Up at 4.45am to check the moth trap, record the contents before off with Rick to North Norfolk at 6am. Traditional coffee at Wells Next The Sea Co-Op before first stop at Wells Woods. After a quick check around Wells Meals we headed into the wood where the trees were dripping with migrants: Pied Flycatcher, Lesser whitethroat, Willow warbler, Goldcrest, Blackcap and loads of Chiffchaff, all very busy and moving rapidly through the birches.
On to a very dry North Point Pools but little to record here apart from some hares and Common buzzards along with customary waders and geese so off to Cley for another coffee before checking Snipes Marsh and a wander down the East Bank. A Water rail on Snipes was good and several glimpses of Bearded reedling from the East Bank. A Pectoral sandpiper on The Serpentine and terns and waders on Arnold's Marsh.
Off to Salthouse beach and Gramborough Hill where Wheatear, Meadow pipits and another Pied flycatcher were seen along with a very fresh and vibrant Willow warbler feeding in flowering tamarisk. A Stonechat popped up and 5 curlew flew overhead. A strangely marked wader had me thinking, found in the pool near the beach. Juvenile Sanderling, showing a light buff breast, dark legs and beak as well as a black blotch on the wings.
Final stop, after an unsuccessful check for Grey partridge at Choseley was Titchwell. Very quiet here, as it frequently is in mid August but added Coot, marsh harrier, whimbrel and pochard to the day list whilst also recording plenty of ruff in a wide variety of plumages.
A pint of Wherry in the lovely Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead before heading home, arriving back at 10pm. Been a long day.
Species list:
- Little grebe
- Cormorant
- Little egret
- Great egret
- Grey heron
- Mute swan
- Greylag goose
- Canada goose
- Shelduck
- Mallard
- Teal
- Pochard
- Red kite
- Marsh harrier
- Common buzzard
- Kestrel
- Red legged partridge
- Pheasant
- Water rail
- Moorhen
- Coot
- Oystercatcher
- Avocet
- Little ringed plover
- Ringed plover
- Golden plover
- Lapwing
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Redshank
- Black tailed godwit
- Curlew
- Whimbrel
- Snipe
- Ruff
- Pectoral sandpiper
- Black headed gull
- Herring gull
- Lesser black backed gull
- Greater black backed gull
- Sandwich tern
- Common tern
- Wood pigeon
- Collared dove
- Great spotted woodpecker (heard)
- Sand martin
- Swallow
- Meadow pipit
- Pied wagtail
- Yellow wagtail
- Wren
- Dunnock
- Robin
- Wheatear
- Stonechat
- Blackbird
- Blackcap
- Lesser whitethroat
- Whitethroat
- Willow warbler
- Chiffchaff
- Goldcrest
- Pied flycatcher
- Great tit
- Blue tit
- Long tailed tit
- Coal tit (heard)
- Bearded reedling
- Magpie
- Rook
- Jackdaw
- Carrion crow
- Jay
- Starling
- House sparrow
- Linnet
- Goldfinch
- Bullfinch.
Not too bad for mid August. Few more weeks and there will be plenty more.
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| Little grebe |
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| Checking settings in Wells Wood on a Wood pigeon |
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| Little ringed plover |
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| Water rail |
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| Male ruff |
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| Juvenile ruff |
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| Male ruff |
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| Flycatching Pied flycatcher in tamarisk |
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| Pied flycatcher |
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| Juvenile Sanderling |
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| Avocet |
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| Teal |
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| Juvenile Shelduck |
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| Golden plover still sporting breeding plumage |
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| Pair of ruff |
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| Juvenile Black headed gull |
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| Curlew |
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| Little ringed plover |
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| Ruff at the end of the day. |
