Birding London trip report, 18-19 May

A two-day visit to Norfolk with Janet and Wilbur Miller — led by Gary Elton and Jack Fearnside

Itinerary and weather

Jack picked up Janet and Wilbur from the Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow at 6am and we drove north east to meet Gary at our first birding venue, Weeting Heath in the Brecklands. This small reserve, set up in the dry, poor soils of central East Anglia is specifically to protect the small population of Stone Curlews that breed here, but in the pine shelter belt and surrounding fields many other species were present to make a start to our list. From here we travelled a short distance to Lynford Arboretum where the woodland was surprisingly quiet, perhaps due to the stiff breeze which was to be a characteristic of the whole trip.

We then pushed on to the north Norfolk coast and visited a new site, Stiffkey Fen where many birders were seeking the four Temminck’s Stints that were present. We moved west along the coast and sought a reported Eurasian Spoonbill at Holkham Fresh Marsh, but to no avail. However, it did allow us to add to our goose list with late migrant Pink-footed and White-fronted Geese. The parkland of Holkham Hall was quieter than Lynford with only good views of Hobby for salvation. We finished the afternoon at Cley-next-the-Sea where views over Cley Marshes produced little new, but a walk down the famous East Bank added Meadow Pipit and two species each of tern and godwit amongst others, plus a small flock of Common Scoter and an obliging Fulmar over the sea.

So far we had been lucky with the weather with more sun than cloud and few showers. However, now rain set in and completely dampened the prospects of listening for Nightingale or seeing Woodcock and Nightjar. We aborted the mission and looked, initially unsuccessfully, for somewhere for an evening meal, finally enjoying an excellent curry at an Indian restaurant in Holt, thanks Janet and Wilbur!

Janet and Wilbur spent the night at Paula’s (Gary’s sister-in-law’s) bed and breakfast establishment, The Old Chapel, at Barney.

We set out again after breakfast to pick off a few special species on our way to Titchwell. We managed them all and Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting, Turtle Dove and Little Owl were all seen well. Titchwell is a reserve of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and we spent some time there looking at the sea and salt, brackish and fresh marsh pools from the various hides. We had an ‘al fresco’ snack at the reserve centre, accompanied by ridiculously tame European Robins, Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Woodpigeons.

We attempted to see Eurasian Kingfisher at a breeding site at Abbey Farm but with the birds incubating there was no sign of the off duty bird during our visit. We also visited the Great Ryburgh raptor watchpoint hoping to see Common and Honey Buzzards but the heavy downpour of rain was hardly conducive to thermaling raptors. However, the rain had stopped and we had sunshine again for our last Norfolk site, a walk along the disused railway track at Hempton Marsh near Gary’s house which produced good views of singing Willow Warblers. A quick cup of tea and goodbyes to Gary and his family and we were on our way back to London. The journey was uneventful but very wet with road spray making driving conditions difficult. It was dry as we approached Heathrow and we made a short stop for our last species of the trip, flight views of Ring-necked Parakeets from Magna Carta Lane, Wraysbury.

Ten minutes later Jack returned Janet and Wilbur to the Sheraton Hotel, at about 8.30pm, where the trip concluded.

114 species were seen or heard during the two-day trip.

Apparently we had the best of the weather with very little sun, plenty of rain and strong winds in the London area.

Bird list

Little Grebe — A pair were seen on the lake at Lynford.

Great Crested Grebe — Several pairs were on the gravel pit at Lynford.

Fulmar — A single bird passed quite close at Cley beach.

Great Cormorant — Small numbers were seen at several sites.

Grey Heron — Only a few seen, particularly noted at Holkham Fresh Marsh where there was a small colony, and a close bird showed well at Titchwell.

Little Egret — Several were seen in flight and one sat and preened at Holkham Fresh Marsh.

Mute Swan — Seen at Stiffkey Fen, Holkham Fresh Marsh, Cley Marshes, Titchwell and Abbey Farm.

Pink-footed Goose — A late migrant was seen at Holkham Fresh Marsh.

White-fronted Goose — One with the Pinkfoot at Holkham.

Greylag Goose — The commonest goose with large and small flocks at most sites.

Canada Goose — Present at several sites including birds with young.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose — Three birds were with Greylags at Stiffkey and another fed on the saltmarsh at Titchwell.

Egyptian Goose — First seen at Lynford, common at several sites.

Common Shelduck — Good numbers of this large and handsome duck were at sites such as Stiffkey Fen, Holkham Fresh Marsh, Cley Marshes and Titchwell.

