North Norfolk Birding

I had a brilliant Bank Holiday at my parents in Norfolk recently. It's possibly the best time of year to visit this marshy coast line, as the reeds, pools, marshes and sea hold so many different varieties of wildlife all at once. Sedge Warblers were in abundance, singing constantly from their chosen bush or reedbed, while the accompanying Reed and Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroat, and Lesser Whitethroats all added to the cacophony.

There were plenty of waders on show too, with the Redshank particularly active as they defended their territories. These were supported by good numbers of Avocet, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Knot, Avocet and Curlew. Add in raptors such as Marsh and Hen Harrier and it really was a bird field weekend.

You can see my latest wanderings here:

Lesser Whitethroat

Little Ringed Plover

Garganey

Redshank

Reed Warbler

Ringed Plover

Sedge Warbler

Wood Sandpiper

Little and Ringed Plovers

Plovers are great little wading birds to watch. Two of the smallest are the Ringed and the Little Ringed Plover. I've been fortunate over the last few years to have both these birds stop off and stay for a month or two in the Spring months. Unfortunately, where they choose to stop starts of as a nice muddy wet area, but soon dries up, and so there is little hope of any successful breeding. However, I do make sure that I visit them regularly to enjoy them while they are here. 

The Little Ringed has a very distinctive yellow eye ring and is smaller than the Ringed Plover. The eye ring is not that easy to see with the naked eye, and binoculars or a scope are beneficial.

The Ringed Plover, being a little stockier also has a white wing bar, which is a good identifier in flight. It also has an orange bill with a black tip (adult birds).

The Little Ringed Plover with its yellow eye ring and dark bill.

The Ringed Plover with the white wing bar, and orange bill.

A Bumper Day on the Patch

Birding on a particular patch can be quite disheartening at times, especially when you see lots of good birds appearing all round the country. You're just hoping that one drops in when you are there and that will make you happy. Birding where I do at Woodford, straddling the Cheshire and Greater Manchester border, seeing a Linnet can be a good day, whilst on others it seems completely devoid of all life. I've had some very good birds here, and most have appeared at this time of year. Trusting my notes from previous years, I made a special effort last week to visit during my lunch breaks and after work. I was rewarded beyond belief.

In just one day I had found a male Redstart at lunchtime, followed by a female after work. Added to that followed a Yellow Wagtail and two male Whinchats. Also thrown into the mix were Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plovers, Stonechat and Barn Owl. I'd have been happy with this list if it was spread over 5 years, but to get them all in one day was really quite special. What's more the sun was out, and I was able to get some good record shots of them too.

I do hope this isn't all my luck used up, and that I can have more days like this on the patch in the weeks and years ahead.

Female Redstart (centre picture)

Male Redstart hugging the hedge

Male Whinchat with his back to us

Now facing us

This Yellow Wagtail was on the golf course, while I had myself behind some trees for cover

 Record shot of a Ringed Plover (left) and Common Sandpiper (right)

Salthouse - Norfolk

There is a pool of water at the bottom of Beach Road, Salthouse, that I always stop at to have a look. It can appear to many at first glance as quite insignificant, but I've had some good birds here over the years, so I am always happy to spend a good half an hour or more watching and waiting. This visit was also productive as it added two more to the year list, in the form of Ringed Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit. A pair of Avocet were working the water, and a Little Egret dropped in too.

In the fields around the pool were Lapwings, Oystercatcher, Linnets and the Yellow Wagtail that I found on my way back to the car. It may not look like much to most people, but it's always worth a stop and look to see what's around and on the pool. As always, the early morning is the best time. The Early Birder catches the bird 😉

Bar-tailed Godwit

Little Egret

One of two Ringed Plover at the pool.

Dumfries and Galloway

I spent a nice long weekend in Scotland last weekend, staying in Dumfries and Galloway. It was a good base to explore some of the tremendous sites on the Scottish south west coast. The main attraction and spectacle are the geese. Large numbers of Barnacle Geese winter here, and it was nice to be able to watch them on mudflats, fields, marsh and in flight. In fact they were everywhere. Considering I'd never really seen wild flocks on this scale before, it was a real joy.

Barnacle Geese

On the shoreline at Caresthorn there were waders, gulls and yes, more geese. We picked up some good birds here in the form of Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Pintail. A great little spot where you just had to stand and wait and look through the scope. Great birding.

Dunlin

Pintail pair in flight.

Ringed Plover

We spent a morning at Calaverock wildfowl and wetland reserve and added some more great birds. Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammers were found in the hedges, with Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Snipe and Whooper Swan found on the first pool. We moved on to a different hide and watched a super looking male Hen Harrier hunt over some marsh. Fields were full of Barnacle geese once again, but also joined by Lapwings. We were able to add White Fronted Geese, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Peregrine, Rock Pipit, Golden Plover and Red Kite to the list at various other locations. A fantastic few days, and somewhere I'd really like to go back to next winter.

Whooper Swan

Yellowhammer

Fun on the Water

Red-breasted Mergansers are regularly seen in the lagoon at Cemlyn Bay, but I always seem to struggle to locate them. This is not helped by their liking for diving regularly and staying far away. On this occasion luck was on my side, as I found a pair close to the road side. I managed to pull over and grab the camera from the boot of the car and take a few quick shots before leaving them to it and before I caused a traffic jam.

Female Red-breasted Merganser

The male

A Little Egret was busy in the shallow water.

A bird that is never easy to get close to to take pictures of is the Little Ringed Plover, and it is a bird that I never make any effort to get close to either. It is a Schedule 1 bird which gives it greater protection and should be left to go about it's business as it wishes without interference or harassment from people. I see a few a year locally, and it is always great to watch them. On this occasion though, I was looking through a sight screen when one came and landed just 20 feet away. It didn't know I was there and as it walked around the muddy margins feeding I managed to get some shots of it. A great little bird.

The distinctive yellow eye ring is a key feature to separating it from the larger Ringed Plover, especially at distance.

This is a Ringed Plover seen on the same day, but on a beach. No yellow eye ring, and with orange legs as opposed to the paler pink of the Little Ringed, and orange bill.

Spring Movement

Pre-Lockdown and a look back at my last visit to the North Norfolk coast. I guess it was early Spring, but things were starting to move about and birds were starting to pair up. There was more birdsong to be heard and some birds that had not been around these parts were seen again.
I saw a lot more deer on this visit, than during the warmer summer months.I even caught out a family of Roe Deer, as they quietly ate their breakfast. Showing that it does pay to get out early and also to be quiet. You'll never know what you won't have seen had you just been a little more cautious.

This looks like one of the young. 

These Oystercatchers were enjoying the rich pickings left by the retreating sea. This one with a small crab.

Ringed Plover were busy scuttling along the sand.

This Skylark was singing from the ground. More usually seen singing on the wing.