10th March 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 3

Day 3 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour today. After two days of nice weather, it was perhaps no surprise that today was different – grey, damp and rather breezy. Thankfully, the rain was only light, spitting with drizzle on and off and only up until 11am this morning after which it stopped, and the wind was nowhere near as bad as forecast. And we had a very successful day, despite the weather, to wrap up our tour.

With the forecast of rain, we headed over to Titchwell this morning, where we would at least have the benefit of the hides if we needed shelter. We cut across inland and as we dropped back down towards the coast, lots of birds flew up from a wild bird seed crop behind and landed in the hedge beside the road. We pulled up and could see they were mainly Brambling, including several smart, black-headed males, with smaller numbers of Linnet and Goldfinch too.

Song Thrush – in the car park

When we arrived at Titchwell, the car park was unusually quiet – probably something to do with the weather today! A succession of Mediterranean Gulls flew over calling as we got out of the minibus and a Song Thrush flew up from the middle of the car park and perched obligingly on a branch on the edge. As we walked up towards the Visitor Centre, we scanned for Woodcock under the trees but it was all rather along wet here today and we then had to pick our way round the flooded path to get past the Welcome Hub.

There weren’t many birds on the feeders today, so we carried on round onto Fen Trail. More scanning this side finally produced a single Woodcock hiding under the sallows. It froze, watching us, relying on its camouflage, while we got it in the scope. It was a fill-the-frame view! Obligingly it waited just long enough for everyone to get a look at it through the scope before it finally decided it had had enough and scuttled off further in.

Further on along Fen Trail, the Tawny Owl was in its usual tree again but today we could at least see more of it. From the first place we set up the scope, we could just see its breast and belly feather, marked with dark streaks. We adjusted position and after a couple of attempts found somewhere we could see a half its face and a dark eye staring back at us from between the ivy leaves.

Tawny Owl – hiding

We continued on round to Patsy’s Reedbed. A couple of Common Pochard were diving over towards the far corner, a couple of Tufted Duck were out in front and a Little Grebe was lurking in the reeds at back. There was a pair of Gadwall too – we got the drake in the scope to admire its intricately patterned plumage. A single Common Snipe was hiding in the cut reeds, before it flew off. There was not much activity out over the reedbed, not a surprise given it was still spitting lightly with rain, although a lone male Marsh Harrier did come up briefly at one point but quickly dropped back in

We walked back round and out via Meadow Trail to the main path. It was windy out when we got out of the bushes and the rain seemed to be getting heavier again. We made our way quickly on to Island Hide. There were not many birds on the Freshmarsh again today. A few Avocets were trying to feed up to their bellies in the deep water. A small group of Black-tailed Godwits was feeding further back, and at one point three flew in and landed closer in front of the hide. Three Dunlin were picking round the muddy edge of the nearest island.

Avocet – wading

There are not many ducks left on the Freshmarsh either. We did find a pair of Pintail upending over towards the back, along with a few Teal and Shoveler. Gull numbers are down too, at least on the islands closest to the hides, with just a few Black-headed Gulls on the nearest compartment, although a pair of them were displaying.

We braved the weather and walked quickly round to Parrinder Hide. A Scandinavian Rock Pipit was bathing by the bricks as we walked into the hide, then flew up on top briefly before flying off. Then another dropped in right in front of the hide and, after hiding behind a small alexanders plant growing out of the mud, worked up the courage to walk down to the water’s edge to bathe. Nice to see it up close, the Scandinavian Rock Pipits are starting to get pink on the throat and breast, more like a spring Water Pipit and a pitfall for the unwary.

Scandinavian Rock Pipit – starting to turn pink

There were a few more gulls on the islands over on the back compartment, including several smart adult summer Mediterranean Gulls with the Black-headed Gulls. We got them in the scopes, admiring the more extensive jet black hoods and thicker white eye-liner on the Mediterranean Gulls, along with their heavier red bills and white wing-tips. There were a couple of Dunlin on the mud in front of the hide and two Knot dropped in to bathe in front of Avocet Island.

It had stopped raining again, so we headed out to brave the path on to the beach. A large flock of Brent Geese was feeding out on the saltmarsh and several Redshanks, Curlews and a couple of Grey Plover were on the muddy channel on Volunteer Marsh.

Grey Plover – on Volunteer Marsh

The tide was out so there were no waders on the Tidal Pools, but we did stop to admire several close Pintail, which even started to display at one point. There was a pair of Red-breasted Merganser here too, the male preening on a tiny island before going to sleep and the redhead female diving along the far edge.

Pintail – a smart drake

Out at the beach, we got ourselves into the shelter of the dunes. There were a few waders down on the shore – several Bar-tailed Godwits, Sanderling and Turnstones. A small raft of Common Scoter were just offshore, but kept disappearing in the waves. One of the volunteers was seawatching and got a message on his radio to say that there was a Spoonbill on Thornham saltmarsh. We couldn’t see it from here but as we made our way back, we kept scanning and picked it up when we got to the Freshmarsh, feeding in one of the saltmarsh pools. It was hard to see, feeding most of the time with its head down, but we got it in the scope, and it lifted its head from time to time so we could see its bill.

Further back, we stopped to look for some Pink-footed Geese which had been reported on Thornham grazing marsh, and quickly found three of them in the grass. We could compare them with some Greylag Geese in the same field too. We turned the scope on a Chinese Water Deer out on the saltmarsh as well.

We were just saying that it was not a good day to look for Bearded Tits, it was too windy, when we heard them calling and turned to see four climbing up the reeds just behind us. They were moving quickly along the back edge of the borrow pits, but we had great views of them out in the open, particularly when one of the males stopped to climb up a reed stem and perched in full view for a few seconds, giving us a good chance to admire its black moustache.

Bearded Tit – despite the weather

Back at the Visitor Centre, we were planning to have an early lunch on the picnic tables, but we found that the picnic tables by the Centre were standing in water and the picnic area was flooded too. We decided to head back east and find somewhere else. We had a quick stop at Brancaster Staithe first, adding Ringed Plover to the list, and getting closer views of Bar-tailed Godwits. We watched the Oystercatchers picking through the discarded mussels, and Turnstones running around the car park too. A 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was standing on the mud with three Herring Gulls.

Mediterranean Gull – a 2nd winter

Continuing on, there was no sign of any Cattle Egrets in the fields at Burnham Norton, but a quick look from the layby at Burnham Overy Staithe revealed several closer Pink-footed Geese in with the Greylags by the road. We had a much closer view now and could see their pink legs! Further on, seven White-fronted Geese were in the field by the road at Holkham today, so we stopped and got out. Again, it was a much closer view compared to yesterday. Three Barnacle Geese flew in again too.

White-fronted Goose – much closer today

We stopped at Lady Anne’s Drive and walked up to The Lookout for a later than planned lunch. At least we could get out of the chilly wind, even if it wasn’t raining any more. Afterwards we drove round to Wells beach car park. We thought it might be very windy out on the edge of the harbour today, looking out to the east, but it was actually not as bad as expected. There were a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover and a Curlew on the near edge of the channel and lots of Oystercatchers on the sand beyond.

Two male Red-breasted Mergansers came swimming quickly up the channel, one chasing after the other. The chasee swam on, and then started displaying to itself, while the chaser eventually turned back and joined up with two females which had appeared behind.

Red-breasted Merganser – a drake displaying

Round at the old lifeboat station, there were more waders on the mussel beds and mud opposite – a distant flock of Knot and Dunlin was feeding at the top of the beach, along with Ringed Plovers and Grey Plovers, and a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits whirled round the other side of the channel and landed again, but we couldn’t find any Greenshank today.

Back to the minibus, and we still had time for one last stop this afternoon. The Glossy Ibis had been seen on the flood east of Stiffkey village for the last couple of days, so we decided to have a look for it. We parked in the layby and crossed the road onto the permissive path the other side of the hedge. We were just walking down the path and turned round to answer a question from one of the group when we noticed a large bird of prey flying over the trees behind us. It looked big for a Buzzard and then we realised – it was a juvenile White-tailed Eagle!

White-tailed Eagle – the Dutch-ringed juvenile

We watched it fly across the road and out over the field the other side, stopping to do a quick circle, before it then continued on inland. Over the wood beyond, it flushed all the corvids and a Common Buzzard came up too for a nice size comparison. The White-tailed Eagle really was huge!

This bird is a Dutch-ringed juvenile White-tailed Eagle which was born in 2023, and then taken into care following a collision with a wind turbine and ringed, before being released. At some point it crossed over to the UK and spent most of the winter in Suffolk, before setting off north a couple of weeks ago. It has since been wandering the North Norfolk coast, though often disappearing inland. We had hoped to see it this weekend, but there had only been a couple of brief sightings of it flying over different places on the last couple of days so we were very lucky to catch up with it here now.

We continued on down to the corner of the footpath to view the flooded grazing marshes. As we came out of the trees, we realised the Glossy Ibis was very close, feeding in the pool right by the path. We edged out slowly, being careful not to spook it or all the other birds feeding on the pool and then we were able to watch it feeding in the shallow water. It caught a stickleback, washed it and then swallowed it. Then it flew slightly further back.

Glossy Ibis – with stickleback

The flood waters have started to recede a little now, and there were lots of waders here enjoying the fresh mud. Lots of Black-tailed Godwits included some smart rusty ones getting into breeding plumage already. There were groups of Ruff too, one striking bird with a buff head was probably a white-headed bird which had somehow stained its feathers. There were lots of ducks as well, Wigeon and Teal, and a couple of Pintail asleep further back.

With everyone heading off this evening and with long drives ahead, it was time to head back now. It had been a great way to wrap up, with a White-tailed Eagle and the Glossy Ibis, and it had been a very enjoyable three days with lots of good birds.

9th March 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 2

Day 2 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour today. It was a lovely, bright and dry day with plenty of sunshine. The forecast cold E wind didn’t really pick up until later in the morning and even then was nowhere near as blustery as predicted. We spent the day along the North Norfolk coast.

With the wind lighter than forecast, we decided to head first down to the cliffs at Weybourne. As we walked along the clifftop path, several Skylarks fluttered up singing from the grass and one landed on the top of a small clump of bright green alexanders. There were a few gulls out on the sea – a Great Black-backed Gull, a few Herring Gulls and a young Common Gull – and a winter adult Common Gull flew past close in below the cliffs.

Walking up to the edge of the cultivated field next along, we suddenly realised there were several Snow Buntings hunkered down right in front of us, just a few metres in from the edge of the grass. They started feeding, picking around on the bare ground, great views. Then a Meadow Pipit flew over and they took off, whirling round before landing further back.

Snow Bunting – feeding in the field

We continued to scan to see if we could find the Lapland Buntings which have been here for the last few weeks. We could see more birds further over, including more Skylarks, but we were looking into the sun from here, so we decided to walk on up the path. One of the locals who had walked on ahead of us waved us over now. He had found a couple of the Lapland Buntings but they were right over the far side of the field and tricky to see, disappearing in and out of the shallow furrows, so we got our scopes on the right area and concentrated on getting everyone onto them.

There were several Rooks and Carrion Crows along the back edge of the field too, which at times provided useful markers for the buntings! A few Curlew were feeding in the back of the block of fresh green barley nearby and a pair of Grey Partridge were feeding in front of the bank over the far side, very well camouflaged in with the clods of grey clay earth. We couldn’t find the large flock of Linnets here today, but there were still some little groups of them feeding in the field and we managed to locate a very distant Twite briefly too at one point. There were more Skylarks and Snow Buntings feeding here as well, which made it even harder to pick out the Lapland Buntings. A couple of adult Gannets flew east low over the sea behind us.

It was nice here in the sunshine this morning, but it took some time for everyone to get views of the Lapland Buntings that they were happy with. Many of the birds were now starting to work their way closer across the field so we stayed and continued to scan, eventually locating a Lapland Bunting a bit closer. Unfortunately it flew up with a couple of Skylarks before everyone could get a look at it and landed over a ridge in the middle of the field.

