Norfolk 29.11.22

 Great to be back in Norfolk but the light was just dreadful and sometimes considerably worse! Visited Holkham Gap on the beach where Red breasted merganser, Goldeneye, Red throated diver and Slavonian Grebe were noted out to sea. No sign of the hoped for Shorelarks, but Common scoter through my scope became Rick's 200th bird for the year.

Off to CleySpy to get Rick kitted out with a new scope and tripod and then off to Gramborough Hill at Salthouse. Virtually birdless so headed east to Titchwell where the light meant photos were impossible, as proved below!

Titchwell held a mixed flock of finches feeding in alder along the footpath from the entrance but high water levels meant very few waders on the Freshmarsh.

The beach was better with plenty seen including good numbers of Bar tailed godwits. Out to see, just Great crested grebes. By 3.45pm we watched 7 Marsh harriers come into roost before returning home by 6.40. A good day and Rick very pleased with his new scope. 

Species list:

1. Red throated diver
2. Great crested grebe
3. Slavonian grebe
4. Cormorant
5. Little egret
6. Great white egret
7. Mute swan
8. Whooper swan
9. Greylag goose
10. Pink-footed goose
11. Brent goose
12. Shelduck
13. Mallard
14. Gadwall
15. Wigeon
16. Teal
17. Shoveler
18. Tufted duck
19. Common scoter
20. Goldeneye
21. Red breasted merganser
22. Red kite
23. Marsh harrier
24. Kestrel
25. Merlin (possible, very brief glimpse)
26. Pheasant
27. Moorhen
28. Oystercatcher
29. Golden plover
30. Grey plover
31. Turnstone
32. Lapwing
33. Dunlin
34. Sanderling
35. Redshank
36. Curlew
37. Snipe
38. Black tailed godwit
39. Bar tailed godwit
40. Black headed gull
41. Common gull
42. Herring gull
43. Lesser black backed gull
44. Great black backed gull
45. Wood pigeon
46. Collared dove
47. Skylark
48. Rock pipit
49. Meadow pipit
50. Pied wagtail
51. Dunnock
52. Cetti's warbler (heard)
53. Goldcrest
54. Robin
55. Blackbird
56. Redwing
57. Long tailed tit
58. Great tit
59. Blue tit
60. Wren
61. Treecreeper
62. Chaffinch
63. Brambling
64. Goldfinch
65. Greenfinch
66. Siskin
67. Linnet
68. Starling
69. Jackdaw
70. Rook
71. Carrion crow
72. Magpie
73. Jay

Redshank at Salthouse

Dunkins on Titchwell beach

Black tailed godwit, Titchwell

Black headed gull, Salthouse

Titchwell beach curlew

Titchwell Little egret

Little egret, Titchwell beach

Great white egret at Titchwell: 3.25pm in near darkness. 200th second at 3200 ISO!

Day at Abberton Reservoir

Early start for a day at Abberton reservoir near Colchester. Arrived at the Layer Breton Causeway in very poor light where plenty was noted. Goosanders, up to 10 were the main pick whilst 100's of Shovelers, Grey herons, a strange hybrid Baikal teal were all to be seen. Great egrets and 20 Little egrets, a flyby kingfisher, teal, mallards and several pochards.

Off to a view point looking over the reservoir: Dunlin, a solitary little stint, numerous lapwings and golden plover all in view before we headed to the 2nd causeway in search of several rarer species. Came across a female Scaup mingling with 100's of tufted duck whilst we watched a female Hen harrier pluck and eat a dead bird before it got fed up with the attention of 2 carrion crows and flew off with the prey. Redshank, Meadow pipits and good numbers of Pied wagtails on the dam.

Off to the splendid visitors' centre for a 10.30am coffee and then a wander to the 3 hides overlooking the water. A ruff from the Hide Bay Hide but no sign of the Bewick swans or Great Northern diver. A few visitors reported a short eared owl near the island hide, but not apparent when we returned to check the area so a plan to head towards Mersea Island. 

As we drove over the causeway again we noted a fair few birders so parked to check what the interest was. A Long tailed duck, Slavonian grebe and male Scaup were all relatively close in and by the time we had finished here it was too late for a drive to Mersea. Consequently, headed back to Layer Breton causeway and caught up with another Kingfisher and more Goosanders, the most I have ever seen at this site. A grey wagtail made the day list before we headed back home via Marks Tey. A 73 species day being an excellent return for a visit to just one site. Well worth a winter trip, but do wrap up warm as it is always freezing cold on the causeways!

Species List:

1. Great crested grebe
2. Slavonian grebe
3. Little grebe
4. Cormorant
5. Grey heron
6. Little egret
7. Great Egret
8. Mute swan
9. Greylag goose
10. Canada goose
11. Egyptian goose
12. Mallard
13. Gadwall
14. Wigeon
15. Pochard
16. Teal
17. Baikal teal hybrid
18. Pintail
19. Shoveler
20. Tufted duck
21. Scaup
22. Goldeneye
23. Goosander
24. Red kite
25. Sparrowhawk
26. Common buzzard
27. Marsh harrier
28. Hen Harrier
29. Kestrel
30. Red legged partridge
31. Pheasant
32. Moorhen
33. Coot
34. Golden plover
35. Lapwing
36. Dunlin
37. Redshank
38. Ruff
39. Black tailed godwit
40. Snipe
41. Black headed gull
42. Herring gull
43. Great black backed gull
44. Lesser black backed gull
45. Common gull
46. Stock dove
47. Wood pigeon
48. Kingfisher
49. Great spotted woodpecker (heard)
50. Skylark
51. Meadow pipit
52. Pied wagtail
53. Grey wagtail
54. Dunnock
55. Cetti's warbler (heard)
56. Stonechat
57. Robin
58. Blackbird
59. Fieldfare
60. Long tailed tit
61. Great tit
62. Blue tit
63. Wren
64. Reed bunting
65. Chaffinch
66. Goldfinch
67. Linnet
68. House sparrow
69. Starling
70. Magpie
71. Rook
72. Jackdaw
73. Carrion crow.