Eurasian Wigeon — At least two males were at Stiffkey Fen.

Gadwall — This subtle duck was common at most wetland sites.

Mallard — Common.

Northern Pintail — A pair at Titchwell.

Northern Shoveler — Seen at several sites including Stiffkey Fen and Titchwell.

Common Pochard — A pair in flight at Holkham Fresh Marsh with more and closer views at Titchwell.

Tufted Duck — First seen at Lynford lake and gravel pit, with more at other wetland sites.

Common Eider — At least three immature summering birds were on the sea at Titchwell.

Common Scoter — A small flock of four flew east over the sea at Cley.

Ruddy Duck — Pairs were at Stiffkey Fen and Titchwell.

Western Marsh Harrier — First seen at Holkham Fresh Marsh, with other at Cley, Titchwell and finally the best views at Hempton Marsh.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk — A single distant bird soared over the fields at Weeting Heath.

Common Kestrel — Common.

Hobby — A distant bird was picked out by Janet at Lynford gravel pit with closer and prolonged views at the Holkham Hall Estate.

Red-legged Partridge — The first were close views from the car at the Lakenheath USAF base with many more seen en route to various sites.

Common Pheasant — Common.

Common Moorhen — Common at wetland sites.

Eurasian Coot — Common at wetland sites.

Stone Curlew — Seen well at Weeting Heath where a calling adult flew in to feed the single chick which remained out of sight.

Eurasian Oystercatcher — Good numbers at coastal (e.g. Titchwell beach) and inland sites (e.g. Great Ryburgh, Abbey Farm).

Pied Avocet — Common at coastal sites.

Little Ringed Plover — Several were on the pool at Stiffkey Fen.

Ringed Plover — Seen at Cley and Titchwell.

Grey (Black-bellied) Plover — First seen at Cley with some superb birds in summer plumage at Titchwell.

Northern Lapwing — Common at many sites both coastal and inland. Birds were with young at Weeting Heath and Stiffkey.

Sanderling — Two birds in summer plumage flew down the beach at Titchwell.

Dunlin — Small numbers fed on Arnold’s Marsh at Cley.

Temminck’s Stint — Four of these rare spring migrants were on the pool at Stiffkey Fen.

Black-tailed Godwit — A few were on Arnold’s Marsh at Cley and several (some with colour rings) fed on the saltmarsh at Titchwell.

Bar-tailed Godwit — One in summer plumage on Arnold’s Marsh, Cley.

Eurasian Curlew — A single bird on Arnold’s Marsh, Cley.

Common Redshank — Common at coastal sites.

Common Sandpiper — Seen at Stiffkey Fen where it was interesting to compare with Temminck’s Stint.

Ruddy Turnstone — A few were on the brackish lagoon at Titchwell.

Little Gull — Three dipped over the water at Stiffkey Fen with at least six more of these delightful little larids at Titchwell.

Black-headed Gull — Common.

Common Gull — There were second summer birds at Holkham Fresh Marsh and Titchwell.

Lesser Black-backed Gull — Common, with immatures inland and several adults on the coast.

Herring Gull — Common.

Sandwich Tern — A good-sized flock of about 50 birds rested on Arnold’s Marsh at Cley.

Common Tern — Present at Stiffkey Fen and Titchwell.

Little Tern — A distant bird at Cley was bettered at Titchwell where at least two birds fed over the saltwater lagoon.

Feral Pigeon — Noted, then forgotten.

Stock Dove — First seen at Lynford Arboretum where their whooping song was also heard, then subsequently seen at several sites and the journeys in between.

Woodpigeon — They are common, look good and taste good, what more can you ask?

Eurasian Collared Dove — Common in village habitats.

Eurasian Turtle Dove — Two of this rapidly declining species were seen well on wires at Chosely Farm.

Common Cuckoo — A calling bird was eventually tracked down and seen in the scope at Titchwell. Identification by Wilbur as a Woodpigeon was conclusively proven when the old ‘two bird theory’ was shown to have some basis of truth!

Little Owl — The stake out at Chosely provided excellent views of a roosting bird.

Ring-necked (Rose-ringed) Parakeet — Final bird of the trip, two were watched in flight over Magna Carta Lane, Wraysbury, close to Heathrow Airport.

Common Swift — Seen at all sites with low birds skimming the bank at Titchwell.

Green Woodpecker — Seen well at Weeting Heath and Holkham Hall Estate with other calling birds noted during the trip.

