June 2021 – Norfolk Guided Birding & wildlife tour reports

During our guided day tours we customised the meeting and collection points to best suit clients, locations or the birds and wildlife they wanted to try and observe.

We ran birdwatching and wildlife guided days in Norfolk during June 1st, 7th, 8th, 10th, 14th, 18th, plus a two day wildlife tour on June 26th-27th & June 29th-30th. Birdwatching tours for Owls and Nightjars were successfully run on two evenings, with Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Nightjar and Woodcock being recorded across the two evenings. Both evenings we managed to get good views of Nightjar and they were very vocal on both evenings.

Norfolk Bird tour highlights during the month were undoubtedly the Roller seen albeit just into Suffolk on 27th, a nice adult female Long-tailed Duck on 18th June, an obliging Cuckoo near Kelling seen on several days, up to 6 churring Nightjars on evening of 8th June, with one bird perched for scope views.

Hickling on 27th June hosted a pair of Black-winged Stilts, an adult Curlew Sandpiper alongside 7-8 stunning male Ruff plus we had fine views twice of Bittern in flight and again there on June 29th. Small numbers of male Ruff were noted at other sites during June, plus a light passage of returning adult waders from mid-June with smart breeding plumage Spotted Redshank, several Greenshank and Green Sandpipers noted on the late June tours. Two Hobby’s were also picking off insects in the skies there on 27th June.

A dark morph adult Arctic Skua was a nice surprise disturbing 100+ Avocet as it flew across the reserve on June 30th, same day 7 drake Eiders flew West along the shoreline. Also at Cley on June 30th autumn passage got underway with 7 lovely Little Gulls, 2 Greenshank, Whimbrel, 40 Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Black-tailed Godwit. Offshore Common Scoter, Gannet and Razorbills were also seen in small numbers. Whilst Little, Sandwich & Common Terns are much in evidence and easily watched as they feed their youngsters offshore near Cley & Burnham Overy Staithe. Whilst our raptors have also been evident bringing food to nests with the first juvenile Marsh harriers on the wing in 3rd week of June.

A couple of visits to the Brecks were successful with a nice family of Stone Curlews seen on 27th June and earlier in the month, plus 3 singing Woodlarks, singing Tree Pipit, Firecrest and Spotted Flycatcher.

Egrets and Spoonbills are now much more expected but never the less, we have seen Great White, Little Egret and also Cattle Egret during June. Spoonbills were seen with begging young on June 10th, with 10 Spoonbill present at Stiffkey Fen.

The remaining highlights were a singing male Yellow Wagtail present at Cley until mid month, plus a Short-eared Owl watched in lovely evening light on 10th June.

Birds recorded on guided tours June 2021Max Count
1Greylag Goose20
2Dark-bellied Brent Goose – unseasonal bird seen on 10th June off Salthouse1
3Canada Goose4
4Mute Swan6
5Egyptian Goose20
6Common Shelduck100
7Northern Shoveler20
8Gadwall40
9Mallard20
10Eurasian Teal40
11Common Pochard5
12Tufted Duck6
13Common Eider7
14Common Scoter31
15Long-tailed Duck1
16Red-legged Partridge1
17Common Pheasant1
18Little Grebe2
19Stock Dove3
20Common Woodpigeon1
21Collared Dove1
22Common Cuckoo1
23Eurasian Nightjar6
24Common Swift14
25Common Moorhen1
26Eurasian Coot2
27Stone-curlew3
28Black-winged Stilt2
29Avocet100
30Eurasian Oystercatcher2
31Grey Plover2
32Northern Lapwing100
33Common Ringed Plover2
34Little Ringed Plover2
35Whimbrel1
36Eurasian Curlew40
37Bar-tailed Godwit7
38Black-tailed Godwit60
39Turnstone2
40Red Knot4
41Ruff8
42Curlew Sandpiper1
43Dunlin1
44Eurasian Woodcock1
45Common Sandpiper1
46Green Sandpiper3
47Spotted Redshank2
48Common Greenshank2
49Common Redshank4
50Arctic Skua1
51Common Guillemot1
52Razorbill3
53Black-headed Gull100
54Little Gull7
55Mediterranean Gull3
56Common Gull1
57Herring Gull2
58Lesser Black-backed Gull4
59Great Black-backed Gull8
60Little Tern10
61Common Tern30
62Sandwich Tern40
63Northern Fulmar1
64Northern Gannet7
65Great Cormorant9
66Great Bittern1
67Grey Heron1
68Great White Egret1
69Little Egret2
70Cattle Egret1
71Eurasian Spoonbill10
72Western Marsh Harrier8
73Eurasian Sparrowhawk1
74Red Kite2
75Common Buzzard2
76Barn Owl2
77Tawny Owl1
78Short-eared Owl1
79European Roller1
80Great Spotted Woodpecker2
81Common Kestrel1
82Eurasian Hobby2
83Eurasian Jay1
84Common Magpie1
85Eurasian Jackdaw2
86Rook10
87Carrion Crow2
88Coal Tit1
89Eurasian Blue Tit1
90Great Tit1
91Woodlark3
92Eurasian Skylark3
93Bearded Tit3
94Sedge Warbler8
95Eurasian Reed Warbler7
96Common Grasshopper Warbler1
97Sand Martin25
98Barn Swallow4
99House Martin2
100Willow Warbler1
101Common Chiffchaff2
102Cetti’s Warbler1
103Long-tailed Tit1
104Eurasian Blackcap5
105Garden Warbler1
106Lesser Whitethroat1
107Common Whitethroat1
108Goldcrest1
109Firecrest1
110Eurasian Nuthatch1
111Eurasian Treecreeper1
112Eurasian Wren1
113Common Starling6
114Mistle Thrush2
115Song Thrush1
116Eurasian Blackbird1
117Spotted Flycatcher1
118European Robin1
119European Stonechat3
120Dunnock1
121House Sparrow1
122Yellow Wagtail1
123Pied Wagtail1
124Meadow Pipit3
125Tree Pipit2
126Common Chaffinch2
127Eurasian Bullfinch1
128European Greenfinch1
129Common Linnet3
130European Goldfinch2
131Eurasian Siskin1
132Yellowhammer6
133Common Reed Bunting1
Birds recorded on guided tours June 2021

June 2021Norfolk Butterflies, moths, dragonflies and orchids. The latter two day June tours on took in a mixture of birds, butterflies, moths, orchids and others. Some images from these tours are below.