4.3.17
BIRDING BREAK NORFOLK DAY 2
We started the day off birding at Holme this morning and as we walking down the beach we connected with 24 Snow Buntings.
SNOW BUNTING
These birds hadn't been reported from this area so they were a nice find.Other birds of note on the sea were Long tailed duck,Common scoter,Great crested grebe,Fulmar and a flyby Black throated diver.Walking back to the car we had a Red kite fly over us.
RED KITE
Moving on to Titchwell RSPB there were good numbers of birds around and a female Brambling on the feeders was a good addition to the holiday list.
BRAMBLING
Walking along the reserve path towards the sea produced the following bird species,Avocet,Water rail,Grey Plover,Cetti's warbler,Water pipit,Black Tailed godwit,Spotted redshank and a flyover Marsh harrier.
MARSH HARRIER
Reaching the sea we soon connected with the raft of Velvet scoter,2 Great Northern divers and a Slavonian grebe.
TITCHWELL RESERVE
The mornings birding then added a bit of pace as the pager reported that the Pallid Harrier was showing again near Wells next the sea.We headed straight there and got cracking views of the female immature bird hunting over the fields.
PALLID HARRIER
BIRDERS ENJOYING THE VIEWS OF THE PALLID HARRIER
After watching the bird we headed into Wells for some lunch and spent the afternoon back in Hunstanton.
3.3.17
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BIRDING BREAK IN NORFOLK DAY 1
Me and Dianne started our three day birding break in Norfolk with a quick stop off at Willow tree fen reserve in Lincolnshire where a first winter male Bluethroat has been showing well since the beginning of February.We didn't have to wait long before the bird appeared by the path.
BLUETHROAT
The Bluethroat showed really well as you can see from the images above.
DIANNE ENJOYING THE WINTER SUN AT WILLOW TREE FEN
Moving on from here we dropped our bags off at the B and B and headed for Holkham.As we were driving past Holkham marsh we got great views of a Marsh Harrier perched up by the side of the road and a distant Great white egret.
MARSH HARRIER
GREAT WHITE EGRET
There were also 5 Spoonbills on the marsh and well over 500 White fronted geese.
WHITE FRONTED GEESE
Arriving at Holkham gap we started to walk west along the beach and after about a mile we connected with the 34 Shorelarks that have been around this area since late November last year.
SHORELARKS
After stunning views of these great birds we left them in peace and headed back to the car as it had started to rain.The final bird of the evening was a Barn owl near Stiffkey which we watched from the car hunting over some fields.
BARN OWL
A great end to the first day of our hoilday which was followed by a nice Indian meal and a few beers.
2.3.17
CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 2ND MARCH 2017
WIRRAL
Parkgate-Short-eared Owl,Hen Harrier (ringtail) and Marsh Harrier (fem).
CHESHIRE
Gowy Meadows-Juvenile Glaucous gull and Yellow legged gull.
Sandbach Flashes-Pumphouse flash-Juvenile Glaucous gull.
Sandbach-23 Waxwings-Lodge road.
Neumanns Flash-1st Winter Caspian Gull
MEGAS IN BRITAIN
PINE BUNTING-Beyond end of Kerver Lane,Dunnington-N.Yorks.
EASTERN BLACK REDSTART-1st Winter male-Skinningrove-Cleveland.
PACIFIC DIVER-Juvenile-North Pool-East Chevington.
Parkgate-Short-eared Owl,Hen Harrier (ringtail) and Marsh Harrier (fem).
CHESHIRE
Gowy Meadows-Juvenile Glaucous gull and Yellow legged gull.
Sandbach Flashes-Pumphouse flash-Juvenile Glaucous gull.
Sandbach-23 Waxwings-Lodge road.
Neumanns Flash-1st Winter Caspian Gull
MEGAS IN BRITAIN
PINE BUNTING-Beyond end of Kerver Lane,Dunnington-N.Yorks.
EASTERN BLACK REDSTART-1st Winter male-Skinningrove-Cleveland.
PACIFIC DIVER-Juvenile-North Pool-East Chevington.