Review of 2019 and 2020 - Birds: Thrushes, Chats and Flycatchers

THRUSHES (family TURDIDAE)


Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus - One heard singing west of Carsaig (Mull) on 10th June 2019 and one at Burnham Overy on 6th October 2019.


Blackbird Turdus merula - Very common at the meadows and at home.

Blackbird, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th October 2019

Blackbird, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd March 2020

Blackbird, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd March 2020

Blackbird, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June 2020

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris - Only odd birds recorded at the meadows in the first winter period of 2019 but spring passage evident with a flock of 26 on 19th April.  Then in late autumn some good movements including 100 west on 28th October and at least 120 moving through the hedgerows on 8th November.  Not many at the start of 2020 but a few in March.  Autumn passage pretty much restricted to October when the best count was 100 west on 12th.  Only a few recorded at home and no significant records elsewhere.

Fieldfares, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th April 2019

Redwing Turdus iliacus - A flock of between 50 and 80 frequented the sheepfield south of the meadows in January and February 2019.  Some evidence of spring passage included 30 (in 3 flocks) on 22nd March and 2 in with the Fieldfares on 19th April.  Autumn migrants from 4th October when 30 in the meadows and several groups overhead.  Best movement noted was 210 southwest on 15th October.  After very little activity during the winter there was another spring arrival with up to 30 on 5th-7th April.  Autumn migrants from 29th September with 150 west on 16th October.  At home lots flying over at night.

Redwings, Brancaster, 14th October 2020

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos - Fairly common at the meadows and often seen at home.  No significant more significant records than 30 at Burnham Overy on 6th October 2019.

Song Thrush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th April 2019

Song Thrush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th November 2020

Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus - Often present at the meadows and not infrequently seen or heard at home.

Mistle Thrush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Mistle Thrush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd February 2020

Mistle Thrush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd March 2020

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CHATS and FLYCATCHERS (family MUSCICAPIDAE)


Eastern Rufous Bushchat Cercotrichas (galactotes) syriaca or Rufous Bush Robin or Rufous Scrub Robin or Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin, not to be confused with the Rufous-tailed Robin I saw nearby a few years ago :)  Whatever its called nowadays, one at Stiffkey on 17th October 2020 was a very welcome UK lifer.   I decided I would prefer to keep social distancing than join the scrum that was close enough to take decent photos, so here are a couple of rubbish photos instead.

Rufous Bushchat, Stiffkey, 17th October 2020

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata - At the meadows recorded near the chapel in July 2019, in the same area as I saw them in 2018.  I only saw them on one occasion but heard some squeaks which I thought were probably coming from them on other occasions too and I suspect they may be breeding in nearby gardens.  Elswhere at the meadows I had two records of birds along the track and on one of these occasions (26th August) I had a further two birds (adult feeding a juvenile) along the disused railway - proving that they have bred somewhere nearby.  In 2020 one singing near the chapel on 3rd June and 2 seen on 13th July.

Spotted Flycatcher, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th August 2019

Spotted Flycatcher, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June 2020

Spotted Flycatcher, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Robin Erithacus rubecula - Very common at the meadows and in the garden.

Robin, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th February 2019

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros - 6 at 4 sites in Spain in February 2020.

Black Redstart, Platje de les filipines (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Black Redstart, Gava Mar (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus - One at Warham Greens on 18th September 2020.

Redstart, Warham Greens, 18th September 2020

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius - A probable heard singing briefly at Monistrol de Montserrat (Spain) and at least one singing male (and possibly up to 3) at Emabalsa de Santa Ana on 23rd February 2020.


Whinchat Saxicola rubetra - On Mull one along the road to Carsaig on 10th June 2019.


Stonechat Saxicola rubicola - Getting on for 70 recorded in 2019-20 but none locally and no records of any significance.

Stonechat, between Carsaig and Rubha Dubh (Mull), 10th June 2019

Stonechat, Burnham Overy, 6th October 2019

Stonechat, Burnham Overy, 12th June 2020

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe - Remarkably few in Norfolk in either year - just one at Winterton in August in 2019 and in 2020 one at Burnham Overy on 12th June and one at Brancaster in September.  I hope that reflects on my lack of coastal birding rather than anything more sinister.  A record at the meadows must be on the cards but it hasn't happened yet.  Elsewhere singing birds at Honister (Cumbria) in April 2019 and 13 on Mull/Iona in June 2019.

Wheatear, Honister Pass, 6th April 2019

Wheatears, Iona, 11th June 2019

Wheatear, Burnham Overy, 12th June 2020

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina - One at Cley on 12th November 2019, a superb find by Mark Golley.

Isabelline Wheatear, Cley, 12th November 2019

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Burnham, Holkham and Wells

I headed up to Burnham Overy on 29th March in the hope of finding some early spring migrants, aiming to reach the dunes by dawn.  I wasn't far off, though it was light enough to see a couple of Mediterranean Gulls as I walked out.  My first Sedge Warbler of the year was heard singing too.

There was a fairly moderate passage of birds moving through, if perhaps a little less than I hoped for.  My counts are very incomplete as although I stood at Gun Hill (possibly the best place to view vis mig from) I started birding the dunes while things were still going through. Anyway, I recorded 22 Pied Wagtails, 225 Meadow Pipits, 207 Goldfinches, 121 Linnets west along with 11 Carrion Crows, single Magpie and Skylark, 3 Redpolls and a Snow Bunting (not entirely sure if that was moving through or flying around).  Interestingly just one Chaffinch moving through whereas some folks in east Norfolk recorded big numbers of Chaffinches.  The first two hirundines were both Swallows steaming west but these were followed by 17 Sand Martins.  Many of the latter were seen as I was wandering around and I'm sure I must have missed a load more.

