Happy New Year

New Year's Day was a washout so I waited to 2nd to start 2017's birding adventure.  Dave and I headed up to Titchwell where a Barn Owl showed on a post opposite the end of Choseley Road.  As we headed down the main path a Kingfisher flashed by and 15 Avocets were on the freshmarsh.  The sea was busy but with the wind a bit stronger than we would have liked it wasn't so easy to see and count the ducks - at least 20 Long-tailed Ducks and 6 Velvet Scoter was no doubt a small fraction of the birds out there.  Divers included one Great Northern Diver while one positive result of the wind was a pair of Great Skuas flying west.  I checked a small party of Brent Geese flying west along the surf and was pleased to see that one of the birds in the flock appeared to be a Black Brant.  Given the fly-by nature of the views it would be impossible to rule out a hybrid towards the Black Brant end of their range of variation but I should think it was most likely a pure bird.  As we headed back to the car a Water Pipit dropped in on Thornham Marsh where it was good to be able to compare it to a Scandinavian Rock Pipit.

A drive round looking for geese and things turned up a few including 4 White-fronted Geese on their own next to the road between Fring and Docking.  Between Ringstead and Choseley we stopped to look at a small flock of Pink-feet (and a larger flock of Brents) - among the Pinks were 14 White-fronted Geese.

Holkham Park produced Nuthatch calling but fewer woodland species than normal.  The lake held the magnificent returning Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid along with at least 45 Pochard.

Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, Holkham Park, 2nd January

From just NW of the lake we looked across to Holkham Freshmarsh where I noticed the Great White Egret in the distance.  We enjoyed watching some Red Deer round here too, including a couple of stags butting heads, albeit in a pretty half-hearted fashion.

Red Deer, Holkham Park, 2nd January

Dave was keen to see the Wigeon x Mallard hybrid at Stiffkey, and quite rightly so.  We duly stopped and had a look - it was one of the closest birds to us.  Also a Chiffchaff here.

Wigeon x Mallard hybrid, Stiffkey, 2nd January

Finally we stopped off at a former Red Kite roost to see if there were any there.  There weren't, but a couple of miles away we stumbled across a couple.  We stopped suspecting a roost and eventually saw at least 11 Red Kites.

Red Kite, north Norfolk, 2nd January

Next day I popped up to Salthouse primarily to see Steve Williams who was a good mate at UEA back in the early 90s.  We used to go on many twitches and birding sessions together - I have fond memories of tearing up to Sheringham for an Alpine Swift in his 2CV, on two wheels round the corners with The La's "There she goes" blaring out of the speakers.  On another twitch we arrived too late in the afternoon to see a Desert Warbler at Flamborough Head so had to sleep in the 2CV and wait for morning.  With gaps round the windows you could put your fingers through it wasn't the best overnight accommodation in a howling gale on Flambourough Head, but we did see the bird in the morning.  Apart from seeing Steve for the first time in 23 years it as nice to have a look at the flock of 50 Snow Buntings feeding on the shingle ridge just east of Gramborough Hill.  Actually, checking photos there were 52 Snow Buntings.

52 Snow Buntings, Salthouse, 3rd January

As we walked back to the car the flock followed us with some birds going down on the puddles between the hill and the car park.

Snow Buntings, Salthouse, 3rd January

This Herring Gull gave the impression of being big and dark making me wonder if it might be argentatus.  Really not sure though - any ideas welcome.

Herring Gull, Salthouse, 3rd January

On the way home I stopped off at Bayfield Lake.  While I was there several skeins of Pink-footed Geese were flying over.  One group came down and circled the lake as if they were going to land, although they eventually carried on off, but these were no Pinks.  This party of 12 birds proved to be a mixture of Tundra Bean Geese (the majority, probably 9) and White-fronted Geese (at least 3).  On the deck among the feral Greylags was another party of 6 White-fronted Geese.

White-fronted Geese, Bayfield Lake, 3rd January

I also had a quick look at the local patch where the White-fronted Goose flock remained - I couldn't tell how many birds were here on this occasion as they were mostly keeping out of view in long grass behind Greylags.

Two days later I couldn't find the White-front flock at all, though they were seen later.  I counted 646 Greylag Geese while looking.  Nothing else on the patch better than Bullfinches and Marsh Tit, both of which are regularly encountered there at the moment.

