Kelling Heath

A long Easter weekend break in Norfolk meant that I had the opportunity to add some special birds to my year list, and all from one site. The heath at Kelling holds a couple of really good birds, but they are not always that easy to see. Spring is the perfect time to catch a glimpse, as they are more active and showy while they are setting up territories and nest building. The two birds I most wanted to see were the Dartford Warbler and the Woodlark. 

If you can't see a bird, the next best thing is to hear it, which can at least give you an idea where it may be. That was how I located both these birds. I had wandered around for a while with no sign, until I heard their songs. That put me on the right track and eventually I spotted them. I love to see these birds, as they are not widespread across the country and so gives me an extra buzz when I do connect with them.

You can watch my adventures here:

Dartford Warbler

Woodlark

Not to be left out, the Yellowhammer was also high on my list to see. I really struggle these days to see these birds. They seem to be having a really hard time, and declining in their usual areas, so it was great to see and hear these lovely little birds.

Yellowhammer

Heathland

A nice warm Spring morning up on the heathlands of Norfolk meant that I was looking for a couple of hard to find birds for the UK. The Dartford Warbler and the Woodlark are both rare finds here, but they both love heath and with a lot of patience you can get lucky. Knowing when they are likely to be singing or looking to pair up is a good start, as they are easier to pick up by sound. I got lucky with both birds, and it seemed there were good numbers around too, with several pairs of each. 

These pictures were taken at some distance and are heavily cropped, so not the best, but these birds should be respected from a distance so as not to disturb them. They need all the help they can get if they are to breed successfully and increase the population.

Male Dartford Warbler

A pair of Woodlark in courtship display.

Out on the East Bank at Cley, there were many Reed Buntings feeding on the tops of the reeds. The light was just perfect.

Reed Buntings

Woodlark

Back in March I made a visit to my parents on the North Norfolk coast. At this time of year (and many others if I'm honest) I like to go in search of the Woodlark that I know are often here, but I have yet to successfully find one. Many fruitless trips to their favoured area has always left me disappointed, but I am not one to give up easily.
On this particular occasion I got lucky on two days, with not one but three birds, and at one point all in the air singing. This really was a case of being as cautious as possible. I didn't want to disturb these birds that were obviously setting up territory and pairing up. So I stood very close to a bush and just waited for them to come to me as I melted into the background.
I was rewarded with some very close views, and the real bonus for the first time this year was some very good sunlight.

It was worth the long wait to get some good pictures of these lovely birds.

You can see how I've probably overlooked these birds on many occasions. Once again, nature providing such amazing camouflage. It is there, I promise.