Norfolk and Suffolk, 26-29th May 2017

A long weekend in Norfolk with my good pals Magnus A and Christian C was a fine way to sign May, and effectively the spring, off. Over June and July I'm going to take things a little easier, recharge ahead of the autumn and sort out a few things that have brushed aside over the last few weeks! Highlights of our trip included Marsh Warbler at Lakenheath, Savi's Warbler at Hickling, Wood Warbler at Brandon and a singing Quail of our own finding at Icklingham, along with marshland birds such as Cranes, Spoonbills, Bitterns and Grasshopper Warblers. Titchwell provided goodies such as Little Stint, Little Gull, male Ruff, a late Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a count of six Red-crested Pochards. Several Little Terns were seen and further wader action included two relatively late Greenshanks at Cley. Other moments to savour, and to reflect on, included encounters with Grey Partridge, Turtle Dove and Corn Bunting. On the way back, we finally tracked down Stone-curlews in the Brecks.

a purring Turtle Dove at Titchwell on Saturday

my first in far too long... a Grey Partridge near Stanhoe

loud Marsh Warbler keeping out of the limelight at Lakenheath on Friday

Avocet at Titchwell on Saturday

Red-crested Pochards at Titchwell on Saturday... where do they come from?

an endearing brood of Shoveler at Titchwell on Saturday

121 species were noted on the trip, as follows:

Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Brent Goose (Dark-bellied), Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Quail, Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Fulmar, Cormorant, Bittern, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Spoonbill, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Crane, Stone-curlew, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Knot, Ruff, Sanderling, Dunlin, Little Stint, Greenshank, Redshank, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Dove (feral), Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Tawny Owl, Swift, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Hobby, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Bearded Tit, Woodlark, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, (yarrellii), Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Siskin, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting

Heading east for a Western

Western Sandpiper

Ian picked me up this morning at 7.00am and we began our journey to Norfolk for a peep that has been the subject of one big headache until a couple of days ago when the identification seemed to have been clinched at the rarer of the two possiblities.

Western Sandpiper (left) with Dunlin

The journey was relatively smooth and we arrived at the Cley visitor centre shortly after 10.30am, got our permits and headed for the hides. Dauke's Hide was crammed and there were few small waders around. After an anxious wait, a flock of about twenty Dunlin flew in and the first-winter WESTERN SANDPIPER was soon picked out. It was a little way off at first but later moved closer and decent views were had. The long, relatively slender bill was of course obvious and at times it seemed a little leggy. I struggled to make out rufous tones on the scaps, to be honest, but it seems this feature is only readily visible on the closest views. I did note that the breast-side markings appeared rather fine and the white breast patches that people were citing as a feature. The head profile seemed quite Dunlin like. I'll trust the ID of those of who had better views and are more experienced in peep ID than me. I gather this ID is sound so it goes on my list unless the BBRC later decide not to have it.

Western Sandpiper

Water Pipit

We looked for the Green-winged Teal that Ian needed but didn't succeed. A flock of somewhere around a hundred and fifty White-fronted Geese and a Water Pipit were the best of the rest. I had a quick seawatch off Salthouse hoping for Little Auk, a bird I've been waiting friggin years for (while Ian looked for Twite) and a couple that I bumped into on the way back to the car tried to put me on to a couple on the sea but Ian wouldn't wait - I managed an inconclusive glimpse of one pop up in this time. This apart, the sea produced an adult Little Gull, a Red-throated Diver, a Common Scoter, a drake Goldeneye, two Kittiwakes, and a few Gannets.

Norfolk etc

Stone-curlew

I got back late yesterday from a weekend away in Norfolk. I was a little disorientated and distressed; it meant Sunday was the first day without a visit to the patch in over three months. But it was okay as it’s late May, which is basically June, and until early August I will only have one realistic target bird in mind: Crossbill. Red-backed Shrike, Honey-buzzard and Golden Oriole could happen, so I will keep an eye out for them too. Otherwise, it’s pretty safe to leave the place unwatched for a couple of days.

Despite begging to stop at Breydon Water upon arrival in Norfolk on Saturday afternoon, the family didn't want to and it probably wouldn't have worked anyway, especially as we were stuck in more traffic than we anticipated. I knew the Broad-billed Sandpiper wouldn't stick around to the next day meaning that my tick-thirst in this bone dry spring would not be quenced and was therefore became pretty irrate.

