Last week I had the opportunity to spend some time in a friend's cottage close to the north Norfolk coast. As it was (or so I expected!) a good week for spring migrants I planned to visit a number of sites during the week hoping to discover loads of newly arrived summer migrants. First up was Snettisham RSPB reserve. After two and a half hours of searching all I had managed to turn up was a single Swallow, a Blackcap and a few Chiffchaff.. The tide was out so the waders were miles away; the wind was up so there was little moving about. Not very promising.
Thornham and Holme were just as bad. A couple of Ring Ouzels had been reported earlier in the day but they were not there when I was!
Titchwell was devoid of birds...bad. And people...not so bad. I did manage to locate a single Little Ringed Plover and a few singing Sedge Warblers but that was it.
Holkham Hall held a good flock of 15 House Martins a couple of Swallows as well as loads of Chiffchaffs and a couple of Blackcaps.
Burnham Overy Staithe dunes was the best place during the week with half a dozen Ring Ouzel and half a dozen Northern Wheatear.
So five days in North Norfolk in mid April produced Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Little Ringed Plover, Swallow and House Martin. Generally I was left photographing the more common species. But the walking and the company were good.
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| Skylark - Snettisham |
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| Avocet - Everywhere |
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| Displaying Redshank - Thornham |
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| Red Kite - Holme |
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| Sanderling - Holme Dunes |
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| Herring Gull - Everywhere |
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| Oystercatcher - also just about everywhere |
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| Little Egret - Holme |
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| Knot - Thornham |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit - Burnham Deepdale |
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| Common Gull - Common! |
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| Shelduck - all over the shop. |
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| Black-headed Gull - Why not? |
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| Pheasant - Garden! |
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| Greylag Goose - Everywhere and then some. |
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| Linnet - Singing male. |
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| Curlew - Thornham |
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| Moorhen - in a tree. |
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| Drake Red-crested Pochard - Titchwell (one of the only birds on the reserve) |
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| Barnacle Goose - Holkham Hall; an introduced bird. |
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| Grey Partridge - in a field. |
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| Black-tailed Godwit - up to its eyes in it. |
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| Ring Ouzel - Gun Hill - a proper real migrant. |
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| Wren - on top of its world. |