Lapland Bunting – came a bit closer

We decided to start walking back along the path, in the direction it had flown. As we got over the ridge, the local we had spoken to earlier now waved us over again, as he had located another Lapland Bunting out in the field. This one was quite a bit closer and easier to see and now, finally, everybody got a good look at it, before it flew again and disappeared.

We walked back along the clifftop. The flock of Curlews flew over and seemed to be heading out to sea, before turning back overhead and dropping back down into the fields. Scanning the sea, we picked up a small flock of Brent Geese flying east close in over the water, presumably starting off on their long journey back to Siberia for the breeding season. They were joined briefly by a drake Common Scoter, which quickly changed its mind and peeled away, flying back west.

Curlew – flew over

Back at the minibus, we drove back west to Cley. We stopped at the Visitor Centre to use the facilities and had a quick scan from the terrace. There were lots of Avocets out on Pat’s Pool, along with Black-tailed Godwits, a flock of Dunlin and a couple of Ruff. Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in with the Black-headed Gulls. A Marsh Harrier swept in and out low over the reeds, landing a couple of times but mostly out of view. We could see some Brent Geese distantly out on North Scrape, but couldn’t see anything in with them. Some more Brents flew in from the direction of Blakeney and dropped down with them, but there was nothing different with them either.

The young Red-breasted Goose which has spent the winter ranging widely along the coast had reappeared at Cley a few days ago and then spent a couple of days feeding with the Brent Geese on Blakeney Freshes. It hadn’t been seen yesterday, but we wondered whether anyone had ventured out to look in the blustery wind, so we decided to try our luck there. As we drove down along Back Lane, a Brimstone butterfly flew over the road in the sunshine, our first of the year. Down by the quay, a male Marsh Harrier flew round out over the grass right next to where we had parked, having a tussle at one point with a Kestrel which had been hovering nearby. Lots of Wigeon were feeding out on grass, whistling.

Marsh Harrier – a male

We saw a small flock of Brent Geese flying over and they dropped down with a larger feeding flock out in the middle of the Freshes. We decided to have a quick look from the top of Friary Hills, just in case the Red-breasted Goose might be in with them. A Greenfinch was wheezing away in the hedge and a Common Buzzard drifted over the trees. Up at the top, there is a great view out across the grazing marshes to Blakeney Point beyond. We could see the flock of Brent Geese clearly now and there was nothing with them. We could also see more Brents over towards the bank by the harbour, and although most of the flock were hidden behind some reeds, a Pale-bellied Brent stood out even at that distance amongst the regular Dark-bellied Brents we could see.

Our initial plan was to walk out on the harbour wall so we walked back down and past the duck pond, which is largely empty now after an outbreak of bird fly last year. Out on the bank, the wind had picked up noticeably now and it was decidedly chilly here. We walked out until we could see the Brent Geese here, but again nothing was with them either. There were a few Redshanks and Curlew in the muddy creeks and a Great White Egret flew over, dropping down out of view on the saltmarsh. It was very busy here now, too many people, everyone seemed to be out walking their dogs today! It meant as well as being cold it was very disturbed, which meant it was rather quiet for birds. We decided to try our luck elsewhere.

Curlew – in one of the creeks

We drove on west and had just pulled up to scan the floods east of Stiffkey when we got a message to say that the Red-breasted Goose was back at Cley with the Brent Geese there (which would be why we couldn’t find it at Blakeney!). We did a quick u-turn and headed back. As we got to Beach Road and got out, all the Brent Geese flew up but thankfully landed again just one field back. We could just see the Red-breasted Goose from the side of the road but from up on the to of the West Bank we had good views of it feeding with the Brents. A very smart goose! A scarce visitor here, which should be wintering in Romania, and one of the highlights of the last few months here.

Red-breasted Goose – taken previously at Cley

When all the geese flew up, one of the group who was looking the other way asked what was the large bird flying over. We turned round and looked up to see a Common Crane in the sky! It flew straight through without stopping and continued off east, later being tracked all the way along the coast as far as Trimingham at least. A great bonus and a proper wild bird here, the Cranes which spend the winter in The Broads often start to wander further afield on sunny days in early spring.

We drove round to the Visitor Centre for lunch. It was a bit breezy in the picnic area, particularly as all the bushes which give it some shelter have been cut right back down, but thankfully it was not too bad in the sunshine. Afterwards, we headed back west along the coast to Holkham. As we got out of the minibus on Lady Anne’s Drive, there were lots of Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler on the grazing marshes in front, along with a couple of scaly-backed Ruff.

The Shorelarks had been feeding west of the Gap this morning but on our way out through the pines we met someone coming back who told us they were not there now. So we decided to try down in the cordon instead, along the path to the east. There were several Meadow Pipits feeding on the saltmarsh as we walked past and we were almost there when we met someone else walking the other way who told us they had just seen four Shorelarks back in the cordon. Good news!

As we arrived at the fence, we saw a Shorelark scurrying towards the deeper vegetation out in the middle, so we turned towards the dunes and scanned from the fence there, but couldn’t see it now. Then we realised there were five more Shorelarks further over, closer to main path. After a quick look from here through the scopes, just in case they flew, we walked round to the other side where they were feeding. We stopped and got the scope on four of them, then noticed another Shorelark was right in front of us, just a few metres away. We had great views now, their yellow faces glowing in the low sunshine. Then the rest of the Shorelarks flew out from the thicker vegetation in the middle of the cordon and joined the five, and now we watched all thirteen feeding together.

Shorelark – stunning views

We walked on to the dunes now and had a quick look at the sea. The Common Scoter flocks were very distant in the mist – we could see long lines of black dots bobbing on the water, too far out to make out anything else in with them today. A Great Crested Grebe in breeding plumage was on the water much closer in and when three ducks flew past, we could see they were a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers followed by a female Pintail.

After walking back to the minibus, we drove round to check the grazing marshes the other side. In one of the grassy fields by the road, we could see several Barnacle Geese in with the Greylags but no White-fronted Geese here now, but at our next stop, we did manage to find some White-fronted Geese, feeding on the grass in the distance over in front of the remains of Joe Jordan hide. We could see the white surround to their bills and their black belly bars. Most of the Pink-footed Geese which spent the winter here have departed Norfolk already and headed north, but we did manage to find three very distant Pinkfeet now, over on Burnham Overy Grazing Marshes.

A distant white spot in the trees was a Spoonbill, doing what Spoonbills like to do best and sleeping – we could see its bushy nuchal crest but not its bill. Several more were even better hidden in the sallows but after a while one or two flew round and eventually one perched awake in the open so we could see its spoon.

There were several black-hooded Mediterranean Gulls on the large pool along with a small group of feeding Pintail. A couple of distant Great White Egrets were out on the smaller pools on the grazing marsh, one with a Grey Heron alongside for size comparison. Several Common Buzzards drifted overhead from the trees behind and two Red Kites circled over. Then it was time to head back for tea and cake again, but we still had one more day to look forward to tomorrow.

8th March 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 1

Day 1 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour today. After a grey start, it brightened up nicely by mid-morning and we had some good sunny spells before it clouded over again later in the afternoon. It was cold in the nagging E wind, but warmer in the sunshine when you go out of it. We spent most of the day down in the Brecks.

There had been a Rustic Bunting found yesterday at Helhoughton and with early news that it was still there this morning, and with it being almost on our way down to the Brecks, we decided to call in there first. There were quite a few cars parked along the verge already by the time we arrived but we found somewhere to pull off the road not far from the crowd. As we got out, we could see they were all watching something so we hurried down. The Rustic Bunting was perched in the top of the hedge along one side of the field so we got the scope on it quickly. Most of the group got a look at it through the scope before all the birds too off and the Rustic Bunting was lost in the flock as some flew off across the road and others dropped down out of view into the tall vegetation in the wild bird seed mix strip where the birds were all feeding.

We waited a while to see if it might come back up again. There had been a nice mixed flock of Redpoll here too yesterday, and having heard one flying over when we got out of the minibus, we hoped there might still be some around today. There are lots of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings feeding in the field here and from time to time one or two would perch on one of the hedges so we could get a good look at them in the scopes. There were a few Chaffinches and Goldfinches too, but it gradually became clear that the Redpolls were not around. There was no further sign of the Rustic Bunting, but it did disappear at times for several hours yesterday. A Kestrel was hovering further back and a few Common Buzzards and a Red Kite appeared over the trees beyond. With the sun looking like it might be starting to break through, we decided to move on.

We drove on down into Thetford Forest and over over to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the trees to scan for Goshawks. We were here a bit earlier than we would normally, but we had an idea it might get busy today and with some sunshine for the first time in a couple of days we thought we might get lucky with some early activity. There were several Common Buzzards up when we arrived, including a strikingly pale one, and a Red Kite low above the trees.

We didn’t have to wait too long before we picked up a distant Goshawk circling. We got it in the scope and as it turned and caught the sun, we could see its very pale underparts and silvery grey upperparts. A good start. Not long after, another Goshawk came up out of the trees much closer to us but it was flying with the wind and, hugging the tops, it was carried quickly west. Down in the corner, it paused to chase in and out of the trees flushing all the Woodpigeons, before continuing on and out of view.

Goshawk – flew across

A couple of Lapwings were displaying over the field behind us and a Mistle Thrush perched in the very top of a spruce in the sunshine. Several Skylarks were singing and one fluttered up into the sky in front of us. We heard a Woodlark call too and turned to see it hanging in the air behind us before it was carried by the wind quickly away. After a while, the Goshawk we had seen earlier, chasing pigeons, flew back in. It cut the corner, across the edge of the field, and flying into the wind now it was making much slower progress which made it easier to get on. We had a good view now as it flew across over the trees in front of us, before dropping back in.

We waited a little longer and another hawk flew up out of the trees. It was clearly darker and came up with a couple of bursts of rapid flapping before it started to circle, a female Sparrowhawk and nice to contrast it with the Goshawks we had just been watching. Even better, it stooped at a nearby Common Buzzard a couple of times so we could see just how much smaller it was – otherwise it is very hard to judge the size properly of a lone object in an empty sky.

More cars had arrived and it was getting busy here now. The raptors seemed to go a little quiet too – the Common Buzzards mostly dropped back into the trees. Even though it was sunny, there was a distinct chill to the easterly wind and the air wasn’t really warming up. We had already enjoyed good views of the Goshawks so we decided to move on and go for a walk elsewhere, so we could warm up a little!

We drove deeper into the Forest. Several cars were parked at the head of a ride, and we found somewhere to pull off the road too. As we walked in, the sun was out and it was sheltered in the trees, but as we got out into the clearing and turned into the wind it felt very cold. Scanning the trees, there was no immediate sign of the Great Grey Shrike we had come hoping to see. We walked down a little further, where someone was standing on the track with a scope, and he told us that apparently it had been here about ten minutes ago, so we figured it had to still be here somewhere.

We continued to scan and it wasn’t long before one of the group spotted the Great Grey Shrike fly up into one of the trees. We had nice views through the scopes now, closer than it had been on our previous visits. Several times we watched it drop down and come back up with beetles which it quickly devoured.

Great Grey Shrike – in the clearing

We had heard a brief snatch of quiet song from a Woodlark when we arrived, but they were fairly quiet in the cold today. Now a pair of Woodlarks flew up and across in front of the Shrike, before dropping down on the path ahead of us. We watched them feeding on the edges of the track and walking across from side to side.

Woodlark – by the path

A pair of Stonechats perched up on some tall dead mullein stems in front of us too. When the shrike flew off further back, we were just packing up to leave when we noticed a Goshawk circling up in the distance. It was then joined by a second Goshawk, the male and female circling together. They kept low, repeatedly disappearing behind the tops of the trees, but they were mostly in view on and off for about fifteen minutes before we eventually lost sight of them. It was definitely time to head off and get some lunch now.

