Day 4 of a 4-day Spring Migration tour in Norfolk. Mostly cloudy, some sunny spells, but with a cold and blustery N wind. At least it stayed mostly dry – the only showers we saw were thankfully when we were driving and when we were on our way back at the end of the day. We spent the day on the coast in NW Norfolk.
Our first destination this morning was Snettisham. As we got out of the minibus, a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from deep in the vegetation across the road and a Chiffchaff was chiffing and chaffing from the wires a little further up. A couple of Greenfinches flew round calling.
It felt much cooler today and perhaps understandably the bushes seemed much quieter than normal as we walked in through the gate. A Common Whitethroat did perch up singing, but we couldn’t hear any Turtle Doves this morning. Thankfully we had such good views yesterday, it didn’t matter so much. There were a few finches on the short grass by the concrete blocks, a Greenfinch with the Linnets. We could hear a couple more Chiffchaffs, Common Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers in the bushes just beyond. A Blackcap started singing from deep in the undergrowth.
A pair of Mediterranean Gulls flew over and disappeared off towards the Wash, the first we had managed to get a proper look at, although we would see lots more today. Out into the large open clearing, we headed over to the outer seawall where a pair of Stonechats were alarm calling. The male was struggling to hold on to the brambles in the wind. Up onto the top of the bank, we looked out over the Wash beyond. High tide was not until midday, but the tide was already well in – pushed up by the wind. A small flock of Sanderlings flew north along the shore and there were a few Oystercatchers on the beach.
Way off in the distance, off to the south west, we could see some large smoky clouds of Knot flying round. We thought those might be the only views of Knot we had but then another smaller flock of several hundred appeared out over the sea to the north of us. They flew past us out over the water.
It was too windy to linger on the seawall, so we walked back down and made our way up through the middle of the Coastal Park. There were more Common Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers which seemed to be the only things which were still singing despite the weather. We flushed a few Linnets and found several more Stonechats. One male Stonechat was accompanied by a streaky recently fledged juvenile.
We cut across to the inner seawall and climbed up to the top of the bank. There were lots of waders at the northern end of Ken Hill Marshes, so we thought we would start up there and work our way back. It was threatening to rain now and the wind had picked up, making it very difficult to keep the scopes steady. There were large numbers of Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwits, with lots of Knot in amongst them, come in off the Wash to roost over the high tide. We managed to pick out a single Greenshank and a couple of Ruff. Two Spoonbills were preening at the far end, in the lee of the trees.
There had been three Spotted Redshanks somewhere here yesterday, the bird we particularly wanted to find, but we couldn’t immediately see any this end. We didn’t want to spend any more time up on the seawall than we needed to, so we decided to walk back and try scanning the pools further south. Thankfully the clouds broke and the wind dropped a little, which made it a little bit more practical scanning from up here.
We didn’t have to go too far before we found what we were looking for, a smart breeding plumage Spotted Redshank. We got the scope on it and all had a quick look at it, then walked a little further down, where we were a bit closer. A Wood Sandpiper called and when we stopped we found at least four of those feeding around the edges of the vegetation in the water. The other two Spotted Redshanks were here too, one noticeably more patchy grey/black below, a little behind the others in the progression of its spring moult. At one point, they were joined by a Common Redshank for comparison.
After studying the Spotted Redshanks and Wood Sandpipers for a while, we had a scan round the rest of the marshes from here. There were plenty of breeding waders, Lapwings, Avocets, a pair of Oystercatchers, and lots of Greylag Geese, several pairs with goslings. Lots of Common Swifts zoomed back and forth over the marshes in the wind. We thought about walking back along the seawall to check the pools further down, but it was still very blustery and there were dark clouds out over the Wash. A Marsh Harrier flew in over the grazing marshes and started to quarter low over the grass between the seawalls.
We decided to walk back through the Coastal Park where it was a bit more sheltered. The birds on the walk back were much the same as on the way up. Despite the weather, we did see a single Small Copper butterfly. Almost back to the road, one of the group found a Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly in the middle of the path. It looked too cold to take off, so we lifted it to the safety of the long grass on one side, where it wouldn’t get trodden on.
As we made our way up round the coast, we drove into a shower. We had been very lucky to stay dry out on the edge of the Wash this morning! In Thornham, we took the turn down to the harbour. The channel was already very full and it still wasn’t quite high tide, so we decided to play it safe and park at the start of the seawall and walk from there.
Up on the bank, it wasn’t quite as windy now as it had been earlier. We couldn’t see anything other than Woodpigeons in the fields opposite so we walked on round past the pools. The first is pretty much completely dry now, although a female Mallard with very small ducklings was in the flooded edge of the channel beyond. The second pool by the reeds held more water still but just a couple of Coot and a Lapwing on the edge.
Looking out over the saltmarsh from the corner, the muddy channels were all full of water. There were lots of Brent Geese out beyond the channel and several Grey Plover huddled around the edges of the vegetation, trying to shelter from the wind.
The main pool on the grazing marsh below the bank still has plenty of water on it, though is also starting to shrink quickly now. We managed to find a couple of Common Snipe on the far edge, lurking in the emergent vegetation feeding. Most of the Snipe which were here for the winter have already left, and these were the only ones we came across still this week. There were at least five Little Ringed Plovers around the edges too, occasionally chasing round, displaying. We couldn’t find any sign of the Wood Sandpiper which was here yesterday though, nor anything else which had dropped in.
As we continued on along the path, there were lots of House Martins hawking over the bank and swooping round over the pool. Not great weather for finding flying insects! A couple of Whimbrel flew across over the back, in front of the trees, and then a single circled round over the grazing marsh in front of us but eventually decided not to land.
