September 2010 birdwatching & wildlife tours in Norfolk

1st September - One Day Tailored Birdwatching Tour

This was a days tailored Birdwatching Tour for a couple of keen birdwatchers.

We started at Holme at 0730 & Nick & John were keen to see some ringing so they were able to watch Reed Warbler, Whitethroat & some finches being processed.

After this we walked out to Thornham harbour, we had nice selection of birds 250 Curlew, 150 Oystercatcher, 5 Whimbrel, 5 Snipe, 2 Greenshank & a light Meadow Pipit passage overhead. Out on the shoreline we had a good look through the shorebirds, 60 Knot, 70 Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Redshank etc

We then headed off to another North Norfolk site, where we located 16 SPOONBILL, 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE, 10 Ruff, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Snipe, 6+ Greenshank, 60 Golden Plover, 150 Black-tailed Godwit & 20 Dunlin

We finished the day off at Cley with 2 juv Little Stint, 7 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 15 Ruff, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5+Greenshank, 4+ juv Spotted Redshank, 60 Dunlin, 7 Snipe, & a female MANDARIN

Plus brief views of Bearded Tit & nice views of Marsh Harrier.

14th September - One Day Tailored Birdwatching Tour

This was a days tailored Birdwatching Tour for a keen birdwatching couple, whom wanted to concentrate on improving wader & shorebird identification skills.

We started at Stiffkey where we were able to study a nice selection:- 2 Little Stint, 3 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 25 Redshank, 13 Greenshank several Ruff, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe & 35 Lapwing. A wonderful haul of waders to start the day!

Also 2 Black Tern were lovely to watch dipping & floating over the water's surface. The water was packed with wildfowl 100 Teal, several Pintail amongst them. As we left the site c60 Golden Plover also flew over calling as they passed overhead.

We had an early lunch at Burnham Overy & then walked out along the seawal, a nice mixture of shorebirds were evident as the tide receded & the mud was revealed - 10 Grey Plover, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 30 Knot, 20 Dunlin, 10 Sanderling, 20 Ringed Plover, 30+ Curlew,
plus another 2 Curlew Sandpiper.

Suddenly many birds were alarmed & all the shorebirds took flight, a glance skyward revealed an OSPREY heading east, so wonderful to witness a surprise with special migrants like these. Our luck continued as well, as shortly afterwards we had flight views of a SPOONBILL dropping into the pools.

We finished the day off at Cley with more waders, this time much closer & in really goood light - 4 juv Little Stint, 4 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 80 Dunlin, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 3-4 Ruff, 1 Green Sandpiper & 1 Spotted Redshank.

Plus great views of 6 Marsh Harrier & 2 Yellow Wagtails.

We finished a great day with lovely views of a hunting Barn Owl

26th September - 2 Day Birdwatching Tour

Day One

We started the day at Snettisham, the day got underway with several birds of note, firstly a GREAT SKUA, was a nice surprise as it sat
on the shoreline tearing up the remains of a carcass. Then shortly after we located 3 PURPLE SANDPIPER feeding along the strand line just in front of us.

The high tide roost did not disappoint with 25,000 Knot, 700 Oystercatcher, 350 Redshank, 250 Shelduck, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 2,500 Bar-tailed Godwit & 4 Spotted Redshank, plus a plethora of many commoner waders.

There was also a steady passage of Meadow Pipit overhead, & a migrant Wheatear also skipped along the tide line.

We stopped off later in a harbour area & added 2 Greenshank & also had very nice close views of many other waders.

At Titchwell we located 20 Dunlin, & revealed 3 juv LITTLE STINT amongst them, also 15 Ruff, several Pintail were fresh arrivals & there was a nice mix of wildfowl.

27th September
Day Two

We started today at Cley, another LITTLE STINT, amongst 30 Dunlin, plus 100 Black-tailed Godwit. There was 100's of Teal & Wigeon, hidden amongst these were 12 Pintail in their eclipse plumage. 2 Goldcrests in scant bushes outside the hide were a sign of things to come! There was also a nice group of BEARDED TIT showing very well in front of the hide.

We also took time to check the sea out & had 20 Common Scoter, 1 Red-throated Diver, a Gannet & a Sandwich Tern.

We stopped of briefly at Salthouse, where we had poor views of a BARRED WARBLER, we did have very nice views of 3+ Wheatear & sev Goldcrest

We headed to Kelling Quags where we treated to the fantastic sight of RED-NECKED PHALAROPE & GREY PHALAROPE spinning around side by side!! Also passerines were dropping into bushes & it was clear that a fall of birds had taken place:- 50+ Robin, 20+ Song Thrush, 4 BRAMBLING, 1 REDSTART, 1 WHINCHAT, 3 Wheatear, 20 Chiff Chaff, 2 Blackcap were all present in the Quags area & hedgerows.

As we walked back we also had 2 LAPLAND BUNTINGS fly over calling.

At Walsey Hills, 100 Siskin & 5 Brambling passed overhead.

28th September - Tailored 2 DAYS Guiding
Day One - Holme area

Today was a days tailored birdwatching for an Australian couple whom want to do some birding in Norfolk.

I arrived at first light & it was clear that birds were still arriving & even more migrants had been grounded. We had a wonderful day with so many birds around we spent the entire day at Holme. There was also a steady overhead passage of finches as well as the following grounded migrants:-

3 REDSTART, 2 PIED FLYCATCHER, 1 WHINCHAT, 5+ BRAMBLING, 5+ WHEATEAR, 100+ ROBIN, 100+ SONG THRUSH, 1 LESSER WHITETHROAT, 3 BLACKCAP, 20 CHIFF CHAFF, 30+ GOLDCREST, 16 LAPLAND BUNTING. Also 1 Barn Owl & 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Swallow & 10 Snipe flew west.

29th September - Tailored 2 DAYS Guiding
Day Two - Cley area

A short walk from the Car park to North hide revealed that many birds were still arriving!
Even along the fenceline with hardly any cover we had 2 REDSTART, 1 PIED FLYCATCHER, 1 WHINCHAT, 5+ WHEATEAR.

Out on the scrape we saw 3 LITTLE STINT, 20 Pintail, 10 Ruff, 3 Snipe & 40 Dunlin. Despite the rain we had amazing views of 5 BEARDED TIT as they fed on the footpath on the ground, something you rarely see!

Everything was disturbed late morning when a GREAT SKUA flew over the reserve, every duck & wader took flight. We had a great view as the skua flew across in front of our view, causing complete chaos as it headed over the pools!!

We headed off in the afternoon to Burnham Overy where we had alovely mix of shorebirds, plus a Peregrine & Spotted Redshank, we finished by watching another Peregrine & 50+ Little Egret roosting.