Afternoon at Amwell and Rye Meads Reserves

Drake pochard

 Set off for Amwell at lunch time. Grey and a tad nippy but plenty of birds from the Viewing Point. 100's of swallows over the water and mixed in with these were several Sand martins, House martins and my first Swifts of the year. I tried to get some flight shots but the light was just too poor for a high shutter speed.

Roosting on the mud were 8 Common terns, another year lister whilst everywhere were gulls, mainly Black headed but a few Common, Herring and Lesser Black Backed mixed in with them.

Off to the James Hide but only a pair of nesting Canada geese so onwards to the White Hide. More gulls, Grey heron and Cormorants.

I headed back to the Viewing Point where a pair of Little Ringed plovers arrived. Then decided to try the hides at Rye Meads, just down the road.

Common tern

Common tern and 2nd CY Common gull

Herring gull

Flyby Mallard drake

2nd CY Common gull

Swift

Inquisitive Robin

Lesser black backed gull

Cormorants

Cormorant

Common tern

Arrived at Rye Meads and grabbed a coffee before heading to the Draper Hide. Here, a pair of Little ringed plover, gulls and wildfowl so took the seasonal trail around to the bust Kingfisher Hub. No sign of the star attraction in the 20 minutes I was present. Day old coots, Reed bunting, Kestrel and Gadwall all noted, though.

Around to the Tern Hide where pochard were diving and then a check on the reed bed from the Ashby Hide. At first, a very distant female Kingfisher in a willow that then came to the reeds to check for fish before heading back to the willow and lost from view. Few poor record shots below.

Species list for the day:

1. Little grebe
2. Great crested grebe
3. Cormorant
4. Grey heron
5. Mute swan
6. Greylag goose
7. Canada goose
8. Mallard
9. Gadwall
10. Shoveler
11. Pochard
12. Tufted duck
13. Kestrel
14. Common buzzard
15. Pheasant
16. Moorhen
17. Coot
18. Little ringed plover
19. Lapwing
20. Black headed gull
21. Common gull
22. Herring gull
23. Lesser black backed gull
24. Common tern
25. Wood pigeon
26. Stock dove
27. Collared dove
28. Swift
29. Kingfisher
30. Sand martin
31. Swallow
32. House martin
33. Pied wagtail
34. Wren
35. Dunnock
36. Robin
37. Song thrush
38. Blackbird
39. Blackcap
40. Whitethroat
41. Sedge warbler
42. Reed warbler
43. Cetti's warbler (heard)
44. Chiffchaff
45. Great tit
46. Blue tit
47. Long tailed tit 
48. Magpie
49. Jay
50. Jackdaw
51. Carrion crow
52. Starling
53. House sparrow
54. Chaffinch
55. Goldfinch
56. Linnet
57. Reed bunting

Little ringed plover

2 Little ringed plover

Chiffchaff

Female Tufted duck

Male Tufted duck

Drake Gadwall

Female kestrel in her nest box

Day old Coot

Female Reed bunting

Black headed gull

Little grebe

Duck Pochard

Drake Pochard

Diving Pochard, drake

Very distant female Kingfisher

Closer but still distant!

Canada goose family on an afternoon stroll

Canada goslings

Another gosling

Long day in Norfolk

 Setting off around 6.30am, having the traditional coffee at Wells and then on to North Point Pools. Nothing noteworthy here, usual species including plenty of distant hares, Sedge warblers and lapwings. From here I headed down Garden Drove and on to Warham Greens. Chiffchaffs, Willow warblers, Whitethroat and Blackcap all made the day list before I continued East to Stiffkey Greens and a walk to the Gibbert Roundabout. More common warblers and finches. A check over the salt marsh gave up Brent geese, Little egret and two distant Spoonbills.