Stonechat – perched up

We drove over to Lynford and made good use of the picnic tables in the sunshine, sheltered from the wind by the surrounding trees. After lunch, we walked across the road to the Arboretum and down to the gate. There were lots of birds feeding down on the ground, some very smart Yellowhammers and lots of Chaffinches, with Nuthatch, Coal Tit and Marsh Tit all darted in and out. A Jay dropped down and started gulping down peanuts.

Yellowhammer – one of several

A few Siskins came down to drink in the small pond. A Great Spotted Woodpecker appeared on a tree trunk at the back and we had nice views of a Stock Dove with a Woodpigeon just behind the pond. There were no Bramblings at first, but after a while they started to drop down. Several duller females at first, then a few males with their brighter orange shoulders. One or two of the males are sporting very black heads now.

Stock Dove – with Woodpigeon

It was a bit of a wait today but eventually a Hawfinch appeared at the back, a female, which we got in the scope. It didn’t stay long though, and flew back up into the trees and disappeared. We waited, but there didn’t seem to be too much Hawfinch activity now- it was early afternoon, and we started to wonder whether they might have gone off already to gather pre-roost, although it was still a bit early even for them. Finally a male Hawfinch appeared at the back, and even though it too spooked and flew back up this time it quickly came down again, and was then joined by a slightly closer female. They stayed a bit longer now, allowing us better prolonged views.

Hawfinch – the male

When the Hawfinches flew up again, we moved on and walked down to the bridge. There were a few tits coming and going form the feeders, and we had nice close views of a Marsh Tit. There were more Siskins feeding in the alders overhead. Scanning the tops of the poplars, we found two Common Crossbills in the branches, a smart red male and a greener female, and we had a good view of their distinctive crossed bills in the scope before they dropped down through the branches to drink.

Common Crossbill – the male

We had already enjoyed good views of Hawfinches up at the gate, so we were not particularly concerned when a quick scan of the trees in the paddocks from the corner appeared fairly quiet, so we decided not to walk on round. Two of the group did walk along a bit further, so as we were planning to walk back now, we went up to collect them. We had heard Fieldfares calling as we arrived at the bridge, and when we looked back at the tops of the poplars, two were perched now in up in the trees.

The sun had gone in by the time we walked back up, and there was a distinct chill still to the easterly wind. We cut in through the Arboretum, thinking it might be sheltered, but it was cold in the trees now and very quiet. We admired the selection of fir trees as we walked round and back at the car park, there was a bit more activity. A few Coal Tits and Blue Tits were chasing round through the trees in the picnic area and two Goldcrests were feeding in the top of one of the pines.

There was time for one last stop on our way back, so we drove over to an area of farmland with a small field planted with a wild bird seed mix. It was cold and grey now and there was no sign of any Tree Sparrows at first. We scanned their favourite bushes but they were particularly exposed to the wind, and we wondered whether some might be hiding deep in the brambles and blackthorn. There were birds flying in and out of the crop, and a few perched in the trees at the back, mainly Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, which were joined by a small flock of Linnets. We were about to leave when several Tree Sparrows appeared in the bushes, though through the scope we could still just see them tucked in tight at first. After a minute or so they flew out, five of them, across the field, but then turned and landed on top of the hedge now. After a good look through the scope, they disappeared back in.

Tree Sparrows – in the hedge

We were getting cold now, so it was time to head back for tea and cake. We had another day to look forward to and more excitement tomorrow.

23rd Feb 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 3

Day 3 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour in Norfolk. With better weather forecast, we were heading down to the Brecks today and it was even better than expected, with some nice sunny (sun!) spells, even if there was a bit more of a chill today when out in the fresh breeze at times.

It was a slow drive down this morning and we were later than expected arriving at Lynford Arboretum. There had been some Hawfinches around first thing, so we went straight over to see if we could find them. We were disappointed to discover first that there was no food out from the gate, at least on the ‘public’ side of the green plastic sheet which is still hung across the tree tunnel. There were very few birds dropping down our side, just a single Yellowhammer, and a brief Brambling which didn’t even descend from the trees.

We decided to try down at the paddocks, so walked down to the bridge. The feeders looked empty here too and although someone had just sprinkled some food on the pillars there were just a few Blue Tits and Great Tits coming in so far. Continuing on, we scanned from the track along the side of the paddocks and couldn’t see anything in the hornbeams. Someone else there told us that there had still been five Hawfinches an hour earlier, but they had flown off towards the Arboretum.

It seemed like the best idea would be to head elsewhere and try again here later, so we walked back up towards the car park. We were not back to the gate when we looked up to see two Common Cranes circling low over our heads and we watched them as they drifted slowly away east. A real surprise to see them here and a very nice bonus. Presumably they had circled up in response to the sunshine, and with a couple of Common Buzzards up now too, we decided to head straight off and see if the Goshawks were coming up already too.

Common Cranes – circled over

We drove over to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the forest and when we arrived and got out there were lots of Common Buzzards circling up already. We counted at least twelve in the air at the same time at one point. There was a good breeze blowing, which usually stimulates raptor activity and a couple of Red Kites were chasing each other round in circles further back too.

We didn’t have to wait very long before a Goshawk appeared. It was rather distant, but it circled up and started to display, slow flapping with exaggerated deep wingbeats. We got it in the scope before it slowly drifted back over the trees and was lost to view. Then an adult male Goshawk appeared much closer, circling up quickly before starting to display too. After a bout of slow flapping it broke into full on rollercoaster display, descending in a series of dramatic swoops and climbs before folding its wings and plummeting back into the trees.

There were one or two more browner juvenile Goshawks which then appeared further back, and started to display too, slow flapping again. We managed to get those in the scope too. Then it seemed to go quiet for a bit, and even the Common Buzzards appeared mostly to disappear back into the trees too. With several more things to try to do today, we decided to move on.

Acting on a tip-off, we headed off deeper into the forest, parking at the head of a ride and walking in through the pines. As the trees started to thin out, we could hear a Woodlark singing ahead and as we came out into a large clearing we could hear a Stonechat singing too. Scanning the standing trees which had been left in the clearing, we quickly found what we had come here to look for, a Great Grey Shrike was perched half way up in the branches. We got it in the scope and watched it as it swooped out a couple of times after prey, then it flew out and we lost sight of it.

Woodlark – in the grass

We were planning to walk on along the track through the clearing to see if we could locate the Woodlark, which had now stopped singing, but before we could one flew in and landed on the edge of the track not far in front of us. We got it in the scope, but it kept disappearing into the taller grass, before emerging again in a different place. Eventually we had some very good views.

We found the Stonechats out in the clearing now, a pair of them which showed typically well, perching up on the tufts of vegetation. A bright male Yellowhammer flew up and landed in one of the trees, before dropping down into the grass again. A Common Buzzard was in one of the trees too. The Great Grey Shrike then reappeared, closer to us now, perching on some old tree stumps a little closer to us.

Great Grey Shrike – perching on the stumps

The Woodlark started singing again, and we looked across to see it perched half way up one of the trees. It was much easier to see now and everyone had a chance to get a really good look at it in the scope. A pair of Lesser Redpoll dropped down into the vegetation in front of us too, before flying up and one of them landing on a branch over the track.

It was time for lunch, so we walked back along the track to the minibus and drove back to Lynford Arboretum. The sun was out and it was nice to be able to eat outside today, making use of the the picnic tables in the car park, very different from the last couple of days.

After lunch, we walked back over to the Arboretum. The Hawfinches had apparently been seen from the gate again, but as we walked up, the person standing there had not seen them. We could hear Hawfinches calling now, from somewhere in the trees above us. We walked up towards the orchard gate, to see if we could look back and find them, but before we got there three Hawfinches flew out of the trees and we watched them disappearing off towards the paddocks. There was just a Goldcrest left feeding in the blackthorn blossom now. We headed down to see if we could find them there.

There was more food in some of the feeders now and more birds coming in and out, so while we went to scan the paddocks from the start of the lakeside path, the rest of the group stopped to watch the feeders. It didn’t take long though to find the Hawfinches feeding on the ground below the first hornbeam, along with a small flock of Chaffinches and a couple of Bramblings, so we called everyone over to see them in the scope. The Highland Cattle have not been grazing in the paddocks this winter so the grass is longer than usual and the birds are harder to see as a result. Before everyone could see the Hawfinches, all the birds spooked and flew up.

We couldn’t see the Hawfinches in the hornbeam above now and looking further down the paddocks we realised they had flown on down to the ash trees and were perched more distantly in the tops. Everyone had a quick look through the scope, but we were looking into the sun from here, so we walked back to the track which runs along the side of the paddocks and down to see if we could get a better look.

When we arrived at the gap in the hedge opposite the ash trees, there was no sign of the Hawfinches but scanning the branches we found a female Common Crossbill picking at the end of one of the twigs instead. Through the scope we could see its distinctive crossed mandibles, before it dropped down out of view. A nice bonus, as they have been more elusive here in recent weeks.

Hawfinch – perched in the sunshine

The Hawfinches were back feeding down under the first hornbeam, so we got the scope on them again. We could see a huge head and bill come up out of the grass from time to time. We were hoping to get them perched in the trees, and we didn’t have to wait too long before all the finches spooked again and a female Hawfinch flew across and landed in the middle hornbeam straight in front of us. We had a much better view now as it clambered around in the branches higher up and then dropped down to the bushes lower down and perched facing us in the sunshine.

Nuthatch – at the feeders

When the Hawfinches dropped down into the grass again, we walked back to the bridge. Two Nuthatches were coming in and out, grabbing a nut from the feeders and taking it back up into the trees beyond. After a while, the Marsh Tit reappeared too and we finally had good views of it as it came in a couple of times and landed on the ground below the feeders where some food had been spread.

Marsh Tit – flew in

We were planning to walk down round the lake to see if we could find the Siskins, but several flew in and landed in the alders above the bridge now. We had some nice looks at them, before they moved off through the trees on the edge of the water. A Little Grebe laughed at us from somewhere deep in the reeds.

We had one last stop planned for this afternoon, so we made our way back to the minibus and drove over to an area of farmland with a small field planted with wild bird seed mix. As we got out of the bus, we could see large numbers of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings flying in and out of the crop, perching in the tops of the trees along one side.

Tree Sparrows – in the hedge

Scanning up along the hedge the other side, we could see the birds we were hoping to see here, a small group of Tree Sparrows. They were coming and going from the crop and disappearing into the thick brambles and blackthorn, but we counted a minimum of 11 in view together at one point. This is a species which has declined dramatically in southern Britain in recent years, and there are very few places you can see them here now, so it is always to catch up with them, and particularly to see a reasonable number rather than just ones or twos.

It was time to head back for tea and cake. It had been a great day down in the Brecks and although the weather had been challenging at times the previous two days, everyone had enjoyed a very good time in Norfolk and we had managed to see some good birds.

22nd Feb 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 2

Day 2 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour in Norfolk. It was another rather wet and windy day, particularly in the afternoon – we managed to dodge the showers in the morning, although there was no escaping the rain later and thankfully the worst of the wind missed us. As usual, we made the best of it.

Having had untickable views of the Tawny Owl at Titchwell yesterday, and with several of the group keen to see one, we headed down first thing this morning to see if we could see our regular one while the weather was OK. A couple of Greenfinches were chattering in the hedge as we got out of the minibus, but otherwise it was quiet and rather breezy as we walked out along the footpath.

Thankfully, we came round the corner and the Tawny Owl was perched at the entrance to its usual hole again, despite the weather. We got the scope on it and had some great views – it was awake and looking at us at first, had a doze for a while, then woke up again when a Grey Squirrel and a couple of Jackdaws landed close to its hole. Once again, it was totally unfazed by our presence on the footpath, a discrete distance away. A great way to start the day.

