Day 2 of a 3-day Winter Birds, Brecks & Goshawks tour. It was meant to be foggy this morning but, while their may have been some mist overnight, it had mostly burnt off by the time we met up this morning. There was a hard frost, and what dawned was a lovely, crisp, bright & sunny day. We spent the day on the North Norfolk coast.
Having missed Woodlark yesterday, and once we realised it wasn’t going to be foggy at all, we decided to head to one of the local heaths first thing to see if we could catch up with one singing here. It seemed like a perfect morning for it. As we arrived in the car park, a Chaffinch was singing in the bushes but otherwise it was rather quiet.
We walked up to the top of the hill, where lots of Linnets were warming themselves in the trees. This can be a good spot for Woodlark, but there was nothing doing. But cutting across the road, we heard a Woodlark singing and after a few seconds it fluttered into view above us. We watched it singing, short tail and big rounded wings, as it flew round between the vapour trails which cut across the clear blue sky. Slightly mournful sounding, but one of the most wonderful sounds of early spring.
As it drifted off back away from us, we walked on. We had heard another Woodlark further over and thought we would check out the fence posts where they sometimes like to sing. There was no sign of anything this side, rather too many people out walking their dogs this morning. We turned to come back and, scanning the bushes, had a brief glimpse of a Dartford Warbler drop down on the other side of the cutting. We needed to go round to the other side but as we walked on, we found a photographer in the bracken now and two more Dartford Warblers flew out between us. They seemed to go across the cutting too.
When we got round to where we had seen the Dartford Warbler, there were a couple of people walking their dog ahead of us along the path and there was no sign of anything at first. Then we heard a Dartford Warbler singing and realised it had climbed up into a dense birch tree the other side of the path. We could see it perched there, and then a second bird came up next to it, but they were silhouetted against the light. The male then launched into a song flight, fluttering up and then drifting back down and landing on the fence. It perched there in full sunshine for some time, perfect light now, hopping up and down between the wires. We even had time to get it in the scope.
When the Dartford Warbler dropped down out of view, we continued scanning. We had heard Green Woodpecker calling and now two flew up from the heath ahead of us and disappeared off behind the trees. There were more Linnets perched on the bushes here and we picked up a pair of Stonechats back on the far side of the cutting now. The male Stonechat posed nicely in the sunshine in the top of a small bare tree.
As we walked back along the path by the fence, we saw some movement in the bracken right in front of us. A male Dartford Warbler hopped out onto the wires in front of us. Ridiculously close views now as it perched there for a minute or so looking round, before it flew across the path and up onto the top of a gorse bush into the sun. A Woodlark flew over our heads, calling. We didn’t know which way to look!
The female Dartford Warbler then flew in and landed in the bracken even closer, right next to us, just a couple of feet away. She only came out onto the wires briefly though, before flying off after the male. Looking across to the other side of the cutting, we could see another male Dartford Warbler climbing up through the birch trees. It perched in the tops, in lovely light in the sunshine, before flying down. The Woodlark flew back over us and we could see what was presumably the same one we had heard singing earlier, still further out over the heath.
As we walked back to the minibus, there were some tits in the trees, several Long-tailed Tits, a Coal Tit and a brief Goldcrest. Further on, we stopped to watch two more Goldcrests which were feeding in the birch trees right by the path.
A very successful short session on the heath this morning. We drove on down to the coast and along to Stiffkey next. The Lesser White-fronted Geese were reported still on the flood east of the village first thing and when we arrived at the corner of the footpath, a couple of people were already watching them. Our first glance across revealed the Glossy Ibis still here, which hadn’t been seen yet this morning, but it promptly disappeared back into the tall grass behind a low bank out of view.
Then we found the Lesser White-fronted Geese too. Some of them were asleep, with their heads tucked in. Others were feeding in the taller grass behind, where we could only see their heads come up from time to time, at which point we could see their more extensive white foreheads and yellow eye-rings.
One of the Lesser White-fronted Geese is colour-ringed, which confirms they have come from the controversial Swedish (re)introduction scheme. The remaining wild Norwegian breeders fly through SE Europe to northern Greece for the winter. The Swedish birds were fostered to Barnacle Geese to manipulate them to migrate to the Netherlands instead, where most of them now spend the colder months. Unusually, a large number flew over the North Sea this winter, in a period of foggy weather in the Low Countries. About forty of them have been in Norfolk in the last couple of months.
There were lots of other birds on the floods here. Greylag Geese, Egyptian Geese and at least one Barnacle Goose, and lots of ducks, particularly Wigeon. A selection of waders, including several Avocet, Black-tailed Godwits and a single Ruff. A couple of Common Snipe came up out of the thicker grass and two larger pipits which flew round were probably Water Pipits. Unfortunately they dropped into the thick stuff too and didn’t re-emerge. A Great White Egret and Grey Heron were feeding right at the back. We noticed a Kingfisher which perched up briefly over the ditch on one side. A wing-tagged Marsh Harrier drifted over and a Common Buzzard circled up in the sunshine.
No one had seen it again for all the time we were here, then the Glossy Ibis put its head up behind the Lesser White-fronted Geese again briefly. Most of the group missed it, but then something flushed all Wigeon and everything else took to the air too. The Glossy Ibis circled round in the sunshine, flashing metallic bronze and green, before landing again out of view at the back. The Lesser White-fronted Geese now landed on the pool, calling. Much clearer views of all seven of them here.
Moving on now, we drove further along the coast to Holkham. Most of the Pink-footed Geese which spent the middle of the winter here have moved back north already. So when we saw a few in one of the fields by the road, we stopped for a quick look. A nice comparison with several Greylags too, which were with them.