On 6th I headed to my old patch of Swanton Morley for the first time in ages.  Saw a Little Owl on the edge of Swanton Morley village on the way.  As I walked round the fishing lakes a Redpoll flew over, but none were in the alders where they used to frequent.  A Peregrine flying over was good for the site, or at least it would have been a few years ago when I went there more often.  Little Egret, Bullfinch, Treecreeper and 10 Siskins were more typical records for the site.  A flock of 5 swans flew directly over my head and away to the north west.  I couldn't see their bills at all but I got the distinct impression that they were Whooper Swans, the immatures looking grey and the necks long.

I then drove through Bylaugh and Sparham Hole stopping at the corner to look at a small bunting flock.  As I stopped I picked up a distant flock of 5 swans flying north-west, the same direction as the previous flock of 5 suspected Whoopers.  Frustratingly they were too far off to see any detail of the bill pattern (except to eliminate Mute Swan which was already eliminated by the grey plunage tones of the immatures).  From the length of the neck I am pretty sure these were Whooper Swans too, but annoyingly I can't be positive about the ID of either flock.  Either Bewick's or Whooper would be good for the Wensum Valley.  As I received reports from other observers during the day it became clear that there was quite a passage of Whooper Swans around the county so I very much expect that that's what they were, but there were Bewick's reported on the move too so I still can't be 100% certain.

I only managed to get a good look at 4-5 birds from the bunting flock I stopped for (including Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings) - the others disappeared as I stopped, or maybe there weren't as many as I thought in the first place.  In the field were over 400 Linnets and some thrushes.

Mistle Thrushes, near Sparham, 6th January

Next day I was up at Titchwell with the usual group.  We headed to Patsy's Pool first where a first-winter drake Goldeneye was the highlight.  This Robin was very tame...

Robin, Titchwell, 7th January

As we headed back a female Bullfinch provided brief views for the group.  We headed to the beach next fearing that the mist would close in preventing views later on.  On the way out there were 2 Spotted Redshanks and a Water Rail swimming towards us.

Water Rail, Titchwell, 7th January

 
On the sea the birds weren't as close in as they sometimes are and with the mist and breeze it wasn't ideal conditions for getting the group on to Long-tailed Ducks and Velvet Scoters.  At least 15 Goldeneyes. 8 Red-breasted Mergansers and 3 Eiders too, but no sign of any of the Glaucous Gulls that had been there the day before.

We retreated to the relative warmth of the central hides where 16 Avocets were counted.  Most of the group then returned to the cafe while two of us headed back to the beach where the ducks were showing slightly better now, including at least 25 Long-tailed Ducks and 15 Velvet Scoters.  A brute of a juvenile Glaucous Gull was picked up washing itself in the sea just offshore towards Brancaster.  As we headed back to join the others in the cafe I looked for Water Rails in the ditches as I always do, saying to Jos, "I haven't seen a Water Rail here for a while."  Someone coming the other direction overheard me and said, "There's one down there."  Sure enough there was a Water Rail right under my nose.

Exciting news emerged from Newmarket on the evening of 8th January.  Someone had photographed a warbler coming down to drink from a puddle in a car park and asked for ID.  The photos were quite good and appeared to show an Orphean Warbler.  There was much discussion about the identity on social media, but all I saw was focused on whether it was a Western Orphean Warbler or an Eastern Orphean Warbler.  Any Orphean Warbler is ultra-rare in the UK and it has long been one of my most sought-after birds.  I've always loved Sylvia warblers, even the common ones.  The scarce Barred Warbler was one of my earliest self-found birds of that calibre and in the early 90s I connected with Britain's first Spectacled and second Marmora's Warblers, Norfolk's first Rüppell's and Desert Warblers, and Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers.  In these pre-split days when there was only one species of Orphean Warbler, one Subalpine Warbler and one Lesser Whitethroat that left just Orphean Warbler to complete an impressive list of birds in my favourite genus.  With the various recent splits there are now new gaps to fill but Orphean has remained very high on my most-wanted list.  And now there was one overwintering in a car park in Newmarket!