Tawny Owl – in its usual hole

On our way west along the coast road, we had a scan of the grazing marshes at Stiffkey. The Glossy Ibis which has spent most of the winter here had not been seen this week – after the recent rain, many of the wet grassy areas where it had been feeding have been flooded again and it tends to be easier to locate when the water levels are falling – but we thought we should have a quick look as we were passing. There were lots of Wigeon and Teal on the floods. It has sometimes been feeding with a flock of Curlew, but we could only find one today, and a single Oystercatcher too.

We called in at the pools east of Wells next. We had a quick look through all the Teal and the Wigeon and there were only a couple of lone Brent Geese. Several small skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew inland over Wells and a small ‘v’ came in and flew over our heads. A lot of the Pink-footed Geese have departed north already, so it is always nice to see and hear them still now.

Pink-footed Geese – flew over

The raptors were enjoying a bright spell now and the freshening breeze. A Red Kite and a Marsh Harrier were up over the pig fields and a Common Buzzard was perched on the hedge. Another couple of Marsh Harriers were hanging in the air over towards Wells. A male came in over the stubble field beyond with exaggerated wingbeats and looked like it might start displaying. Sure enough, it gained height, turned, and started to drop sharply, ending with a couple of dramatic swoops before a female appeared below. Smart.

Marsh Harrier – male displaying

We could see dark clouds approaching from the south, so we waited until they were almost upon us. There were a couple of Skylarks singing and a few Meadow Pipits up and down out of the grass. Just as the rain arrived, we climbed in the minibus and drove through it to Wells beach car park.

By the time we had a short break to use the facilities, the rain had stopped but we checking the rainfall radar we could see a big weather front approaching. It looked like we might have 45 minutes before it made it to us, so we walked up to the harbour. Three Red-breasted Mergansers flew off from the shallows beyond the sandbar as we got up past the Coastwatch hut and disappeared off inland.

A Bar-tailed Godwit was very close, just on the near edge of the harbour channel, so we got it in the scope. It found a particularly large worm and while it was wrestling with it, a Black-headed Gull flew in to try to steal it. The Bar-tailed Godwit flew and the gull chased after it for a while before giving up. Once the Bar-tailed Godwit had finished the worm, it flew in and landed again where it had been before so those who hadn’t seen it earlier could now get a close view of the distinctive patterning on its back.

Bar-tailed Godwit – on the edge of the channel

We could see a few Turnstones and a Grey Plover further out along the channel, but there were more waders further in, so we walked round to the site of the old lifeboat station. There was en excavator on a barge working in the channel, so more disturbance than usual today, but there were still lots of waders on the sand and mussel beds beyond. We got the scope on a mixed flock of Knot and Dunlin feeding further back, and several Ringed Plovers. There were lots of Oystercatchers and more godwits, but no sign of any other waders today. A Peregrine appeared briefly out over East Hills before dropping back away over the trees.

We could see the weather front approaching as we walked round the harbour, a very dark and threatening band of cloud. It was getting close now, so we walked back over to the minibus. As we drove back along the beach road, the heavens opened with heavy sleet. We had planned to spend the morning here and go to Holkham for lunch, but we figured we might be able to get out beyond the front by driving further west. We drove round via Burnham Norton and scanned the grazing marshes there from the minibus, but couldn’t find the Cattle Egrets today, just more Pink-footed Geese.

By the time we got to Brancaster Staithe, the rain had stopped so we got out. There was nothing here we hadn’t seen before but it is a lovely spot and it was nice to be able to stand and watch the birds without getting wet. There were more Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Grey Plover, several of them bathing in the shallows after getting wet in the downpour. A couple of Turnstones were almost feeding under the minibus at one point and more were picking around the piles of discarded mussels with more Oystercatchers. Several Brent Geese dropped down in the channel to bathe and we could see more groups feeding out on the saltmarsh beyond.

Turnstone – in the car park

We had planned to go back to Titchwell for an early lunch, but checking the rainfall radar again, we could see that the dry weather might be short lived so we decided to carry on birding until the rain arrived. We drove round via Thornham village and quickly found the Cattle Egrets in their usual grassy field near The Lifeboat, five of them. Round at the harbour, we got out to scan. Unfortunately the Greenshank flew back up the channel and disappeared just as we got out, but there were more Redshanks, Grey Plover and Curlew here. A couple of Rock Pipits flew round calling.

Cattle Egrets – on the grass

Now it started to rain, so we drove round to Titchwell for a welcome hot drink at the cafe and a break for lunch. After lunch, it was drizzling steadily. We had thought we might go round to Snettisham to look for the Snow Buntings there, but they range over a large area so it might not be very pleasant today. A report had just come out of three Snow Buntings on the beach at Hunstanton, so we thought we might be able to find those without having to walk as far. We managed to find somewhere to park not too far away from the jetski ramp and walked over to the promenade. A couple of Fulmars flew past as we got out over the ridge.

There was no sign of the Snow Buntings where they had apparently been by the first set of steps, but there were a few dog walkers on the beach despite the rain so we figured they may have moved further down. There were a few waders on the shore, Oystercatchers, Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers. We set off to walk down to the corner, and the rain picked up a little. When we got to where we could see further down the coast, there were more dogs out on the beach there, and no sign of any Snow Buntings, just a few Turnstones on the seawall.

It looked like we were going to be out of luck, so with everyone getting wet and the conditions rather miserable, we turned to head back. About half way, we stopped to look at a couple of Ringed Plovers out on the beach. A male was displaying, bowing down to a female with its tail spread. When they walked further up the beach, there were the Snow Buntings hiding among the rocks. They were hard to see at first, but we got the scope on them and could see them sheltering from the weather. We walked back along the beach: they allowed us to approach quite close and only ran a short distance when a dog walker with dog off the lead came past very close to them, then flew a few metres and landed on the groyne.

Snow Bunting – sheltering on the beach

The rain wasn’t hard but was persistent and penetrating, so we were rather wet by the time we got back to the minibus. There was no sign of it stopping. The White-tailed Eagle had been reported from Holkham earlier this afternoon, so we figured we could go back to look for that without having to go far from the minibus. We stopped on Lady Anne’s Drive and scanned the trees, but we couldn’t see it – just a single Common Buzzard on a bush west of the north end of the Drive now. A Great White Egret was on one of the pools and there were lots of ducks, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler, on the grazing marshes, but again we couldn’t see anything different – good weather for ducks!

We drove back out and round to the layby on the A149. We could see a few Spoonbills again out on the grazing marshes from here and lots of Cormorants in the trees, but no sign of anything larger. Checking the forecast, the rain was set in for the evening now. Visibility was poor too and the light was starting to go, so we decided to call it a day and head back for tea and cake in the warm.

21st Feb 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 1

Day 1 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour in Norfolk. It was a rather wet and increasingly windy day, but as usual nowhere near as bad as the apocalyptic forecast from the Met Office and BBC Weather, and we made the most of the opportunities to get out, particularly when the rain stopped in the afternoon.

Given the forecast, we headed for Titchwell this morning where we could get out of the weather in the hides if need be. We cut across inland on our way there, and stopped to look at a flock of finches whirling round over a field corner sown with a bird seen mix. They were all Bramblings, maybe a hundred or so of them – we could see the white up their backs and the brighter orange shoulders of the males as they twisted and turned in flight. Then they dropped into the crop and disappeared. A couple of Stock Doves were on the verge nearby.

It was drizzling when we got to the car park at Titchwell, so we donned our waterproofs. A quick look in the trees on one side produced a brief Woodcock, which unfortunately disappeared in before we could get a proper view and another was lurking very deep in the sallows on the way to the Welcome Hub, too tricky to get an angle on it, so we decided to try our luck along Fen Trail.

The feeders behind the Visitor Centre were quiet, so we carried on round towards Fen Hide. There was no sign of any more Woodcock along here at the moment and the Tawny Owl was hiding in its usual ivy-covered tree but had secreted itself completely today, probably trying to get out of the rain, so the best we could see was half a wing!

Common Snipe – in the cut reeds

The path to Patsy’s has had some new gravel put down so we were able to get round there despite the rain. There were a couple of Common Snipe in the cut reeds in front of the screen, which we got in the scope, and a selection of Gadwall, Mallard, Coot and Mute Swans out on the water, but the Marsh Harriers were keeping down today and there was no activity over the reedbed.

As we made our way back round on Meadow Trail, we found another Woodcock hiding under the sallows. Again, it was not easy to see but we managed to find a spot where we could get the scope on it. Most of the group managed a look before it disappeared deeper in. The Woodcock were still very active this morning, so we figured we might stand a better chance of getting one more static later in the morning.

Woodcock – before it disappeared in

There was no sign of the Water Rail in the ditch by the main path – there was even more water in there this morning, with all the rain, which probably didn’t help. A couple of Cetti’s Warblers shouted at us from the reedbed and a quick scan of the reedbed pool produced a few Common Pochard, Tufted Duck and a couple of Little Grebes.

It was still drizzling steadily though, so we pressed on to Island Hide. There was a digger working out on the main bund today, and the increasing wind didn’t help, so there had been a bit of a clearout on the Freshmarsh. A large group of Avocets were on the island nearest the hide and flew round before landing again. There were a few Black-headed Gulls too and a single adult Mediterranean Gull with a nearly complete black hood dropped in for a quick bathe before flying off inland. A lone Lapwing was on the bund nearest the main path.

Avocets – numbers increasing

There was still no sign of the heavy rain which was forecast, so we decided to press on and see if we could get out to the beach. There were a few ducks, Teal and Shoveler, in the NW corner of the Freshmarsh, as well as a small flock of Dunlin feeding busily in the shallow water. A single Common Snipe was on the bund by the Dunlin and another five flew up from one of the weedy clumps on the island.

There were a few waders out in the channel on the Volunteer Marsh, so we stopped for a quick scan – Redshank, Curlew and a Grey Plover which we got in the scope. There were fewer birds than usual on the Tidal Pools too – a couple of Black-tailed Godwits in a small pool towards the back, more Wigeon on the islands but only a single drake Pintail in with the Shoveler. Turning round, we realised the rest of the Pintail had decamped to the saltmarsh and were feeding on the grass today, presumably to get out of the wind.

Pintail – feeding on the saltmarsh

The dunes provided us with a little bit of shelter to scan the beach and sea. There were several Bar-tailed Godwits along the shoreline and Turnstones and Oystercatchers on the mussel beds. Three Sanderling flew past. Looking out to sea, there were a few Common Scoter close in and a Great Crested Grebe just off the beach in front of us. A couple of pairs of Red-breasted Merganser more distantly off towards Brancaster were harder to see as they kept diving and the scope was constantly getting wet from the drizzle.

On the way back, we were walking into the wind and the drizzle had a sting to it, so it was a case of heads down and make a beeline for the shelter of the trees. Back at the Visitor Centre, there were now lots of birds on the feeders, so we made use of the shelter (which was no being used) to watch the comings and goings. There were several Bramblings on the ground here now, including two or three brighter orange males and a couple of greyer females. A Greenfinch dropped down onto the feeders but the Redpoll we could hear calling in the trees didn’t come in.

Brambling – a male under the feeders

It was time for lunch and it was still drizzling, and we were very kindly allowed to eat our packed lunches inside the cafe at the Visitor Centre. As we walked back to the minibus to collect our lunches, we spotted a Woodcock lurking under the trees close to the path. They can be surprisingly hard to see, as they are so well camouflaged, but we had fill the frame views in the scope now. It was asleep at first, but then woke up and looked at us, assuming it was well protected and we probably couldn’t see it. We could see droplets of water on its back and after a while it shook itself down and walked further in behind some branches.

Woodcock – on the way to the car park

There had been no sign of the heavy rain which was forecast all morning and we slightly worried it might just be late arriving, but after lunch we went back outside and it had stopped. On the way back to the minibus, the Woodcock was back where it had been before. As we drove east along the coast to Holkham, there were more raptors out now – a male Marsh Harrier quartered a field next to the road, a few Red Kites hung in the air, and several Kestrels were perched on the wires.

