SHORT TRIP TO NORFOLK
2nd – 6th MARCH 2008
Sunday
Good journey down except for long detour round some bridge repairs west of Kings Lynn. Drove straight to Cley and found the white-crowned sparrow site. It was already showing well in the scrub where seed had been put down. After 5 mins or so it flew off into brambles and didn’t re-appear for about an hour when it did the same routine as before then flew back to the brambles. At this point we left, quite satisfied with our views of this well known little bird. Also at the site were 4 blackbirds, 2 dunnock, 6 chaffinch, 4 house sparrows and 4 collared doves. There were about 15 birders and this number grew and fell as people wandered away and arrived. We got very cold just standing about and went straight to our guest house in Wells-next-the-Sea. On the way we called at a site we’ve usually seen a barn owl. Unlucky this time – but up on the far meadow were hundreds of brent geese.
Monday
Holkham Hall was first stop. Parked outside the gates and walked through them, turning right into the woodland. Lots of nuthatch and treecreeper, great & blue tits but not much else.
To Salthouse then where we parked at the beach and walked towards where some birders were – as we approached a dozen turnstone were pecking about in a pool really close to us on the right. A photographer was sitting really close to the bottom of the shingle bank – is this really necessary with a huge lens on his camera? I was going to have a go at him when he got up to come and chat to us – but he’d been putting down millet so I suppose he was keeping the birds where we could all see them – so I kept quiet! Amongst this lovely little flock was a Lapland bunting – my second lifer of the week.
Explored the new visitor centre at Cley and had lunch overlooking the reserve. Sparrowhawk & kestrel flew over. Little egrets were on the pond near Stiffkey. A pity there isn’t a convenient pull-off to scan these waters.
Took the turning up to the drying barns. Parked in usual place and walked across onto the barn area. Big flock of yellowhammer flying to and from the line of hedges. Some really strikingly bright males. A few corn buntings too, but didn’t see any tree sparrows. Another birder brought our attention to a stock dove. Between two of the barns – in the ploughed field – were 3 or 4 red-legged partridge and 2 grey partridge we saw as we drove away.
On the way to Titchwell was a barn owl hunting in the fields. On the reserve the highlights were bearded tit diving into the reeds beyond the first hide; brambling at the side of the track near the shop and red-breasted mergansers on the sea. A white-headed cormorant flying over our heads was brought to our attention by someone who’d seen it regularly. And we were told there were a couple of Med gulls with the black-headed flock (.... didn’t rush to see these as “we don’t do gulls” !)
Tuesday
Horsey Mill is our aim today. A lovely surprise was to see a male hen harrier over fields to the right of the road at Sea Palling which flew over us to the sea banking over to the left. Parked at the mill (which was closed, of course, but I do wish they would open the toilets for visitors – but there are lots of private places on the walk near the river!) A marsh harrier was seen over the reeds, Stonechat & long-tailed tits near the river. Saw no sign of cranes.
On the way out we turned right out of the car park and my attention was taken by a mute swan sitting way back in the field to our left. But there were 3 cranes (2 adults; 1 juvenile) right near the gate to the field, very close to us. Super views of these before a helicopter came over and spooked them. They flew over the road and landed in the long grass or reeds and vanished from sight. A white-van man stopped as he thought we had broken down (hazards were on) and told us there were sometimes 3 birds in the field at the back of Poppylands. So we tried there but couldn’t see anything.
On the way back we called at Felbrigg Hall with our NT permit.
Wednesday
Straight to Holkham Hall after breakfast and drove right down to the Hall where we walked to the lake. There was a lovely pair of great-crested grebe displaying. Lots of Egyptian geese, a few tufted duck, little grebe, coot. The deer herd was making its way through the park under the trees. Thought we might see a green woodpecker but didn’t (as I’m typing this I can hear one laughing at me from the hillside near the house – it’s mocking us for not seeing one in Norfolk!)
We drove then to the car park outside the gates and did the woodland walk down to the right. A barn owl was hunting through the ivy-clad trees immediately over the fence on our right and perched in view on the top of the fence momentarily. While me & Bob had our backs to each other – me watching nuthatch – he’d been trying to attract my attention as he was watching a lesser spotted woodpecker. As I turned round it flew off so I just caught a quick glimpse.
A flock of redwing were flying between the trees to the right.
Then to Titchwell. Again, Med gulls were around – but they’re not on our list, I’m afraid. Brambling again near feeders. On the water past the first two hides were some black-tailed godwit, redshank, pintail, avocets (what a quarrelsome bird), shovellers, gadwall, As we scanned the sea there was a single male eider on the water. Nearby a male goldeneye and 2 red-breasted mergansers. Turnstone, knot and oystercatchers on the edge of the water.
Walking back, there was a little egret in a pool over to the left. Near the centre, on the right hand side down in the ditch was a very confiding water rail. We watched it for 5 mins. as it busily moved in and out of the vegetation.
Nothing new at Choseley this time. More hunting barn owls on the drive back along the coast. A sand-martin had been reported in the area but somewhere near Blakeney village a hirrundine caught my eye as it flew over – couldn’t identify it but it was a house martin or a swallow! Definitely white underneath and dark blue and Bob said he’s seen one yesterday that wasn’t a sand-martin................
We saw our first buzzard of the week somewhere in Lincolnshire on the way home.
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We can highly recommend the guest house we stayed in at Wells-next-the-Sea. It’s called Boxwood : http://www.boxwood-guesthouse.co.uk/contactus.html
It is extremely clean, warm & comfortable and Paula & Richard make you very welcome. An evening meal is available if required. The property really deserves the high rating it has.
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Will do a full list shortly. On transferring my Word doc to BF the 2-column listing has come through staggered and looks a mess so I'll re-do that bit.
Sandra
Nice write up Sandra, but start to do gulls, some of them are gorgeous, especially Ad summer Meds.
Think I'm just lazy - most look the same! Yes,I know you will disagree. I should start with one more species than the usual ones - say Med. gull or common gull and really get to know that as a start. Maybe my next report will have a few gull comments.
Sandra