49. Great black backed gull
50. Kittiwake (Kelling Quags)
51. Sandwich tern
52. Common tern
53. Wood pigeon
54. Sand martin
55. House martin
56. Swallow
57. Meadow pipit
58. Pied wagtail
59. Wren
60. Robin
61. Garden warbler (Heard)
62. Lesser whitethroat (probable)
63. Whitethroat
64. Blackcap
65. Sedge warbler
66. Reed warbler (heard)
67. Cetti's warbler (heard)
68. Chiffchaff (heard)
69. Spotted flycatcher (Walsey Hills)
70. Great tit
71. Blue tit
72. Marsh tit (heard)
73. Coal tit (heard)
74. Magpie
75. Jackdaw
76. Carrion crow
77. Starling
78. Chaffinch
79. Linnet
80. Goldfinch
81. Greenfinch
82. Reed bunting

Footnote. Many Pied flycatchers were reported from all over North Norfolk. we just kept missing them! 11 were reported from Holkham Pines which we didn't visit. Photos below all from Titchwell beach. 

Juvenile/1st year Turnstone

Sanderling

Probing Sanderling

Sanderling has its eye on something

Knot

Smart plumaged Knot

Sanderling with moule.....

.....but no mariniere!

Knot flyby

Adult Herring gull

2nd winter Herring gull

More Knot

Westbound Oystercatcher

 Turnstone, adult with just a few flecks of orange breeding plumage feathers remaining.

Adult turnstone moulting from breeding plumage

Knot

Looking west

Bar tailed godwit

Looking North East.