As we neared the Park, we looked out towards the pines and could see a flock of white birds flying up out of the trees in the middle and gliding round over the grazing marshes. We parked in a layby and got out and confirmed our suspicion they were Spoonbills. They landed on the grass and we got them in the scope, twenty-two of them. There were four different Great White Egrets on the small pools on the marshes too.

Spoonbills – some of the 22 here

Further off towards Burnham Overy, we could see a larger group of up to a hundred Russian White-fronted Geese loafing in a grassy field with some Pink-footed Geese and through the scope we could see their pink bills with the white surround around the base.

Russian White-fronted Geese – out on the grazing marshes

There is a lot of water on the grazing marshes by Lady Anne’s Drive now, and still good numbers of Wigeon and Teal enjoying it, but we couldn’t see anything else in with them. We walked through the pines and out onto the saltmarsh and turned east. The Shorelarks had mostly been on the beach to the west in recent weeks, but had been reported back in the cordon this morning, so we thought we should try there first and hope for the best.

There were lots of Brent Geese out on the saltmarsh, mostly the regular Siberian Dark-bellied Brents but looking through we found a single Pale-bellied Brent with them. A small group of Rock Pipits flew round calling and landed briefly and a few Skylarks were feeding out on the saltmarsh too. It was still rather grey, and it started to drizzle again now but thankfully it was just a shower and quickly stopped again.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese – on the saltmarsh

As we got out to the cordon, a couple who had walked out ahead of us waved us over. There were nine Shorelarks down at the far end and we got them in the scope, getting a good look at their yellow faces and black bandit masks. They were quite mobile and flew up and round several times, landing back each time in a different place. Fortunately we had chosen the right direction to walk!

Shorelarks – out in the cordon

Having enjoyed the Shorelarks, we decided to have a quick look out to sea. There has been a nice mixed flock of scoter off Holkham this winter, although numbers dropped sharply when most of them moved back west towards the Wash two weeks ago. The Black Scoter continues to be reported though, and had been a couple of hours earlier, although all we have been able to locate here since the number of Scoter plummeted have been a couple of lookalike Common Scoter with more yellow than usual on their bills. Still, we hoped we might at least find one or two Velvet Scoter in the flock, but when we got out to the beach and into the lee of the dunes we found the Scoter were very distant and visibility was very poor. There was no chance of picking out a Velvet, let alone a Black! We did have nice views of a couple of female Common Scoter which were very close in and there were several Red-breasted Merganser and a couple of Great Crested Grebes not too far out in the bay too. A few Sanderling were running up and down on the shore.

Looking back at the cordon, the Shorelarks had disappeared now, so we walked back around the far end and over to the lee of the pines and walked back. When we got back to Lady Anne’s Drive, it was still not raining but we were still rather damp from earlier. It was very cloudy and grey though and the light was starting to go. Everyone quite liked the idea of heading back for tea and cake so we decided to call it a day and head for home. We had done remarkably well, given the weather.

18th Feb 2024 – Brecks Tour

A single-day Tour down in the Brecks and Thetford Forest today. The weather forecasters couldn’t decide in the last few days whether the overnight rain would linger. Unfortunately it did! Thankfully we could keep track of its progress on rainfall radar and could see that it should clear through by around 12pm, which it also did on cue. It brightened up in the afternoon and we made the most of the dry weather, seeing all the birds we had hoped to see and more.

We met in the car park at Lynford Arboretum. Given the rain, we figured we would concentrate on the birds here first this morning, which we could probably still see more easily in the rain, and concentrate on some of the other species which required better weather in the afternoon.

We walked into the Arboretum and down to the gate. All the birds had been spooked from the ground when we arrived, so we stopped to wait for them to come back down. We hadn’t been there more than a minute when a Hawfinch flew in and landed high in the trees above our heads. We looked up and could see that it was a female, but we were looking straight into the rain. It was chased by a Chaffinch, and both flew out towards the orchard, so we walked up to see if we could find them in the trees there. The birds normally like to perch here in the early morning sunshine but it was not the weather for them today!

We looked up to see a flock of birds flying in, more Hawfinches, around fifteen of them! They started to land in the top of one of the trees, but flew out again and disappeared off into the arboretum. We walked across to the folly and scanned the tops of trees there but there was no sign of them, so we figured they had gone on down to the paddocks. As we walked down the main path a couple of Song Thrushes were singing, one perched right up against the sky in the trees by the path.

Down at the bridge, there were lots of tits coming in to the feeders including a Marsh Tit which darted in to the bushes briefly. We could see Hawfinches in the first hornbeam in the paddocks beyond, so we walked on along the path to the gate and got the scope on them. Three were perched right in the top but flew across to the trees further along before we all got a look at them. Thankfully, there were still several lower down, so we turned the scope onto them. Despite the rain, we had a really good look at them now.

Hawfinch – library picture

When those Hawfinches dropped down through the branches, we walked on to the next gap in the hedge to see if there were any perched up in the other trees. We couldn’t see any from here but there were several Redwings in the top of the ashes now. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed on the dead trunk at the top of one of the trees.

Looking back to the first hornbeam, we could see the Hawfinches feeding on the ground below the tree now. The highland cattle have not been grazing in the paddocks this winter so the grass is a little longer, but still we had a good look at them on the ground. When they flew back up into the tree above, we counted at least seven perched in the branches. We could see their distinctive vertical perching stance, all head and massive bill and short tail.

We continued on along to the far corner of the paddock, flushing lots of tits which were feeding down in the short grass by the path at the end. A Treecreeper flew across over our heads and landed low in a nearby tree, where we watched it climbing up the trunk. We decided to walk back round the far side to have a look at the lake. There were still several Redwings in the trees in the paddocks and others flying across and up into the fir trees along the west side.

There were three or four Siskins in the alders as we started to walk round the lake, with one coming down onto the ground just ahead of us to feed. The resident pair of Canada Geese swam over to see if we had any food for them and a couple of Gadwall were out on the water with the Mallard. Further along, we turned the scope on the ground under the first hornbeam again where we could see the Hawfinches were still feeding along with several Chaffinches. We were a bit closer from here and it was a good view of them alongside their much smaller cousins.

The Little Grebes were laughing at us from the reeds behind – we were just about the only people mad enough to be out this morning! We hadn’t seen any sign of the large flock of Siskins as we walked round the lake but a succession small groups flew in now and landed in the alders the other side of the lake. We could hear them chattering away. Another Great Spotted Woodpecker flew up from the feeders into the trees behind as we got back to the bridge. We could hear a Nuthatch piping but it didn’t come in.

Yellowhammer – from the gate

We walked back up to the gate, and there were lots of birds feeding on the ground now so we stopped to watch. Several Yellowhammers dropped down, including a particularly bright yellow-headed male, and a selection of Bramblings. A Nuthatch dropped down onto the ground too, and a couple of Coal Tits. There was no sign of any Hawfinches coming down to feed here today, though we could not tell whether they might have been hidden behind the green plastic sheet which has been strung across between the gate and the hide. They seem to have been coming down less often since the sheet has been put up, so hopefully it is not putting them off coming in to feed here now.

It was still raining and we had all got quite damp on our walk round. Two of the group, who didn’t have waterproofs, decided they would call it a day and the rest of us decamped to the Shepherd’s Baa for a hot drink under the shelter. We checked the rainfall radar again and it still looked as though the rain was on track to clear through by midday. It was already mid morning, so we thought we would head round to Santon Downham next and then be ready to go looking for Goshawks once the weather improved.

We stopped on the way to look for Woodlarks. The most we were hoping for at this stage was to find some feeding on the ground and the first place we tried was very wet and birdless. As we walked into the next clearing, two Woodlarks flew up from the grass ahead of us but disappeared off over the trees. We thought we might have to settle for that, but then a third Woodlark fluttered up and started singing. We watched it circling round over the clearing, rounded wings and short tail a bit like a butterfly. Either one of the first two or perhaps even a fourth individual appeared over the clearing further down and started singing too. It was great to just stand and listen to them – although sounding slightly melancholy, the song of Woodlarks over the forest clearings early in the year is a wonderful sound and a real herald that spring is on its way.

The closer Woodlark dropped down onto the ground. We scanned the grass and had just found it in a small dip when it flew up again. The rain was just starting to ease and there was even a hint of the sun behind the clouds as it towered up high over our heads. We had a look further down the path, but there was no sign of the other Woodlarks on the ground here, so we decided to move on.

We parked in the Forestry Commission car park at Santon Downham and as we got out of the minibus, a Sparrowhawk flew over – a good sign that the weather was improving. As we walked back down to the bridge, there weren’t so many birds in the gardens now and most of the Siskins were up in the tops of the trees. Someone was just filling up the feeders down by the river. There had been some Crossbills down along the river bank in recent days, although only the first section of the path is passable at the moment and the river has flooded over the bank further down, and two other birders we passed also told us they had seen some redpolls along here so we thought it was a good place to try.

It was rather damp down by the river, both underfoot and with the water still dripping off the trees. Three Mute Swans were enjoying all the water and a pair of Egyptian Geese flew past over the other side of the river, calling noisily. There were a few Siskins in the sallows but no sign of any crossbills or redpolls now. A Marsh Tit showed nicely in the branches over the path ahead of us. When we got to the end of the raised section of the path, we turned to come back. A lone drake Mandarin zipped past us through the trees.

Siskin – library picture

Back towards the bridge, three Lesser Redpolls dropped in to a small willow on the other bank, including a smart red-breasted male. Another dropped down onto the feeder briefly, but had gone by the time we got the scope on it and had to make do with a very smart green and gold male Siskin instead. As we walked back over the bridge, several birds were perched in the trees above the gardens now. We got the scope on three Redpolls and noticed that one which was back on to us, preening, had a distinctive dark-streaked pale rump – a Mealy Redpoll! It dropped down towards the garden but there was no sign of it on the feeders when we walked up and just a succession of more Lesser Redpolls dropped in. As we walked on back to the car park, a Goldcrest was singing and flitting around in a fir tree next to the road.

The forecast was still suggesting the sun might break through around 2pm, so although it was still rather grey now, we decided to head off to try our luck with Goshawks while we ate lunch. As we drove past, several flocks of Fieldfares came up out of the fields. When we got to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the forest the wind had picked up a bit and there were some patches of bright sky, which looked more promising. Several Common Buzzards were already up above the trees along with a single Red Kite, and we hadn’t been scanning more than a couple of minutes before we picked up a very distant Goshawk displaying away to the NW.

We barely had a chance to enjoy our sandwiches today, as it was all action from now on. A big adult female Goshawk flew low along the front edge of the trees in front of us before circling up and starting to display, flying back the other way with very deep, exaggerated wingbeats. Silvery grey above and white below, at times when it stopped to circle we had some good views through the scope.

Goshawk – displaying

Then a browner juvenile Goshawk with orange-tinged streaked underparts appeared from the right and started displaying too. As it flew in towards where the adult female was still displaying, she headed straight towards it and the juvenile appeared to back off, moving back off to the right while the female then turned back to left and resumed what she had been doing. The juvenile hadn’t learnt its lesson though and after a minute or so flew back in towards the adult. This time the female set off in pursuit, chasing off after the juvenile and pursuing it off away over the trees.

Having seen off the juvenile, the adult female Goshawk flew back in low and dropped down into the trees. We could still see the juvenile displaying in the distance away to the NE and now it brought up another adult from the next territory over, which started displaying too. At least four different Goshawks up and displaying in the space of 45 minutes while we were trying to eat our lunch! A Woodlark flew over singing too and a pair of Stonechats were on the fence by the road next to where we were parked.