There were lots of people at Holkham this morning, and lots of cars parked on Lady Anne’s Drive, come for a walk in the sunshine on the beach. The Drive is looking rather bare now, with the last of the poplars which used to line it having been felled in the week (health & safety reasons!). No more habitat for the Hornet Moths to breed. Scanning the grazing marshes, we could see lots of ducks in the grass and on the small pools, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler. Three Tufted Ducks were sleeping on the far bank of one of the larger pools.
After a stop to use the facilities, we headed out through the trees to the saltmarsh, which was still rather wet after the high tide this morning. As we walked east towards the cordon, there were lots of Skylarks feeding on the shorter, drier vegetation further down – we counted at least 25, plus a single Meadow Pipit.
There were several people standing by the cordon, staring intently in. Sure enough, the eight Shorelarks were still there, feeding on the ground in the vegetation. We set the scopes up on them and had lovely views now in perfect light, their yellow faces glowing in the low sunshine. A single Ringed Plover was on the pool behind, along with a Redshank and an Oystercatcher.
Climbing up to the top of the dunes, we scanned the sea. We could see a huge raft of Common Scoter offshore, so we set about looking through them. Thankfully, small groups were flying round and we were able to quickly pick out several Velvet Scoters among them from the white in their wings. The Long-tailed Duck also did the decent thing and flew over across the flock, landing on its own beyond the end of the raft which made it much easier to see.
A single drake Eider was on its own on the sea further over, but stood out in the sunshine. There were lots of Great Crested Grebes on the sea too, and a few Cormorants, but we couldn’t pick out anything else today. A few Sanderlings were running up and down on the shoreline, between all the dog walkers, and we added Great Black-backed Gull and Common Gull to the day’s list, on the beach.
There was a very light breeze in off the sea, which had a slight chill to it still, but when we got back into the lee of the pines, it was getting warm now. We had to shed several layers before we sat down for lunch on the picnic tables in front of The Lookout in the sunshine. Several Marsh Harriers and Red Kites drifted over the grazing marshes beyond. A queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee buzzed round the other tables, causing several to flap round at it wildly as it tried to land on their brightly coloured clothes.
After lunch, we walked back to the minibus. We hadn’t even got to the top of Lady Anne’s Drive when we noticed a Barn Owl hunting over the grazing marsh alongside. An odd time to see one out, it was still not 2pm yet, but we had a good look at it before it disappeared behind the trees.
We had a quick stop to scan the grazing marshes from the road. We could see some white shapes in the trees and through the scopes we confirmed that they were Spoonbills. The first birds have started to return to the breeding colony already, as they always do in February. Further back, we could see a larger group of geese which were mostly (Russian) White-fronted Geese, though hard to see their white fronts with their heads down feeding. They are obviously smaller and darker than the Greylags though. We counted at least 60 still here today.
There were ducks here on the pool, including a couple of Pintail. Several Red Kites, Common Buzzards and Marsh Harriers drifted over and we got the scope on a Red Kite which had carried up some carrion into a nearby tree to pull it apart. A Sparrowhawk flew in over our heads and disappeared off into the Park. We could see lots of Chinese Water Deer out on the marshes and at least six Red Deer today too.
There was enough time for a quick look at Wells Harbour next. The beach car park was very busy, as we parked and walked up past the new lifeboat station. The tide had been out for some time, but even so there were fewer waders than we had hoped on the sands beyond. It wasn’t clear if they had been disturbed or just gone off to roost elsewhere today. We could see quite a few Curlew, Redshanks and Oystercatchers, but no sign of any Bar-tailed Godwits. A couple of Turnstones were picking around on the gravel. Walking round to the old lifeboat station, there were a few more waders on the mud beyond – several Grey Plovers and a small but flighty flock of Dunlin with a single Sanderling in with them, but no Knot today.
As we drove back along Beach Road, another Barn Owl was hunting out over the reeds – a more conventional time in the afternoon to be out again. We drove round to Warham Greens where we would finish the day. As we drove in along the track, yet another Barn Owl flew across in front of us and when we got out and looked into the field, we flushed it from the grass with prey in its talons. It landed in a tree over the drove to consume it. Walking down the path, a Chiffchaff was flitting around in the ivy – could it possibly even be an early spring migrant?
There were a few people already gathered out on the edge of the saltmarsh, so we joined them and set up our scopes. It had already been a good afternoon for owls and it continued here. A Short-eared Owl was hunting up and down along the back edge of the saltmarsh for most of the time we were there. At least two different Barn Owls flew past in front of us from time to time.
Some of the group wanted to see Hen Harrier, and were not disappointed. Two different ringtails flew in off the fields behind us and out over the saltmarsh. The first was a little further towards Wells, but the second was much closer. We could see the white square at the base of their tails as they dropped away from us and the second at least was well fed today, with a bulging crop.
There were several groups of Brent Geese out on the marshes as usual, and someone picked out a single Pale-bellied Brent in with the regular Dark-bellieds. Two redhead Goosander flew up a couple of times from the channels out on the saltmarsh, circling round and dropping back in. One Spoonbill flew over and another was dozing out on the marshes towards Wells.
We knew there was only an outside chance of us getting to see the Pallid Harrier this evening. On sunny afternoons, unless it has already fed well and comes in early with a full crop, it often stays out until it is almost dark. Yesterday it came in at 5.45pm, and we had to be back before 6pm. We stayed until 5pm and then made our way back. A small flock of Pink-footed Geese were feeding in the field by the track.
A very good and varied day today, in the lovely weather. Hopefully even more to look forward to tomorrow.