On Sunday morning dad took me over to Breydon Water; as feared the Broad-billed Sand didn't appear and hasn't done so since. Squished a crow, nearly squished a family of Mallards. Mood didn't lighten. Stopped at Cleyspy and got an early birthday present in the form of a brilliant new pair of bins (my old pair are completely knackered e.g. both ends of the right element are so scratched that it is constantly like looking through mist; looking through the new pair is like looking through divine crystals). Tested them out at Cley on a couple of Little Gulls and recieved a free biology lesson on Kingfisher's eyes from the guy who found the Great Snipe. Family pub dinner followed, with a Barn Owl as a nice scene-setter.


Monday - slept in, a few minutes. Spent time with the family until about 1.00pm BST then homeward bound via a pair of Stone-curlews, and Lakenheath, which failed.

That's more like it!

My recent bad luck took a massive u-turn this weekend, which began with a successful after-school twitch for a Red-footed Falcon on Friday, before a 'family' weekend in Norfolk.

After arriving late on Saturday, dad agreed to take me to a couple of places in the Fakenham area while my gran spent some time with my uncle on Sunday.


Five minutes after being dropped off at the first site (which I won't disclose even though everybody seems to know about it) I was onto the male Montagu's Harrier as it quartered a nearby field, before disappearing over the brow. The exquisite bird showed on-and-off for the hour and a half that I was there, at times offering brilliant views, though my photography skills don't reflect that. Also present was a singing male Lesser Whitethroat and a male Marsh Harrier.


Next was Great Ryburgh Raptor Watchpoint (nearly running over a Grey Partridge on the way there) where a brief attempt to see Honey-buzzards was soon realised to be doomed to failure, for one thing it was a little too windy for the birds to be displaying and, more importantly, there weren't any birds; the team of volunteers at both Great Ryburgh and Swanton had put in about 200 hours this spring and not glimpsed a single bird.

With Lakenheath too far away to do that day, especially with family plans, dad dropped me off at Cley NWT for some quieter birding, and perhaps to see if the Temminck's Stint was still around. There wasn't anything of great interest, just a hail shower. The most interesting birds for me were the Avocets with their young chicks, the good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, a male Marsh Harrier and one or two Bearded Tits.

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Monday saw my parents and I up a bit earlier; we planned to fit in a trip to Lakenheath before having lunch with my uncle and his girlfriend, then heading home.

The predicted 'white cloud' decided it would rather turn grey and constantly drizzle over us on the way there, which didn't give me good feelings about seeing the Golden Orioles. However, on arrival at the visitor centre the staff reassured me that the birds had been showing despite the weather and I had a decent chance of seeing them.
After staking out the 'last plantation' for about twenty minutes, I spotted a flash of yellow low down and got onto it in the scope. The yellow thing flew towards me and confirmed its identity as a male Golden Oriole. I announced the sighting and after it disappeared a huge throng of people descended around me asking me where it was, if it was the male etc, very off-putting. I spotted the bird half-hidden behind the trunk of a tree again but by the time I got onto it with the scope it had flown deeper in and I didn't bother announcing it.

After waiting about twenty more minutes, the bird apparently flew up from the ground at the edge of the plantation and gave good but partially obscured views for all present for a minute or two before disappearing again, satisfied, I had a very brief look from the Joist Fen Viewpoint where a Bittern boomed at close quarters and at least 5 Marsh Harriers were on show.

Other birds here included 2 or so Cuckoos including one flying low overhead, a Kingfisher, at least one Bearded Tit and at least one Water Rail squeeling.

Half an hour late for pick-up we had to rush back to meet the others for lunch and couldn't check out a nearby Stone-curlew site which I had been tipped off about, thanks Joe for the info though.

It had to happen . . . while we were having lunch by the river the pager sounded the monotonous, continuous beep which indicates a breaking rarity, and by sod's law it had to be in Norfolk at an awkward time. But, it all turned out well.


Surprisingly, dad was happy to take the detour to Cley on the way back home and even more to my surprise mum and gran were too (very odd). To my delight, the male TRUMPETER FINCH was still there and showing well when I arrived. I've always wanted to see one of these and it was a performer, coming pretty close at times (even more so to a group who had luckily positioned themselves where the bird happened to wander towards, along the top of the shingle ridge). This is the 15th British record if accepted.


While the bird wasn't on show, I turned to the sea and got good views of a pair of Arctic Terns moving west close to the shore, they were close enough to clearly see their short, all dark-red bills and greyer underparts as well as all other features.

The Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits, a Sandwich Tern and a Bearded Tit were the most notable over birds. I watched the finch for an hour and a half, before having to get back in the car and go home after a brlliant weekend's birding for which thanks is due to dad.