Stonechat – next to the parking area

Once we had finished eating, we decided to move on. We stopped again by a small field planted with a wild bird seed mix and as we pulled up we could see lots of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings in the bushes across the road. From the edge of the field, we looked up along the hedge and quickly found one or two Tree Sparrows in the brambles which we got in the scope. A couple more appeared briefly on the bushes further up, but they were mostly keeping to the vegetation today.

Tree Sparrow – in the hedge

We would normally head back to Lynford around the time, to be sure of catching the Hawfinches, but after having seen them this morning, albeit in the rain, we decided to try something else. We headed back to the area we had seen the Common Crossbill perched last week and this time walked in along a different ride, straight along the line of firs where we thought it had probably been. We hadn’t gone very far in when we heard Crossbills calling and looked up to see a small flock fly out of the tops of the firs and across the ride above us. They disappeared over the pines the other side but thankfully flew back over and landed in the tops of the firs.

Crossbills – landed in the top of the firs

We got the scope on the Crossbills now, perched very obligingly in the top of a tree. There were several bright red males higher up and a few greener females lower down, and through the scope we could see their distinctive crossed mandible tips which they use for prying open fir cones. They weren’t feeding now though, or certainly the ones perched in the top were not. We couldn’t see all the flock though, and when they eventually took off again we counted thirteen in the group. They disappeared back into the block of firs from where they had first come and we could see them perched in the top of one tree further in briefly before they dropped down out of view.

Crossbills – nice views

Now we did make our way back to Lynford. Not surprisingly, there were a lot more cars in the car park than there had been this morning, now that the weather had improved. We walked in to the Arboretum and down to the gate. It was nicer standing here now that it was not raining and we spent a bit more time admiring the Bramblings, noting the variation in the males, some with much blacker heads already than others.

Brambling – a male

There were even more Yellowhammers coming down now, with at least ten on the ground together at one point. A Treecreeper appeared in one the dead trees very close to where we were standing.

Treecreeper – in the tree next to the gate

There was still no sign of any Hawfinches up at the gate, so we walked back down to the paddocks to see if they were there. They had apparently been in the hornbeams still earlier in the afternoon, but we were probably just too late and there was no sign of them when we arrived. They do have a habit of going off to roost early, so we were not entirely surprised. We checked the tops of the fir trees at the back, but there was no sign of them there either. There were a few Chaffinches and a couple of Bramblings in the hornbeams, and a couple of Mistle Thrushes flew in and landed in the top of one of the trees, a nice last addition to the day’s list.

Then it was time to call it a day and head back to the car park. It may have been a very wet start today, but despite that we had enjoyed a very successful day down in the Brecks and seen all the birds we had set out to find and more.

17th Feb 2024 – Owl Tour

A single-day Owl Tour in North Norfolk today. After some sunny spells early on, it was a rather grey and cloudy day but very mild. There were a couple of thankfully very brief spells of light drizzle, which were not in the forecast, but we largely managed to dodge them.

There was no sign of any Barn Owls still out hunting on our way down to the meeting point this morning, which was not an auspicious start. Having picked everyone up, we drove back round all the usual fields where we might expect to find them hunting before they head in to roost, but all was quiet. After a couple of very mild and dry nights, the Barn Owls had presumably been catching enough food in the hours of darkness and were not hungry enough to be out in the daylight now.

We stopped again where we had seen one going off to roost last week, just in case it might do a repeat fly past. A Song Thrush was singing from the trees as we got out of the minibus and a flock of Curlews was feeding out in the wet grass. A couple of Marsh Harriers circled up out over the marshes and a male perched on a post where we could get it in the scope. Two Great White Egrets flew across in the distance followed by an untidy looking flock of Brent Geese. As we looked inland, we picked up a small flock of Pink-footed Geese in a more ordered skein heading off to find a suitable feed to feed in. A lone Greylag circled low over us honking.

We decided to cut our losses and head on to try for Tawny Owl instead. As we walked up the footpath, the sun was shining over the trees and we could make out the Tawny Owl at the entrance to its usual hole, but we were looking into the light from here. It looked settled today though, so we continued straight up to the corner where we had a great view now, looking straight at it with the sun behind us. The Tawny Owl was mostly dozing, with its eyes half closed and it seemed to completely ignore us where we were on the path. When several Jackdaws appeared in the tree and seemed to be checking out the hole, the Tawny Owl opened its eyes at one point but it didn’t seem overly concerned and after a while the Jackdaws flew off.

Tawny Owl – in its usual hole

It gradually clouded over and then after a while started to spit very lightly with rain, which was not in the forecast, so we walked back down the footpath to minibus. From where we were parked, we could see some distant Brent Geese out on the saltmarsh and one of the group spotted a juvenile Peregrine standing in the middle of a stubble field, where we got it in the scope for a closer look. A Chaffinch was singing from the branches of a bush above the minibus, another bird getting ready for spring.

We headed inland next, checking a succession of barns on the way to see if we could find any Little Owls. The drizzle had eased but it was still rather grey and not ideal weather for owls to be perched out – they normally like a bit of morning sun. We were almost not going to stop as we passed one regular set of barns, but we slowed down and looked across to see a Little Owl right on the top of the roof of one of them. We pulled up in a nearby layby and got out, so we could get it in the scope. After a while, it dropped down behind the gable it had been perched on, but we could still just see it looking round from behind. Two male Pheasants were fighting in the field beyond, one white one which had presumably been released by the local shoot, and a Skylark was singing over the stubble field in front.

Little Owl – perched on the barn roof

After watching the Little Owl for a while, we carried on our journey west. We checked out some more barns on the way and found no more owls, but we did pass a couple of Red Kites perched in the trees. Eventually, we dropped back down to the coast and drove on to Titchwell. We still had time for a look around Fen Trail and Patsy’s before lunch and as we walked in from the car park, we scanned the wet ground under the sallows and found a Woodcock lurking. Despite being very close to the path it was very well camouflaged and surprisingly hard to see, so we got it in the scope.

Woodcock – hiding by the path

After traversing the Welcome Hub, we had a quick look at the feeders the other side of the Visitor Centre and found two female Bramblings with the Chaffinches on the ground underneath. A very tame Muntjac stared at us as we passed, before walking slowly into the undergrowth. Out on Fen Trail, a birder coming back said there was no obvious sign of the Tawny Owl where it usually has been, but we eventually managed to find it, albeit very well hidden today. We could just see its eyes from one angle, a complete contrast with the the views of the Tawny Owl we had seen earlier and the reason why it is normally so hard to find them at roost – they are very good at concealing themselves!

Bramblings – under the feeders

On to Patsy’s, and there were lots of Gadwall and Coot out on the water. Several Common Snipe were fairly obvious dozing in the cut reeds or feeding on the edge of the water, but another snipe of some description was very tightly tucked in so that we could only see a few feathers. We tried various angles from the viewing screen to get a better look, but eventually had to admit defeat. A couple of Marsh Harriers circled low over the reeds beyond, and when we heard one calling we looked up to see it displaying high over the reedbed. Spring is definitely coming! Three Mediterranean Gulls flew past calling and a Stonechat appeared briefly in the reeds.

Common Snipe – in the reeds

We walked back round to the picnic area for lunch and afterwards headed out onto the reserve again. A Chiffchaff was flitting around in the sallows by the path from the car park, but there was no sign of any Water Rails in the ditches today and a lot of water after all the recent rain. A couple of Little Grebes were out on the reedbed pool.

Out on the Freshmarsh, the Avocet numbers are continuing to creep back up after the winter, several feeding up to their bellies in the deep water. There were lots of gulls on the newly reprofiled islands too, with some of the Black-headed Gulls displaying, and several Mediterranean Gulls loafing, including one already sporting its jet black summer hood. Two pairs of Pintail were upending out on the water, the drakes showing off their pin tails, along with lots of Teal and a couple of Gadwall, a flock of Brent Geese and a few Canada Geese further back. A small flock of Dunlin flew in and whirled round over the Freshmarsh.

Redshank – on Volunteer Marsh

We had a bit of time, so we continued on out past Volunteer Marsh. The tide was out, and a close Redshank was on the channel next to the path, with more Redshank and Curlew in the wider part of the channel beyond, along with a couple of Grey Plover. At the Tidal Pool, there were several Black-tailed Godwits feeding, a couple of Wigeon and more Shoveler. A nice pair of Pintail were feeding quite close to the path, so we got the scope on the male when it stopped swimming and stayed still with its head raised. Looking back towards the Freshmarsh, a large flock of Golden Plover circled round now but then turned and headed back off inland.

Pintail – on Tidal Pool

A flock of Linnets and a few Reed Buntings were feeding on the short grass in the edge of the dunes. Out on the beach, we got the scope on some Bar-tailed Godwits which were down on the shoreline. A small group of Turnstones were on the sand too, and a busy flock of Sanderling further up towards Thornham Point. We could see a few Common Scoter fairly close in on the sea, and more much more distantly beyond. Looking behind us, we could see the sky had turned dark and rather threatening inland, so we decided to head back in case it started to rain. A group of Ruff were out on the Freshmarsh now, as we passed.

Back to the minibus and we drove back east. We checked some sites for Barn Owls on the way, but despite being around the time when they will sometimes come out again to feed, all was quiet. We drove back round the fields where we had looked earlier this morning, and all was quiet there too, as it was when we stopped and scanned the grazing marshes. We figured our best chance for a Barn Owl was to head inland to the box where we had seen one last week – we had checked again yesterday and it had still been there. When we arrived, there was no sign of it on the outside of the box so we waited to see when it emerged.

A Grey Heron flew up from the pools as we walked up, there were several Brown Hares in the field beyond and a couple of Muntjac at the back of the water meadows. As dusk descended, a lone Cattle Egret flew north, followed by a Little Egret, both heading up towards the coast to roost. The Tawny Owls started hooting in the woods beyond, an evocative backdrop to finish the day, but there was no sign of the Barn Owl tonight. It was not entirely clear whether it might just come out later or it was roosting elsewhere today, but as it was starting to get dark we eventually had to give up. A shame about the lack of Barn Owls today, normally the easiest to find of our commoner owls, but we had enjoyed a very good day out otherwise today, with lots of birds and a few of the harder to find owls!

11th Feb 2024 – Brecks Tour

A single-day Tour down in the Brecks and Thetford Forest today. After heavy rain overnight again, it was a rather cloudy day but thankfully it remained dry and we did even have some brief sunny spells during the morning.

We met this morning in the car park at Lynford Arboretum. A few Hawfinches have been coming down to feed in front of the gate there in recent days, so we walked over the road to have a look first. Despite the new green plastic sheet strung across the tree tunnel behind the pond, obscuring the view, we could still see there were plenty of birds coming down to the seed – including at least 20 Bramblings, with some of the males already starting to get their summer black heads, several Yellowhammers and a couple of Nuthatches. We stood and watched the comings and goings for a while, admiring the variation in the Bramblings and listening for any sign of the Hawfinches in the trees above.

Bramblings – down to feed

The clouds appeared to be breaking and a few rays of morning sunshine broke through. We walked a bit further down to see if there were any birds sunning themselves in the tops of the trees. At first, we could just see several of the Bramblings up in the branches but we didn’t have to wait too long before a Hawfinch flew in and landed above them, followed by a second which dropped in a little lower down. We were looking into the sun from here, so we moved a bit further still and looked back, where we had a much better view. They were two female Hawfinches, rather grey-brown with a less extensive black mask and bib. After a while, they dropped down through the branches – a good start to get them under our belts first thing. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from the top of a tree in the Arboretum.

Hawfinch – a female

We decided to try to make the most of the morning brightness to see if we could find any Woodlarks singing. It was a short drive round to a nearby clearing. As we walked in through the trees, a large group of Redwings was chattering and singing further down and from the other side we could see several of them perched in the bare branches. A Song Thrush was singing above us too.

