Goosander numbers had been building on the inland lakes and reservoirs near my home. So lovely to look at and watch, but they tend not to venture too close and remain quite distant. This doesn't give for good photos unless there is good light, and that was the case last week when I was able to get some nice bright images. Most have now dispersed and will be having young. They will be back again late summer.
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 😉
The weather forecast was good, but it turned out to be a bit gloomy on my visit to Hickling Broad over the Easter weekend. It seemed as though there wasn't a great deal around either as we followed the 3 mile path around the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve. The reedbeds were very quiet, and not much was on the water or flying overhead. Quite possibly things will hot up a bit in the coming weeks.
That said though, and on reflection, we did see and hear some very good birds. One of my warbler highlights of any year, is the return of the Sedge Warbler. A fantastic little bird that will sing and climb the sedge or reeds that it is in. This was my first seen of the year, so it was a nice to see it performing.
Sedge Warbler
An Easter trip to Norfolk meant a very determined look for Spring migrants. There were lots I'd been looking forward to finding, and one on my list was the Wheatear. I'd looked a week or so earlier around my local area, but had not found any. We stopped in at Cley beach, as I'd often seen them in the fields here in previous years. Initially it wasn't looking promising, with only some Ruff, Meadow Pipits and a couple of Golden Plover of note. A bit more time spent scouring the ground and I noticed a female Wheatear hoping around. It was swiftly followed by a male. I was delighted to catch up with them again for the first time this year, and hope to see many more as we go through the breeding season.
Female Wheatear standing nice and proud.
Yellow Wagtail
On my winter visits to Norfolk, I will always seek out the Purple Sandpiper. It's a real favourite of mine and not that easy to spot. The rocks along the Sheringham shore are the perfect location to find them though and they are regular here through the winter months, you just need to be patient and be prepared to have a proper look for them. Timing can be crucial. High tide is the best time, as this pushes them closer in and they will look to rest up and sleep if they can. As soon as that tide turns they like to get up and carry on looking for food.
Their location at Sheringham means you can look down on them on the rocks below. This gives you a good view and you can appreciate the plumage against the rocks and how well camouflaged they are. Lovely looking birds, and ones that I will be looking out for again as winter comes round.
I had a few days holiday to take, so timed it to coincide with the start of migration season. I ventured up into the moorlands, and one of my favourite places. What I hadn't banked on, was that it would be shrouded in cloud on this particular morning. Not ideal, when what I was looking for was likely to be on the other side of the valley. My plan was to pitch up, watch and listen and then seek out with my binoculars. There was no chance that that was going to happen as I couldn't even see the other side of the valley. There were a few clearings every now and again as the strong wind whipped the cloud past my face, but nothing that cleared to sunshine.
I'd been there about half an hour and heard the song or call of a Ring Ouzel (my main target bird). It was on the far side of course, but I tracked it down with the binoculars through the fog to a rocky perch. Then I saw another. Only thing for it, was to be brave and head down the valley, cross the river via the unstable stepping stones and up the other side and see if I could locate them. I positioned myself in a dilapidated quarry building and waited. Twenty minutes or so later, Two popped up 100 yards in front of me, followed by two more. The best thing was that hiding as I was and the fog, they had no idea I was there, and so proceeded to come towards me and give me my own private show. I was privileged to watch and photograph these special birds for almost half an hour, and down to about 20 feet. Absolutely magical, and so pleased that they are back for another year.
Some local birding recently has shown that things are really hotting up with nesting activity and courtship. Birds are starting to move back from their wintering grounds and heading to their inland breeding sites, or at least, they are taking a break on the way for a rest. A great time to get out and observe what's about and going on.
Waders are my favourite genre of bird. You know where to find them, they are nearly always there, and they give you time to sit and watch them. A good hide where you can sit, have your lunch and just wait to see what drops in are my favourite places to be. There's always something to see and you can go away with a very different list to those an hour before you or after you. Spring and Autumn are the best times, but you can find me looking at waders any time of the year.
Here are just a couple of species, the Avocet and the Whimbrel. The lovely contrasting black and white of the Avocet in the sunlight, and the Whimbrel a little on the dull side in comparison. A great bird to see though, and one that makes my heart race a little more than the Avocet these days. It's always a bonus when your second look confirms it's not a Curlew.
Avocet
