A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 23, 2018

I left home this morning in rather windy conditions and headed for Eyebrook Reservoir, seeing sixteen Red-legged Partridge as I entered Blaston and a Common Buzzard as I climbed Blaston Hill.

I went into the corral and began scanning the exposed mud and found a single Black-tailed Godwit near the mouth of the stream.  There were fifteen European Golden Plover amongst the flock of Northern Lapwing and I then found three Ruff and two Dunlin.  There was another Red Kite over the reservoir and a Little Egret flew in from the south and dropped into the stream.  A distant flock of Tufted Duck contained four Common Pochard and there were good numbers of Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian Teal and a few Northern Shoveler.

I moved on but a stop at the bridge produced nothing of note and a stop along the Rutland bank produced three Northern Pintail and a Common Goldeneye in flight and I also saw another two Red Kites and a Common Buzzard.

I left Eyebrook Reservoir and headed for the Lyndon Reserve at Rutland Water, seeing a Common Kestrel in Stoke Dry and a Red Kite just as I reached the turning to the reserve.

After parking in the Lyndon car park, I walked the short distance to Teal Hide hoping to find the Red-necked Grebe in the South Arm.  There was a Yellow-legged Gull on the Manton Bay bund, along with nine Little Egrets and there were another four Little Egret on the bund across Heron Bay.  As I scanned into South Arm Three I found three Great Egret between Gadwall Hide and the far point of Brown’s island and another Little Egret.  I then picked up a small party of waders that landed on the island, when I was able to see at least two Common Ringed Plovers and several Dunlin.  There was a Red Kite to the south as I went back to the car and a Common Kestrel was hunting over the field as I drove up the road from the car park.

I drove around to the unnamed road to view the North Arm and after parking near the gate scanned the fishponds where I found two more Great Egret and a Northern Pintail.  I then walked through the gate and found thirteen Little Egrets on the bund along with yet another Great Egret.  I scanned the north shore where there was another two Great Egrets and five Northern Pintail.  There were twenty-three Egyptian Geese on the end of the spit and another two Great Egret along with twelve Northern Pintail towards the fisherman’s car park and also two Little Egrets.

I made a brief visit to the Old Hall for another attempt for the Red-necked Grebe but like earlier there was no sign, although it was quite difficult looking due to the now strong westerly wind.  I did see three Common Ringed Plover and six Dunlin on the exposed shoreline, which were presumably the same birds that I had seen earlier on the island.

From the Old Hall I drove around to the Egleton Reserve and went into the centre to view Lagoon One where there was a Great Egret and Little Egret towards the Wet Meadow and I could see yet two more Great Egrets on Lagoon Two.  A female Western Marsh Harrier was seen briefly between the swift tower and Brown’s Island and there were four Little Grebes on the lagoon.  I then noticed the Western Marsh Harrier over South Arm Three and it dropped onto the water with its wings outstretched and slightly raised.  When it tried to get up off the water it had clearly caught something, which I suspected was a Eurasian Coot but after several attempts it dropped it into the water as it was clearly too heavy for it to lift.  It was then mobbed by several gulls and eventually gave up and disappeared behind Brown’s Island.  Whilst watching the area where the harrier had disappeared there was some disturbance as quite a few Eurasian Teal flew from the area and I suspect it was the harrier causing the problem, but I then picked up a Peregrine Falcon that also appeared to disappear behind Brown’s Island.  Gerry then joined me and found the Peregrine Falcon sat on a rocky island on the lagoon and I could see that it was a large juvenile and presumably the bird I had seen on Lagoon Four on Saturday.

After lunch I made my way to Crake Hide as there had been plenty of birds there on Saturday but on arrival there were far fewer with just five Little Egrets and a Common Buzzard observed before I moved onto Lapwing Hide.

Little Egret with a Perch

Little Egret

There were few birds reasonably close and the main concentration was near Fieldfare Hide and beyond and so I didn’t stay too long but I did see two Peregrine Falcons over Brown’s Wood, which were presumably a male and the juvenile female.  The female Western Marsh Harrier was also patrolling the shore near Brown’s Island, which is probably why there were few birds near the hide.

As I walked back I met Brian and Rosie and we nipped into Smew Hide and found one of the Great Egret quite close, but some closer Eurasian Teal flew, and the egret went with them to the far side of the lagoon and so we went to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

There was a good number of Tufted Duck on Lagoon Three but other than a single Common Redshank there was very little else and we moved onto Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four.

The water level on Lagoon Four is rising and therefore there was a nice concentration of Northern Pintail feeding amongst the emergent vegetation.

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

There were seventeen Northern Pintail in total and a European Stonechat was observed briefly in front of the hide but moved off towards Dunlin Hide.  There were two Common Buzzards just to the right of the Volunteer Training Centre and a immature male Common Kestrel provided some nice views.

Common Kestrel

Common Kestrel

Common Kestrel

I saw very little as I made my way back to the centre but then found another European Stonechat towards Mallard Hide before I called it a day.

I saw two more Common Kestrel as I made my way home with one just outside Gaulby and the other between there and Great Glen.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland and Lincolnshire = October 20, 2018

There had been a Temminck’s Stint at Baston and Langtoft Pits in Lincolnshire for about a week and we decided we would go today.  I picked David up at around 07:30 and we headed for Eyebrook Reservoir, seeing a Common Buzzard just after passing through Kibworth and another on Blaston Hill.

When we reached Eyebrook Reservoir we drove to the northern corral where we were hoping to find Malcolm but Mike Snow informed us that he had gone around to the Rutland side and so we turned around and found him parked overlooking the inlet.  We parked up and joined him and the first bird I found was a Green Sandpiper, which was close to the vegetation and soon walked out of sight.  As I scanned further there were two Ruff and two Dunlin in amongst a party of Northern Lapwing.  David then found a European Golden Plover amongst the Northern Lapwing and we eventually had four and as I scanned through the wildfowl I found five Northern Pintail.  Malcolm then noticed a Common Greenshank on the edge of the stream and we were able to point it out to Mike when he joined us.