I arrived before dawn and quickly located the car park and even the puddle it was photographed drinking from.  Thick vegetation behind it might be where it was lurking, but there was plenty of equally good habitat around.  An apple tree nearby was worth keeping an eye on - the Pembrokeshire Orphean a few years ago liked apples.  A crowd stayed looking in the car park while others of us spread out wandering around the estate peering in gardens and scouring shrubbery.  Hours later the Orphean Warbler had failed to show and it was starting to look like we would dip.  A Grey Wagtail and a Bullfinch were the best birds I'd seen!

After one more circuit of the estate I walked back towards the car park and looked up at the apple tree.  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Mick Saunt walking away from the apple tree but stop in his tracks before looking back at it, and at this point I locked on to a Sylvia warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat-like bird, feeding in the tree.  Surely this was it...  Being cautious I shouted, "Sylvia warbler" but surely this was going to be the Orphean - the odds of a Lesser Whitethroat being here in January as well were very remote.  I got my scope on it excitedly and was elated to see it had a pale eye (Lesser Whitethroats have dark eyes and Orphean Warblers have pale eyes) and a big-looking bill (another feature of Orphean).  It was the Orphean Warbler!  I was so happy I punched the air - a bird I'd wanted to see for so long had just appeared in front of me.  It soon moved back to the cover that it turned out Mick had seen it fly to the tree from and I joined the crowd.  The bird hadn't seemed as big as I had expected - Orphean Warblers are big for Sylvia warblers - this one looked really quite a lot like a Lesser Whitethroat.

I remarked to someone how easy it would be to overlook one as a Lesser Whitethroat as it appeared again in ivy before returning to the apple tree again.  By now it was raining but I checked the undertail to look for clues as to which form of Orphean it was.  There is some variation but I think Western tends to have a creamy coloured vent whereas Eastern tends to be whiter with dark markings.  It looked white, but clean.  Another look at the face confirmed the eye colour and the bill.  Actually the feathering round the bill was worn making the bill look longer than it really was - taking that into account it wasn't all that obviosuly bigger than a Lesser Whitethroat's bill, though at this point I did think it was a bit stouter too.

The bird we were looking at was quite obviously the same bird we had seen in the photos last night, and last night there was no question about the bird's identity as an Orphean Warbler.  It was an Orphean Warbler last night, and this was the same bird.  I think if there had been no photos last night, but just a claim of an Orphean Warbler, my process of being critical about the identification would have been different, more suspicious, more cautious.  I guess that's why it took a little longer for me for the penny to drop that this Lesser Whitethroat-like Orphean Warbler might not actually be an Orphean Warbler.  Perhaps the penny would have dropped quicker if I'd seen more Orphean Warblers abroad too.  But as it was it took other experienced observers on site to say they thought it was just a Lesser Whitethroat.  Slowly I started to realise that yes, that would explain why it looked so much like a Lesser Whitethroat.  But the pale eye - one or two people were questioning whether it really had a pale eye - well yes, it definitely did!  But apparently Lesser Whitethroats sometimes do have pale eyes, especially eastern ones I subsequently learned.  I probably should have known that already but somehow that piece of knowledge had bypassed me up to now.  Some of the photos still looked like they showed a big bill, not just long, although admittedly it didn't look so good in other photos.  I wasn't completely convinced, but as the rain hardened I retreated to my car and checked Twitter where one of the photographers present had already posted some pics of the bird.  They showed a bill that was clearly too fine for any Orphean Warbler - long due to the tatty feathers at the base of the bill, but fine.  The nail was in the coffin now - there was no way of avoiding the crushingly disappointing conclusion that this bird was indeed a Lesser Whitethroat and not an Orphean Warbler.

Lesser Whitethroat, Newmarket, 9th January

A Whale, 1.5 Ferruginous Ducks and 27 Kites

Seem to be getting behind again - best sort that out.  Back to 1st Feb when the only highlight of my lunch break was this showy Muntjac.

Muntjac, Helhoughton, 1st February

Last Wednesday I saw a fine Red Kite on my way to work at Sculthorpe and the Red-necked Grebe at Brancaster Staithe again in my lunch break (along with 3 Red-breasted Mergansers).  The Grebe showed nice and close this time allowing a few pics, though these might have been better had it not been quite so dull.

