Spring Migration Fri 13th-Mon 16th May 2016

Transcription

1 Limosa Holidays Trip Report Norfolk Coast Spring Migration Fri 13th-Mon 16th May 2016 Though there were many highlights of our Norfolk coast adventure, the Avocets still remain iconic of this great birding area Robin Chittenden, robinchittenden.co.uk Report compiled by tour leader: Robin Chittenden 1 Limosa Holidays, West End Farmhouse, Chapelfield, Stalham Norfolk NR12 9EJ tel: +44 (0) / 4 info@limosaholidays.co.uk website:

2 Norfolk Spring Migration Tour Leader: Robin Chittenden with Luise Addison, Tony Garner, Ken & Libbi MacGregor, Brian Morris and Malcolm & Jemma Wyllie Old Hunstanton A couple of early morning walks in the vicinity of our hotel revealed small numbers of migrants. This was not that surprising as there was a keen northerly airflow, which was especially strong on our first full day. Songbirds seen included a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Whitethroat and on the golf coarse two Grey Partridges. The Fulmars were watched nesting along Hunstanton cliffs. Choseley We stopped off at these vast rolling fields on a couple of occasions. It was great to see a swarm of at least 21 Dotterels striding across the field. Many were regularly flicking their wings up, in display. A pair of Grey Partridges were seen on each visit, as was a brief Corn Bunting on our first visit, which was bettered by another watched singing on our second. Major surprise was seeing a Mole scuttle across the road. Burnham Thorpe In the area of Burnham Thorpe we came across a party of six Whimbrel, feeding up on their journey northward. At a minor road junction we came across a pair of Oystercatchers with two very recently hatched young, in the middle of the road. Distress to all was increased with the arrival of two cars that obviously didn't want to wait for the family to cross the road. In the end we saved the day by catching the two fluffy youngsters and releasing them into the field to be re-united with their anxious parents. Relief all around. Holt Country Park At Holt Lows we were lucky to find a male Adder basking in the sun, out of the wind, while we were simultaneously serenaded by an elusive Garden Warbler. At lunch no bats but a singing Blackcap. Cley Marshes We walked out to the central hides and had a fabulous time as birds revealed themselves or dropped by. A Water Rail scuttled across a grassy bank right out in the open, but you had to be quick to see it. A couple of Little Terns dropped in, followed by a Little Ring Plover. Apart from Redshank and a single Greenshank, the Avocets had done a good job in insuring their territory was wader free. A semisilhouetted Redshank did get the hopes up for a while that there was a Spotted Redshank: an interesting identification lesson if nothing else. Two Little Stints stopped by all too briefly. Swifts and Sand Martins were swooping low over the scrapes, giving fabulous views in front of the hide, and as hoped for, they lifted up as a Hobby came steaming through very low. Fantastic. Shoveler and Tufted Duck were right in front of the hide. The male Tufted was particularly aggressive as he protected his female, chasing all and sundry away, including the more heavy weight Shoveler. Later we walked up the east bank where there were good numbers of recently hatched Lapwing & Redshank. Ahhh. We gasped at the striking white-headed Ruff, which was almost in complete summer plumage, and yards away two Spoonbills scythed the water. Titchwell In the morning we walked the East Trail and watched, Reed, Sedge and Willow Warblers all singing away. Four Red-crested Pochards were loafing at Patsy s Pool. In the afternoon we headed down the main path to the Parander hide and beach. Very close to the hide a radiant Little Stint was probing the mud next to a Snipe. A little further away a scarce Temminck's Stint was doing the same. Among the throngs of Herring, and Black-headed Gulls, we located a few Sandwich, and Little Terns. Two to three Mediterranean Gulls flew over, as did a Cuckoo. Four Little Ringed Plovers were displaying together, as if having a lek. A Whimbrel dropped in for a wash and brush up. 2 Limosa Holidays limosaholidays.co.uk

3 The stormy conditions the day before had resulted in a wreck of Razorshells and several Starfish along the beach. There was a feeding frenzy of Gulls as well as hundreds of Sanderling and Turnstones, many of which were in rude summer plumage. And happily these waders, en route to the Arctic, were delightfully tame. A couple of Bearded Tits proved to be a little uncooperative, but at least most saw them, if only briefly. Holme Dunes NWT The south side was very quiet early morning with a pair of brief Bullfinches being the highlight. Snettisham Coastal Park After a start peppered with many Sedge and Willow Warblers it became more exciting as a Cuckoo flew through. Offshore were several hundred black, white and grey summer-plumaged Grey Plovers, among the still grey looking Red Knot. Three Stonechats were at the north end, and as we headed back, we came across a lovely Short-eared Owl, that hunted, perched and was strangely mobbed by five Shelducks. A Turtle Dove did the decent thing and perched in the open in perfect light. Thornham Harbour A packed lunch consumed here had the benefit of yet another Whimbrel landing close by us. ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED BIRDS Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Recorded daily at various sites. Grey Partridge Perdix perdix A pair Choseley and Old Hunstanton Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Very common non-native Canada Goose Branta canadensis Two Titchwell and three Holme, Greylag Goose Anser anser Dark-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla bernicla Five Cley Marshes, twenty past Old Hunstanton and forty plus Thornham Harbour Mute Swan Cygnus olor A few Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus Two en route and Titchwell Shelduck Tadorna tadorna Gadwall Anas strepera Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Eurasian Teal Anas crecca Eight Cley Marshes Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Four Titchwell Pochard Aythya ferina and eight Titchwell Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Several Hunstanton. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis One Titchwell 3 Limosa Holidays limosaholidays.co.uk