Roger was meeting us at Rutland Water and when we phoned him he had just turned into the road to the Lyndon Reserve and so we went to join him in Teal Hide.  As we drove down the road to the centre a single Redwing flew over.  Roger had gone there to hopefully connect with the Red-necked Grebe, but he hadn’t found it when we arrived.  I looked towards Manton Bay and found four Common Goldeneye, a Great Egret, two Little Egrets and a Yellow-legged Gull.  There was also fourteen Common Pochard and a Common Redshank to the right of the hide and two Northern Pintail near Goldeneye Hide but there was no sign of the Red-necked Grebe.  We decided we should make tracks for Baston and Langtofts Pits and found eight Fieldfare in the car park before we all drove to the Egleton Reserve, where Malcolm and Roger transferred their gear into my car and we set off, seeing a Red Kite on the Stanford Road.

When we arrived at the pits at around 10:00 we found that the Temminck’s Stint had been flushed by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk and hadn’t been seen since.  We stood on top of a bund overlooking the appropriate pit where there were several hundred Greylag Geese and as I scanned the pit I found a single Pink-footed Goose amongst them.  On the far side of the pit I found a couple of Common Snipe but there was still no sign of the stint.  A small party of European Golden Plover circled and dropped briefly onto a small island.  Malcolm then found four Red-crested Pochard on the pit on the other side of the road where there was also six Common Pochard.  As we focussed back on the main pit several hundred European Golden Plover appeared and circled over the pit for quite some time but were reluctant to land and eventually flew off.  On the other side of the road there were now thirty-eight Red-crested Pochard in two small groups.  Brian and Roger then arrived, and it wasn’t long afterwards that both Brian and David said I got a small wader, which turned out to be the Temminck’s Stint.  It showed reasonably well for a while, although a little distant, but as another birder arrived it disappeared behind a small rock.  We then suspected that it might well have been there all the time but out of sight.  Fortunately for the other birder it came into view on the other side of the rock, but we then called it a day and headed back to Rutland Water.

We saw a Common Kestrel just after leaving but hadn’t seen anything else of note before arriving in the unnamed road to Tim’s cottage.  After parking near the metal gate, we found a Little Egret in the fishponds and Great Egret then flew out from the fishponds into the North Arm and there was a Yellow-legged Gull on the bund within the fishponds.

As we walked out to the spit to view the North Arm we found that there were eighteen Little Egrets on the bund but with several fishing boats in the area there were fewer birds than normal.  There were ten Egyptian Geese on the spit and I picked up a Little Grebe, a Great Egret, a Little Egret and five Common Redshank in the southern bay and there were nine Northern Pintail towards the fisherman’s car park.  There were two more Egyptian Geese and two Great Egrets on the north shore and five more Little Grebes near the bund.  There were good numbers of Eurasian Wigeon in the first part of the fishponds but there was no sign of the drake American Wigeon, which had been there recently.  Malcolm, Roger and I then went into the field to view the western end of the fishponds, where we found a Green Sandpiper and a Common Redshank but again there was no sign of the American Wigeon, but two Eurasian Jays flew over.

Mike Snow had joined us again and informed us that he had seen the Red-necked Grebe in the South Arm both from Teal Hide and the Old Hall and so we headed for the Old Hall.  After parking we walked over the cattle grid and began scanning the arm but with several fishing boats and poor light we weren't too optimistic.  Malcolm then said is this a Red-breasted Merganser and after providing directions we found it wasn’t too far out in the near bay and confirmed his identification.  It was swimming out of the bay towards the Old Hall and so I walked out onto the spit to get a better view.  As I approached the promontory a fishing boat was following almost in the same line as the merganser had gone and when I reached the promontory there wasn’t any sign.  The light was better from here but there was still no sign of the Red-necked Grebe, although I did find three Common Ringed Plover and twelve Dunlin on the island.  As I scanned South Arm Three I found five Great Egrets in the far bay and two more on the Lagoon Three bund.  After we reassembled near the cattle grid we went back to the car and drove to the Egleton Reserve.

After transferring their gear back into their cars, we went down to the visitor’s centre to view Lagoon One.  There were five more Great Egrets or were they those I had seen in South Arm Three, three Little Egrets, eight Northern Pintail and a Eurasian Curlew on the lagoon and a female Western Marsh Harrier was seen near the swift tower.

As we were setting off to the northern lagoons, Chris, Graham and Ricky were returning but hadn’t seen a great deal but did mention there was a Peregrine Falcon on Lagoon Four and so we headed there first.  David and I arrived first, and David found the rather large juvenile Peregrine Falcon on island one almost immediately.  As we scanned the lagoon I counted twenty-five Northern Pintail and five Common Pochard.  A second Peregrine Falcon then flushed the juvenile, but I failed to connect but I did see a Eurasian Sparrowhawk mobbing the juvenile over Burley Wood, where there were also three Red Kites.

We moved onto Shoveler Hide where there were plenty of Tufted Duck and as we scanned through them I found two Common Goldeneye and a juvenile male Greater Scaup.  There was also sixteen Common Pochard, another three Great Egrets and three Common Snipe.

When we reached Crake Hide we found five Great Egret and thirteen Little Egrets, although viewing wasn’t easy as there were two photographers in the hide that were occupying four seats, one by a bag, but didn’t offer to move and so we went to Lapwing Hide, were we didn’t see anything of note.

Great Egret

Two Great Egret, four Little Egrets and a Grey Heron

Our walk back to the car park produced nothing and after a coffee we set off for home.  After dropping David off I had a Eurasian Sparrowhawk fly over the road in the village.

A day in West Norfolk - October 18, 2018

Malcolm, Roger and I had decided to go to Norfolk today hoping that the probable Two-barred Warbler might perform, although its identity is still uncertain.  Roger picked me up at 06:00 and then drove to Malcolm’s who then drove for the day.

