Little Hadham Birding: Norfolk Day: 31.01.22

Wren at dusk, Titchwell car park

Redshank

Bar tailed godwit into the high tide roost

White fronted geese, Holkham Freshmarsh

Off to a very breezy North Norfolk this morning.

Checked Wells Harbour as I thought some seabirds may have taken shelter there from the high winds and rough North Sea, but here, that was not the case.

Moved on to Cley beach for a sea watch but it was impossible to keep the telescope still in the high winds. So strong my tripod was blown over and it was difficult to stand still, never mind walk directly into the wind, so I moved on to the East Bank where usual fare was found: redshank, dunlin, wildfowl, cormorants but very little was flying apart from geese sp, a Marsh harrier and gulls.

Back to the car and I thought somewhere sheltered would be better, so parked outside Holkham Hall for a long walk searching for the White tailed eagle that roosts here but not to be seen. Big numbers of wildfowl on the large lake along with plenty more geese overhead. A Barnacle goose was consorting with a pair of Egyptian geese.

Back to the car, a quick check down Lady Anne's drive where there was a flock of White fronted geese in with greylags and pinkfoots before lunch at Brancaster Staithe where the birds were sheltering on the leeward side of a mud bank. Still tricky to get photos as the wind battered the camera before I concluded with a 3-4 hours stay at Titchwell. Here, the highlight was a pair of Red breasted mergansers on the Tidal Pool, sheltering from the turbulent sea. It was high tide so the waders were all sheltering on the far side of the Tidal pool where, as I returned from the beach, a party of 4 Pintail dropped in.

Took loads of photos as the camera was getting such a buffeting from the wind, I need up to 10 of each subject in the hope one would be relatively sharp. Not many made the grade.

Species list. NFY= New for year