Pochard drake and Tufted duck

Great crested grebe

with a Perch for lunch

Redshank

Great egret

female Goldeneye

Common gull

Goldfinch

view from Hide Bay Hide

Lapwings

dozing drake Pochard

female Scaup

drake Scaup

Redshank

female Goosander

drake Goosander

Grey heron

hybrid Teal x Baikal Teal

Little egret

Male Kingfisher

Grey wagtail

Black headed gull

Muntjac

Male kingfisher

Very Grey and Damp day in North Norfolk

 Setting off at 5.15 am for a Norfolk day on Monday 7th. Customary coffee in Wells and straight to Holkham beach before the light was any good so camera left in the car. The over wintering Shore Larks were distant, about 5 of them before a check on the sea. Rafts of scoter, including 3 Velvet Scoter. A quick check in the pines gave up Goldcrests and tit species before heading to Cley beach for another sea watch. Unbeknown to me, the best light of the day here but just distant gannets.

From here, a wander down the East Bank: wigeon, teal and a kingfisher but nothing out to sea apart from several Red throated divers. Checked for Snow bunting but none to be found.

Down the Iron Road to Salthouse beach in very grey light, all cars with headlights on. A mixed flock of Goldfinches, Twite and Linnets feeding upon the Horned poppy seeds and a pair of Stonechats near Gramborough Hill but no sign of the Lapland bunting that had been reported that day. The over wintering Long Billed Dowitcher commutes between the East Bank and a pool on the beach, but again, a no show today. A Meadow pipit posed for a photo near the car.

Headed west to Brancaster Harbour but just the expected waders so up to Choseley Barns. Overhead, 1000's of Pink footed Geese and south west from the layby, quartering the area around a yellow crane, a male Hen Harrier. Bird of the day. Huge flock of Starlings rose from the pig field before a whistlestop trip to Titchwell beach and hides in persistent drizzle. A Water Pipit and Rock pipit got on to the day list, as did Sanderling on the beach. A Red necked grebe on the sea, distant as the tide was way out. Two Pintails from the Parrinder Hide as well as a pair of Pochard and a few Ruff. A check in the alders in the car park gave up a large mixed flock of Siskins, Goldfinches and Lesser redpolls.

By now I felt like I could be out mothing it was so dark so off to Thornham Point where another Hen Harrier had been seen, but not whilst I was there. A Bar tailed Godwit probed the mud near the footbridge before I decided to call it a day and headed home. No traffic issues meant back indoors by 6.30pm. A good birding day but hugely frustrating from the photography point of view. Basically, anything that was mobile wasn't worth photographing as the shutter speed settings were so low and ISO were so high that cropping would make the photos very grainy, as seen below.

Species list.

1. Red throated Diver
2. Great Crested Grebe
3. Red necked grebe
4. Gannet
5. Cormorant
6. Little egret
7. Great egret
8. Grey heron
9. Mute swan
10. Pink-footed goose
11. Greylag Goose
12. Canada goose
13. Brent goose
14. Shelduck
15. Egyptian goose
16. Mallard
17. Gadwall
18. Pintail
19. Shoveler
20. Wigeon
21. Teal
22. Pochard
23. Tufted duck
24. Common scoter
25. Velvet scoter
26. Red kite
27. Hen Harrier
28. Marsh harrier
29. Common buzzard
30. Sparrowhawk
31. Kestrel
32. Pheasant
33. Moorhen
34. Coot
35. Oystercatcher
36. Avocet
37. Golden plover
38. Lapwing
39. Sanderling
40. Dunlin
41. Redshank
42. Black tailed godwit
43. Bar tailed godwit
44. Curlew
45. Snipe
46. Ruff
47. Black headed gull
48. Herring gull
49. Common gull
50. Lesser black backed gull
51. Great black backed gull
52. Razorbill
53. Wood pigeon
54. Collared dove
55. Kingfisher
56. Skylark
57. Shorelark
58. Water pipit
59. Rock pipit
60. Meadow pipit
61. Pied wagtail
62. Wren
63. Robin
64. Dunnock
65. Stonechat
66. Song Thrush
67. Blackbird
68. Cetti's warbler
69. Chiffchaff
70. Goldcrest
71. Great tit
72. Blue tit
73. Coal tit
74. Long tailed tit
75. Bearded reedling (heard)
76. Magpie
77. Jay
78. Jackdaw
79. Carrion crow
80. Rook
81. Starling
82. House sparrow
83. Chaffinch
84. Goldfinch
85. Siskin
86. Lesser redpoll
87. Linnet
88. Twite
89. Reed bunting

Whistling Wigeon at Cley

Teal from the East Bank

Little Grebe on Don's Pool, Cley

Meadow Pipit, Salthouse

Stonechat, Gramborough Hill

Black tailed godwit, Brancaster Harbour

Shoveler, Titchwell

Greylags in ridiculously dark conditions

Incoming Greylags

Golden Plover, Titchwell

Dozing drake Wigeon

Feeding Black tailed godwit, Titchwell

Redshank from the beach path, Titchwell

Black tailed godwit

Curlew, Titchwell

Shoveler, Titchwell

Pink footed geese over Choseley

Little egret, Thornham

Muddy Bar tailed godwit, Thornham

Shoveler, Titchwell

Another Bar tailed godwit, Thornham