I popped up to Norfolk for a long weekend, the birding was hard work. The blustery north wind and rain almost all day on Saturday was not very enjoyable. It turned out to be my worst May birding break ever with only 111 species being seen.
Highlights were: Bittern flying and booming, 2 drake Garganey, 2 Montagu’s Harriers, 3 Temminks Stints, Stone Curlews and Ring Ouzel.
While I was up there yesterday I had a phone call to say that Dave had found a Nightjar while leading a bird walk. This was only the second park record, and I was in quiet Norfolk. We arranged to look for it that evening on the lawn between the Open Air Theatre and the Rose Garden Cafe (area 13). I had only been there for 5 mins when the unmistakeable butterfly flight appeared in front of us. It performed well for ten minutes but preferred hawking over the Inner Circle, by the stage door to the theatre. It then dissapeared possible perching in a nearby tree, so we departed, having experienced something normally only seen on heathlands.
Montagu’s Harrier (male above female below)
Male performs a food pass and below mobs a Common Buzzard
Corn Bunting (above) and Avocet (below) who’s numbers were down at Titchwell and Cley bird reserves, due to high water levels.
Common Swift must have struggled to find food in the cold weather.
Comments
Snap! I was in Norfolk Sunday and Monday - better weather on both, but don't disagree re the wind! I'm assuming that your Temmincks wer at Cloey - I caught one on Moday, as well as Great Skua and Black Tern off the beach. Shame I missed the Montys!
I am glad you had a couple of dry days in Norfolk, it makes the world of difference. I had a skua sp, but it was just below the horizon and in rain. Did you think that the wader numbers were disappointing? I didn't look over Arnolds Marsh, which normally has a few species not found on the Cley NNT reserve. It wasn't worth get wetter than I had to.
All the best
Tony