We left Market Harbour around 06:30 and headed for Corby and then onto the A47 towards Peterborough.  We had a Common Kestrel as we passed along the Peterborough bypass and a Common Buzzard near Eye and we had two more Common Kestrel before reaching the Guyhirn roundabout.  There was another Common Buzzard as we approached Hillington and a skein of c.100 Pink-footed Geese flew over as we approached Great Bircham.  We headed for Burnham Market after passing through Great Bircham, where we were to pick David up, who was in Norfolk for the week.  Whilst we were in the village a Red Kite and then two Pink-footed Geese flew over.

We arrived at Lady Anne’s Drive at around 09:00 and after parking walked to the pines and then west along the footpath towards the crossroads, which is where David had brief views of the Two-barred Warbler yesterday.  There was a Common Kestrel perched on a bush as we drove along the drive and several Pink-footed Geese were in the field to the east.  When we reached the pool there were at least four Little Grebes and numerous Mallard on the pool and a Eurasian Jay and three Eurasian Siskin flew over, whilst a Cetti’s Warbler was heard.

We had another Eurasian Jay before reaching the house, a singing Cetti’s Warbler appeared quite close but remained elusive and two Western Marsh Harriers performed over the marsh.  As we walked by the house it was clear that there were a few birds in the trees and we stopped for a while to observe them.  Most were Goldcrest, but we also had a Coal Tit and a Eurasian Treecreeper.

Two more Eurasian Siskin flew over before we approached the crossroads, where several birders had gathered.  It soon became clear that they were watching something and as we scanned the bushes we had a brief view of a Yellow-browed Warbler.  When we moved closer there were a couple of Common Chiffchaff and we eventually had further views of the Yellow-browed Warbler before it went up into one of the larger trees and disappeared.  We moved into the area where David had seen the warbler yesterday and had two more Common Chiffchaff, several Goldcrest and a Coal Tit.

David and Malcolm then went further down the track to try and find a Red-flanked Bluetail that had been seen twice during the last three days, whilst Roger and I remained hoping the warbler would show.  We just continued to seeing more of the same but when it went quiet we returned to the crossroads, where we had another Common Chiffchaff.

We eventually went a little further down the path before stopping as some other birders had seen another Yellow-browed Warbler.  A party of Long-tailed Tits passed through but there was nothing unusual with them but shortly afterwards I picked up a Yellow-browed Warbler, which then performed for at least thirty minutes in an oak but was out of view for most of the time.  I tried unsuccessfully to get photos as it was seldom still and moved around the oak.  David and Malcolm then returned and watched the bird for a while before it flew out of the oak and disappeared.  Whilst we were watching the warbler another Cetti’s Warbler was heard and a juvenile Eurasian Hobby flew over several times.

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

With still no sign of the target bird we headed back to the car for lunch only to find the juvenile Eurasian Hobby perched at the top of a tall conifer and we were able to get some nice photos before it flew off.

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

Juvenile Eurasian Hobby

When David and I reached the hide, Malcolm and Roger were some way behind and I called Malcolm to let him know that we would go along the boardwalk to view the sea.  He then informed me that a Great Grey Shrike had been seen from the hide earlier and so David and I went into the hide to see if it was still there but there was no sign, but I did find a European Stonechat.

When Malcolm and Roger arrived, we found out that the shrike was now in scrub 200 meters beyond the end of the pines and so we decided we should go back before having lunch.  Just after passing the crossroads another birder coming back indicated that there was no sign of the shrike as it had flown further west and so we finally went back to the car for lunch.

David and I went into the new centre and as we were coming out Malcolm and Roger were arriving, and Malcolm said that there were some Grey Partridge in the field.  We scanned the field and found eight birds not too far away, but they were tending to keep low in the grass, but I did manage to get a few photos before finally going to the car for lunch.

Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge

Pink-footed Geese at Holkham

We had learnt that the Great Grey Shrike was visible from the boardwalk at the end of the path from Burnham Overy Staithe and so drove the short distance and parked overlooking the marsh.  There was no further news and no sign of any birders potentially looking for the shrike and so after some discussion we decided to drop David back in Burnham Market and then go to Titchwell to finish the day.  Whilst we were at Burnham Overy Staithe we saw c.1000 Pink-footed Geese, five more grey Partridge and a Western Marsh Harrier.

When we arrived at Titchwell we walked to the west bank and then as far as Island Hide.  As I approached the path to the hide I had a brief view of a Water Rail and other birders were watching a Jack Snipe, which we were able to see and get some photos of, although it was feeding amongst vegetation.

Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe

After watching the Jack Snipe for a while, we moved a little further along the path to view the Freshwater Marsh and found around six Pied Avocet, 260 European Golden Plover, sixteen Black-tailed Godwit and fourteen Ruff and there was also twenty-one Common Shelduck amongst the more numerous Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian Teal.  I then heard a Bearded Tit and two performed briefly in front of us, one being a male and Malcolm and I then heard a Whimbrel calling but we were unable to locate it.  We all then heard a Common Greenshank and suspected there was more than one and we then picked up seven in flight.  They landed on the end of one of the spits but didn’t stay long and were soon off again.  Finally, six Brent Geese dropped in and we found a single Northern Pintail.

Pink-footed Geese over Titchwell

Golden Plover  over Titchwell

As we walked back along the path there was a single Western Marsh Harrier over the reedbed and c.150 Pink-footed Geese flew over, but we had seen nothing else of note before reaching the car.

We saw a Common Kestrel as we approached Choseley Barns, five Egyptian Geese near Docking and another three between there and Great Bircham and finally another Common Kestrel was seen near Kings Lynn.

An early morning at Titchwell, Norfolk - October 17, 2018

We were heading back home today but I made my usual early morning visit to Titchwell before breakfast.  It was just getting light as I started to walk along the west bank and I heard a Water Rail near Thornham Pool and a Cetti’s Warbler from the reedbed.  There were four Western Marsh Harrier to the east over the reedbed and when I looked back towards the road I saw the Western Barn Owl quartering the far field.  When I looked over towards the trees beyond the reedbed initially there wasn’t any Little Egrets in the trees but a few minutes later there were twenty-one.  I continued along the path towards the beach but saw just two Eurasian Curlew on Thornham Marsh, a Grey Plover over Volunteer Marsh and three Little Grebes on the Tidal Marsh before I arrived at the beach.

