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.