Review of 2019 and 2020 - Birds: Swifts, Cuckoos, Doves, Rails and Grebes

SWIFTS (family APODIDAE)


Swift Apus apus - Seen regularly at home and at the meadows, as well as elsewhere, but seems to be getting fewer of them every year.

Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th May 2019

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CUCKOOS (family CUCULIDAE)


Cuckoo Cuculus canorus - This species continues to hang on locally and I'm fortunate to hear them regularly from home and from the meadows (possibly involving the same birds).  In 2019 they were heard between 21st April and 15th June and in 2020 between 23rd April and 13th June.  At least 2 males and one female were heard at the meadows in 2020 but despite at least one bird being heard on most visits (at least those early morning and evening visits) I only got to actually see a bird on one or two occasions, and then quite distantly.  Elsewhere recorded at Titchwell in 2019 and Frost's Common in 2020, plus at several sites on Mull in June 2019.

Cuckoo, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 9th May 2020

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DOVES and PIGEONS (family COLUMBIDAE)


Rock Dove Columba livia - 6 at 3 locations on Mull in June 2019.  A Feral Pigeon flew through the meadows on 12th October 2020 and at least some of the Rock Doves seen in Spain in February 2020 were feral types.

Rock Dove, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Stock Dove Columba oenas - Regularly seen at the meadows and occasionally at home (one sometimes sings in next door's garden).

Stock Dove, Worthing, 19th April 2019

Stock Dove, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd March 2020

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus - Common at home and at the meadows.

Woodpigeon, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Woodpigeons, North Elmham, 29th September 2020

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtura - One in the carpark at Titchwell on 1st June and one singing by the green here in North Elmham on 7th August 2019.  None locally in 2020 but one at Arden Sawah in Cornwall on 7th October.

Turtle Dove, Titchwell, 1st June 2019

Turtle Dove, Arden Sawah (Cornwall), 7th October 2020

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto - Common at the meadows (the chapel area rather than the meadows themselves) and at home.  The only mildly noteworthy record was one in from the north at Sheringham on 21st October 2019.

Collared Dove, North Elmham chapel, 6th November 2020

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RAILS and COOTS (family RALLIDAE)


Water Rail Rallus aquaticus - One seen in the ditch where it runs under the railway on 18th February and the same or another in the same place on 20th March 2019.  In addition one was heard flying over after dark on 22nd March.  Elsewhere one at Santon Downham on 23rd February and heard at Burnham Overy in October.  None locally in 2020 but heard at Frost's Common and also at the Llobregat Delta in Spain.

Water Rail, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th March 2019

Corncrake Crex crex - One heard behind the abbey on Iona on 11th June 2019.


Purple (Western) Swamphen Porphytio porphyrio - one heard calling at Llobregat Delta (Spain) on 22nd February 2020.


Moorhen Gallinula chloropus - Usually seen from the meadows.  One on next-door's pond in January 2019 which was probably the same bird that appeared in my garden a couple of times in February including once on the bird table.


Coot Fulica atra - Heard overnight over the garden on 3 occasions and over the meadows twice, all in 2019.  Also one flushed from the ditch under the railway at the meadows on 11th February 2019.

Coot, Llobregat Delta, 22nd February 2020

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GREBES (family PODICIPEDIDAE)


Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - No sight records of any grebes at the meadows yet but one heard calling on the river on 19th April and one heard flying over during the night of 22nd April 2019.

Little Grebes, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus - No records were of any significance.


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Summer birding (or lack thereof)

In July I did very little birding away from the local area - well, like none really!  Apart from a Red Kite near Lenwade all my bird records in July are from North Elmham, either home or Cathedral Meadows.  The clear highlight at home was hearing a Turtle Dove purring in next door's garden early on 19th July, a new bird for the house and one I wasn't really expecting now that they're so hard to find anywhere.  I heard Siskins calling a couple of times around then too which is something I've not had in the summer here before.  I heard Little Owl calling here too, and regular Green Woodpecker and Bullfinch.

At the Cathedral Meadows I also heard Little Owl, had numerous records of Green Woodpecker and Bullfinch, a Treecreeper and a pre-roost gathering of 30 Swallows over the river.

Long-tailed Tit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

August started the same way with Little Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Treecreeper at the meadows.

Blackcaps, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th July

Starlings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th August

Then on 6th August I was surprised to hear the Turtle Dove singing again in next door's garden, this time in the middle of the day.  I managed to locate it sitting on top of one their trees.  My first attempts at photographing it were with the DSLR, but it was too far and looking into the sun...

Turtle Dove, North Elmham, 6th August

I erected my scope but the usual eye-piece was away for repairs and the replacement I was loaned in the meantime, good as it was, didn't fit my camera adaptor, so too wobbly for digi-scoping and when I did eventually get a vaguely sharper picture it had its back turned...

Turtle Dove, North Elmham, 6th August

So not a photographic success but a great bird to see from the bedroom window, especially now that they have become so rare.

I had to visit Titchwell to collect my repaired eye-piece from In-focus on 11th August.  It would be cherlish not to visit the reserve while I was there.  There were 6 Spoonbills, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, Turtle Dove and some Bearded Tits.  Also heard Greenshank and at least 2 Whimbrel.

Green Sandpipers, Titchwell, 11th August

Ruff, Titchwell, 11th August

House Martins, Titchwell, 11th August

Pied Wagtail, Titchwell, 11th August

One or two visits to the Beetley/Bittering gravel pits produced nothing better than a single Common Sandpiper.

Other birds seen, or mostly just heard, from the garden included Grey Wagtails, a Yellow Wagtail on 21st (another very decent garden record!), and Barn Owl.

The meadows continued to produce similar birds - regular Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Green Woodpecker; also Little Owls, Kingfisher and, on 26th, 2 Spotted Flycatchers.

Towards the end of August a flock of hirundines (mostly House Martins - up to 25) became regular at the meadows and it was probably no coincidence that I started to get regular sightings of up to 2 Hobbies for a short while.

Hobby, North Elmham Cathedrasl Meadows, 1st September

Green Woodpecker, North Elmham Cathedrasl Meadows, 1st September