A Top Draw Day!!!

An unexpected day – filled with birds, lunch with a celeb, awesome afternoon and an incredible evening!!!

"Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin........."

Titchwell RSPB
Firstly it was cold, really cold this morning. I decided that I was going to see lots of birds today – not looking for any more rares – lets face it, 'autumn' migration is over.  I have accepted that we are now into winter birding, live with it, love it and embrace it! As I walked along the main bank I saw two strikingly pretty Redpolls land in the trees by the Island hide, they immediately took off again and followed the bank seaward – nothing more than 'common' but a nice start to the day. A Cettis's Warbler burst a few notes. The water seemed quite high on the fresh marsh and I couldn't see anything too exciting – there were a couple of pintail and a grey heron on the pool west of the main bank. But the sea was exciting! There were quite a few birders seawatching including Ray Kimber, Tony Gray et al. Birds seen from 9am until just after midday on the sea were:

4 Red-necked Grebes
5 Slavonian Grebes
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Red-breasted Mergansers
1 Red-throated Diver
5 Long-tailed Ducks
4 Eider
9 Golden Eye
1 Velvet Scoter
21 Common Scoter
4 Gannets
6 Brent Geese
1 Shag
1 Guillemot
1 Razorbill

On the shore there were several oystercatchers, turnstone, sanderling, 8 knot, 1 curlew and 12 Snowbuntings on the strand line. A herring gull wore a yellow ring 2Y2B on left leg and a small silver metal ring on the right leg. A Red Kite flew directly over our heads west at 11.25am! It started to rain – they didn't forecast that! It was supposed to be sunshine for most of the day! It rained pretty hard, tested the new coat out anyway. A birder told me he had a 100+ bramblings at Choseley earlier this morning! I trudged back to the carparks, dumped all my gear in the car and then came back to have lunch in the 'Feeding Station'. I ordered cheese and onion potato skins, coleslaw, salad and a cup of tea. It was nice to sit in the warm and enjoy some good food. Mark Avery was signing his books today, both at Cley Visitor Centre and here at Titchwell, which I had completely forgotten about, otherwise I would have plugged the events for him yesterday. While I was having my lunch, Mark Avery walked into the Feeding station and came to sit at my table for his lunch. He only sat there because there were no other vacant seats though! We chatted briefly before Mark went into the shop to sign his books 'Fighting for Birds'. I left Titchwell just after 1pm.

Choseley Drying Barns
Along the road up to the barns there were 12 red-legged partridges along the verge. In a ploughed field I stopped to count 132 Lapwing mixed in with loads of woodpigeons and a few curlew and a marsh harrier flew across the road. Passing the drying barns in the hedgerows either side of the steep decline, tons of finches exploded in all directions! I parked the car up in the next field entrance and spent a couple of hours here. There were at least 200+ Bramblings!!! A huge flock – I can't remember even seeing a flock this big - they were just magical to watch and the sun was now out, which showed off their plumage beautifully. Mixed in with this huge flock of bramblings were linnets, chaffinches, greenfinches, one bullfinch and a yellowhammer. There were several robins and blackbirds about too. I spent a long time here, trying to photograph the bramblings, which proved very difficult indeed. Every time a car drove passed, the whole flock flew up, they were very nervous. The only potentially brilliant picture I could have had, was timed with my sister trying to ring me! I did get a few record shots though.

Hunstanton Cliffs
Parked near to the bowling green and then walked down the steps by the cafe to the rock pool beach below the cliffs. I walked close to the sea's edge, so I could view as much as the cliffs as possible. I had come here to attempt to see the incredible numbers of Shags that have been seen flying in every evening to roost on the cliffs recently. Andy Brown who has been monitoring them, said that they were gathering close to the sea's edge and then just as it turned dark, they fly to the cliffs to roost. I was not disappointed! There was another birder with scope standing a bit further away, I walked across to join them. The birder was here on holiday with his wife and small daughter and this was the final day of their holiday. The man had been told about the shags roosting here by Tony (volunteer at Titchwell). I was so pleased for him as he was in awe, (as I was) at the incredible numbers here. Lots of Shags were gathering on the sea, fairly close in. It was frustratingly difficult to count them in the failing light. Suddenly they took off and it was so exciting when we realised that they were heading straight for us! As they flew we were able to count 41 Shags coming into the cliffs to roost! They continued to fly towards us and as they neared, they spread out filling the air space and sailed right over our heads! They looked like pterodactyls flying over in the darkness!!! This spectacle was the icing on the cake to a fantastic day's birding.

Main Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Richard's Pipit at West Runton
Little Auk, Velvet Scoter at Cley
Black Redstarts at Hemsby, Salle and Heacham
Waxwings at various locations along the coast
15 Cranes and 2 Velvet Scoter at Waxham
White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley
Ring Ouzel and Hen Harrier at Warham
40 Snowbuntings at Holme
Water Pipit at Strumpshaw

PICTURES TO BE ADDED