On the 17th we took the time to drive out to Sculthorpe Hawk and Owl Trust Reserve which is well known for its Marsh Tit population so we hoped to add this species to our year list. As it turned out it was a bit quiet there. We did the full circuit of the reserve in the hope of finding these and perhaps Cuckoos and maybe a rooosting Tawny Owl as the girl representing Sculthorpe that we met outside Norwich Cathedral (for their raptor watch) but we were disappointed in all respects seeing only the usual suspects.
Continue readingMay 16 2022
Holme Beach and Holkham NNR 16th May 2022
When we were getting ready for our day’s birding, I went out to the car and the first thing I saw was a Marsh Harrier over the field immediately opposite our cottage flying about twelve feet off the ground. What a start to the day. It eventually flew off and the airspace was left to the flock of Swifts that seem to be ever-present around the cottage. We had no plan for the day so I thought it would be interesting to take a walk along the roped off sections of the beach at Holme-next-the-Sea. I fancied that I remembered that there was a Little Tern colony there and hoped to get a year tick from them.
Continue readingMay 15 2022
Titchwell Marsh RSPB, Holmes Dunes NWT and around Thornham 15th May 2022
On the 14th we mainly got settled in at the cottage and got supplies in from the shops in Hunstanton. We did stop off for a bit at the cliffs for the usual Fulmar but also got year tick Linnets there and also a couple of Whitethroats singing in the hedgerows on the edge of the cliff. The 15th was our first real birding around the Thornham area. I started the day with a walk from the cottage to Thornham Harbour going via the reed bed where there were lots of Sedge Warblers singing and showing well. I saw a House Martin which has not been that common this year and other birders have mentioned this as well.
After my walk, we regrouped and set off for Titchwell Marsh RSPB reserve just a mile or so down the road from where we were staying.
Continue readingMay 13 2022
Cley Marshes NWT and Blakeney Point 13th May 2022
On our drive from Weyford Bridge to Thornham, where we had booked a cottage for the week, we dropped in at the Cley Reserve where we got our first Spoonbill of the year. There were plenty of Avocet. We got a distant Sparrowhawk and several closer Marsh Harriers but it was notable for its lack of waders.
Continue readingMay 12 2022
Hickling Broad NWT 12th May 2022
We tried our boat trip again on the 12th May and it was totally different weather to the previous afternoon when it had rained heavily. On this day it was wide blue skies and sunshine so we were happt to do out boat trip. Unfortunatelty the boat did not stop at the tower which affords fantastic views of the surrounding landscape because a Tawny Owl had decided to nest in a tree right next to it so that made it off limits. One of the other hides (where there is usually a big scrape) was also not visitable which was a real shame. So this left with a single hide in the middle of the Broad. Be that as it may, we still had a great trip and managed a few year ticks.
Continue readingMay 11 2022
Hickling Broad NWT 11th May 2022
We had booked a boat trip on Hickling Broad but when we turned up there it was pretty wet and we asked if we could change to the next day. This suited them as they were trying to run at half capacity because the water was so low on the Broad; something I hadn’t thought about but it seems that this is a regular happening as the season advances. Despite our disappontment, we walked around the site on foot and didn’t get very wet at all. In fact we got a few good year ticks – especially on Brendon’s Marsh where we got Temminck’s Stint.
Continue readingMay 10 2022
Birding Day of and visit to Norwich Cathedral 10th May 2022
On the 10th we moved from out hotel in Mundford and on to The Weyford Bridge Hotel at Wayford Bridge in the Broads. As we finished our breakfast the chef started speaking to us and it turned out that he was a keen raptor man with his own business, Norfolk Hawk Walks. He was very knowledgable about general birding and it might be worth checking him out next time we are in Mundford.
We visited Norwich Cathedral and had a walk around the town. Unfortunately the Peregrine at the top of the cathedral was on eggs so not much chance of seeing her.
May 09 2022
Nunnery Lakes and Weeting Heath 9th May 2022
If Santon Downham and the other sites around Thetford were a little disappointing the previous day, our visit to BTO Nunnery Lakes made up for it this day. We parked at the side of the river, crossed the bridge and and walked along the side of the Little Ouse River until we reached the next bridge. From there we got good views of a Kingfisher – a good year tick but not the only one
Continue readingMay 08 2022
Santon Downham ,Lynford Arboretum and East Wretham Heath 8th May 2022
We were staying at the Crown Hotel in Mundford again for three nights so, after breakfast, we headed off to Santon Downham. We parked at the Forestry Commission office forst but they were closed as it was a Sunday so we wandered around a bit taking a few wrong turns before we settled on a walk that took us down to the Little Ouse. We decided that that wasn’t really what we wanted so we backtracked and drove up to the St Helen’s Picnic Site where we walked another section of the river dropping in briefly at All Saints Church.
Continue readingMay 07 2022
Weeting Heath and Lakenheath Fen 7th May 2022
We set of from Wing and drove directly to Weeting Heath where we joined the Norfolk Wildlife Trust for 15 months (3 months free) and immediately set off to the usual hide looking for Stone Curlews. It wasn’t long before we saw two birds, one sitting hard on the nest but the other moving around more freely. Having made this semi-regular pilgrimage for our year ticks we drove on to the nearby RSPB site of Lanheath Fen.
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