North West Norfolk

On Wednesday, Dad and I took the long drive up to Titchwell area. We arrived at Titchwell, and went straight out onto the beach. We soon found the masses of Common Scoters, about 5,500 birds in total with about 15 Velvet Scoters.

The long line of scoters

Female Velvet

Young Male Velvet

Near Adult Male Velvet

We then went to look on the Freshmarsh, Saltmarsh and Volunteer Marsh. Here's what we saw...

A very theatrical Dog on the beach - very funny to watch

Brent Geese

Both Godwits

Distant Goldeneye offshore

Distant Goldeneye offshore 

Grey Plover

Knot

Ruff

Saltmarsh

Shoveler

Teal

Titchwell Beach

Mixed Birds 

We then went to Choseley Barns, to see if we could get any Corn Buntings. No sign of any as their favourite hedge has been taken out. There were though however c. 30 Yellowhammers and a Buzzard...

Buzzard

Wren

Yellowhammer

Final stop of the day was at Burnham Overy Dunes. We got a Merlin from the layby...

Other stuff we got were...

Burnham Beach

Gulls on Burnham Beach

Dusk Curlew

Golden Plover

Mixed Geese

Distant Marsh Harrier

Brents and Pink foots with a Curlew

Pink Foots

Reed Bunting

We then got a very pale Buzzard. When it flew, it didn't show the white barring on the tail for it to be the resident Rough-legged Buzzard.

We then got a great Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl, but too brief to photograph.

On the way back to the car, I tried to climb over a gate, which I was successful on the way to the marshes, but I fell over it on the way back and landed on my right side. Very painful. Not hurt much, and the optics weren't damaged! When we got back to the car, people were still in the layby and it was almost dusk, but they had the actual Rough-legged Buzzard sitting on top of Gun Hill. They saw it fly in with the white barring on the tail, but I wouldn't of told you it was a Rough-legged Buzzard if I'd of just seen it in the tree!

Happy Birding!

North Norfolk Lifer!

Dad and I decided we had to go to the North Norfolk Coast for a bit of October birding. We started off at Cley Spy, Glandford. We got there at about 10:20am, considering we left at about 8:30am, we got there in pretty good time. Dad wanted to get his digiscope camera fixed, and looked out for the Black Redstart that has been hanging around the car park. There was no chance in seeing it though. It was tipping it down with rain. After 10 minutes or so it stopped, and the Black Redstart came out on show.

We then headed to Garden Drove, Warham. After going down the wrong track - not funny - we finally found the concrete pad. We parked on here and walked down. The bushes were full of potential, but the best birds were about 2 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff and several Starlings and Redwings. It was incredible the numbers of these birds. 

Walking back up the track we met Penny (nice to meet you Penny), and a founder of the Red Flanked Bluetail at Warham. They had been to Wells. They had Ring Ouzel, but they missed the Parrot Crossbill that had been seen there that morning. We thought that we had to go there, so that is what we did. We got a text from our "undercover agent" - you know who you are with the injured foot (get well soon) - saying that there was Ring Ouzel, Yellow-browed Warbler, Parrot Crossbill, Shag and Slav. Grebe all around Wells. We got into the wood and found the crowd looking for the Yellow-browed Warbler. It was a tricky little fella, because unless you were in the perfect position, like I was eventually, you only really saw it in the sycamore. My Camera was not being nice to me today, but Dad's first day out new camera was on fire. Look at these 2 stinking shots he got...

Very Nice.

We then had a wonder around the woods. Got Brambling, and a Muntjac but not much else. We then started to head back when all of a sudden, the melodic chipping of a flock of 4 PARROT CROSSBILL flew over our heads going West-South-West. An incredible lifer!!!! Got some record shots....

Also got a Kestrel here. 

We then headed to Warham again to do a little bit of finding and raptor watching. We got 2 Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl, Merlin, Peregrine, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk. Migrant wise, we got a possible Ring Ouzel, 4 Brambling, tonnes of Starling, 1 Fieldfare, and a few Redwing

Merlin

Brambling

Happy Birding!