Sunday 4 November 2007

Holkham & Salthouse, Norfolk - 3rd November 2007

Some real anticipation of a great days birding ahead with the weather warm and the promise of some sun. We arrived at Lady Ann's Drive just after 8 am, too early for the parking man (hehe!), walked along the south of the pines to the Washington hide, pickup Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit and Gold Crest. From the hide this early in the day the Pink-footed Geese were very thin on the ground, but there were plenty of Wigeon. We strolled along to the Joe Jordan Hide, looking amongst some Greylag Geese for Bean or Lesser-white Fronted, alas not today, about 10:30ish the Pink Feet started to arrive, not huge numbers, but enough to be a spectacle, they favour the fields back along to towards the Drive.
We walk back to the car along the south edge of the pines, more Crests and Tits, a quick look at the gathering Geese from Washington again and back to the Drive seeing Jay & Redwing.
A nice (and familiar) coastal drive to Salthouse passing Brent Geese and a lone Swallow on a wire at Cley. Parked up and a short walk for Lapland Bunting and Turnstone, then Red Throated Diver, very close in, Little Auk, just off the tide line, quite a number of Kittiwake going both east and west, a large flock of Snow Bunting in off the sea, Gannets, Common Scoter & Great Crested Grebe all past. Then finally 3 Skuas going East, 2 Pomarine and 1 Arctic. Now that's good birding!
Life List: 356 Year List: 297 Month List: 64

No comments: