A 2-day weekend tour looking for autumn migrants on the North Norfolk coast, with a particular focus on waders
Most (if not all) schools go back the week before, so this is the first weekend after the summer holidays. So it should be quieter on the coast – the perfect time to get out and do some early autumn birding!
Autumn Migration
This is a very exciting time for bird watching in Norfolk. Migration gets under way in August and carries on all through the autumn into early November. A large number of birds pass through the region on their way to their wintering grounds further south. Significant numbers of other species, particularly waders and wildfowl, congregate here to spend the winter. There is always a wide variety of different birds to see and different places to explore.
Waders are very much a feature of early autumn here, as large numbers of different species pass through on their way south from their breeding grounds in the Arctic. Many stop off here to feed up or moult, giving us a great chance to get to grips with wader identification. As well as all the commoner species, Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints are regular, and the odd rarity is often mixed in with them. In previous years, participants on our Autumn Migration tours have seen exciting species such as White-rumped, Pectoral & Buff-breasted Sandpipers visiting from America.
Early in the season, through September, is the best time for drift migrants from Scandinavia. If the wind comes from the east, particularly with rain or mist, large falls of songbirds can occur. Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers and Wheatears often make up the common component. If we are lucky, there is a chance of scarcer birds such as Wrynecks, Icterine Warblers, Red-backed Shrikes and Greenish Warblers from the near continent.
(please note this is not a Wader Spectacular tour – the tide is not right this weekend – but there should still be lots of waders to see)
Gift Vouchers
If you would like to give a gift to someone who is interested in birds then a gift voucher from The Bird ID Company is an ideal present.
The vouchers can be flexible, and used against any tour or tours over the following 12 months, or can be bought for a specific tour.
