Friday 18 April 2014

17 Apr 14 - North Norfolk

I spent the day on the North Norfolk coast with Mark Golley. Our first stop was Titchwell RSPB. The first Sedge Warblers had arrived and there was a notable overhead passage of Yellow Wagtails (about 10 birds). A nice big buffy Greenland Wheatear fed with a Northern Wheatear near the dunes and 4 Velvet Scoters fed on the sea with some Common Scoters.
A couple of Sandwich Terns graced the freshmarsh, plus waders were quite numerous with a single Spotted Redshank, 20 Dunlin, 10 Red Knot, 200+ Bar-tailed Godwits and 50+ Black-tailed Godwits.
A pair of Red-crested Pochards showed very well in the main reedbed and a Bittern boomed for a minute or so.
Next we had a look at the east side of Holme. The idea was to try and find some grazing cows to see if there were any Yellow Wagtails with them, but we went one better and found a lovely confiding female Ring Ouzel. It fed in the open in a field next to the footpath and allowed us to get great views of it. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats were also nice to hear.

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk

Female Ring Ouzel, Holme, Norfolk


After trying and failing to find any Dotterel around Ringstead/Cholsey we headed off to Stiffkey Fen where a Common Swift was a really big surprise. I'm pretty sure that it was my earliest Common Swift ever in the UK. 8 Med Gulls, 150 Black-t Godwit, 5 Barn Swallows and about 10 Sand Martins also sheltered from the rain around the fen.

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