25/5/09 Brecks, Suffolk and Weeting Heath NWT

A trip to the Brecks for the Suffolk wildlife trust open day was very enjoyable in the warm conditions. Several hundred flowering spikes of Military Orchid were scattered around the chalk pit, interspersed with many spikes of Common Twayblade. A Common Buzzard circled overhead and Chiffchaff and Great-spotted Woodpecker were seen.

Later, at Weeting Heath NWT, 4 Spotted Flycatchers were noted.

The evening before, on the 24th May, a dusk trip to Dersingham Bog NNR produced good views of 6 Nightjars, with 3 Woodcocks and a Tawny Owl also noted.

24/5/09 Dersingham

A few bits of interest over the village today, with male Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard and 2 Hobbies noted. Also 10 or so Painted Ladies purposefully north through the garden, all looking very washed out and part of a large movement across East Anglia. Below is a recent picture of a particularly showy Chiffchaff.

Also a big well done to all the people at Pensthorpe and elsewhere involved with the organisation of Wild about the Wensum, which was a great success. Lets hope next year is just as good.

23/5/09 W and mid Norfolk

A variety of locations visited today, with the prinicple aim being raptors considering the predicted sunny conditions and indeed the neither the weather forecasters or the birds dissapointed. While on route to our first site dad and myself were delighted to stumble across an adult Red Kite in the west of the county. If flew ridiculously low over the minor road and alighted briefly in a tree, before being mobbed by some of the 3 Common Buzzards, 3 Marsh Harriers and a single Sparrowhawk noted in the area. It continued to drift over the road and surrounding woodland and fields for at least quarter of an hour, affording me with some of the best views I have ever had of this species in Norfolk. Moving on to an undisclosed location we failed to see a Montagu's Harrier at a favoured spot, but the raptor list continued to build, with 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels and another 7 Common Buzzards noted, as well as 2 Marsh Harriers. From here we visited Swanton Novers raptor watchpoint, where we were delighted by superb views of a fantastic dark-phase male Honey Buzzard which was on view from c. 11:15-11:35am and again intermitently from 12:15-12:30pm until it drifted south. Initially it was picked up fairly high with a single Common Buzzard, allowing a good structural comparison. It gradually got lower and began to show very well, with several extended bouts of wing clapping, a joy to watch as I had never before seen this species in display. 2 Hobbies were hawking insects overhead and 4 Common Buzzards and a Kestrel were also seen. We then headed to the coast and worked our way west, but little else of note was seen other than 2 Marsh Harriers at Holkham.

22/5/09 NW Norfolk

A walk around an area of the wash during the morning produced a superb Short-eared Owl and 2 Yellow Wagtails. Singles of Kingfisher and Common Buzzard were also noted.

Later a walk at Choseley drying barns revealed little of note other than a Tree Sparrow, 30+ Corn Buntings, 8 Yellowhammers and 5 Marsh Harriers, but it was enjoyable trying to photograph the buntings...

On the evening of the 19th May I was delighted to find a male Montagu's Harrier at an undisclosed site in the west of the county.

16/5/09 Burnham Overy Dunes, Great Ryburgh and north coast

Unfortunately I was tied up with revision first thing this morning, but dad was able to walk Burnham Overy Dunes, his only 'reward' being 4 Wheatears.

Eventually I escaped mid-afternoon and headed to Great Ryburgh, where I was rewarded with fantastic views of a HOOPOE, one of my favourite species. Below are a selection of shots taken by dad and myself.

We then moved on towards the coast. Just north of Stibbard village we watched a superb Red Kite which flew low over the road and circled for a few minutes before drifting south-west. At West Runton the Grey-headed Wagtail from last night had multiplied into 4+ Grey-headed Wagtails, with 3 females and 2 stoking male types (one looking fine for a pure bird, the other seemingly an intergrade) weaving their way between the furrows of the ploughed field, although unfortunately too distant for any pictures. A smart Whinchat was present by the farm buildings.

Several stops at strategic points along the coast failed to deliver anything remotely noteworthy until the final stop of the day at Heacham north beach. Here an interesting group of 10 Yellow Wagtails contained 2 (presumed) female Blue-headed Wagtails and a 1st-summer male 'Channel' Wagtail.

Initially I thought this bird was a 1st-summer male Blue-headed Wagtail but as a far more knowledgeable friend kindly pointed out (thanks) the slightly yellowish-tinged and rather ill-defined supercillium, with a prominent sub-moustachial stripe are at odds with this conclusion and it is presumably a 'Channel'-type Wagtail (flava x flavissma intergrade).

15/5/09 Salthouse and West Runton

A planned evening trip to Burnham Overy Dunes was scrapped when news reached us from further east. The journey to Salthouse was eventful, with a male Montagu's Harrier west over fields just south of Shernbourne Village and a ringtail Hen Harrier over the road near Morston village. On arrival at Salthouse a quick peek through a friend's scope provided me with reasonable views of the COLLARD PRATINCOLE on the deck, and although only it's head and neck were visible for most of the time I stayed it raised it's wings once. This was yet another species I have only seen once previously in the U.K. (at Blakeney Freshmarsh in May 2005). A Greenshank flew west overhead. We moved on to West Runton with a couple of other observers, where we located a male Grey-headed Wagtail which dropped in to the cliff-top field, where 6 Wheatears were present and a Hobby flew west.

The thin white 'flecking' behind the eye initially caused concern but others have expressed the opinion that this is within the variation shown by 'thunbergi', citing the olive green necklace, the yellow throat, the white stripe between yellow throat and the darker head as diagnostic of this ssp.

