Work In Progress

Fantastic day of birding on the North Norfolk Coast today. After a lovely breakfast at Deepdale Café, we set of to Titchwell RSPB which is only a few miles down the road. On arrival we heard a Montagu’s Harrier had been seen here only yesterday.

We visited the Fen Hide first and saw a male Marsh Harrier, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting. From the other hides on the walk out to the beach we had Wigeon, Ruff, Dunlin, Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit, Teal, Linnet and a smashing adult summer Spotted Redshank (year tick and the first time we’d seen one in summer plumage ).

We didn’t linger on the beach at Titch for long, but there was a Kestrel hunting the dunes, Curlew, Redshank etc on the beach and Common Scoter at sea. On the way back I was pleased to see 2 Whimbrel and 6 juv Little Gulls. The Little Gulls were at rest and we had an excellent view of them.

The weather had become very warm and we had a little rest and some lunch up near Chosley Drying Barns (another place where a Monty’s had been spotted in the last few days), needless to say it didn’t show up and we only got a Skylark for our troubles. We moved on to Cley Beach not disheartened as we’d had a few good birds so far today and hoped to see Little Terns and Sandwich Terns.

Our day just got better and better - on arrival at Cley Beach I spotted a couple of Gannets (year tick) out at sea, plenty Common Terns and Sandwich Terns (year tick) coming down from the Tern colony at Blakeney Point and returning with beaks full of fish. There was a Skua out at sea but it was too far out to ID. As we ambled along the beach we encountered many Little Terns (lifer!) and and had spectacular views of them fishing only a few feet away. Great little birds . On the walk back, another treat – an adult summer Little Gull flew over us. All this and perfect seawatching conditions, warm and not too windy - hey I even got a bit tanned .

We then went to the marsh hides at Cley Marshes NWT, among all the usual Norfolk waders, I noticed an unusual small wader in bright reddish plumage with a downcurved bill, double checking Collins I realised this could only be a Curlew Sandpiper (lifer!), I noticed another small wader nearby which really puzzled me which was later confirmed as a Pectoral Sandpiper (a lifer of course!) by other birders who turned up to twitch it. We retired to the pub for dinner and drinks to celebrate some excellent sightings and a truly enjoyable day of birding. Days like this remind you why you go birding .