I scanned the sea but all I found were three Great Crested Grebes but there were plenty of waders on the beach that included over 500 Eurasian Oystercatcher, two Grey Plover, twenty-nine Eurasian Curlew, forty-five Bar-tailed Godwit, twelve Turnstone, 150 Red Knot, a Sanderling and thirty-nine Common Redshank.  There was also twenty-five Brent Geese and a Little Egret.  Several skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew over and as I made a final scan of the sea there were three female-type Red-breasted Mergansers just off shore, but they quickly flew further west and I then picked up a single Common Scoter in flight.

I scanned the Tidal Marsh as I started to walk back and found two Common Shelduck, ten Grey Plover and a single Dunlin and four Brent Geese, two Eurasian Curlew and four Common Redshank flew over Thornham Marsh.  There was a Little Egret, two more Eurasian Curlew, two Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff and seven Common Redshank in the channel on Volunteer Marsh.

As I reached the Freshwater Marsh another Water Rail called and there were three Egyptian Geese squabbling near the centre of the marsh.  As I scanned the marsh I counted sixty-seven Common Shelduck and there were twelve Pied Avocet this morning.  Eighty-six Black-tailed Godwits were roosting, which is more than I have seen all week and I counted thirty-six Ruff and found a single Dunlin before I continued towards Island Hide.  A brief stop to look for the Jack Snipe produced just a single Common Snipe.

Another birder then said that there were two European Stonechats near Thornham Pool and so I moved further along the track.  I didn’t see the stonechats but whilst looking for them I had a Western Marsh Harrier, a Common Kestrel and two Bearded Tits.

There had been a report of a Two-barred Warbler at Holkham Pines yesterday and although my wife was happy for me to go after breakfast, I felt it would be unfair as it was only seen three times yesterday and I could have been there all day and possibly not see it and so we headed off home.

Another party of Pink-footed Geese flew over as we passed Choseley Barns, there were four Egyptian Geese near Docking and two Grey Partridge flew across the road near the Anmer cross roads.  There were two Common Buzzards as we approached the Guyhirn roundabout and a Common Kestrel just beyond, but the only other sightings of note were two Red Kites, one near Uppingham and the other over Tugby.

A day’s birding in West Norfolk - October 16, 2018

I did my early morning visit to Titchwell Marsh prior to breakfast and after parking David arrived, but I sat off down the west bank first as he said he would catch me up.  It was still quite dark when I reached the bank but as I reached the open reedbed a Eurasian Sparrowhawk flew over.  I scanned to the east and saw five Western Marsh Harriers quartering over the reedbed and there were twenty-five Little Egrets in the trees beyond Patsy’s Pool.  As I walked a little further three Eurasian Curlew flew over the reedbed and I heard a Whimbrel calling but couldn’t locate it.

David then caught me up and we made our way to the beach where there were plenty of waders that included 200+ Eurasian Oystercatcher, a Grey Plover, fourteen Eurasian Curlew, thirty-nine Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Ruddy Turnstone, seven Sanderling and twenty-five Common Redshank.  The sea was very quiet with just a couple of Great Crested Grebes feeding off shore, but I did pick up a distant Northern Gannet and David picked up a Red-throated Diver as it flew east.

With little else we began to make or way back down the path and found six Common Shelduck, six Grey Plover, c.300 Red Knot, three Ruddy Turnstone and three Dunlin.  I then noticed a party of eight Black-tailed Godwits as they appeared to drop on Volunteer Marsh and when we reached the marsh we found them in the channel along with five more Dunlin and a Little Egret.

I stopped near the path to Parrinder Hide to scope the Freshwater Marsh, but David went on to Island Hide to look for the Jack Snipe.  There were four Egyptian Geese on the marsh and three Common Shelduck flew over and I then counted another thirty-two on the marsh.  There was a single Dunlin towards Island Hide and I counted seven Pied Avocet, forty-six European Golden Plover, twenty Ruff and found a single Black-tailed Godwit.

As I walked further down the bank there were two Little Egrets on Thornham Marsh and when I reached the hide David was still searching for the Jack Snipe.  He had seen a Common Snipe, which was still present, and a Water Rail appeared briefly as he was pointing out a couple of Bearded Tits.  He then found the Jack Snipe, which was well hidden, and only gave itself away when it started bobbing.  We did eventually manage to piece the whole bird together but it was never fully in view.  As we made our way back to the cars we had a Common Pochard and a two Little Grebes on the Reedbed Pool and heard at least two Bearded Tits and a Cetti’s Warbler before reaching the woodland.

I went back to The Ship for breakfast and afterwards went back out to Titchwell as My wife was off to Wells and  Burnham Market shopping.

I did a tour around Choseley before going to Titchwell hoping for Grey Partridge or a Corn Bunting.  There were quite a few passerines as I approached the barns, most of which were Common Starlings but there were also quite a few small birds, some of which perched on the overhead wires and I identified Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Yellowhammer, although many more dropped out of view unidentified.

The car park had filled up and I had to park in the overflow area where I joined one of the volunteers who was scanning the hedge on the edge of the car park.  There were quite a few Goldcrest in evidence and I also found a Common Chiffchaff, a pair of Blackcap and a couple of Song Thrushes.

I walked around the Fen Trail again looking for a Yellow-browed Warbler without success and I continued onto Patsy’s Reedbed, hearing a Cetti’s Warbler on route.  There were two Western Marsh Harriers visible over the reedbed screen and there were three Little Grebes and three Ruff on the scrape.