14/5/09 Holme NOA and Norfolk coast

I managed to get a lift in early to Holme this morning. It was actually fairly dissapointing considering how good the conditions looked and the hours I spent in the field but despite this some classic spring fare was seen. The stand-out highlight was 28 Black Terns east in several looks at the sea up until midday, including a group of 6 birds. This is easily a record count for me at Holme and I have never before recorded this species on the patch in spring. Also 32 Arctic Terns flew east, with groups of 10 and 15 especially noteworthy, as did 42 Gannets, 4 Little Terns and 5 Fulmars, while 785 Common Scoters and a female Red-breasted Merganser flew west. Grounded migrants were thin on the ground (probably due to less-than-expected rain overnight), with a female Redstart in the pines and 2 Wheatears (both females). Overhead passage was slightly better, with 2 Turtle Doves east, 5 Yellow Wagtails (3 e, 2 s), 2 Whimbrels west, 137 Swallows east, 56 Swifts east, a Tree Pipit west and, more surprisingly, 5 Redpolls (2 w, 3 e) during the course of the morning and early afternoon.

Later in the afternoon Penny kindly invited me to travel east with her. At Stiffkey Fen 2 Temminck's Stints showed fairly well on the scrape, along with a Little Stint, a Greenshank and 5 Common Sandpipers. 15 Black Terns showed very well on the deck and in flight, often wheeling about high in the air before departing to the SE, as did a Little Gull.

We then moved on to Cley NWT. Eventually brief, if a little distant, views of the 1st summer CITRINE WAGATIL were had from Daukes Hide, this being my second record of this species in Britain and almost exactly a year after my first one, also a 1st-summer bird, at Titchwell RSPB. Also from this hide good views were obtained of the smart 1st-summer female KENTISH PLOVER (record shot below) mixing with Ringed Plovers and an assortment of other waders, which included 2 Temminck's Stints, 4 Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank. 5 Black Terns also showed well, commuting between the Pat's pool and the north scrape. A Sparrowhawk flew in over the marsh and 5 Marsh Harriers showed well.

10/5/09 Heacham South Beach

A quick mid-morning wander around Heacham south beach and the top end of Snettisham Coastal Park produced a smart Whinchat briefly by the green hut before it was flushed by the dog-walkers, with 4 Wheatears, a Yellow Wagtail south and 2 Hobbies also noted.

8/5/09 Lakenheath Fen RSPB

A late evening trip to Lakenheath Fen RSPB eventually produced good flight views of the 1st-summer PURPLE HERON. On arrival we waited by the reedbed between the two plantations to see if it would come into roost. 2 hours later we decided to head back to the car as dusk was virtually upon us. 5 minutes later (at 9:04pm) whilst walking along the river-bank we were delighted to see the Purple Heron flying low past at fairly close range, following the river. It steadily gained height as it flew NE and we lost it as a speck dissapearing into Norfolk (to it's yet undiscovered roost site or pastures new?) This was a British-tick for me, having spent countless hours failing to see this species at various sites in this country. Other sightings of note here included 2 Bitterns, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 5 Hobbies, 4 Marh Harriers, 20 Sand Martins and 2 Cuckoos.

Earlier I noted a pair of Bullfinches on the way home from school, near Terrington St. John.

7/5/09 Holme NOA and 5/5/09 Sculthorpe Moor

Yet another relatively unproductive evening walk on the patch produced a few more grounded migrants, with a female Wheatear and 5 Willow Warblers in the dunes. Viz-mig produced 110 Swifts, 70 Swallows, 6 Sand Martins and 2 House Martins west past Gore point in an hour, many over the beach and sea.

A walk around Sculthorpe Moor on the afternoon of the 5th produced the released male Golden Pheasant calling from the Frank Jarvis hide, as well as 2 Marsh Harriers and 3 Treecreepers.

3/5/09 Holme NOA

A relaxed evening walk around the dunes was unproductive but pleasant. A good Swallow passage with 300+ brought down by the drizzle then west, also 1 Greenshank west, 1 Whimbrel on the marsh, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Cetti's Warbler singing on the NOA reserve. Practically no grounded migrants whatsoever, aside from 4 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Cuckoo, all of which were doubtless not new arrivals.

2/5/09 Brecks and Sandringham

A trip into the Brecks was made with dad and Ray to try and find some of the species that had eluded us in this area earlier in the year. The day started well, with 2 Golden Pheasants at a Norfolk site, both calling males. Initially both were fairly vocal and, although they became quieter fairly quickly, we were able to pin one down to a small patch of tangled undergrowth and after an hour waiting it walked into view! It continued to show well for at least half-an-hour, often obscured but occasionally out in the open at close range as it fed and actively held territory, with it's bizarre squawking call. The density of the undergrowth unfortunately meant any shots came out rather badly, like the one below.

A singing Woodlark was also present at this site, while a Garden Warbler was noted. We quickly moved on to a nearby site where we were pleased to locate 4 singing Firecrests, however, despite them readily singing, we failed to see them in the high, dense larch trees. A single Grey Wagtail was also seen. After this the day fizzled out and we failed to locate any more of our targets, but a fine morning regardless.

Later on in the day a walk around Sandringham produced 5 Siskins, 1 Crossbill, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Treecreeper and 1 Sparrowhawk. 3 Fallow Deer and 4 Muntjacs were also observed.

Earlier, on the 29/4/09, a Red Kite flew low SW just outside King's Lynn.