Swifts and hirundines

Not much to report for last week as work has been full-on, but Stone-Curlew grabbed in a lunch break one day and Avocet on the patch after work one day.  Also 3 pairs of Avocet at a private site in SW Norfolk on Saturday along with the likes of Kingfisher and Cuckoo.

Sunday saw me up at Burnham Overy again, this time in the afternoon/evening.  I gave it a good hammering but there were very few grounded migrants - about 3 Wheatears, 4 Whimbrel and a heard-only Common Sandpiper were about it (a Greenshank also heard flying through). Lots of vis mig though - my counts are pretty rough and just the birds I saw - the true number passing through must have been far higher.  I recorded 170 Swifts, 4 Sand Martins, 100 Swallows and 75 House Martins moving west.  To be honest it felt like far more than that, and probably was far more than that.

Swifts, Burnham Overy, 17th May

Probably associated with that lot was a Hobby speeding through, though the only bird I saw it try to catch looked like a Meadow Pipit.  Still 3 Cuckoos knocking around, 2 Barn Owls and at least 2 Mediterranean Gulls.  Also saw at least 2 Spoonbills and a Red Kite.

Spoonbill, Burnham Overy, 17th May

Linnet, Burnham Overy, 17th May

Saw another Spoonbill on Monday at Brancaster Staithe.