Quality rather than quantity in North Norfolk

A chance for my first Norfolk trip of the year. I had nothing else on and the forecast looked favourable, so setting off fairly early meant I was in Wells for a coffee before 10 and then on to Lady Anne's Drive at Holkham. Here the usual fare on the Freshmarsh, wigeon, redshank, brent geese, few pink footed and plenty of greylag. A search through all of this didn't give up any white fronted. Overhead, 2 geese were noted flying towards Holkham Hall, I looked up and was surprised to note they were barnacles, not an everyday goose in Norfolk.

Barnacle geese

Looking west over Holkham Freshmarsh

Noisy redshank

drake wigeon

wigeon from Lady Anne's Drive

I then wandered on to the beach, noting a flock of goldfinch in the dunes as I headed east towards Holkham Gap. Here, a party of 9 shore larks were fairly confiding. In the same area where a group of 30+ had been a couple of years ago. I then set off for a sea watch, but rather disappointing with just a few red throated divers flying towards The Wash along with numerous gulls and cormorants.

7 of the 9 shorelark

I remained still and they slowly headed towards me.

Pleased with this one.

I then headed back to the car. Skylarks and meadow pipits called. A brief check in the pines failed to give up anything unusual so back to the drive where a snipe was evident, if distant and a stonechat popped up near the building site that will soon be a new cafe, apparently.

very camera shy stonechat

snipe

I then drove to Cley and Salthouse. not too much on show at Cley due to high water levels everywhere, so a check on Gramborough Hill from Beach Road, Salthouse. The usual turnstones were feeding on the shingle whilst around the back of Gramborough Hill, 80+ snow buntings. A good sight, indeed.

white fringes to wing coverts indicate 1st year turnstone

How many snow buntings here?

Good flight detail of a 1st winter snow bunting

feeding flock of snow buntings

Black headed gull, Salthouse beach

Time was still on my side, so off to Sheringham for a quick sea watch. Not too much from the Promenade but a confiding black redstart was great to see, dropping down on to some waste ground by the flats on the left as you wander towards the prom. It seemed to favour a small clump of vegetation in the corner of this area.

Black redstart's favoured perch

coming down to feed

a very showy bird

I then headed back west, stopping off for a quick check from Cley beach and a rapid scan over the Eye Field, but just more of the same so on to Titchwell. En route, I popped onto the mud at Burnham Overy Staithe, near the sailing club and was pleased to note all the teal and oystercatchers go up as one just as a female merlin sped over. Another good bird for the day. I like to be at Titchwell mid afternoon as the light is best, but today, having enjoyed cloudless skies all morning, it was becoming increasingly grey. After a brief stop for sustenance I headed off on to the reserve. Again, water levels were as high as I have seen them, so just wildfowl on the Freshmarsh. Therefore, it was possible the waders would be on the saltmarsh and, indeed they were: redshank, black tailed godwits, dunlin, grey plover, avocet along with shelduck and a solitary ruff. Little grebe, teal, mallards and a few wigeon were also on the water.

avocet in fading light

Black tailed godwit

curlew

Dunlin

Grey plover

Looking towards Thornham in the west

Last photo of the day, much enhanced lighting on a group of Knot

Little grebe

Drake Teal

Looking east over the Salt Marsh

Sunset over Thornham

 I then spent some time on the beach, scoping the sea. Good birds, all too far out for any photos but a raft of common scoter moved west on the incoming tide and in with these, 2 goldeneye. A little further west, 3 great crested grebes and 2 red breasted mergansers. On the tide line: grey plover, sanderling, oystercatchers, bar tailed and black tailed godwit. A great day out, managing to be back home before 7.30pm. A good way to get my 2018 bird list up and running.
Species from the day:

1. red throated diver
2. little grebe
3. great crested grebe
4. cormorant
5. little egret
6. grey heron
7. mute swan
8. pink footed goose
9. greylag goose
10. barnacle goose
11. brent goose
12. shelduck
13. egyptian goose
14. mallard
15. gadwall
16. shoveller
17. wigeon
18. teal
19. pochard
20. tufted duck
21. common scoter
22. goldeneye
23. red breasted merganser
24. marsh harrier
25. kestrel
26. merlin
27. common buzzard
28. red legged partridge
29. pheasant
30. moorhen
31. coot
32. oyster catcher
33. avocet
34. ringed plover
35. grey plover
36. golden plover
37. lapwing
38. knot
39. sanderling
40. turnstone
41. redshank
42. dunlin
43. black tailed godwit
44. bar tailed godwit
45. curlew
46. snipe
47. ruff
48. black headed gull
49. common gull
50. herring gull
51. great black backed gull
52. lesser black backed gull
53. stock dove
54. wood pigeon
55. collared dove
56. skylark
57. shorelark
58. meadow pipit
59. pied wagtail
60. wren
61. dunnock
62. robin
63. black redstart
64. stonechat
65. blackbird
66. great tit
67. blue tit
68. magpie
69. jackdaw
70. rook
71. carrion crow
72. starling
73. chaffinch
74. goldfinch
75. linnet
76. bullfinch
77. snow bunting
78. yellowhammer

A pleasing first list of the year: not everyday in Norfolk you'll get barnacle goose, shore lark, snow bunting, black redstart and merlin on the day list!

First moths of the year

I ran the heath 15 watt actinic moth trap in Millennium Wood on the 11th, catching 3 Pale brindled beauties and 2 winter moth. The following night, I got my first garden species of the year, another Pale Brindled beauty. These 2 species remain the only 2 so far. With a cold week forecast it may be a little while before I am out with the portable trap again. Tonight I left it running at Pig's Green, but nothing taken. 2 of the Millennium Wood PBB's shown here.

Sri Lankan Visit

Set off for Sri Lanka on the overnight flight on Boxing Day, spending 2 days in Negombo followed by a week in Galle before returning to Negombo for 2 nights as it is easy for transfer to the airport. Not a birding trip, but I managed to get out on a few occasions, most memorably to a new area of Kottawa Rain Forest where I scored with the elusive and secretive white tailed shama. Other new birds for my SL list were crimson fronted barbet at Hiyare Forest and a distant osprey from the beach at Negombo.
I visited Kottawa with Anoma, naturalist in residence at the superb Jetwing Lighthouse hotel in Galle. I have spent plenty of time out and about with Anoma over the years and Wendy and I enjoyed his and his wife, Anusha's company on the Saturday night for a buffet at the hotel. We were also invited around to their house for a meal where son, Kevin, was the star of the show.

Anoma leading the way

Listening for the call of the white rumped shama

dense forest

This path only lasts about 50 metres

success: white rumped shama, a very difficult bird to find, never mind photograph

showing well, the male with the longer tail

shorter tail indicates a female

The beach at Negombo was great for a spot of sea watching, with indian cormorants, white bellied sea eagles, occasional brahminy kite and numerous terns. The latter were almost all gull billed and whiskered, as shown here.

gull billed tern

whiskered tern

whiskered tern

another whiskered tern

katamaran out fishing

Little egret, Negombo beach

white bellied sea eagle off the sea

distant white bellied sea eagle

Other birds noted around Negombo were common sandpiper on the beach whilst in the Jetwing vegetable garden, a family of tailorbirds, asian koel, shrika and plenty of rose ringed parakeets.

juvenile black hooded oriole

common sandpiper

juvenile tailorbird

adult tailorbird

Negombo beach

blue tailed bee eater hunting dragonflies on Negombo beach

Whilst in Galle, Anoma and I walked the local lanes and visited Kurulubedda chalets, set in their own forest and paddy area adjacent to Mahamodara River. Here, black monkey as well as a selection of everyday birds, always good to see. I returned to this lane on another occasion to get a few more photos, such as these;

black hooded oriole, adult

Black monkeys

common mynah

the lane leading from Jetwing Lighthouse

purple rumped sunbird

red vented bulbul

common kingfisher

Buddhist stipa along the lane with accompanying cattle egret

white bellied drongo

Another visit with Anoma was to the reservoir at Hiyare Forest. Here, brahminy kite, little cormorant and my first crimson fronted barbet, that refused to pose for the camera!

crimson fronted barbet

same skulking bird

Hiyare reservoir and forest

juvenile Brahminy kite

same bird

little cormorant

white  throated kingfisher

All in all, a superb time with birds everywhere. Restrictions on time meant no big trip out this time but still plenty noted and many pleasing species recorded.

cattle egret

Indian pond heron

Oriental honey buzzard outside Lighthouse hotel

red wattled lapwing