Tuesday
A run up for a few days birding in Norfolk and sorting out a few family issues, saw us taking a detour off the A10 to Landbeach tip via Long Drove at Cottenham, which after slightly frustrating viewing through the hedge, a nice large first winter Glaucous Gull appeared on the rubbish. We then headed to Roydon Common where unusually the Great Grey Shrike was showing well, actively hunting, followed by dropping in at Thornham Harbour where the flock of 50 odd Twite were actively flying around, with a single Spotted Redshank in one of the channels amongst the more common waders, followed by an end of day visit to Titchwell, with four late afternoon Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard, a fairly empty high tide sea apart from a few Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers, and around 40 Common Scoter, but no Long-tailed Duck. A single female Goosander on the back of the fresh marsh was slightly unusual, with waders being supplemented by those pushed off the beach onto the reservoir by the high tide, plus eight Ruff and 24 Black-tailed Godwit, one of which bore colour rings L R/O R R/O(letter Z).
Wednesday
Most of the day was spent sorting out the family issues, but late pm we managed to find some time to get out on the marsh at Burnham Overy. Unfortunately the only Geese were a solo Egyptian, and a few Brents, Greylags and Pink-foots, with about 15 Black-tailed Godwits on the mud and on the marsh. Raptors were quite well represented with two Rough-legged Buzzards, at least four Marsh Harriers and a group of six Red Kites that spent some time tumbling together over the dunes before heading onto Holkham fresh marsh
Thursday
The weather forecast for the day was high wind with rain to follow later, so we decided to give the Cley coast line a miss and lazily headed inland to Livermere Heath to join the gulls and pigs, which was soon joined by the rain. Scan through the gulls was done mainly from the car, especially as in one area getting out would have meant stepping into something, that still hung around the outside of the car until cleaned two days later, but we did pick up an adult Caspian Gull and a very nice 3rd winter Iceland Gull, before leaving the gulls and pigs to the rain, with a brief stop at Mildenhall to look at a single lonely Waxwing in the rain, before heading off home.
A run up for a few days birding in Norfolk and sorting out a few family issues, saw us taking a detour off the A10 to Landbeach tip via Long Drove at Cottenham, which after slightly frustrating viewing through the hedge, a nice large first winter Glaucous Gull appeared on the rubbish. We then headed to Roydon Common where unusually the Great Grey Shrike was showing well, actively hunting, followed by dropping in at Thornham Harbour where the flock of 50 odd Twite were actively flying around, with a single Spotted Redshank in one of the channels amongst the more common waders, followed by an end of day visit to Titchwell, with four late afternoon Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard, a fairly empty high tide sea apart from a few Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers, and around 40 Common Scoter, but no Long-tailed Duck. A single female Goosander on the back of the fresh marsh was slightly unusual, with waders being supplemented by those pushed off the beach onto the reservoir by the high tide, plus eight Ruff and 24 Black-tailed Godwit, one of which bore colour rings L R/O R R/O(letter Z).
Wednesday
Most of the day was spent sorting out the family issues, but late pm we managed to find some time to get out on the marsh at Burnham Overy. Unfortunately the only Geese were a solo Egyptian, and a few Brents, Greylags and Pink-foots, with about 15 Black-tailed Godwits on the mud and on the marsh. Raptors were quite well represented with two Rough-legged Buzzards, at least four Marsh Harriers and a group of six Red Kites that spent some time tumbling together over the dunes before heading onto Holkham fresh marsh
Brents
Pink-foots
Thursday
The weather forecast for the day was high wind with rain to follow later, so we decided to give the Cley coast line a miss and lazily headed inland to Livermere Heath to join the gulls and pigs, which was soon joined by the rain. Scan through the gulls was done mainly from the car, especially as in one area getting out would have meant stepping into something, that still hung around the outside of the car until cleaned two days later, but we did pick up an adult Caspian Gull and a very nice 3rd winter Iceland Gull, before leaving the gulls and pigs to the rain, with a brief stop at Mildenhall to look at a single lonely Waxwing in the rain, before heading off home.
Gulls and pigs, or pigs and gulls if you prefer, and lots of mud.....