There have been good numbers of Whimbrel in the fields beyond the next corner in recent weeks, so we walked on to see if there were any still there. There were but they weren’t particularly easy to see in the long grass. In the end, we managed to count at least 22, but there could have been more.
It was almost time for lunch, so we turned to head back. A couple of Spoonbills were now out on the grazing marsh on a more distant small pool in the grass. In the fields opposite the parking area, another flock of Whimbrel now flew up out of the grass. Presumably different to the ones we had just seen, we counted 32 in this flock now. A very healthy number of Whimbrel still here, presumably waiting for better weather before heading out over the North Sea to Scandinavia.
Round at Titchwell, the car park was surprisingly busy. We stopped for lunch first in the picnic area, where it was nice and sheltered, and a chance to get a hot drink to warm up. The male Blackbird came in to sing for crumbs as usual, although the pair of Robins didn’t arrive until we had finished. A couple of Blue Tits shot in and out of the nest box on the tree nearby.
After lunch, we headed out to explore the reserve. The fenceline across the Thornham grazing marsh just held a pair of Stonechats today but we found a single Greenshank on the pool further up. There were Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers singing from the reedbed, but perhaps unsurprisingly there was no sign of any Bearded Tits today. It was just too windy for them. A Great White Egret flew over our heads and disappeared out across the reeds. A Spoonbill was feeding in one of the small pools out on the saltmarsh.
We stopped to scan the Reedbed Pool. One of the reserve regulars just leaving pointed out to us where the drake Garganey was asleep in the vegetation. With a bit of imagination, you could just make out the back of its white head stripe! While we were looking, the female Garganey did emerge at one point briefly though. There were a few Common Pochard diving out on the water too. Lots of Common Swifts were zooming back and forth out over the reeds and the edge of the Freshmarsh.
Apparently the Temminck’s Stint had been showing from Island Hide just before we arrived, but very flighty and mobile. When we got in there, we scanned round the edges and the islands but couldn’t find any sign of it. There were several Common Sandpipers, one on the island right in front which was joined by a Little Ringed Plover. A smart male Ruff, starting to get its ornate ruff, was feeding over on the edge of the bund so we got that in the scope.
Several pair of Common Terns were on the various islands in amongst the Black-headed Gulls. One Common Tern flew in over the reedbed with a fish in its bill, followed by what was presumably its mate. They landed on the island in front of the hide and it looked like the male was about to present his catch to the female. But then he changed his mind and walked off with it! An adult Mediterranean Gull dropped in on the water further back.
We decided to try round in Parrinder Hide. On our way, we stopped briefly to scan the next compartment of the Freshmarsh. Another Common Sandpiper was picking its way along the north edge of the bund and a pair of Wigeon were asleep further back. Several Brent Geese flew up off the water and almost skimmed our heads as they battled the wind out over the bank to the saltmarsh beyond.
One of the volunteers was standing up on the ‘balcony’ beyond the hide, so after getting set up inside, we walked up to ask him if he knew where the Temminck’s Stint had gone. Just at that moment, we noticed it picking its way towards us along the edge of the water. No sooner had we found it again, it took off and flew round and round over the Freshmarsh for a minute or two. Thankfully, it landed back on the other side of the bund. We hurried back into the hide and got it in the scopes.
A Whimbrel dropped in briefly further back, there were a couple of Turnstones on the islands and a Little Ringed Plover was on the island in front of the hide. A Hobby shot through low right in front of the hide, almost skimming the water. It disappeared up over the east bank, probably too quick for most of the gulls to notice.
The islands here have been largely taken over by nesting Black-headed Gulls. We managed to find a few Mediterranean Gulls in with them and at one point four flew in and landed on one of the closer spits. We had a good view of them through the scopes, one pair bowing and displaying to each other.
There was a nice group of Sandwich Terns too, loafing on one of the islands. Through the scopes, we could see the yellow tips to their black bills and contrast their shaggy punk hairdos with the brylcreemed-down coiffure of the pair of Common Terns just in front.
We decided to brave the breeze and head out to the beach. At least it was mostly sunny now and the risk of showers seemed to have eased. There was just a single Common Redshank, and lots of Black-headed Gulls, in the channel on Volunteer Marsh. Another Little Ringed Plover was feeding on the dried mud close to the path though.
A Spoonbill was feeding in the back of the first section of the Tidal Pool but gradually working its way towards us. We stood and watched it for a while, sweeping its bill side to side in the shallow water and occasionally throwing its head back when it caught something. We had a great view of its shaggy nuchal crest blowing in the wind and could see the yellow and red bare skin on its throat as it eventually came quiet close to the path. Then it seemed to be spooked by an off-lead dog on the path and flew off further back.
A Common Tern was hovering out over one of the saltmarsh pools behind us. A Grasshopper Warbler had apparently been reeling out here earlier this morning but, perhaps unsurprisingly given the time of day now and the conditions, it was silent now.
Up over the dunes, we were in the full face of the wind and the sand was blowing up occasionally at us. There were lots of gulls gathered on the beach towards Brancaster and a surprisingly large number of Sanderling arrayed over the sand all around them. A few more Sanderling were scattered all the way along the shore past us. All we could see out to sea were a couple of Sandwich Terns, so before we got too cold and sandblasted, we turned to come back.
Back at the Reedbed Pool, we had a quick look for the Garganey again. The drake was at least awake now, and did show itself briefly out on the edge of the open water before retreating back into the shelter of the vegetation.
Then it was time to make our way back. Our four days of Spring Migration in Norfolk were at an end already. We parted company with half the group in the car park, heading off home directly from Titchwell. The rest of the group came back to Hindolveston – maybe time for one last slice of Mary’s delicious cake?