As we walked along the track around the edge of the clearing, a pair of Woodlarks flew up from the middle. One dropped down again over the far side but the second landed on a side branch of a tall tree stump which had been left nearby. We got it in the scope and could see its well marked supercilium. When it dropped down to the ground, we walked on a bit, stopping again for another look when if flew back up. It dropped down again and we continued on to the track through the middle of the clearing. We thought we might be able to find the Woodlarks on the ground from there, but they are so well camouflaged and they had probably moved considerably now from where we saw them drop. Despite the rays of sunshine through the clouds, the male was not really singing this morning and only when we were just about to leave did we hear it start to sing quietly from somewhere further back.

We made our way out onto another track which led back to the road and as we walked along we kept scanning the trees. We hadn’t gone far when this paid off in the shape of a male Common Crossbill perched in the very top of a fir tree. We got it in the scope, but unfortunately it dropped down before everyone had a chance for a closer look.

Continuing on, we had a brief glimpse of a pale raptor through the trees back beyond where we had parked and when we got back to the minibus we looked across to see an adult male Goshawk flying over. It turned and flew back the other way, then turned away again, although only very briefly did it engage in any display – just a quick burst of slow flapping – before it disappeared back over the trees beyond. We were planning to head off elsewhere to look for Goshawks now, thinking there might be some activity as the sun broke through the clouds, but it was nice to see one here already.

A Marsh Tit appeared in the bushes just across the road from where we were parked and, as we were just about to get back into the minibus, a Woodlark started singing a little further up the road. We walked up to listen to its slightly melancholy song, such a typical sound of late winter/early spring in the forest clearings here, and it came fluttering high over over the road and over our heads.

Woodlark – singing

Sticking to plan A, we drove north to see if we could see any more Goshawks but quickly found ourselves heading back into thicker cloud. On the way, we pulled up to scan an overgrown field which was full of Fieldfares, along with a few Redwings, Chaffinches and Skylarks and a couple of Red-legged Partridges. When we got to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the forest it was very grey and felt rather cold as we got out of the minibus, not ideal conditions for displaying Goshawks.

We didn’t have to wait long before all the Woodpigeons erupted from the trees away to our left and we looked across to see a large female Goshawk flying out over the fields. It flew up through the belt of pines the other side, sending more Woodpigeons scattering, before it came out above the trees. It was rather brown and streaked below, a juvenile from last year. Then it dropped down into the trees and disappeared.

There were several Common Buzzards which circled up above the trees and one or two came right over where we were standing. A Red Kite drifted over the field away to our right and then another four Red Kites circled over the trees off to our left. The bigger surprise was three Marsh Harriers which circled up together with a Common Buzzard, before drifting off NE, not a regular bird to see here.

When all the pigeons started to come up out of the trees to our right, another Goshawk appeared briefly flying through the tops, before dropping away from us and out of view. Then the juvenile female we had seen earlier came up again from the pines behind us and circled up, lingering in the same place long enough for us to get it in the scopes this time. With the stubborn cloud, it seemed unlikely the Goshawks would be displaying today, so we decided to move on before we got too cold.

We stopped again by a small field planted with a wild bird seed mix. As we got out of the minibus, several Reed Buntings were perched in the hedge and small groups of Yellowhammers flew in and out of the crop. From the edge of the field, we looked up along the hedge and could see a few Tree Sparrows perched in the brambles. The more we stood and watched, the more appeared – at one point we counted up to twenty Tree Sparrows in the same view. A sadly very scarce and declining species here these days, it was a real treat to watch them.

Tree Sparrow – sadly very scarce now

It was just about lunchtime now, so we drove south again, down to Brandon Country Park, to make use of the facilities there. As we ate on the picnic tables, several Coal Tits came in and out of the feeders. A Brambling perched in the top of the taller trees behind the cafe briefly and a Sparrowhawk flew over, before folding its wings back and plummeting dramatically down into the forest just behind the car park.

After lunch, we had a quick look at the small lake. As expected at this time of year, there were several Mandarins on the water. We counted at least five drakes and two females, though there were probably more hiding in the reeds. A Moorhen was lurking on the edge of the vegetation. We had a quick scan of the trees around the lake, but there was very little activity here, so we decided to move on.

Mandarin – a gaudy drake

Our next destination was Santon Downham, where we parked in the Forestry Commission car park. A Treecreeper was singing in the trees as we got out of the minibus and several Redwings were perched in the top of a nearby bush. There were lots of Siskins in the trees in the back gardens of the cottages and a couple of Bramblings. A Lesser Redpoll flew up into one of the trees just as the homeowner came out to her back gate with her dog, and everything flew off.

Out onto the road, we stopped to look at the feeders in the front garden of one of the cottages. There were more Siskins here and we were quickly rewarded with another Lesser Redpoll which flew in too, a smart male with bright red breast as well as the red ‘poll’. A succession of Lesser Redpolls came in to the feeders while we stood there, with at least three birds in total. Several Coal Tits appeared too and a Marsh Tit made a brief visit. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers landed in the top of one the taller trees further back. We had a quick look from the bridge. More finches were coming and going from the feeders down by the river, including more Lesser Redpolls.

Lesser Redpoll – coming to the feeders

We planned to finish the day back at Lynford Arboretum, so we headed back round there now. The car park was very busy but we managed to find somewhere to park and most people seemed to be here for coffee at the Shepherd’s Baa. We walked past and on up to the gate, where one person was standing watching the birds coming down to feed. He told us the Hawfinches had been down earlier, although not for a while.

We hadn’t been there long before one of the group standing by the far end of the gate realised that there was a Hawfinch down feeding, but behind the green plastic sheet. The bottom corner of the sheet was missing and from time to time the Hawfinch hopped to where it was just visible from the right spot, a smart male. Thankfully, the birds all kept spooking and flying up into the trees before dropping down again, and the Hawfinches were doing the same, and sometimes coming down on our side of the sheet. We had lovely views of both male and female now, with the male at one point hopping out to the small pond for a drink.

Hawfinch – check out that bill!

Hawfinch – the male drinking

After a while, we had to tear ourselves away and continue on down to the paddocks. We stopped at the bridge where the feeders had been filled up since this morning. We had nice views of a Treecreeper in the trees here, although as usual it spent most of its time round the back of the trunks. There were plenty of Blue Tits, Great Tits and a couple of Coal Tits coming in and out, but no sign of any Marsh Tits while we were here today. Several Siskins were feeding on the alder cones.

Siskin – feeding in the alders

From the edge of the paddocks, we could see a couple of Greenfinches in the top of the first of the hornbeams and as we got the scopes on them, three Hawfinches hopped up into view too. One flew out and over our heads, landing in the top of the poplars behind us, before all three then flew into one the other hornbeams further along. A ‘big ole thrush’ was perched in the same tree, local vernacular for a Mistle Thrush!

Walking on, there were lots of finches flying in and out of the trees, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Siskins. The Hawfinches flew up into the tops of the firs beyond where they perched for a while before dropping down to roost. We did a circuit of the paddocks and pack down to the path alongside the lake. A large flock of Siskins was still feeding feverishly in the alders here, at least a hundred of them, which was great to watch. Several Gadwall were out on the water but we couldn’t find any Canada Geese at first. Disappointment for all the group was averted however, as only when we walked further along did we find a pair of Canada Geese hidden behind the trees on one of the islands with a Mute Swan. A Little Grebe was laughing at us from somewhere deep in the reeds.

Song Thrush – singing

We stopped again at the bridge – the Treecreeper was still in the trees there, along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Nuthatch came in to the feeders briefly. As we walked back up towards the car park, a Song Thrush was singing its heart out in a tree above the path. The ground in front of the gate was quiet now as we passed, with the birds mostly having headed off to roost already. It was time for us to head off too.

8th-10th Jan 2024 – Three Winter Days

A 3-day Private Tour, with some specific targets we wanted to see. It was cloudy and cold on Monday, though the wintry flurries were thankfully brief and light, but with a very blustery and cold NE wind which hampered us at times. Tuesday and Wednesday were much brighter with some nice long spells of winter sunshine, though the wind only eased slowly.

Monday 8th January

Our primary target today was to see if we could locate the Red-breasted Goose. Figuring it didn’t fly out from the saltmarsh to the fields until around 10am yesterday, we decided to head down to Wells first and have a look in the harbour. We could see the trees being lashed around when we arrived in the car park and as we got up past the lifeboat station, we were face on into the biting cold wind. We had a quick scan from the slipway – four distant Red-breasted Mergansers were in the outer channel, and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and a Grey Plover were feeding along the near edge in front of us. A Curlew was on the shore the other side, and lots of Dunlin were running around on the wet sand behind.

Red-breasted Merganser – in the channel

We walked back and round behind the new lifeboat station and managed to get some shelter from the wind behind the groynes. Three more Red-breasted Mergansers were in the channel much closer here, two males and a female, and the males started displaying briefly.

There were more waders opposite here, a few Knot, Ringed Plover, more Bar-tailed Godwits. A Greenshank was in the mouth of the small channel opposite before it disappeared round behind the sand. Further up, lots of Oystercatchers were roosting on the sandbar, with a big group of Knot in a tight flock in amongst them. A group of Shelducks were sleeping on the sand too.

Oystercatcher & Knot – roosting

We got a message now to say that the Red-breasted Goose was already in the fields where we had looked for it yesterday afternoon, so we walked straight back to the minibus and drove over. Before we got there, apparently the farmer had already been out and flushed all the Brent Geese. Most had flown off, but there were still a few hundred there, though unfortunately they were super nervous now and took off again as soon as we drove up, landing out of view behind a hedge.

We drove round to the next road over and looked back. We couldn’t see the field where the flock was at first, but there were lots of Lapwings in the field in front of us and several Fieldfares feeding in with lots of Starlings. The Brent Geese came up again, off in the distance, and whirled round, before dropping down again out of view. We wouldn’t be able to see them from this side.

We made our way back round to where we had started, and the Brent flock was back in a field visible from the road now. They were more distant from the road but once again they took off as soon as we slowed to pull up. It felt like it might be another frustrating wild goose chase, but thankfully this time they landed again still in view just a little further back, far enough that we could even get out of the minibus to look through with the scopes.

The Red-breasted Goose was in the flock with the Brents but it was very hard to see at first, as it sat down in the middle of the group. Before we even had a proper chance to look the farmer was back on his ATV to flush the geese, presumably attracted by our presence. Kindly he at least allowed us a couple of minutes before he drove, and all at least had a quick look at the Red-breasted Goose before the Brent flock took off of their own accord and flew off over the road further up.

Red-breasted Goose – taken elsewhere recently!

A good start, but we wanted to see if we could get better views. The farmer rode off and we continued on down the road to see if we could find where the Brents had landed. They were a couple of fields over, behind a hedge, and pretty much out of view. But we noticed a gap in the hedge, found somewhere to pull off the road, and set up the scope. Remarkably, there was the Red-breasted Goose in the gap! We had a better view of it now, for a minute or so, before all the geese moved further back in the field out of view again.

There were some light wintry flurries and it was very cold in the wind, so we got in the minibus and made our way back down to the coast. We stopped at Holkham – the Shorelarks had been reported again this morning, so we thought we would look for those, and we particularly wanted to look for Velvet Scoters too. When we got out to the saltmarsh, people walking back told us the Shorelarks had been flushed by a Merlin and flown off high west. We scanned the beach around the Gap, but couldn’t see anything out there, so continued on out to the dunes.

We managed to find a spot out of the wind and quickly located the Common Scoters. They were quite close in, several thousand of them, but the sea was rough, so it was tricky to pick out anything in with them on the water. Thankfully, they had split into several groups and birds were flying between the flocks. The Velvet Scoters were easy to see in flight, with the bright white flash in their wings, and we eventually counted at least 15 of them before the scoters all settled down again.

