Stonechat at the meadows

In the excitement of re-living my memories of 5th September I forgot to mention a few of the less exciting birds seen that day, like the 2 Wheatears, Whitethroat and Whimbrel, and the Green Sandpiper I heard over the staithe at dusk.  On my way home I saw 2 Tawny Owls on the road, one near Sculthorpe and one near Colkirk.

There was still a Hobby and a good flock of House Martins at the meadows on 7th September and other birds seen there over the next 2-3 weeks included Sparrowhawk, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch and Treecreepers, Marsh Tits, and the first Siskin of the autumn over on 14th September (I'd had Siskin over the garden earlier on 9th September).

Sparrowhawk, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

House Martins, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

I'd also seen Hobby at Ryburgh on 8th but the highlight then was a ringtail Hen Harrier which had spent the night there, and excellent bird anywhere in the Wensum Valley.

Blackcap, Great Ryburgh, 8th September

A good seawatch at Sheringham on 23rd September included 3 Leach's Petrels, a Balearic Shearwater, 12 Sooty Shearwaters, 55 Manx Shearwaters, Red-necked Grebe, Shag, Purple Sandpiper, Puffin, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 18 Great Skuas and 7 Arctic Skuas.

The following day it was still blowy so I returned, but as is often the case on the second day, it was more wildfowl moving and fewer seabirds moving.  Indeed in the two hours I stuck it out there was just 1 Manx Shearwater, 3 Great Skuas and an Arctic Skua.  Wildfowl included 650 Teal, 250 Wigeon, 11 Pintail and 130 Common Scoter.

A Marsh Harrier was the avian highlight at the meadows a couple of days later.

Marsh Harrier (and Pheasants), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th September

There's a riverside field east of the meadows viewable from the railway where I have often thought I might see a Stonechat, and with autumn coming along I'd been scanning it carefully on every visit.  On 28th September I scored, with a bird at the edge of this field on fenceposts.  As I watched it it flew straight towards me, landing on some vegetation along the railway close by.  It soon moved onto the meadows proper and then up one of the hedgerows before I lost it to view.  Although not entirely unexpected this was one of the best birds I'd seen at the meadows so far.

Stonechat, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th September

There was also Marsh Tit, Bullfinch and Red Fox.

A quick but unsuccessful look for an Alexandrine Parakeet at Fustyweed resulted in just 2 Kingfishers on 30th.

Then I headed off to Cornwall for a few days, so I think I need to start a new post for that...