I walked back along the path and again stopped hoping for one of the Yellow-browed Warblers, which produced just a couple of Goldcrests.  When I reached the West Bank, I continued along the path and went into Island Hide where I counted twenty-nine Ruff.  One of the volunteers then announced that there was a male Hen Harrier over the east bund and I managed to pick it up towards Titchwell church.  It started gaining height and continued heading south but was in view for quite some time, although always distant.  I made my way back to the car seeing another Western Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard and I picked up a Brambling flying over with a group of migrating Common Chaffinch.

I drove the short distance to Holme and parked near the golf course before walking along the footpath to the beach.  Six Shore Lark had been reported on the beach for the last few days, and again today.  As I walked out there was a Common Kestrel perched and then seen hunting along the edge of the golf course.  Several returning birders indicated that the larks were still there and when I reached the beach I could see a small party of birders who I assumed were watching them.  As I walked towards them they started to come towards me and I thought that they were going back but in fact they hadn’t seen the larks as they had flown off towards Hunstanton.  I followed them along a ridge and we soon found two of the six feeding with a group of Common Linnets, but we were unable to locate the other four.  As I retraced my steps back towards the beach to view the sea, more Common Chaffinches were flying over and again I picked out a single Brambling.  As I approached the beach a Eurasian Curlew flew over and there was c.150 Eurasian Oystercatcher on the beach but I saw nothing else and went back to the car.

When I got back to the car I had a bite to eat and considered going to the Holme Reserve but with no news since early morning I decided to go back to Titchwell.  As I approached Thornham I thought it might be worthwhile checking out the harbour.  After parking I could see that there were plenty of birds on the sand towards the sea and went to the edge of the car park to view the area.  As I did so another birder asked if I would be interested in a Short-eared Owl as one was sitting on a fence post on the other side of the seawall.  Obviously, I was interested and went over the bridge and up onto the seawall.  Another birder already had the owl pinned down, which was sitting on one of the fence posts that went out into the field and there was a Common Kestrel on the same line of posts but closer.  As I stood talking to the other birder we heard a rather loud call, which I recognised as a Red Crossbill, but we didn’t manage to pick up and it soon disappeared, although another birder towards Thornham had seen it well.  I assumed that it was almost certainly between him and us and had proved difficult as we were looking into the sun, making it a frustrating experience.  There were 139 Eurasian Curlew on the salt marsh and 200+ Eurasian Oystercatcher on the exposed sand.  I counted sixty-four Brent Geese and twenty-three Common Shelduck along with five Little Egrets and twenty Pink-footed Geese flew over and there was a Western Marsh Harrier towards Holme.  I then noticed a Spotted Redshank roosting in the channel and as I was leaving it was feeding and so I went and got the camera hoping a could get a few shots.

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

I made my way back to Titchwell and again went to look for the Yellow-browed Warbler but again had no joy and continued along the path to view the marsh between the reserve and Brancaster but all I saw was a Common Kestrel over Patsy’s Pool.  As I walked back others were looking for the warblers, including David but again they weren’t seen or heard, and David and I went to the west bank.

There was another Common Kestrel over the field towards Thornham and a Grey Plover flew over.  The only thing we saw that I hadn’t seen earlier on the Freshwater Marsh was a female Northern Pintail, but David then picked up a Western Barn Owl towards Thornham, which I saw briefly before it disappeared.  As I approached the car I added Eurasian Jay to the day-list, which reached ninety, with two the Shore Lark and the Red Crossbill being year-ticks.

A fragmented day’s birding in Norfolk - October 15, 2018

I was at Titchwell Marsh early morning at around 07:00 and David arrived just afterwards.  I set off to the west bank and picked up a Western Marsh Harrier to the west of the path and there were five more over the reedbed to the east and a single Little Egret near Patsy’s Pool and a Eurasian Curlew flew over the reedbed.

There had been some light drizzle since leaving the car park, which suddenly became heavier and so I went into Island Hide and was joined by David.  There was a good number of birds on the Freshwater Marsh but the light and rain weren’t making viewing easy, but we did find a single Dunlin and counted eighteen Bar-tailed Godwits roosting on the Freshwater Marsh and at least twenty-five Ruff scattered around.  As the rain eased we decided to head for the beach but before we reached the path to Parrinder Hide it became heavy again and we headed for the hide.

One of the two Pink-footed Geese that have been resident this summer was just to the left of the hide and there was a single Eurasian Oystercatcher and five Pied Avocet quite close.  When the rain eased David decided to head for the beach again, but I stayed put.  I counted forty-five Common Shelduck and found a single Northern Pintail and a Black-tailed Godwit before going to view Volunteer Marsh, where there was a single Eurasian Curlew and a Common Redshank near the hide but nothing else.

When I reached the west bank there was a Little Egret on the far side of Volunteer Marsh.  I considered heading for the beach, but David was coming back having seen very little and we went back towards Island Hide.  There were two Little Egrets on Thornham Marsh, but we saw nothing else of note, although we did hear a Redwing as we got back to the car park.

After breakfast I went with my wife to Holt and we then drove back via Salthouse and Burnham Overy Staithe, although we didn’t get out of the car as the weather was still awful.  There were a few Eurasian Wigeon visible from the beach road at Salthouse and whilst viewing these I found a Common Redshank and saw a Little Egret in flight.  At Burnham Overy Staithe there was a Little Egret and Common Redshank in the channel and a Eurasian Curlew flew over and I also observed four Little Egrets in flight over the marsh before we headed back.

At long last the weather began to improve a little and I finished the afternoon at Titchwell.  I walked down the west bank hearing a Water Rail close to Thornham Pool and there was a Little Grebe on the Reedbed Pool.  When I reached the path to island hide several other birders were watching the Jack Snipe and whilst initially it was quite difficult to see it did eventually give some excellent views and a Water Rail also showed briefly.

As I walked further along the bank I had three Eurasian Curlew, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Redshank on Thornham Marsh.  Looking up the channel on the north side of Volunteer Marsh I found a Grey Plover, a Eurasian Curlew, four Black-tailed Godwit, five Dunlin and nine Common Redshank.  A pipit then flew in and dropped out of sight into one of the channels but a few minutes later it appeared and I was able to see it was a Eurasian Rock Pipit.