Red-necked Grebe, Brancaster Staithe, 3rd February

Redshank, Brancaster Staithe, 3rd February

On Thursday I saw a Barn Owl on the way to work, a Grey Wagtail at work, and then popped out to Hunstanton in my lunch break in the hope of seeing the Sperm Whale that had been beached there.  Of course I would rather see a healthy whale swimming in the open sea than a dying (or by now maybe dead) one on a beach, but it would still be interesting to see.

I looked first from the car park near the lighthouse.  There was a crowd of people on the beach but no sign of any beached whale.  I didn't know exactly where the whale was supposed to be, only that it was on the beach, and it clearly wasn't on the beach here.  So why the crowd, I wondered?  Given the numbers of emergency services in the area, including ambulance personnel who I didn't think would need to be attending a beached whale, I figured there might be some other sort of incident going on, and headed off to other parts of Hunstanton to look for the whale.  Drawing a blank I started to return to the lighthouse, but was interupted by a message saying it was near the hotel at Old Hunstanton.  The crowd I'd seen hadn't been far from there - maybe it was there after all and perhaps it had returned to the sea successfully on the rising tide?  Good news if so but I wasn't sure if it might have been round the corner out of view, so I headed up to Old Hunstanton next.  I stopped in the car park and had a quick look, but only very quick as I was in a private car park and blocking people in. 

This time I didn't just look on the beach but scanned the sea, and there was the Sperm Whale.  Excellent.  I just had time to dash back round to the car park near the lighthouse and look from there, a bit more relaxed as I wouldn't be blocking anyone in but not very relaxed as I'd wasted so much time now that I needed to be heading back to work.  I quickly found it again, showing much of the time despite the surfers all around.  I rattled off a few rubbishy shots but didn't have enough time to really look at it properly.  I kicked myself for not stopping here when I first arrived - if I had done I might even have had enough time to go down to the beach and see it relatively close, rather than from the top of the cliff half a mile away.  I might also have noticed that although it was thrashing around it wasn't actually moving very far - in hindsight I think it might have still been grounded in such shallow water that it wasn't off the sand at all.  In all my photos it was oriented exactly the same way, which would be odd if it had really been swimming freely as I supposed at the time.  My pleasure that it had made its way back to the sea was unjustified, though it was in any case tainted with the expectation that it would in all likelihood beach again come low tide.  Needless to say it did indeed die in that spot later that day.  Sad, but inevitable.

Sperm Whale, Hunstanton, 4th February

I'd been hoping to spend Saturday birding on the coast but with strong winds and heavy rain forecast I decided to do other things instead.  In the end there wasn't as much rain as had been forecast and I felt a bit cheated, but I did pop out very briefly.  Bintree Mill was the highlight - the flood containing a very impressive array of ducks.  Some 280 Teal was a fantastic number for this site, and lots of Wigeon, Shoveler and Gadwall too.  More unusual locally were 3 Pintail.

Pintails, Bintree Mill, 6th February

On Sunday I wasn't free until the afternoon but then headed up to Holkham with Dave.  Main target was the Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, but I also wanted to see the pure Ferruginous Duck.  Some have suggested that that's a hybrid too so I wanted to see it for myself and make my own mind up.  Like several other females that have been rubbished, I think it all looks in range for a pure bird - people don't seem to appreciate how variable they can be. 

Ferruginous Duck, Holkham Park, 7th February

The hybrid was better looking though!  Two drake Scaup were still present here too and we also saw 20 Barnacle Geese and a Barn Owl.

Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, Holkham Park, 7th February

A while ago I saw photos of a Lesser Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull hybrid at the Blakeney quay wildfowl collection and I recently heard that it was being seen there regularly (perhaps responsible for the recent Yellow-legged Gull claim?).  We headed over here next in the hope of seeing that, but no luck.  Interesting to see how some of the young birds in the collection are progressing in their moults though.  The collection has recently been re-stocked and for the most part with pairs of young birds.  The Smew is considerably further advanced than it was last time I saw it, but less so than I expected having previously read that they can change surprisingly quickly.  The Garganey that had previously shown almost no sign of masculinity was now clearly a male.  The Hooded Merganser male still looks much like a female but it shows just a small white patch on the side of the head now. 

captive Smew, Blakeney Collection, 7th February

captive Garganey, Blakeney Collection, 7th February

captive Hooded Merganser, Blakeney Collection, 7th February

A Barn Owl was hunting behind the collection but as time was now pushing on it didn't seem worth heading out to the marsh to look for the Lapland Buntings and Twite.  Instead we headed off to a Red Kite roost where we enjoyed the spectacle of 27 Red Kites in the air together, the most I've ever seen at a time.

