Norfolk
I have just returned from 8 days in Norfolk which involved a bit of painting, some gardening and if possible at least a couple of hours of birding most mornings. The earlier part of the break saw more migrants on the move but numbers gradually dropped of once the wind had moved around from the SE to the SW.
The main highlight for me was seeing a Booted Warbler that turned up at Grambrough Hill, Salthouse, as this was a lifer for me. I visited the sight twice and on both occasions the bird would only show for a few seconds at a time. I saw the bird quite a few times but never once long enough to obtain a photo. A juvenile Red-backed Shrike that I found at Winterton Dunes, showed well through the scope but would not allow me to get closer than 50 metres.
Below are a few photos that I managed to take.
70+ Swifts came in off the sea early morning at Cley on the 27th.
There were good numbers of waders at most sites with exposed mud and shallow water. The RSPB’s Titchwell reserve offering the better views, with an impressive 12 Little Stints showing in front of one hide.
Can you spot the Little Stints?
If the whole scrape takes to the air it normally means that a bird of prey is going through. The flock in the top photo were flushed by a Sparrowhawk and the birds below were spooked by a Hobby.
Looking east from Cley beach.
Horsey Beach and its seals
Winterton Dunes
When my parents were alive this was one of their favourite walks it is a place that my wife and I visit at least once a year. It is Dersingham Bog, an area that has gone from one with banks covered in Rhododendron and a much of the rest pine and Silver Birch. It was always a place to see Nightjars and Goshawk but now has Woodlark and Stonechat and Tree Pipit.
These 2 birds are puzzling me, does anyone have an opinion? The top one was taken on Grambrough Hill, Salthouse and the other at Winterton.
Comments
Thanks for commenting on the whitethroat sp; the legs are the wrong colour for Common Whitethroat and there is a lack rufous on the wings.
Thanks for that the thing about the Garden Warbler is the overall body colouring fits that species but the leg and lower mandible colours do not. Not that it is obvious and even though I only ever saw it in cover, its shape was more like a phyllosc than sylvia type. The Lesser could be a very warn adult but it didn't strike me as that of birds I normally see, particularly during the autumn. I never see many spring birds in London and most other sightings are when birds are migrating.