Norfolk week 12 to 19 October

Saturday

When we arrived on Saturday we went straight to Titchwell where it just so happened there was a Hooded Merganser a rare American duck. I didn’t get too excited as I have seen them before and it is unlikely that it will get excepted, although the date was spot on and it has the company in the UK of a lot of other “Yanks”. The fact that it departed the next day may well strengthen its credentials, but somehow I doubt it.

Then we walked out to Thornham Point in search of a Grey Phalarope but we missed it by minutes and although we waited for over an hour it failed to reappear.



During the course of the week we saw Bearded Tit, Grey Phalarope, Yellow-browed Warbler and the usual variety of species at Titchwell in about six visits.

The other site that we like is Burnham Overy Staithe were we walk out along the sea wall to Gun Hill then east to the Pine belt that continues on towards Wells-next-the-Sea.

Hooded Merganser, Titchwell

Sunday

Today was a bit of a wash out, fortunately there was plenty of sport on the tele. I watched the Rugby in the morning and the Football in the afternoon, I managed to get out in a lull in the rain during the afternoon where I managed to get good views of the Grey Phalarope, it had relocated a few hundred yards away from where it was yesterday and it gave good views, due to the weather there were few people around.

On the walk back I bumped into Keith Warmington and his wife and I explained where the bird was located, then it was back to the cottage were we got ready for the main event.

Grey Phalarope, Thornham Point

Whooper Swan, Titchwell

Joy and I book tickets to see the 3 Degrees at the Palace Theatre in Hunstanton, it was ok but not really my bag. It was a little cringe worthy when half way through they asked a member of the audience to stand up as they had received a letter from his wife. She relayed that one of their songs was “Their Special Song” and they had been happily married for years! Then at the end she wrote that her husband had been recently diagnosed with cancer. After a round of applause they started singing their big hit, “When Will I See You Again”. I think “Take Good Care of Yourself” would have been a much more appropriate selection!

Monday

In the morning we visited Titchwell again as Joy wanted to see the Grey Phalarope, it had not been reported and everyone coming back said it had gone. I like searching through the Buckthorn for migrants so we carried on. I also thought the bird might have been overlooked, it wasn’t always on show yesterday when I was there and was apt to hide amongst the vegetation. And it proved to be and we picked the Phalarope up on another small pool. The bushes held a few Goldcrest but little else. We check the sea out on the return walk but it was quiet apart from a few Red-throated Diver.

In the afternoon we went to Burnham Overy Staithe where the intention was to walk out to Gun Hill. However, the weather was on the turn and although we saw the group of eight Cattle Egret we decided to return to the car, we just arrived as the heavens opened so we called it a day.

Tuesday

We parked at Burnham Overy Staithe and walked out to Gun Hill then to the Pine belt that carries on East to Wells. Bird wise it was quiet, but there was a light passage of Skylark, Redwing, Fieldfare and Chaffinch heading West. Amongst the Chaffinch we managed about six Brambling during the course of the day. The eight Cattle Egret were on show as well as four Great Egret. 

Cattle Egret, Burham Over Staithe

Other birds of note at Gun Hill were a couple of Ring Ouzel, but we could not find the reported Whinchat and just missed a Short-eared Owl.

In the pines we found a Yellow-browed Warbler and enjoyed the rest of the day birding then it was back along the sea wall on the return to the car.

In the evening Joy and I had tickets at the Palace Theatre for Wishbone Ash. I was never a big fan, like everyone my age into Rock I owned Argus, a best off plus a couple of the latter albums which I wasn’t that keen on. But I was pleasantly surprised and they were excellent.

Then as we walked back along the road to the car a Barn Owl appeared hunting along the cliffs, surprisingly it was to be our only one of the week.

Wednesday

Spent the day morning at Chosely Drying Barns walking the inland path that runs parallel to the coast, apart from a Blackcap and a couple of Yellowhammer it was rather quiet.

In the afternoon we went to Holme and walk the footpaths there, there was little in the way of migrants but we had a good number of species including a four Barnacle Geese and a Med Gull on the sea.

Thursday

I didn’t fancy driving much as it was my birthday and I just wanted a days birding so we spent the day at Titchwell. We had a good day without seeing anything stunning with a Whinchat the highlight. Three Red Kite at Thornham Point were very confiding and circled over us for a while.

Red Kite, Thornham Point

Friday

We spent the morning at Burnham Overy Staithe where once we arrived it was obviously very quiet, so we cut our losses and returned to the car. Unsure where to go we decided on the reserve at Cley and parked at the East Bank where we circled the reserve clockwise.

The reserve at Cley is a shadow of its former self and for the first half of the walk we saw very little. On the sea there were a few Red-throated Diver, with a few Razorbill and a good number of Guillemot. A group of feeding gulls included a Little Gull and a Med Gull but apart from a Peregrine it was quiet. For the second time this week we got back to the car before the rain started.