Burnham Overy goodness

The drive up to Burnham Overy got me no less than 4 Barn Owls (Brisley Common, Horningtoft, South Creake and south of Burnham Overy Staithe).  A fifth Barn Owl was hunting over Holkham Freshes and either the same or a sixth on the marsh at Burnham Overy.  A Red Kite was also seen on the way up (between Sculthorpe and South Creake) with 2 more at Burnham Overy later.

As I started to walk down towards the dunes there was a brisk NE wind blowing and it felt freezing.  I'd barely left the car park when I flushed a young seal from just below the sea wall.  It headed for the water but its path was obstructed by a boat which it seemed to try to get inside.  The cloud was thick so the light was poor and I didn't get my camera on to a suitable setting quick enough, but you get the idea...

Seal sp., Burnham Overy, 14th March

It soon realised that wasn't a good idea and bounded on down to the water.  It showed a peculiar dark stripe along its side, prompting me to try and recall whether any of the rare species show such a marking.  I don't think they do, but it wasn't obvious to me that it was a Common Seal.  I expect that's what it was, but would appreciate confirmation if you can give it.

Seal sp., Burnham Overy, 14th March

There were about 14 Pochard and 9 Tufted Ducks in the channel - a good number for here, especially as I've not been seeing any here during the winter.  I thought one of the Pochards looked dark and plain-headed but before I could resolve it they all flew.  One bird was clearly smaller than the accompanying Pochards and showed a whiter wing-bar than the Pochards.  They settled in a nearby pool and here I was able to pick out a female Aythya hybrid.  The Pochard influence was obvious but I didn't immediately get the other half.  It looked darker brown almost more Tufted Duck like and my first thought was Pochard x Tufted Duck.  Females of these usually show pale feathering at the base of the bill, though whether that's always the case or not is not yet established I don't think.  It was reminding me a lot of a bird I saw in Cornwall a couple of years ago which I identified as Pochard x Tufted Duck at the time but subsequently wondered if it could have been Pochard x Ferruginous Duck (and this was suggested by others).  Unlike that bird, this one showed clear white under the tail, and dark in front of that.  Although ferruginous tones were not obvious it did show some reddish tones on the head, especially around the lores.  And at times I could see Ferruginous Duck in the head shape too, so in the end I became pretty confident that this bird was a Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid.  An excellent record for a site that doesn't get big numbers of Aythya, although I suspect a few more people would have shown an interest if it had just been a Ferruginous Duck.

 Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, Burnham Overy, 14th March

The rest of the walk to the dunes was cold but uneventful, save for 15 Avocets in the channel.  When I reached the dunes two raptors got up just beyond the boardwalk.  One was a Marsh Harrier but the other was the Rough-legged Buzzard and that provided me with some great views.

A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were between Scolt Head and Gun Hill and a Peregrine flew along the beach.  As I walked back towards the boardwalk from Gun Hill I was pleased to see a stunning male Wheatear - my first 'proper' migrant this year.  The scoter flock off the east end of the dunes contained at least 1 Velvet Scoter, and a couple of Eider there too.  I heard a Stonechat calling a couple of times but never saw it.  As I headed back to the car a fine adult Mediterranean Gull in full breeding plumage was resting with Black-headed Gulls on the sandbar before they all took to flight.

 

Mediterranean Gull, Burnham Overy, 14th March

Near the car park another seal was beached - this one a more obvious Common Seal.

Common Seal, Burnham Overy, 14th March

I headed over to Stiffkey next starting at the flood south of the A149.  Not much there apart from 13 Avocets.

Avocet, Stiffkey Flood, 14th March

Marsh Harrier, Stiffkey Flood, 14th March

Stiffkey Fen was the driest I've seen it - looks like it's been drained.  Another 22 Avocets there and a Kingfisher heard along the stream.  Does anyone know if there is or is expected to be any public access to the new hide on the fen's south side?

Grey Partridges, south of Wells, 14th March

Also processed photos from last week's lunch breaks this evening.  Best was this Black-tailed Godwit...

Black-tailed Godwit, Brancaster Staithe, 11th March