After yesterday's adventures, I had a lie-in and was just getting out of the shower and getting dressed when news broke of a Slender-billed Nutcracker sighting in Mundesley, Norfolk. This was a significant bird for Britain; the last truly accessible Nutcracker was seen back in 1991. There was no way I could miss the opportunity to see this one. I rushed upstairs to find my partner Jenna, who was still in the bathroom. "Hurry up, love! There's a Nutcracker in Norfolk!" We quickly got ready and set off east, hoping the bird would stay around long enough for us to arrive.
The Nutcracker had apparently been in the village for several days, with a photograph taken by a local resident on Friday leading to the news being released this morning. This was exactly the kind of bird many of us had been anticipating for this autumn. Large numbers of Slender-billed Nutcrackers had been migrating west across Europe, reaching Scandinavia and the Low Countries in substantial numbers. These birds typically inhabit the northern coniferous forests, stretching from northern Europe across Siberia and into Asia, where they primarily feed on pine seeds. When food supplies dwindle and their populations increase, they can venture much further in search of food. The Siberian form, known as macrorhynchos, has a distinctly finer bill than the nominate form. With so many birds appearing in Western Europe and strong easterly winds pushing them toward our shores, it seemed only a matter of time before one crossed the North Sea.
Heavy rain and gusty winds accompanied us on the drive down, making the journey less enjoyable. Still, we were excited to see a bird that doesn’t show up in Britain every day, and the anticipation grew as we neared Norfolk. We eventually arrived in Mundesley just after 3 PM, leaving us with about two hours of decent light to find the bird. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that at least one of the sightings reported by bird information services was mistaken, as the Nutcracker hadn't been seen for over four hours.
Many birders were gathered along the pavement, sheltering under trees in the gardens while waiting for news. With the weather working against us and no sighting of the bird, the situation looked bleak. I met up with Cliff Smith, and Jenna and we went for a walk behind the houses where the Nutcracker had been seen earlier, hoping it might reappear. Unfortunately, we had no luck and returned to the main road. Just as we got back, a commotion further up the road indicated one thing: the Nutcracker had been spotted! We hurried over and managed to catch sight of the bird feeding in a back garden. Moments later, it flew onto a house before moving toward the gathered birders and landing in a fir tree just a few meters from us. The bird then dropped down onto the ground, just a couple of meters from the nearest birders, and began feeding on beech mast. The views were absolutely brilliant, and the bird seemed completely unfazed by all the attention. It continued to move around, feeding on the ground and perching on tree stumps and a garage roof, allowing everyone a proper chance to take it all in.