On reaching the beach there were plenty of waders that included good numbers of Eurasian Oystercatcher and a few Eurasian Curlew and there was also three Grey Plover, two Ruddy Turnstone and a single Sanderling.  The sea was quite rough but there was no sign of any birds, although they would have been difficult to locate in the wind and heavy sea.

As I walked back along the track there were forty Brent Geese feeding on Thornham Marsh and I found two female Northern Pintail on the Freshwater Marsh and counted seven Pied Avocet and twenty-seven Ruff.  As I approached the reedbed there was a Common Kestrel hunting over Thornham Marsh and at least six Western Marsh Harrier were observed over the reedbed and towards Brancaster.

An early morning at Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk - October 14, 2018

The weather forecast wasn’t very good for today but it dry when I went out and the strong southerly wind had eased.  When I arrived at Titchwell I set off along the west bank and found numerous gulls streaming away from their roost, most of which appeared to be Black-headed Gull, although there were larger gulls, which weren’t easy to identify in the dull light.  Three Western Marsh Harriers were quartering the reedbed and there was a single Egyptian Goose on the Freshwater Marsh.  As I continued along the bank there were three Eurasian Curlew on Thornham Marsh but I had seen very little else before I reached the beach.

There was a juvenile Northern Gannet resting on the sea just off shore and I found a couple of Great Crested Grebes but other than two Common Scoter flying west there was little else, and I focussed on the shore.  There were plenty of birds, mainly Eurasian Oystercatcher but there were also good numbers of Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Redshank and a single Little Egret on the incoming tide.  As most of the best feeding area was now covered and there were a few spots of rain I started to make my way back.

I stopped to look on the Tidal Marsh and found thirteen Brent Goose, six Common Shelduck, eighteen Grey Plover, a Eurasian Curlew, seven Ruddy Turnstone, 300+ Red Knot, seven Dunlin and three Common Redshank.

The water was starting to rise on Volunteer Marsh but there were still two Little Egret, a Eurasian Curlew, five Black-tailed Godwit and twelve Common Redshank feeding.

When I reached the Freshwater Marsh, the rain was a little more persistent and so I went onto Island Hide seeing three more Little Egrets on Thornham Marsh before reaching the hide.  I checked for the Jack Snipe but only found a single Common Snipe before scanning the rest of the marsh.  There were plenty of wildfowl, with Eurasian Teal being the most numerous but there were also good numbers of Eurasian Wigeon and Mallard and smaller numbers of Northern Shoveler.  I scanned through the birds and found seventy-three Common Shelduck, eight Pied Avocet, 123 Bar-tailed Godwit, twenty-four Black-tailed Godwit and forty-one Ruff but the best was a single Eurasian Spoonbill.  A final scan produced the two resident Pink-footed Geese and two drake Common Pochard.

It was raining quite heavy when I left the hide, but I did hear a Water Rail and a Cetti’s Warbler before reaching the woodland.

The rain was more persistent and much heavier at times after breakfast and continued all day making further birding impossible.

A day in West Norfolk - October 13, 2018

Dawn was breaking when I left The Ship and headed for Tutchwell Marsh and I arrived just 07:00 after seeing a Common Kestrel as I passed through the village.  After parking I went to the West Bank and started to walk towards the sea seeing a male and female Western Marsh Harrier over the fields to the south of Thornham Marsh.  There were several skeins of Pink-footed Geese passing over that involved c.190 birds.  Three Little Egrets were observed on Thornham Marsh as I continued along the path and seven Common Shelduck flew over.

When I reached the Freshwater Marsh, I looked for the Jack Snipe but there was no sign and I started scanning the rest of the marsh.  A Grey Heron was observed, and I counted sixty-six Ruff but the light wasn’t brilliant due to the rising sun and I continued onto the beach.

As I walked past Volunteer Marsh it was obvious that the tide was coming in but there was a single Eurasian Curlew and nine Common Redshanks in the channel.  When I reached the beach, the tide had already covered the rocky area but there were plenty of birds on the shore that included 150+ Eurasian Oystercatcher, six Bar-tailed Godwits, sixteen Ruddy Turnstone and five Sanderling.  As I scanned the sea, three juvenile Gannets came quite close and there was another two observed further out.  Circa fifty European Golden Plover flew over and I found a pair of Red-breasted Merganser on the sea and saw two Common Scoter flying east.

Just after three Common Shelduck flew over I started to make my way back along the path and found a concentration of waders on the Tidal Lagoon.  It wasn’t easy viewing these as the rising sun was making the conditions poor, but I did manage see twenty-three Grey Plover, five Eurasian Curlew, c.200 Red Knot and eight Dunlin.  Volunteer Marsh was now pretty high and there was very little and so I moved onto the Freshwater Marsh.

When I reached the Freshwater Marsh, I found three Pink-footed Geese, that included the injured bird, seven Pied Avocet, 120 Bar-tailed Godwit and fifty-three Black-tailed Godwit and there was also forty-two Common Shelduck.  I checked for the Jack Snipe but there was no sign although there was a single Common Snipe in the same area.

As I continued walking along the path I heard a Bearded Tit, a Water Rail and a Eurasian Siskin calling, and a Common Chiffchaff was heard singing.

After breakfast, my wife and I took the Coast Hopper bus to Holkham with the intention of walking through the pines and then back to Burnham Overy Staithe.  When we arrived, we walked along Lady Anne’s Drive seeing a couple of Common Kestrel and numerous Pink-footed Geese before we reached the new centre, where we had a coffee before continuing our walk.

There had been at least two Yellow-browed Warblers reported earlier but the pines were generally quiet except for the constant calling of the Pink-footed Geese and I expect there must have been at least 1000.  We did see a Eurasian Jay and I heard a Goldcrest but there was no sign of any Yellow-browed Warblers, although several birders were still looking.

