July 2009 birdwatching & photography tours in Norfolk

6th July One days Guided Birdwatching tour in the Brecks

Today was a customised tour for two persons. We started at around midday on a clear fell area, and located a Tree Pipit feeding young, also in this area was a pair of Stonechat, several singing Yellowhammer plus 2-3 Stock Dove. We dodged the heavy showers and added a singing Goldcrest.

We headed off to another area and after a short search we watched 3 adult Stone Curlew & 1 juvenile, also here was 2 Green Woodpecker.

We tried another clearing and find a singing Tree Pipit, and also 2-3 flyover Siskin, but no sign of the WoodLarks I had previously seen on this clearing. Stopping off briefly we were unable to locate Firecrest, but did have lovely views of a hunting Hobby.

We headed over to Lakenheath, where we were treated to really great views of Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, 2 flocks totalling 12 juvenile Bearded Tit. Whilst we couldn't find the fledged Golden orioles we were more than compensated for by having 2 different Bitterns in flight, the first passing fairly close by. This combined with the constant flights of Marsh Harrier, and a wonderful food pass right in front of us

The day finished with another walk around a clear fell and forestry area, where we eventually located 2 churring Nightjar and had reasonable flight views in the fading light, but the real stars were 2 Badgers crossing the path in front of us.

Clients comments "Just a quick email to say very many thanks for the day out with you on Monday. I wasn't sure what to expect but the day certainly exceeded any expectations I might have had.
Both Gary and I found your knowledge for all things flora and flora along with the birds, especially their songs and calls astounding.
The highlight of the day was without doubt the search for the nightjars, standing in a ride with churring all around us and a nightjar flying over our heads, just a magical experience, we are still grinning like Cheshire cats!!

9th July Evening Guided Birdwatching Tour

Today was a 4 hour evening tour for two persons, starting at around 6.30PM. We started in the evening by looking at 2000+ Orchid storks, Southern Marsh, Fragrant & Marsh Helleborine dominating on a beautiful wet acid heathland area. We also had lovely views of singing Reed Bunting & Yellowhammer. Moving along the lanes we soon saw Barn owl & Little Owl, before moving on to a clear fell area where we finished the evening with lovely views of 3+ Nightjar and several calling Tawny Owls.

14th July One day Customised Guided Birdwatching Tour

Today was a customised tour for two persons, starting at around 1.30PM.

We started by taking a coastal location, where we located a lovely Slow Worm, we also had nice views of a lovely flock of juvenile Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tit & Chiff-Chaff all at a just a few feet range. In the distance Marsh Harriers circled and we soon headed off to Cley marsh. We had nice views of Reed Warbler & juvenile Bearded Tit in the areas just outside the hides, but soon were watching a mass of waders from the hides. There was 40+ Ruff, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 150+ Avocet, Redshank, Oystercatcher, & Redshank, hiding away at the back but still obvious were 6 Spoonbills.

There was also smaller but increasing numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler & Mallard all in cryptic eclipse plumages - hours of fun! As a heavy storm of lightning, thunder and rain developed a couple of interesting things happened, first we had 4 Green Sandpipers tumble from the sky and drop on the grassy pool right in front of us & then the bugle of a Common Crane was heard, I was told later that two had passed over!

The storm eventually blew itself out and very satisfied with our haul of birds we took the opportunity to head around to the shoreline, where for the next hour we firstly watched lots of Common Tern & Sandwich Tern plunging into the water to catch sandeels. Further offshore we watched a Gannet moving west.

We took a lovely early evening meal & in the sunshine sat outside overlooking the marshes, this was rewarded with wonderful views of a Barn Owl hunting (successfully!) and passing back right back past us.

We headed off inland and wandered through a miriad of 2000+ Orchid storks, Southern Marsh, Fragrant & Marsh Helleborine dominating along with the rare Marsh Gentian just in flower. There was also lots of Yellowhammer, Linnet & Reed Bunting song plus close up views of all, a beautiful powder blue adult male Keeled Skimmer flew past, and lots of Ringlet butterflies were on the wing!