At sea 9 Eider flew east and another 4 Eider swam east (first seen off Gun Hill they eventually made it into Holkham Bay).  5 Sandwich Terns were seen (4 probably migrating west, 1 flying east probably a local bird).  Also 4 Red-breasted Mergansers remaining, a Red-throated Diver past and a pair of Great Crested Grebes on the sea.

I must have seen at least 6 Red Kites in all, the first 3 of which moved very slowly west through the dunes eventually disappearing over Gun Hill, and followed by 3 more hanging around the east end.

Red Kite, Burnham Overy, 30th March

A Wheatear was west of Gun Hill and I suspect 2-3 Song Thrushes and a Blackbird in the dunes were also migrants.  3 Stonechats may not have been as the species seems to be pretty much resident here now.  As I passed back past the boardwalk a Tree Sparrow dropped in - always nice to see on passage.

Tree Sparrow, Burnham Overy, 30th March

A couple of single Spoonbills flew over and later one (perhaps one of the same) was feeding near the staithe.  A Peregrine also flew over and a pair of Pintail were present.


The following day I checked Burnham Norton first.  A summer plumaged Water Pipit was a good start but apart from a pair of Mediterranean Gulls there wasn't much to shout about.  I was checking for unusual Teals carefully so a bit galling that a Green-winged Teal turned up there a day or two later.

Holkham Park produced the usual woodland birds like Nuthatches, Treecreeper and Green Woodpecker and a Grey Wagtail flew down the lake.  There were 24 Barnacle Geese there and a couple of broods of goslings among the Egyptian Geese.  A single Red Kite flew over.

A quick look down Lady Anne's Drive produced a surprise Black Redstart on the fence posts adjacent to the drive.

Black Redstart, Holkham, 31st March

I wandered down the track at Wells from which a small section of Quarles Marsh is viewable.  Lots of birds on there but I couldn't find anything unusual - hate to think what might be lurking in the bits you can't access or view.  At least 12 Pintail there and another Red Kite over.  Another 3 Red Kites between here and Fakenham on the way home.

Rose-coloured Starling

On my first morning in Cornwall I left the accommodation at Trevilley Farmhouse and headed through Nanjizal Valley.  My recollection of this valley from years ago was that it was hard to bird and a bit difficult to get through physically too, and I had remembered right.  There's a huge area of sallows and other small trees which must be full of birds but from the footpath you can only see a tiny part of it.  It's possible to see a bit more by wandering round the edges of the fields, but still you know you're only seeing a small proportion of what's in there.  And you do know, because the site is riddled with mistnets and when you hear about what's been trapped there it's inevitably far more than you've seen if you've looked from outside. 

Well I did manage to see 2 Firecrests, one of which was hanging in a net, the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap, and more surprisingly, I heard a Willow Warbler singing briefly.  Overhead 2 Choughs and 2 Ravens, but not a hint of the 6 Yellow-browed Warblers that were apparently in the valley that morning.

Something strange was singing in the valley - loud and obvious.  Odd, I thought, that something would be singing so strongly, and constantly, at this time of year, but I was more concerned about working out what it was.  It consisted of slow trills at different pitches, a little bit Greenfinch-like but with a loud rich quality that reminded me more of Nightingale.  I couldn't figure it out at all, despite that niggling feeling that it was something I should have recognised.  I looked hard in the direction it was coming from, but couldn't see anything.  I moved round to a different position - still singing strongly, but still no sign.  It seemed to be coming from near the net runs and then the thought occurred to me that it might be a tape lure.  It kept going, incessantly, for the whole time I was there so I'm pretty sure that's what it was, but I'm still none the wiser as to what species was involved!

I'd intended to go further but only managed to get as far as Higher Bosistow before needing to head back as I'd promised Vitty a walk.  That walk was to Sennen Cove via Lands End, partly to check the suitability of the cycle track between the two for running along (not me, you understand!).  The last house along the road to Lands End had a Black Redstart on its roof.

Black Redstart, Lands End, 19th October

At Lands End I decided not to spend long looking for the Dusky Warbler and instead wandered into the complex to find the pasty shop.  Not for pasties (yet) but for the Rose-coloured Starling that had taken up residence there.  That was pretty hard to miss...

 Rose-coloured Starling, Lands End, 19th October

Starling, Lands End, 19th October

Things like Fieldfare, Raven and Stonechats were the best I could muster up between there and Sennen Cove, though looking out to sea we could see 4 Harbour Porpoises.  At Sennen Cove itself 11 Mediterranean Gulls were in the bay and a clump of sycamores along the hill up from the seafront contained several Chiffchaffs.  I'm also 99% sure I heard a Dartford Warbler in this area.

Chiffchaff, Sennen Cove, 19th October

Sparrowhawk, Sennen Cove, 19th October

Longships from Treve Common, 19th October

Jackdaw, Trevescan, 19th October

Back at Trevilley this Great Spotted Woodpecker posed on top of a telegraph pole.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Trevilley, 19th October

A quick look for the Ring-billed Gull at Hayle was unsuccessful, but 38 Mediterranean Gulls there.  A first-winter Pale-bellied Brent Goose was accompanying a single adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose.  Also a lame juvenile Ruff and a Kingfisher.

Grey Heron, Hayle Estuary, 19th October