On reaching the end of the pines there were a couple of Common Kestrel over the dunes, but we hadn’t seen anything else of note when we reached the path back to Burnham Overy Staithe.  There was another Common Kestrel towards Gun Hill and two Eurasian Curlew and a Little Egret on the saltmarsh and between there and the village I saw thirty-five Brent Geese, a Little Egret, a Eurasian Oystercatcher, two Grey Plover, two Common Ringed Plover, twenty-four Eurasian Curlew, a Red Knot, a Dunlin and eighteen Common Redshank.

Once back at The Ship I went to Titchwell again still hoping to catch up with a Yellow-browed Warbler as two had been heard earlier this morning.  When I arrived in the car park eight Pink-footed Geese flew over and when I got around towards Fen Hide there were several birders looking for the Yellow-browed Warbler.  It hadn’t been seen but there was a mixed flock of birds coming and going and I saw a Coal Tit, several Blue Tits, two Great Tits, at least half-a-dozen Long-tailed Tits, a Common Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest and several Common Chaffinch but there was no sign of the target bird.  The flock eventually dispersed, and I moved on to view Patsey’s Pool seeing another 150 Pink-footed Geese before reaching the screen.  There were far fewer birds than yesterday and nothing of note but three Common Pochard flew in before I went to the West Bank.

There were another six Common Pochard, along with three male and three female Red-crested Pochard on Reedbed Pool.  I then noticed that several birders were interested in something on Thornham Marsh and found out that there was a bird of prey on the ground, which they were struggling to identify.  It was quite a dark bird and I thought it was most likely to be a male Western Marsh Harrier, particularly when I saw it had a grey tail.  Others mentioned Northern and Hen Harrier and also Common Buzzard, but the head showed no obvious markings, which would rule a ring-tailed harrier of any species and it was not grey enough for a male Northern or Hen Harrier, although Common Buzzard couldn’t be totally ruled out, although the grey tail wasn’t typical.  Eventually most birders dispersed thinking it was a Common Buzzard, but the finder, a lady, still wasn’t convinced.  I went a checked out the gulls on the Freshwater Marsh but didn’t find anything of note and the Jack Snipe wasn’t showing and I went back and joined the lady.  As we were talking the bird flew and we were able to confirm that it was a male Western Marsh Harrier, albeit a dark specimen.  As I stood watching the harriers gathering before going to roost I counted eighteen and there were twenty-nine Little Egret in the trees.  As the harrier numbers fell I walked back to the car hearing both a Water Rail and a Cetti’s Warbler as I did so.

A half-day at Titchwell, Norfolk - October 12, 2018

Sandra and I were having a few days holiday in Norfolk and left home around 09:30. There were two Red Kites just after passing through Glaston in Rutland, another near North Luffenham in Rutland and a forth before we reached the A1 junction in Cambridgeshire.  There was a Common Buzzard as we approached Wansford and another at Guyhirn.

We arrived at Titchwell just after 12:00 and after some lunch I went onto the reserve for a couple of hours.  A Yellow-browed Warbler and a Firecrest had both been seen earlier and so I went along the Fen Trail to hopefully find them.  There were other birders along the trail, but the birds hadn’t been seen for a while and I had no joy and continued onto Patsey’s Reedbed.

There were plenty of birds on the pool that included six Red-crested Pochard, three males and three females, a Common Pochard and twenty-nine Ruff and I also saw a female-type Western Marsh Harrier.

I walked back along the path to the west bank and saw a Little Egret over Thornham Marsh and a male Western Marsh Harrier just south of Thornham Pool.  When I reached the Freshwater Marsh, the water was very low but there were plenty of wildfowl and so I went into Island Hide to get out of the wind.  When I entered the hide another birder informed me that there was a Jack Snipe on the edge of the reedbed.  It wasn’t easy to see but I eventually had views as it bobbed up-and-down at the back of a small area of vegetation.

With most people crammed at one end of the hide looking at the snipe I turned my attention on the rest of the marsh.  There were thirty-four Common Shelduck and a single Northern Pintail amongst the more numerous Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard and Teal.  Waders were few with six Pied Avocet, a single Black-tailed Godwit, another twenty-three Ruff and eight Dunlin.  Mike Snow who had arrived in the hide then found a couple of Brent Geese and I then found two Pink-footed Geese, which included the bird with the damaged wing.

With little else I returned to the car and Sandra and I went and checked into The Ship, which was our accommodation for the next five days.

Once we were settled I went back to Titchwell for the last couple of hours of light.  Although it was still very windy the cloud had broken and there were now some prolonged sunny periods.

I went around the Fen Trail again hoping for a sighting of the Yellow-browed Warbler and/or the Firecrest.  There were still a few birders looking and this time I did find the party of Long-tailed Tits that they were seen with this morning.  I watched the flock, which appeared to be doing a small circuit and saw four Eurasian Blue Tits, a Great Tit, a Common Chiffchaff and a Common Chaffinch but there was still no sign of the two target birds.

They suddenly went quiet and so I went onto Patsy’s Reedbed again and found there was a large concentration of Little Egrets that were obviously gathering to roost.  Eventually there were sixty-four on the pool and they were joined by a single Great Egret.  As I scanned the reedbed and to the east I counted fourteen Western Marsh Harriers quartering over the marsh but as the light faded I called it a day and headed back to The Ship.

An early morning visit to Great Glen, Leicestershire - October 5, 2018

I made a short visit to Great Glen this morning hoping for a repeat of Malcolm’s visit yesterday and catch up with a Common Kingfisher and a Willow Tit.

I arrived at around 07:20 and after parking walked up the road to the footpath that goes alongside the sewage works.  I walked as far as the metal gate but hadn’t seen or heard very much, with a Pied Wagtail on the filter beds being the best.  I hadn’t seen anything else of note as I passed the sewage farm, where there was now a lot of activity.  I stopped where I thought Malcolm had seen the Willow Tit and to my surprise it appeared on the edge of a bush not too far away and I had reasonable views.  I headed back and went to the lake hoping for the Common Kingfisher but had no luck, with a Common Buzzard being the best, and called it a day.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland and Lincolnshire - October 4, 2018

David, Malcolm, Roger and I were planning to go to Frampton Marsh today but with a couple of Purple Sandpiper on the dam at Rutland Water yesterday we planned to look for those first.