Once back at the car and Cley beach was my next stop where several Sandwich terns moved west, far out to sea but nothing else apart from gulls and cormorant so into the VC and out to the hides. Avocet, Black tailed godwits, teal etc on the scrape and then a walk down the East Bank to Arnold's Marsh. Here, 100+ Dunlin, 1 Grey plover and 6 Bar tailed godwit in amongst the shelduck, redshank etc. 

I then parked at Salthouse to check Gramborough Hill. Plenty of Meadow pipits and 3 very confiding Turnstone but, surprisingly, no wheatear along the fence posts.

Continuing East and a wander down to Kelling Quags and Water Meadows. Ring ouzel had been reported from here but no show whilst I was present. More warblers and my first Sand martins of the year. Plenty of Orange tip, Green veined white and Peacock butterflies as well as numerous hares before I drove up to Kelling Heath where Stonechat and Dartford warbler got on to the list. The Dartfords were busy nest building in gorse and not hanging around to pose on top of the brilliant gorse but I now know where to find them next time for an early morning trip when the male may well be singing from the top of the gorse. The Stonechat posed for photos before my last venue: West Runton cliffs for a late afternoon sea watch but very little movement out to sea, just Herring and Lesser black backed gulls.

Having finished the birding I drove to Cromer and met up with Paul, editor of the Bishop's Stortford Independent for a pint. He is on a 3 day break here. Good to see him with a fine pint of Ghost Ship. Headed back home with a coffee break and the inevitable roadworks meant I was home by 10.15pm. Superb day's birding in glorious weather: cloudless blue sky, temps pushing 19C and great light for photos.

Species List:

1. Cormorant
2. Little egret
3. Grey heron
4. Spoonbill
5. Mute swan
6. Greylag goose
7. Canada goose
8. Brent goose
9. Shelduck
10. Mallard
11. Gadwall
12. Shgoveler
13. Teal
14. Red kite
15. Marsh harrier
16. Common buzzard
17. Kestrel
18. Red legged partridge
19. Pheasant
20. Moorhen
21. Coot
22. Oystercatcher
23. Avocet
24. Ringed plover
25. Grey plover
26. Lapwing
27. Turnstone
28. Dunlin
29. Redshank
30. Black tailed godwit
31. Bar tailed godwit
32. Ruff
33. Curlew
34. Black headed gull
35. Common gull
36. Herring gull
37. Lesser black backed gull
38. Greater black backed gull
39. Sandwich tern
40. Wood pigeon
41. Collared dove
42. Skylark
43. Sand martin
44. Swallow
45. Meadow pipit
46. Pied wagtail
47. Wren
48. Dunnock
49. Robin
50. Stonechat
51. Song thrush
52. Blackbird
53. Blackcap
54. Whitethroat
55. Dartford warbler
56. Sedge warbler
57. Reed warbler
58. Cetti's warbler
59. Willow warbler
60. Chiffchaff
61. Great tit
62. Blue tit
63. Bearded reedling (heard)
64. Magpie
65. Jay
66. Carrion crow
67. Rook
68. Jackdaw
69. Starling
70. House sparrow
71. Chaffinch
72. Linnet
73. Goldfinch
74. Greenfinch
75. Reed bunting

Stonechat at Kelling Heath

Stonechat male

Male orange tip, Kelling Quags

Meadow pipit, Gramborough Hill

Turnstone moulting into breeding plumage: Salthouse beach

Turnstone at Salthouse beach

Male Green veined white at Kelling Water Meadows

Dunnock at Kelling quags

Back lit Blackcap, Kelling

Herring gull from Gramborough Hill

Avocet, Cley

Black tailed godwit at Cley

Female linnet, Stiffkey Greens

Marsh harrier, male at Cley

Grey heron from East Bank

Linnet at Warham Greens

Redshank on The Serpentine, Cley East Bank

Peacock, Warham Greens

Ruff at Cley

Chiffchaff at Warham Greens

Small tortoiseshell at Stiffkey

Brent goose for the end of Garden Drove

Swallow collecting nest building mud, Stiffkey car park

Lapwing, North Point Pools