We also had lovely views of singing Reed Bunting & Yellowhammer.

Moving along the lanes we soon had wonderful views of another Barn owl both in flight and scoped perched on a fence post,
we then located 2 Little Owl an adult and juvenile - both glaring at us!

We finally moving on to a clear fell area where we finished the evening with lovely views of 2+ Nightjar several churring and over head flight views of Tawny Owls

16th July Walsey Hills NOA

I joined a group of people whom are committed to restoring this small but beautiful coastal location to it's a former glory days!
Whilst working we saw 1 Adder & 2 Slow Worm basking in the sunshine, also at the renovated pond, 2 Willow Warbler, 2-3 Chiff-Chaff & a juvenile Bullfinch took use of the new facilities! Overhead 3 Whimbrel moved east.

16th July Cley NWT

An evening walk around Cley marshes produced a nice scattering of birds, 1 moulting adult Spotted Redshank, 5 Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe 2 ad & 3 juv Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby early am hunting hirundines, 70 Sand Martin & 30 Swallow on the wires at coastguards - many juvs amongst them. Amongst a throng of roosting gulls, we picked out 1ad, 1 2nd sum & 1 juv Yellow-legged Gull. Late on 2 Mediterranean Gulls dropped in, an adult & a 2nd summer.

21st July - Norfolk fenland

Survey work today produced 5 Marsh Harrier, 3 Hobby 2 Sparrowhawk, 3+ Yellow Wagtail, 1 singing male Corn Bunting, 2 Turtle Dove & 1 Kingfisher.

Butterflies - Lots of Painted Lady!

Dragonflies - 5+ Black-tailed Skimmer, 10 Common Blue & 1 Brown Hawker.

22 & 23rd July Guided Walk Walsey Hills NOA & Cley East Bank

A guided 3 hour walk 1 Adder & 2 Slow Worm basking in the sunshine, also at the renovated pond, 2 Willow Warbler, 2-3 Chiff-Chaff, Blackcap & Bullfinch.

Butterflies - 14 Painted Lady on the Buddhleia! 1 Holly Blue,
Along the East & North Bank - 5 Grayling, 12+ Painted Lady, 20 Common Blue

Dragonflies - 1 Southern Hawker

On Arnold's Marsh 8 Spotted Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 30 Sandwich Tern. Along the shoreline 70 Sandwich Tern fishing just offshore.
The hirundine numbers continue to build at Coastguards with 120 Sand Martin & 40 Swallow on the wired fence.

25th July One day Customised Guided Birdwatching Tour

Today was a customised tour for two persons, starting at around 6.30PM.

We headed up to the coast & arrived in time for the high tide at Holme, here we had lovely views of a mass of roosting waders, plus the added highlight of twice watching them as a swirling mass, a changing shapeless cloud of birds.
We estimated the following numbers 5000 Knot, 150 Sanderling, 50 Dunlin, 100 Oystercatcher, 20 Grey Plover, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Curlew & 100 Redshank.

We also saw several Linnet, Reed Bunting, plus Marsh Harrier & nice views of a late morning Barn Owl. We then headed east and watched 5-6 Corn Bunting - 2 singing, several Yellowhammer & nice close views of Marsh Harrier. I then took us to a local Tree Sparrow colony & fortunately around 10 of these birds were still showing very nicely around the chimney pots of the building. We had another close male Marsh Harrier.

As it warmed up we spent the afternoon in the Wensum valley, where we saw Kingfisher, Whitethroat, Grey Wagtail & a variety of commoner birds. I also took the opportunity to collect some Otter scats, fresh with fishbones & Crayfish shell, I also was able to point out where the Otter had been entering and leaving the water.
I netted Banded Demoiselle & Common Blue Dameslfly & we had a look a these through magnifying pots.