Malcolm was going to Great Glen first and like Roger would then meet us in the Egleton car park at Rutland Water.  I had a couple of moths I was unsure about and had taken them to show to David and he also had two to show me, which were a Yellow-lined Quaker and a Green-brindled Crescent.  I had only seen both on one other occasion, the Quaker at David’s and the Crescent at Titchwell, Norfolk but both of mine remained unidentified.

I called Malcolm earlier who had seen one of his target birds, which was a Willow Tit and was on his way to the lake to look for a Common Kingfisher.  I called him again as he was about to leave having also seen his kingfisher.  We drove around to see if he was still there and found him walking back to his car checking out his photos of the kingfisher.  After a brief chat he decided to still drive to Rutland Water where Roger was already waiting for us.

David and I saw a Common Kestrel as we approached the roundabout on the A6 and a Red Kite over the A47 as we went up Wardley Hill and pulled into the car park just before 09:00. Malcolm was surprisingly already there as he had left Great Glen after us but had taken the short-cut through Birstall and got in front of us.  We called Roger and we were soon on our way to the dam seeing another Red Kite over the A606.  We went into Sykes Lane car park and walked out to the dam, but we didn’t see a great deal, with an adult Yellow-legged Gull being the best and there was no sign of the Purple Sandpipers.

We hadn’t seen anything of note when we arrived at Frampton Marsh at around 11:15. The birds on the Reedbed Marsh were flying around as we arrived, and Malcolm picked up a Western Marsh Harrier, which was obviously causing the disturbance, on the far side of the marsh. Most of the birds were Black-tailed Godwits but there was also a flock of European Golden Plover, which we didn’t see again.  David nipped into the centre and came back saying that most birds were on the Reedbed Marsh but that we would be better going to the seawall first as two Little Stints and a Spotted Redshank had been seen from there and we might also find the long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher.

After parking we walked to the first observation point and looked down one of the channels.  There was a Northern Pintail, a couple of Black-tailed Godwits and several Snipe and I then picked up a couple of Spotted Redshanks when they came out from the side of the channel.

We moved up onto the seawall and walked north to view the largest area of water. David and I were in front and when we stopped to observe the area David found the Long-billed Dowitcher almost immediately.  We alerted Malcolm and Roger and we then had three Spotted Redshanks, which we assumed included the two we had seen earlier, before Malcolm mentioned that there was another wader to the left of the redshanks, which turned out to be a Sanderling, which Roger and I only saw in flight.  We then noticed three other small waders and on closer inspection found that they were a Dunlin and two juvenile Little Stints.  Other birds we saw whilst on the bank included two Common Shelduck, three Little Grebes, six Little Egrets, a Pied Avocet and four Common Redshanks.  Some other birders pointed out the Ruddy Shelduck that was with four Egyptian Geese towards the old barn and then David found the Western Cattle Egret amongst the cattle, but they were all very distant.

Malcolm had noticed that the Little Stints and the Dunlin were now feeding in the channel we initially observed and so we made our way back towards the car.  We heard a Common Greenshank calling as we walked back but were unable to find it.  When we reached the channel the stints and the Dunlin were still there and close enough to photograph but the brisk wind was moving the vegetation around and it was difficult getting a clear shot, although I did have some limited success.  Whilst we were trying to photograph the birds the Sanderling joined them and we could see that it was a juvenile moulting into winter plumage.

Dunlin

Little Stint

Little Stint

Little Stint and Sanderling

Sanderling

When we got back to the car we drove to the main car park where we had lunch, seeing eight Barn Swallow as they moved slowly south.

After lunch we went into the centre, but it wasn’t great looking through the glass and after seeing the only Common Ringed Plover of the day I went and joined Malcolm outside.  There were good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit and I counted eleven Pied Avocet before finding a Eurasian Curlew, three Ruff and five Common Greenshanks.  When David and Roger joined us, we went around to the Reedbed Hide where we found two Common Shelduck, nine Northern Pintail and a Common Snipe.  There had been a report of a Bewick’s Swan dropping in and a yellow-billed swan at the back of the lagoon was doing its best to hide but it turned out to be a Whooper and probably the summering individual.  There were four more Little Egrets on the lagoon and I picked up a Eurasian Jay flying south at the back of the lagoon.  David then found a male Greater Scaup before we continued along the track.

There had been a Whinchat reported yesterday in the area on the north side of the track, which Roger may well have seen, but if it was it never reappeared.  Malcolm then found a flock of Eurasian Tree Sparrow, which contained at least thirty birds.  As we walked further David found two European Stonechats and as we watched them a third appeared.  We continued around the track having further views of some Eurasian Tree Sparrow but hadn’t seen anything else when we got back to the centre.

Having only seen the Western Cattle Egret at some distance, we decided to go to the reservoir for hopefully better views.  We dropped Malcolm off at the bottom field where he wanted to look for a European Turtle Dove and as he joined us he saw the Western Cattle Egret on the far reservoir bund.  He continued along the track to photograph it, but it flew and landed on the near bund but dropped out of sight.  I walked along the path but didn’t see, but apparently it had flown again and come down in the field with the cattle.  I walked to the end of the track and got a couple of record-shots as it fed on the far side of the field.

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

We had also seen several insects during the visit that included a Common Blue, Small White, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

Common Blue

With better views of the Western Cattle Egret we headed back to Rutland Water and after dropping off Malcolm and Roger, David and I made a brief visit to Eyebrook Reservoir, seeing a Red Kite as we dropped down the hill towards Stockerston.

We drove to the northern corral where we found two Northern Pintail, two Dunlin and twelve Common Snipe and there was a Common Buzzard towards Stoke Dry Wood.

It had been a reasonable day’s birding with seventy-three species recorded but it was a pity the Purple Sandpipers had gone.