Pallas's Grasshopper and Arctic Warblers

Burnham Overy on Saturday 16th September was decidedly quiet.  I spent a little while looking at the sea scraping together a single Manx Shearwater,  4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Great Skuas and at least 10 Pintail but it was hard work - not least because of my distance from the sea from the vantage point I was looking from.  There were at least 3000 Pink-footed Geese in already, possibly many more (a rough count from photos but I didn't capture the whole flock).  A single Spoonbill was seen, 2 Red Kites, and heard-only Kingfisher and Bearded Tits.  Migrants in the dunes were thin on the ground - one Chiffchaff was probably a migrant, one western-looking Lesser Whitethroat might have been, but that was it.

Reed Bunting, Burnham Overy, 16th September

One of the Great White Egrets was seen at Holkham and heading into the pines I found the bird of the day, a Pied Flycatcher.

Great White Egret, Holkham, 16th September

That evening I went to Buckenham Carrs for a Norfolk Moth Survey event.  We were greeted by this tame Reeves's Pheasant (photo taken with my iPhone).

Reeves's Pheasant, Buckenham Carrs, 16th September

On Sunday 17th September I received a message from Stuart who had found an interesting Locustella warbler.  I couldn't dash up there and help him sort it out as I was just leaving home for a tea party in Norwich.  By the time I reached Norwich it was sounding increasingly likely that it would turn out to be Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (colloquially known as PG Tips on account of the species' pale tips to the tail and tertial feathers).  I'm not sure the tea served at the tea party was PG Tips but news of another PG Tips on offer in the opposite direction was presenting a dilemma for me.  I'd said I would be at the tea party so I stayed.

The last and only widely-seen Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler in Norfolk turned up on Blakeney Point at the start of a week's holiday in Cornwall - I was still driving down but already the wrong side of Devon when news of that one came through.  The wife wasn't very keen on turning round and going home and I probably wouldn't have got there in time anyway, so I missed out on that individual.  I'd never seen one anywhere before or since, and this was on my patch, so I was pretty keen to get up to Burnham Overy to see this one, especially if it was confirmed, once the tea party was finished.

When I got home after the tea party (I had to drop my wife off as she didn't want to see a skulking warbler) there hadn't been any news since it had been flushed into some reeds by a dogwalker, and I hesitated about dashing up now it was getting late.  I didn't hesitate for long though - even though I thought I probably wouldn't see it, staying at home and then subsequently discovering that I might have seen it had I gone would be unbearable - I had to try for it!  I was barely out of the driveway when I received a message that it had not only been seen again but had been photographed in full view.  Moreover it was now confirmed beyond any doubt that it was indeed a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (not that I think there was really any doubt about it in the minds of the observers by this time anyway). 

By the time I arrived it had been showing regularly affording people good views.  It was out of view, but I was assured that every few minutes it had been appearing on the top of the brambles briefly before flying right and going back in.  It was a tense wait.  I questioned whether playing tapes was wise, but was assured by those present that it had been working effectively up to now.  And then as I scanned the top of the brambles below me there it was, appearing before my eyes, a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler coming up and sitting on top of the brambles in clear view!  Most of the bird was in view, though not for long though - a second or two later it flew right as it had done before, but this time going back and into the reeds where I could still see it for a short while until it gradually moved deeper in and out of view.  I had arrived just in time - it didn't show again that day.  It was seen on subsequent days but I don't think many people, if anyone, got good views again after this first afternoon.

Over the next few days desperate twitchers exhibited some very poor behaviour, breaking down a fence and trespassing on a cattle field despite being told not to be the warden.  A completely unacceptable exchange between one idiot twitcher and the wardens was filmed and put on YouTube and I'm pleased to say that while one or two seemed to be defending the twitcher on one or two forums most right-minded twitchers were quick to condemn the behaviour.  If you want people to release news of birds and make it possible for twitchers to go and see them then follow instructions and definitely don't ever remonstrate with the wardens or other local stakeholders.

I was up there the next day but didn't see all this going on.  No-one had seen it when I passed by the place where it had been early one, and I didn't spend long looking for it again.  There wasn't much going on in the dunes but there were a few duck passing at sea including 200 Wigeon, 12 Pintail, 100 Teal and 200 Common Scoter.  I continued on through Holkham Pines where a Yellow-browed Warbler was seen and the highlight was a male Redstart (they seem to be rarer than Yellow-browed Warblers nowadays!).  A Hobby flew over and from Washington Hide I saw 2 Great White Egrets, a Common Sandpiper and 5 Pintail.

I continued on to Wells Woods seeing another Hobby and eventually reaching the spot where the Arctic Warbler was.  It spent its time high up in silver birches, at times hard to see, at times a little easier but never easy to photograph.  I was happy enough with the shots I got though - I don't think I've ever photographed one at all before.

Arctic Warbler, Wells, 18th September

I headed up to Stiffkey the next day for a change.  It was very quiet with nothing better than 3 Greenshanks by the time I reached the fen (I started at the campsite wood).  Another 4 Greenshanks on the fen along with Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, 33 Ruff and 9 Spoonbills.  There were also 44 Pintail here and a Kingfisher called.  At Stiffkey Flood the Cattle Egret was still present, a bit too distant to bother trying to take any photos.