Great Spotted Woodpecker — Surprisingly scarce. Everyone finally had flight views as one over Gary’s house was almost the last bird before we left for London.

Woodlark — This subtle and enigmatic species showed extremely well in front of the hide at Weeting Heath. The superscilia meeting on the nape and the white-black-white edging to the closed wing were easily seen.

Skylark — Reasonably common in suitable habitat.

Sand Martin (Bank Swallow) — A few birds were in the flocks of hirundines over Stiffkey Fen and Titchwell.

Barn Swallow — Common but not numerous.

House Martin — Seen well at Titchwell and other sites.

Meadow Pipit — First seen on the East Bank at Cley, there were several pairs at Titchwell where one was watched giving its parachute song flight.

Pied Wagtail — The first was a male perched on the ‘green’ roof of the visitors’ centre at Weeting Heath. Common in suitable areas.

Winter Wren — Commonly heard at most sites with one showing well beside the toilet block at Titchwell.

Dunnock — Seen well at several sites.

European Robin — Common and seen well, especially on our lunch table at Titchwell!

Northern Wheatear — Distant breeding birds were seen at Weeting Heath.

Common Blackbird — Common.

Song Thrush — A singing bird was seen at Lynford with others giving good views at a number of sites.

Mistle Thrush — Common. Seen well at sites such as Weeting Heath.

Sedge Warbler — Initially frustrating, a pair were finally seen well nest building at Titchwell.

Reed Warbler — Singing birds were present in all the stands of Phragmites reeds we encountered, but birds were not seen until Titchwell when they eventually showed well.

Lesser Whitethroat — One song phrase was heard as we finished our walk at Hempton.

Common Whitethroat — Often heard but the wind kept many out of sight. Eventually seen well at Titchwell where a confusing bird incorporated phrases of both Common and Lesser Whitethroat song.

Garden Warbler — Song was heard along the disused railway at Hempton but the bird was only glimpsed on a few occasions.

Blackcap — Plenty of song but again the windy conditions kept birds out of sight. A male was seen well in the hedgerow at Holkham Fresh Marsh.

Chiffchaff — Quite common and seen well.

Willow Warbler — Birds began singing in the afternoon and provided good views at Hempton.

Goldcrest — Several were seen in the pines at Weeting Heath.

Spotted Flycatcher — This unassuming bird was seen at Weeting and Lynford.

Bearded Tit — Frustrating wind conditions only provided a glimpse of a male as it disappeared into the reeds in front of the Fen Hide at Titchwell.

Long-tailed Tit — Seen or heard at a number of sites including Weeting Heath, Lynford Arboretum and Holkham Fresh Marsh.

Marsh Tit — The only one showed well in the car park pines at Weeting Heath.

Coal Tit — Calling birds were seen in the pines at Weeting Heath.

Blue Tit — Common.

Great Tit — Common.

European Nuthatch — A single bird frustrated us under the Yew trees at Lynford Arboretum.

Common Treecreeper — One climbed Horse Chestnuts at Lynford.

Common Magpie — Common. Now split from Black-billed Magpie of North America.

Western Jackdaw — This small attractive crow was common at many sites.

Rook — Common at many sites and roadsides en route.

Carrion Crow — Common.

Common Starling — Seen frequently.

House Sparrow — Common in villages and towns.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow — Seen at the nesting programme site at Fulmodestone.

Common Chaffinch — This attractive finch was very common and showed well, particularly during lunch at Titchwell.

European Greenfinch — Common. Seen well on feeders at Hempton and Titchwell.

European Goldfinch — First seen in the pines at Weeting Heath car park. Fairly common at other sites.

Eurasian Siskin — A single calling bird provided very poor flight views at Lynford Arboretum.

Common Linnet — A splendid red male in the saltmarsh scrub at Titchwell. A least two pairs were present.

Yellowhammer — one was glimpsed at Salthouse Heath with others seen well on roadside wires near Chosely.

Reed Bunting — Good males were seen at several sites.

Corn Bunting — One bird of this increasingly scarce species was seen on wires at Chosely.

Butterflies

The few butterflies seen included Large and Small Whites, Red Admiral, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood and Peacock.

Mammals

Common Rabbit — Everywhere!

Brown Hare — Good numbers on the open fields.

Grey Squirrel — Seen at a number of woodland sites.

Muntjac — This small deer was seen at Weeting Heath and Lynford.

And, of course, Branston, the cat who thinks he’s a dog, joined us on our walk at Hempton!

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