Spectacular Winter Birding!

At Cley Coastguards I watched a Great Northern Diver on the sea and a Snow Bunting headed east over Beach Road. Several birders were here, hoping for yesterday's Black Guillemot to appear, but no luck all day with that bird, well not as far as I know anyway!

At Salthouse Eddie, Simon and I had a brilliant seawatching session which included: 2 Little Auks (possibly 3), 1 Razorbill on sea, 7 Red-throated Divers, 2 Common Scoters, 4 Eiders, 3 Gannets, a flock of 18 Little Gulls and more later (didn't keep counting!) There was a Great Skua too, but I didn't see this. The light rain gradually became heavier. Eddie and Simon left. I sat in my car at Beach Road for a mid-morning snack and coffee. Pouring with rain now and looked set for the day.

Made my way to Walsey Hills NOA. Walked round in the rain and found a Great Tit, Blue Tit and 1 Robin – that was it! Spent a long time here, hoping for a good bird, but nothing more found.

Parked up on the concrete pad at Garden Drove, Warham. Steady rain and lots of mud! Nobody here but me – my turn to find the mega! Yeah right! I found a surprising amount of birds here – Blackbirds and Woodpigeons scattered as I walked along the hedge-lined track. There was a tit flock which comprised of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits along with Chaffinches. In the ploughed field there were 35 Curlew and a good number of Lapwings. The hawthorns at the bottom by the copse held a few Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches and Linnets. I walked west along the field side of the hedge and found a massive finch flock which included more Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets and also Reed Buntings. Two Sparrowhawks swooped low over the field which scattered the finches. Walked west as far as the pond where there were several Reed Buntings perched in the hawthorns. Walked back the same way and found a couple of Robins by the end of the track near the copse and then plodded back along the track in the squelchy mud and puddles. Sat in the car and had a coffee, whilst listening to the squealing pigs in the field and the rain battering the car.

Ended the day watching a spectacular sight of 24 Red Kites at a roost site along with a Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, a Bullfinch, 2 Black Birds and a few flocks of Starlings.

A top day's birding, considering the atrocious weather!

PHOTOS & VIDEO TO BE ADDED