Minsmere, Titchwell and Stone-Curlews

Saturday 2nd September saw a group of us at Minsmere hoping to find some interesting birds.  As usual we started off at Bittern Hide moving on to Island Mere Hide where up to 3 juvenile Hobbies were watched.  This Bittern gave a lovely close fly-past when we were in Island Mere Hide.  Some of us also glimpsed a juvenile Water Rail.

Bittern, Minsmere, 2nd September

Most of the waders we saw were from West Hide including Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers and 3 Common Sandpipers.  Later on we saw Spotted Redshank too.  The next hide along was where we saw the first of several (at least 5) Yellow Wagtails.  We had a good look at various wagtails but didn't see anything resembling a Citrine Wagtail despite reports a week later that the Citrine Wagtail identified on 7th September had been present since 2nd.  We also saw a single Wheatear.

Yellow Wagtail, Minsmere, 2nd September

Back at the centre a different Hobby (an adult this time) flew over - would have made a nice photo if my camera hadn't been on completely the wrong setting.

Hobby, Minsmere, 2nd September

Robin, Minsmere, 2nd September

I didn't see anything else worth mentioning until Friday 8th September when I headed up to Titchwell.  A Hobby dashed over the bank as I headed up to the marsh and when I neared the sea I found a rather damp Short-eared Owl on one of the posts next to where the boardwalk used to be.  It allowed quite close approach, though not by the more brightly-clad visitors who were following me up the path.

Short-eared Owl, Titchwell, 8th September

This Woodpigeon was sitting on a post right next to the path, singing away while allowing me to approach to within inches of it.  It was still singing there as I walked back down past later on.

Woodpigeon, Titchwell, 8th September

There had been 9 Spoonbills on the freshmarsh as I walked up and they were still there when I returned to Parrinder Hide (or whaterver the new hides are called now), but flew off east pretty shortly after.

Spoonbills, Titchwell, 8th September

Waders included at least 32 Avocets, 56 Grey Plover and 300 Golden Plover.

Golden Plover, Titchwell, 8th September

There were at least 2 Yellow Wagtails showing on and off.

Yellow Wagtail, Titchwell, 8th September

As I walked back down to the centre these Ruff were feeding close to the footpath.

Ruff, Titchwell, 8th September

Next day I headed down to Great Cressingham early on (not quite dawn but soon after).  There had been excellent numbers of Stone-Curlews here recently and I fancied having a gander.  I immediately found about 12 in the field one side of the road and at least 5 in the pig field the other side of the road, but tiny numbers compared to what I was expecting.  Then out of the blue a flock of 53 Stone-Curlews arrived, seemingly from the NW, and dropped in before my eyes.  Still considerably lower numbers than others had been seeing recently but an impressive sight nonetheless.  Sadly I failed to get any flight shots that were worth keeping but I managed to digiscope a few once they'd settled.

Stone-Curlews, Great Cressingham, 9th September

I couldn't find anything unusual among the 55 Lesser Black-backed Gulls but a Red Kite flew over.  Later on there was a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper on the patch at Bittering.

Seawatching conditions saw me up at Sheringham on Thursday 14th but there was nothing very remarkable.  At least 4 Puffins were nice and other seabirds included Sooty Shearwater, 24 Manx Shearwaters, 50 Arctic Skuas and 35 Great Skuas.  Wildfowl included 115 Wigeon, 13 Pintail, 180 Teal, 4 Tufted Ducks and a Velvet Scoter.  There was also a scattering of waders and probably 2 Hobbies (the second I didn't see well enough to say that was what it was but I think others did).

Great Skua, Sheringham, 14th September

Other than the odd Barn Owl and hearing Grey Wagtail there wasn't much to report from Ryburgh over this period, but as usual a few birds posed for photos.

Blue Tit, Ryburgh, 15th September

Chaffinch, Ryburgh, 15th September

Wrens, Ryburgh, 15th September

Turquoise and orange brilliance

After several days without seeing any birds of note I headed up to the coast on Tuesday 22nd August to look for migrants.  There was something going on at Burnham Overy and the place was heaving with children early in the morning so I left them to it and moved along the coast to find somewhere quieter.  Wells Wood was a poor choice as it proved not to be quieter with noisy dog-walkers a-plenty and I struggled to find any migrants at all.  A few waders included Golden Plovers, Greenshanks, Green Sandpipers but there was next to nothing in the wood.  A flock of 131 Barnacle Geese flew in to Quarles Marsh and among them was this Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid.

Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid with Barnacle Goose, Wells, 22nd August

Next day Golden Plover, 2 Green Sandpipers and Snipe were the wader highlights on the local patch.

At Ryburgh on 25th this Reed Warbler was a new species for the site for me.

Reed Warbler, Ryburgh, 25th August

A Hobby was hawking insects with gulls high above the valley.  A Green Sandpiper called, a Snipe was seen and this Kingfisher put in an appearance.  It showed for a bit longer than usual, but in flight and at the back of the scrape.

Kingfisher, Ryburgh, 25th August

2 Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank were the highlights on the patch next day, along with a count of 52 Egytpian Geese.  There were 3 Green Sandpipers there a few days later.

I heard a Nuthatch at home on Tuesday 31st August and later on heard another at Ryburgh - a good record there.  There were also 2 Hobbies, 1-2 Green Sandpipers, Barn Owl and Great Spotted Woodpecker.  I also got my best opportunity yet to photograph a Kingfisher, first here...

Kingfisher, Ryburgh, 31st August

...then even closer and looking more turquoise in more sun.

Kingfisher, Ryburgh, 31st August

Chiffchaff, Ryburgh, 31st August