On our way back, we had a quick look out on the saltmarsh west of the Gap, but there were no birds there at all, so we cut back in through the pines to the Lookout for lunch. After lunch, as we drove back up Lady Anne’s Drive, we could see lots of waders feeding on the flooded fields, so we got out for a closer look. We could see a good number of Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, and a couple of Dunlin too.

Barnacle Geese – probably from the Park

Back out on the main road, we stopped to look at the geese in their usual field. There was a big flock of Barnacle Geese in here today, at least a couple of hundred, which seem to be the feral Holkham breeders which have returned early this year. There were at least 50 White-fronted Geese too, mostly over the back of the field but a small group were much closer. A couple of Pink-footed Geese and the usual Greylags made for a very good goose selection! We made our way on west, with a quick stop to look at four Grey Partridges in a field by the road, and on to Titchwell.

White-fronted Geese – by the road again

The car park at Titchwell was remarkably quiet. Once we got out of the trees on the main path, we could see why – the bitter wind was gusting 36-37mph in off the sea and across the open marshes. We couldn’t see any Water Pipits on the reedbed pool, just a few Pied Wagtails, but it was just too cold to linger long here this afternoon. The Freshmarsh was pretty much empty, as birds had presumably sought shelter elsewhere. We continued on to check the Tidal Pool and were rewarded with another Greenshank. There were lots of ducks roosting on here, but no sign of any Pintail. It was hard to keep the scopes still, so we decided to head back to shelter.

The light was already starting to go. We had a quick look at Thornham Harbour, hoping we might pick up something coming through, heading to Titchwell to roost, from the shelter of the minibus but it was too blustery. Time to head for home. We had one last surprise – as we drove back inland, what looked like a piece of white rubbish blowing across the road ahead of us turned out to be a Stoat in full ermine as we got closer and we could see it in the base of the hedge next to the road.

Tuesday 9th January

We had a particular request to try to see a Long-eared Owl, so we headed over to the Fens this morning. It was a lovely sunny morning for the long drive with wall to wall blue skies, and just a light frost. When we arrived and disembarked, it was nice to find that the wind was a lot lighter inland too. As we walked in along the track, a Fieldfare flew up from the verge and landed in the hedge beside us. A Green Woodpecker laughed behind us and landed in the top of a dead tree.

Fieldfare – in the hedge

We walked down to the hide and opened the flaps. A quick scan revealed a Long-eared Owl tucked in the ivy, very close to the hide. We could see two eyes staring back at us, until it went back to sleep, and most of one of its ear tufts, between the leaves. There was probably a second Long-eared Owl deep in the ivy too.

Long-eared Owl – trying to hide

There were not so many ducks as normal on the main lake, only a few distant Goldeneye and no sign of any Goosander, as well as the regular Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal and Tufted Duck. There were a couple of distant Common Pochard too.

Goldeneye – on the main lake

There has been a Glossy Ibis on site for the last week or so, so we went on to look for that now. Out on the riverbank, the pools it had apparently been on were frozen over, so we walked downstream to look at the west pit. The wet grass around the edges of that were frozen too, and there was a work party out there over the far side, cutting trees and having bonfires, so probably no chance of it feeding on there today. We walked back up and another birder appeared who pointed out that that the Glossy Ibis was along the side of the river further upstream. You had to stand in just the right spot to see it between the trees, but we got it in the scopes now and had a good view.

Glossy Ibis – on the edge of the river

We made our way back to round to the hide, and the Long-eared Owl we had seen earlier had shrunk back into the leaves. We could see another one more clearly now, but where it had chosen to perch, we could see its bottom half but its head was completely hidden.

We had options to spend the rest of the day exploring the Fens, but with nothing on the particular target list elsewhere here, the decision was made to head back in to Norfolk. As we were passing, we stopped briefly on the King’s Lynn bypass to check the Hardwick flood lagoon. There has been a Black-throated Diver on here for a couple of weeks, but we couldn’t find it now. It may have been out of view in one of the bays or behind the reeds. It had been much calmer inland but we were back in the blustery wind now, and it was time for lunch, so we decided not to hang around.

We only had a couple of hours left this afternoon, so we made our way up to Titchwell again, to see if we could find some of the birds we had missed in the weather yesterday. After a quick lunch in the picnic area, we headed out onto the reserve. It was very windy out on the main path beyond the trees again, if anything worse than yesterday, though at least it was still bright and sunny today. There was no sign of the Water Pipit again and the Freshmarsh was empty – probably a combination of the wind and diggers working on the marsh at the moment, currently fixing the east bank sluice.

We continued on out past the Volunteer Marsh. Four Pintail flew in past us, circled over the Freshmarsh behind us, and then headed back out towards the beach, a nice addition to the trip list. Out at the Tidal Pool, there were lots of birds but it was next to impossible to keep the scope stable enough in the wind. The birds were all facing away from us too, into the wind. There were more Grey Plover sheltering on here today, and more Common Redshanks, but we still couldn’t find any sign of the Spotted Redshank. We had a quick look at the sea from the lee of the dunes, which was cutting up quite rough. The Sanderling were still running up and down along the shore.

Woodcock – hiding in the sallows

We headed back to the shelter of the sallows and cut in along Meadow Trail. There have been some good counts of Woodcock coming in to roost very early in the mornings here in recent days, so we thought we might be able to find one roosting under the trees. The first bird we found was a Water Rail feeding on the edge of a small pool deep under the trees. Then a little further on, we found a Woodcock too. Success! It was tucked in amongst the branches, but by moving around we could get a good view of most of it, We spent some time watching that, before it moved deeper in. Then a little further on, we quickly found a second Woodcock too, feeding close to the path. It was a little too close though and quickly disappeared back in between the branches.

A member of staff walking past told us that the Water Rail was back in the ditch by the main path, so we walked round to see that. Good views even if the light was now starting to go. A very successful couple of hours here, and the sun was setting now as we walked back to the car park.

Water Rail – back in the ditch

Wednesday 10th January

On our way down to the coast, we drove round via Wiveton. A lone Cattle Egret was still in one of the flooded fields by the road, despite the absence of any livestock. We wanted to look for the Velvet Scoters along the coast east of Cley this morning, as they have been close in at times. The wind was meant to drop today, which would make viewing ducks on the sea easier, but it hadn’t gone down as much as forecast and it was still rather blustery when we got out of the minibus.

We had a quick look at Salthouse first, as the scoter flock had been down this end yesterday afternoon. We couldn’t see any off the beach here – a young Grey Seal was hauled out near the top of the shingle and looked up at us as we came over the crest. A flock of 11 Red-throated Divers flew past out to sea, catching the early morning light.

Grey Seal – on the shingle

The scoter are more regularly off Kelling, so we headed round there next. As we parked in the village, a Grey Wagtail flew up out of the beck. The top part of the lane was quiet – the verges have been mown to within an inch of their lives, all the seedy vegetation is gone along the beck, and the hedges shredded back again. Presumably so it looks ‘tidy’! As we got down to the crosstrack, two Grey Partridges flew out of the field ahead of us, landing briefly on the path before flying off again. There were lots of Rooks feeding out on the Quags, which looked particularly smart in the low winter sunshine.

There was a nice selection of ducks on the Water Meadow pool. As the high water levels of recent days are receding, there is some nice wet grass appearing round the edges. As we looked over the hedge in the far corner, a Common Snipe came up from the vegetation. Just beyond, a couple of Brown Hares had taken shelter from the wind behind a small bramble clump and were warming themselves in the morning sun.

Brown Hares – sheltering from the wind

As we climbed up to the top of the shingle, there was a large raft of Common Scoter quite close inshore, but they were very nervous and flew before we could down from the skyline the other side. There was no sign of any Velvet Scoters in with them, and they landed further east with another larger raft. We scanned through them, several hundred strong, but they were mostly facing into the wind, so away from us, and diving continually. We picked up a smaller group just to the west of us, which was easier to look through and found a smart drake Eider in with them. We had some really nice views of the Common Scoters now too.

The scoter started to drift back inshore and gather in front of us, but were flushed again by two people walking along the shoreline and went off east again. We waited and scanned, and gradually they returned once more. We could see them much better now and finally we started to find the Velvet Scoters in with the Commons, at least three of them though it was hard to keep track. Lovely views new, quite close in, with the Eider alongside them at one point too.

Eider & Velvet Scoter – with the Common Scoter

It was cold out on the beach, so we decided to head back and warm up. A Water Rail scuttled across between clumps of rushes as we passed the pool. We had a couple of options now – we could go back to Holkham to have another go for the Shorelarks, or we could head out to Stiffkey Fen to see if we could relocate a Glaucous Gull which had been seen earlier, distantly out on Blakeney Point. We knew the latter would be a long shot, but the preference was to have a walk out there.

As we got up onto the seawall, a Greenshank was on the mud in the channel in front of us, along with several Redshanks and a tight flock of Dunlin which flew up and whirled round. The water level on the Fen is very high, so we made our way straight round to the corner of the coastal path overlooking the harbour and found a sheltered spot out of the wind.

There were lots of gulls out in the harbour, but no sign of the Glaucous Gull. We could see several groups of Great Black-backed Gulls out on the sands beyond, feeding on a number of seal carcasses, and those were just the ones we could see from here so there was plenty of food around. More gulls were roosting in larger groups on the mud closer to us. The light was really good and there was a nice selection of waders out in the harbour, plus a good number of roosting Pintail and several distant Red-breasted Mergansers out in the Pit.

It was time for lunch, so we made our way back. A Stonechat was getting chased around on the seawall by a Robin now. We decided to head round to Stiffkey Greenway where we could look out over the saltmarsh. On the way, we pulled up briefly in the village opposite the Red Lion. The Glossy Ibis was feeding out on the grass on the near edge of the flood today, so we had really good views of it as it probed its long bill into the grassy tussocks, better than the views we had yesterday.

Glossy Ibis – better views than yesterday

When we arrived at Greenway, a Red Kite was hanging in the air over the saltmarsh and drifted across right in front of us. We could see its was carrying a white wing tag and managed to grab a couple of photos so we could read the code. It turned out to have been ringed further east in Norfolk last June. There was a bit more raptor action while we ate – a juvenile Peregrine chased a small wader round and round high over the saltmarsh for a while, but showed its inexperience, as it kept missing it; a female Marsh Harrier flew past in front of us too.

Red Kite – wing tagged

It was heading for 2pm, so given the raptor activity, we decided to go straight round to Warham Greens now to see what we could catch up with there. We had just pulled up on the concrete pad, and were looking through the birds in the nearby hedge, when we had a glimpse of a harrier over the field behind. It was a ringtail, so we leapt out and got to the field entrance where we could see it going away from us over the field – a ringtail Hen Harrier. It banked over the hedge and we lost sight of it as it went round behind the old barn. A good start!

Down at the edge of the saltmarsh, one person was already there. Apparently we had just missed a Merlin and as we scanned back and forth it was now rather quiet. There were one or two distant Marsh Harriers over the back of the saltmarsh and a Peregrine briefly over East Hills. As we got closer to 3pm, raptor activity picked up again. A few more Marsh Harriers flew in and then a smart grey male Hen Harrier drifted across and landed out on the saltmarsh. A ringtail Hen Harrier flew past over the back of the saltmarsh too.

Just after 3pm, we picked up a ringtail harrier flying out from the fields to our left. As it turned, we could see its slim wings and pointed ‘hands’, with only four visible primary tips, the Pallid Harrier! It flew across low over the saltmarsh towards us, and we could see it had a bulging crop, so it had fed well. Then it dropped down onto the saltmarsh out of view behind some bushes.

Pallid Harrier – flew in early

We waited a couple of minutes to see if the Pallid Harrier might come back up quickly, but it could sit there now until it was time to roost. We had already been here some time and it couldn’t be called warm, so with mission accomplished we decided to call it a day.

As we made our way back up the track, several skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew in over the fields calling. A lovely sight – and sound – against the pink-tinged clouds and a fitting way to wrap up our three days.