I have just returned from a short break staying with my sister where we had the opportunity to make a couple of trips into Norfolk.
Our first day trip was to Norfolk's north coast which is a very popular area for birders. We decided to work our way along the coast from west to east between Titchwell marsh and Cley then if suitable weather take a boat trip out to Blakeney point to see the seals there to end the day.
The weather turned out to be fine and sunny with little wind so a perfect day for our trip. Starting at Titchwell we arrived before the visitor centre opened and made our way straight onto the reserve. Following the path towards the beach we scanned the fields to our left , spotting little egrets, canada and greylag geese as well smaller birds like linnets and stonechats. A wren was in full song too.
Visits to the hides revealed avocets as well as the expected ducks and waders such as redshanks. We also found a curlew poking around in the a muddy ditch just next to the path.
On the beach we saw oyster catchers whilst a lady with a telescope pointed out a raft of common scoters out at sea, just visible as black dots through our binoculars.
Returning along the path we saw a large flock of brent geese fly in and watching the reed beds, were eventually rewarded with sightings of a couple of bearded tits.
Having gained a few year ticks it was time to move on to Holkham pines, a National trust beach known for its wintering flocks of shore larks and and snow buntings which feed on the short vegetation. The snow buntings hadn't been reported recently but a small flock of shorelarks were still said to be there, frequently using a fenced off area to the east of the gap. We had no idea how far away from the car park this was but on reaching the beach and dunes started to work our way east. Eventually we could see an area which was fenced off but on reaching it could not see any birds at all. Maybe we had missed them or perhaps they were feeding elsewhere.
We noticed someone with a telescope and he told us they were still around and he could just make them out in the far end of the area we were looking at. We eventually located them through binoculars. Starting to walk along the perimeter we hadn't gone all that far when I suddenly noticed a group of active little birds not too far away. Without us realising they had been running in our direction stopping here and there to probe the ground to feed.
We stopped to watch and they seemed to halt too, remaining about 15 metres away for some time and allowing plenty of time for photos. We counted about ten birds though they were well disguised apart from their yellow and black markings on their heads.
We did not wait to visit the hides in the western side of the beach ( that will have to wait for another day) as we still wanted to fit in a visit to Norfolk wildlife trust's reserve Cley Marshes which was further 20 minutes or so along the coast. However we did stay to buy some tasty soup at the café before we left.
The weather had remained fine without any sign of the originally predicted cloud and rain so we decided to book the seal boat trip from Morston Quay which was scheduled to leave at 5.15 pm. After phoning to make a booking we went to the visitor centre to purchase a permit. I was glad I had read the car park notice advising visitors that car parking was free to visitors who had paid to visit the reserve. It would have been easy to have paid for parking then realise you could have saved some money!
Although Cley Marshes is a large reserve we decided to limit our visit to the four hides. The first of these was on its own, up a path accessed from the opposite side of the road from the Centre. A long billed dowitcher had been seen here for the past week or so but on entering the hide we were informed it had moved but was now visible from one of the other hides. Meanwhile a heron and great white egret standing together gave us the opportunity to compare sizes . Leaving the hide we made our way along the path parallel to the road which led to a cluster of 3 hides. As expected the middle hide was crammed with photographers all trying to get a view of the dowitcher which was half hidden behind some godwits and asleep ! However a bittern was showing well as it stalked in front of the reeds and a guide kindly allowed us to see it through his scope just as it retreated into the reeds. Two bitterns in two days as we had seen one in flight the previous day on a quick visit to Ouse Fen reserve. Eventually the godwits shifted slightly and allowed a slightly better ( but not much!) view of the sleeping dowitcher.
We went into the remaining two hides but there was nothing extra to be seen, and therefore we returned to the café for a cuppa and a cake before driving back to Morston Quay for our boat trip.
We picked up our tickets and were warned it would probably be colder out in the boat but with 5 layers already on that didn't worry us! The tide looked completely out apart from a narrow band of water running up the middle of the channel but we were assured that in half an hour the tide would be well in and it was. We were surprised at the speed at which the channel filled.
Our boat trip lasted just over an hour, with the evening sun making a nice light as we set out, Our friendly guide gave us information about the spit at Blakeney and amazed us by telling us that over 16,000 seals occupied the harbour over the winter months with all their pups! However these had mainly disappeared back to the sea and had left a core party of approximately fifty, mostly lying up on the spit apart from a large male one which kept popping up beside the boat then disappearing under the water just as you reached for your camera! These were all grey seals, the common seals were just starting to come into the harbour for the summer but as far as I know there were none to see. We did have a great view of a peregrine falcon sitting up on the shingle, though my focussing was not what it should have been and I did not get the shots I would have liked. Other birds we saw included many oyster catchers and gulls. As we returned to shore, it was getting quite a bit darker ( and colder!) and we glad to get back in the warm car for our two hour journey home.
The following morning started sunny but was significantly breezier. This time, I was the driver and we headed off to Lynford Arboretum to look for woodland birds, in particular hawfinches which are regularly seen there. Just outside Lynford we stopped at Weeting to look for a great grey shrike. On arrival at the area described in Bird Guides, we met someone returning who had seen the shrike although he said it was remaining low and therefore harder to see. We found the spot and walked up to a few people to ask for their assistance, they were talking rather than staring through telescopes which could only mean one thing, and indeed one of them confirmed that the shrike had been fairly close, but had just flown off! Another case of 'You should have been here 15 minutes ago!' We waited but it didn't return although at least another half a dozen birders had meanwhile turned up. We did see a goshawk soaring and a sparrow hawk flying past, also a few distant yellow hammers and a stonechat. Slightly disappointed I'd dipped a shrike again, we returned to the car and carried on to Lynford Arboretum. One of the birders we had been talking to at Weeting, had got there before us and passing us said that a hawfinch had just been down in the 'tunnel' where the feeders are just beyond the gate. At least that sounded a little more hopeful! At first no birds were present but gradually they came back and we saw bramblings, siskin, yellowhammers and chaffinches feeding on the ground at the back, almost camouflaged amongst the leaves. There was a quick visit by a female hawfinch but sadly I didn't get to see it, as it was out of my vision so we decided to walk further on and see what else was about.
At the bridge we saw a siskin in the alders as well as other small garden birds but a walk in the trees didn't yield any hoped for crossbills. Back at the feeding a station a small crowd was gathered and we were shown a female hawfinch half hidden motionless at the back. Then a couple of male hawfinches showed slightly nearer. , A successful visit!
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