Snettisham - Wader Spectacular

We had timed our visit to Norfolk this year to try and make sure that we would see the Wader Spectacular at the Snettisham RSPB reserve, their website gives all the dates of the high tides when this may happen, of course nothing is guaranteed, bit there was one spell where it might occur 3 days on the trot (28/2, 01/03 & 02/03) so we thought that would give us 3 chances while we were there, so we headed that way after our visit to Sculthorpe Moor ensuring plenty of time to walk from the Car Park to the best viewing point.

I have to say it was really sad to see all the damage from the earlier surge tides as we approached the viewing area, wrecked hides and destroyed paths and banks, lets hope given time and money that the RSPB can restore it to as it was.

Anyway back to the Waders. The tide was still a way out when we arrived, but the large numbers of Godwits, Dunlin, Oystercatchers, Knot and Avocets were evident in the distance on the mud flats. So plenty of time for a coffee in the one remaining (but very busy) hide before the main event.

As the tide came in the birds were constantly getting up and repositioning onto the remaining mud, except for the Shelduck, who generally just waddled along as the tide pushed them back.

As time went on and the mud area became smaller the huge flocks of Waders rose more frequently, it was better than any murmuration that we have ever seen and the noise just added to the whole experience.

It was brilliant couple of hours and I would recommend it to anyone, just go to the RSPB website and look up the details of dates and times on the Snettisham Reserve page.

Our day wasn't done though, we headed back and stopped in the hide for a cuppa, before the final walk back to the car and the drive back to the digs. Of course you have to keep watching and there was a bird on the lagoon that at first glance we thought was a Little Grebe, but then I thought the neck is to long, so we gave it a closer look and found we had a Black-necked Grebe, a lifer for all four of us. It was getting pretty dark now, but I had to try for some record shots and got one that isn't to awful!

So four very happy people headed back to the car.

Sculthorpe Moor

This mornings visit was to the Hawk and Owl Trust at Sculthorpe Moor, just 10 minutes down the road from our digs. We just love this place the wood are just full of birdsong and calls, it's fantastic! We come here for our Brambling fix, plus loads of other species too, hopefully!

The first hide, the Woodland hide did quickly reward us with a distant Barn Owl, but plenty of Brambling coming to the feeders, unfortunately being in a wood its all a bit dark!

 There were loads of Greenfinches too:

We stayed hoping for some Red-legged Partridge which we saw here last time, but not this time. So after a while on to the next hide, this was just amazing starting with a not too shy Water Rail:

Then plenty more Brambling, plus Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Tits and other Finches:

Continuing our walk, we spotted some a nice Marsh Tit who posed for a while:

So a great time was had here, but they day wasn't finished, we planned to go to Snettisham for the Wader Spectacular, so I will cover that in the next post!

Strumpshaw Fen & Stubbs Mill

Last year Tina and myself had a great day at Strumpshaw Fen, seeing Bittern and Otter, so we thought we would have another go, sadly they didn't deliver this time, but that's wildlife for you, they don't stick to a timetable as we all find out!  We did have a nice day out though the weather was kind if a bit cold.
From the reception hide there was plenty out on the water and Marsh Harriers roaming the reed beds so not bad at all really:
Marsh Harrier:

 Gadwall:

 Canada Geese:

 Mute Swan (being a tad aggressive!):

 Greylag:

 We left the Reception hide and went for the circular walk down to the river, stopping at the other two hides on the circuit, which was really heavy going underfoot at times, very muddy!
Another Marsh Harrier:

 Lapwing:

 Shelduck:

 Shoveler:

 Teal:

 Goldfinch:

After Strumpshaw we drove up to Acle as Cranes had been reported there but apart from adding a Song Thrush, there was nothing else about, so we thought we would try Stubbs Mill as dusk as Cranes are known to roost around there, but despite waiting until mostly dark again nothing, except 5 Marsh Harries, which isn't too shabby!

More to follow.....................

Holkham to Wells and back.. and a little bit more!

With good weather forecast and the prospect of a crayfish bap for lunch we made a plan for a walk from Holkham to Wells-next-the-Sea and back finishing at the Jordan Hide at Holkam.

The start at Holkham was pretty much as expected with Wigeon, Teal, Oystercatcher and Brent Geese about, but we were surprised by a flyover of a Red Kite, Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard:

The walk to Wells didn't produce a great deal in Birding terms, it was just a fabulous walk in the sunshine, with a Muntjac showing well followed by the promised Crayfish.

 Whilst enjoying our lunch took a few snaps of the locals:

 After lunch we walked up to the beach, seeing lots of Oystercatchers and other waders in the distance:

 Then along the beach for a bit before dropping into the woods to walk back through the trees

The woodland walk was very uneventful, but we had a swinging time!

We eventually popped back out onto the main path and stopped for a coffee. We were all squeezed onto a bench enjoying our beverage, when Jimmy shouted.. Barn Owl, we all caught a glimpse is it swept past the other side of the hedge, so we asll scrambled up the bank and scanned the adjoining fields, where we found it happily quartering the field in the sunshine:

We spent a good 20 minutes watching this Owl until he drifted away. So onwards back to Holkham, we dropped a few things off at the car before, heading off to the hides, but as we headed back to the paths, we glanced across an adjacent field, to find the Barn Owl having a breather!

So off to the Jordan hide about another mile along the paths. Never having been to this hide before, it seemed like we were never going to get there. But eventually we did and then typically after a day walking we opened the 'windows' and thought, there was nothing there! We were wrong...................

After a few minutes another Barn Owl appeared, plenty of Pheasant, then Red-legged Partridge, 

then the Cormorants started arriving. Directly in front of the hide, probably about a quarter of a mile away was a row of trees, which by dusk was full of Cormorants. As we were scanning with bins a large white bird flew into my field of view, everyone nearly had a heart attack when I shouted 'Spoonbill' sadly it didn't stop and just kept going heading Brancaster way!

Still another cracking day!  More to come..........

North Norfolk Coast

On our first full day we decided to start off at Blakeney and and end up at Holkham.

We parked up at the Blakeney and went for a short walk along the estuary, this resulted in plenty of Brent Geese:

 Redshank:

 More Brent:

 Oystercatcher:

 Little Egret:

 Sanderling:

 Turnstone:

 and Bar-tailed Godwit:

So not a bad start. After a coffee we headed down the road a bit and went to Cley. We didn't pay for the reserve we just used the coast road and the roads alongside the reserve. The highlights being a Skylark showing well, Egyptian Geese, Golden Plover and our first Marsh Harrier of the week;

Egyptian Goose:

 Skylark:

 Marsh Harrier:

 Dunnock:

 Redshank:

 Golden Plover:

Curlew:

We also stopped at Morston Quay, Burnham Overy Staithe and the 'ponds' at Stiffkey, non providing anything new or great photo opportunities, the weather being very changeable, wet and dull at times interspersed with some lovely sunshine.

We proceeded on to Holkham parked up and wandered down to the Washington Hide. Sadly by this time of the year all the Pink-footed Geese were well gone but there was plenty of Brent & Greylag about with the add few Canada & Egyptian Geese dotted about.

There were plenty of Wigeon, Teal, Oystercatchers and Mallard by the car park, a Goldeneye and Little Grebe on the pool by the walk to the hide.
Goldeneye in the fading light:

More Wigeon, Shelduck, Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Mute Swan, Shoveler and Pheasant were plentiful from the hide, plus a few Muntjac dotted around:

So another good day, more to follow.........