4 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus One Titchwell Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Two Cley Marshes Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris One heard booming Titchwell Grey Heron Ardea cinerea and two Snettisham Coastal Park Little Egret Egretta garzetta Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Four or so on beach Old Hunstanton and a few others seen in flight Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Hobby Falco subbuteo Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Red Kite Milvus Milvus One Burnham Thorpe and another Thornham Buzzard Buteo buteo Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Moorhen Gallinula chloropus A couple here and there Eurasian Coot Fulica atra A few here and there Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Very common. Family party Burnham Thorpe Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Cley Marshes, Titchwell and a couple Snettisham Coastal Park Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Up to twenty-one Choseley Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola Three Titchwell and a few hundred Snettisham Coastal Park Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Eight Titchwell and one Snettisham Coastal Park Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Two Cley and four Titchwell Snipe Gallingo gallingo A single on the freshmarsh at Titchwell was the only one seen. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Two Cley and forty plus Snettisham Coastal Park Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica A few Snettisham Coastal Park Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Six Burnham Thorpe, one Titchwell and Thornham Harbour Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Two Old Hunstanton and three Titchwell Redshank Tringa totanus Greenshank Tringa nebularia Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos One Cley and five Titchwell Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Two hundred plus Titchwell and eight Thornham Harbour 4 Limosa Holidays limosaholidays.co.uk

5 Red Knot Calidris canutus A few hundred Snettisham Coastal Park Sanderling Calidris alba One thousand plus Titchwell Little Stint Calidris minuta Two Cley Marshes and one Titchwell Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii One Titchwell Dunlin Calidris alpina Seven Titchwell and two Thornham Harbour Ruff Philomachus pugnax Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Two-threeTitchwell Gull Larus canus Two Cley Marshes and fifty plus Titchwell Herring Gull Larus argentatus Very common Lesser Black backed Gull Larus fuscus and one Titchwell Little Tern Sternula albifrons Two Cley Marshes and three Titchwell Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Three Cley Marshes and six Titchwell Tern Sterna Hirundo Twelve Titchwell and two Snettisham Coastal Park Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Heard and seen at Titchwell and heard at Holme. Feral Pigeon Columba livia Stock Dove Columba oenas One or two. Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur One Snettisham Coastal Park Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Noted in and around the villages as we travelled around over the three days. Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus One Snettisham Coastal Park Swift Apus apus Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major One Holt Country Park Jay Garrulus glandarius Two Titchwell Magpie Pica pica Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Carrion Crow Corvus corone Great Tit Parus major A couple Old Hunstanton Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus A couple Old Hunstanton Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus Two Titchwell 5 Limosa Holidays limosaholidays.co.uk

6 Sand Martin Riparia riparia Fifty plus Titchwell Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica House Martin Delichon urbicum Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus One or two here and there Skylark Alauda arvensis Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti. Up to eight Titchwell including one seen fairly briefly and heard Snettisham Coastal Park Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Six Titchwell and six Snettisham Coastal Park Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus in reedbeds Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus One Titchwell and three Snettisham Coastal Park Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita One and twos here and there Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Garden Warbler Sylvia borin One heard Holt Lowes Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca One heard Titchwell Whitethroat Sylvia communis Goldcrest Regulus Regulus One Old Hunstanton Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Starling Sturnus vulgaris Blackbird Turdus merula Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus One South Creake and one Old Hunstanton Robin Erithacus rubecula Stonechat Saxicola rubicola Three Snettisham Coastal Park House Sparrow Passer domesticus Very local Dunnock Prunella modularis A few seen Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Very common Greenfinch Chloris chloris Very local Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Linnet Linaria cannabina in suitable habitat Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula Two Holme Dunes 6 Limosa Holidays limosaholidays.co.uk

7 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra One or two Choseley Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella One Choseley and two Holme Dunes Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus MAMMALS Stoat Mustela erminea Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Brown Hare Lepus europeaus Mole Talpa europaea Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi REPTILES Adder Vipera berus BUTTERFLIES Peacock Algais io Small White Pieris rapae Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas DRAGONFLIES Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula 7 Limosa Holidays limosaholidays.co.uk