When George Moreton asked if I wanted to join him for a days birding in Norfolk showing an American birder the delights of British birds I said yes. It helped that I was on annual leave for the week already! George’s brother Matt joined us and at 4.20am we set off but not after I’d added Tawny Owl to the year list.
We picked up Liz Jaffin who we found out wasn’t technically American having been born and raised over here but she’d only started birding when she moved to America and so had no real experience of any of our feathered friends.
Our first stop was Cavenham Heath where before we even got out of the car we had a Woodlark perched on the wires. Once out of the car we were treated to singing Woodlark and Cuckoo and out on the heath 4 adult Stone Curlews with 2 well grown chicks.
Cuckoo
Tree Pipit
Goshawk
It was then onto nearby Santon Downham where we had great views of a Cuckoo and after a bit of a search I managed to find 2 Tree Pipit displaying. We then headed back to the car and as we passed the few houses I shouted Sparrowhawk as one flew over but as soon as I said it I thought that’s flying a bit different and was a tad chunky. George got his bins on it and shouted Goshawk and for a few seconds we had great views of a male Goshawk as it was upsetting all the local birds. Liz managed to get some great photos considering the brief time it was on show.
Fulmars
We then headed north towards Snettisham. We parked in the beach car park and immediately heard the purring of Turtle Doves. Over the next 20 minutes or so we heard at least 3 birds and had great views of one display flying.
Wood Sandpipers
We pushed onto our next destination Thornham Harbour. We parked up and spoke to a birder who was leaving. He said the single Wood Sandpiper and 2 Little Stint were still showing so we walked along the sea wall and quickly got onto the Wood Sand. As I was watching it the others were saying it’d just walked out of view but I was still watching it. As suspected there were in fact 2 birds! As for the Little Stints they’d managed to vanish in the 2 minutes between chatting to the birder and getting there. Also seen were 4 LRP’s and a couple of stunning summer plumaged Grey Plover.
Temminck’s Stint
Spoonbill
It was then onto Titchwell RSPB. The first good bird here was while we were still in the car park when I picked up a large raptor flying overhead. Once I got bins onto it I identified it as a Honey Buzzard! Out on
the marshes I found a couple of 1st summer Little Gulls and 2 GW Egret. I was scanning looking for a Temminck’s Stint and as luck would have it it flew through my view and landed in front of the hide so we walked around where we got my best ever view of this species. An adult Spoonbill was also seen from the hide and amazingly it was awake! On the way back to the car a crowd gathered and in the reeds some Bearded Tits were showing very well and the main target for Liz was accomplished.
Cley’s East Bank was our penultimate stop of the day. Here we had a surprise of 3 fly over Whimbrel and some showy Marsh Harriers.
Our last stop was a quick one back in Hertfordshire at Sandon hoping to hear a Quail or two. No joy there but a male Yellow Wagtail and at least 6 singing Corn Bunting were noted. The last species of the day were the 2 Peregrines on the BT building on Hemel Hempstead’s famous Magic Roundabout.
An excellent day out finished with 115 species seen of which personally 16 were year ticks.
