[Mick Sway]

NORTH NORFOLK 24 - 28 JULY 2012

Tina graciously pushed the boat out on the occasion of my 60th and booked us in for four nights at Briarfields Hotel, Titchwell Village, where we enjoyed great weather, good food and the fantastic sight of marsh harriers gliding over the nearbye RSPB Titchwell Marsh Reserve.
A word of warning to anyone planning to travel down the A17:
The only hiccup with our trip was the three mile tailback on our journey along the A17, at the Kings Lynn interchange last Tuesday.
The A17 is the major route in the summer months, for cars and caravans making their way to the North Norfolk.The on going road works and commercial developments on the outskirts of Lynn are not helping the situation at this time of year.
Anyone travelling should be aware that the situation persisted as we passed Kings Lynn on Saturday afternoon, heading back home.

Another warning if you intend visiting the saltmarshes shortly , insect repellent doesn't work!


Having said that any journey to North Norfolk is always a treat for us and when the local hostellers decide to put a head on the beer, that would make it just perfect.

Fortunately for us our visit coincided with summer arriving, allowing us to get out and about in great weather:
Itinerary:
Blakeney Point: boat trip 25/07
Chosley Barns: 27/07 - some engineering works going on, not much about when we walked around
NWT Cley:25/07,26/07
Holme:27/07
Morston – Blakeney : coastal walk 26/07

Sculthorpe Marsh, Hawk & Owl Centre:27/07
Titchwell Village: (everyday)
Titchwell Marsh: 24/07,26/07,28/07

[Mick Sway]

Keeping this brief, I'll post a list of our sightings and some photos.
Surprisingly we dipped on any kind of partridge and little grebe, though I'm sure that they must be around. After over 10 years of trying and dropping on some nice vagrant birds from time to time, we have yet to see a bittern in Norfolk.
We also missed out on any migrant waders, though I understand that there were a few common,green and curlew sandpipers, our lack of a scope being somewhat of an hindrance on this occasion.
Star birds were the Arctic tern at Blakeney and the Spoonbills now regular on this coast.

Nevertheless we managed over 80 species without trying too hard:

BIRDS SEEN DURING NORTH NORFOLK VISIT : 24/07 to 28/07/12

Avocet – Common at Cley & Titchwell
Blackbird - common
Blackcap – 1fem @ Scullthorpe Marsh 27/07
Bullfinch – 2 - male and female on feeders at Scullthorpe 27/07
Buzzard Common - 1@ Scullthorpe Marsh 27/07
Chaffinch - common
Coot - common
Cormorant - common on coast
Carrion Crow - common
Curlew – common @ Titchwell and Cley
Dove Collared – Common
Duck Tufted – common at Titchwell
Dunlin - common at Titchwell & Cley
Dunnock – common
Eider – 2 on sea at Titchwell 28/07
Gadwall - seen at Cley
Godwit Bar Tailed – still in breeding plumage, common at Titchwell & Cley
Godwit Black Tailed - common at Titchwell & Cley
Goldfinch - common
Goose Canada - common
Goose Egyptian – small groups in fields around Cley
Goose Greylag - common
Grebe Great Crested - 1@ Titchwell 28/07/12
Greenfinch - common
Greenshank – 1 @ Cley 25/07
Grey Heron - - fairly common at Titchwell & Cley
Gull Common – common @ Titchwell & Cley
Gull Black Headed - common
Gull Herring - Common
Gull Lesser Black Backed – Cley
Gull Great Black Backed – Cley
Gull Little - 2 juv @ Titchwell 26//07
Gull Mediterranean - 1 juv @ Titchwell 26//07
Harrier Marsh - easily seen a Cley, Thornham & Titchwell ( groups of 4 at Cley on two occasions)
Hobby - 1 @ Cley 25/07
House Martin - common
House sparrow – common ( appears to have declined greatly though)
Egret Great – 1 flew over Titchwell fresh marsh 28/07
Egret Little - common at Titchwell & Cley
Jay – 2 @ Scullthorpe 27/07
Jackdaw – common
Kingfisher – 1 @ Scullthorpe Marsh
Kestrel – regular at Titchwell village, Holme and along coastal road
Knot - small flocks @ Titchwell and Cley
Lapwing - Common
Linnet - fairly - common at Titchwell & Cley
Magpie – common
Mallard - common at Titchwell & Cley
Moorhen – common 50
Oystercatcher – common
Owl Barn – 1 @ Scullthorpe 27/07
Pheasant - common
Plover Ringed - common at Titchwell
Plover Little Ringed – common at Cley
Pipit Meadow - Common @ Saltmarshes
Redshank - common
Redshank Spotted - 1 x@ Titchwell
Reed Bunting - singles at Titchwell & Cley
Reed Warbler - common but skulking
Reedling Bearded – distant views - six at Titchwell and three at Cley
Robin - common
Ruff - common
Sanderling - common on coastal beaches
Shelduck - Common at Titchwell & Cley
Skylark - common
Spoonbill - "common" - 8 @Titchwell 24/07, 12 @ Cley all week
Starling – common
Swallow - common
Swan Mute - common
Swift – common passage
Tern Common - failrly common along coast
Tern Arctic – 2 @ Blakeney 25/07
Tern Sandwich – good numbers at Blakeney Point colony
Tit Blue - common
Tit Great - common
Tit Long Tailed – 2 @ Titchwell 26/05
Tit Marsh – 1@ Scullthorpe Marsh 27/07 (board said Marsh, but might be Willow)
Treecreeper - 1@ Scullthorpe Marsh 27/07
Turnstone – common along coast
Warbler Cetti;s - 1 @ Titchwell 24/07
Warbler - Chiffchaff 1 @ Syderstone Common 28/07
Warbler Sedge - common at Titchwell & Cley
Warbler Willow - 1 @ Scullthorpe Marsh
Wagtail Pied - common
Whimbrel – three at Titchwell 28/07
Whitethroat Common - Common
Wren - common
Wood Pigeon - common
Yellowhammer – common, 5 @ Chosley & surrounds

[Mick Sway]

Wader images:

[Mick Sway]

More images from North Norfolk:

[Mick Sway]

More images from North Norfolk

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Great photos Mick. Especially enjoyed the reedlings - we are overdue for a sighting of these, despite visiting Leighton Moss regularly. Glad you enjoyed the special holiday - and happy you've joined the 60s!

Sandra

[Mick Sway]

Originally Posted by Sandra (Taylor)

Great photos Mick. Especially enjoyed the reedlings - we are overdue for a sighting of these, despite visiting Leighton Moss regularly. Glad you enjoyed the special holiday - and happy you've joined the 60s!
Sandra

Thanks for the kind comments Sandra!
RE Butterflies
I know that Norfolk is a great county also for those with more than a passing interest in entomology, however it is a subject that I have only the most rudimentary knowledge. Sadly during our few days in North Norfolk, the number Butterfly Species that we were able to identify was very limited.
Unusually for the time of year, we saw no blues.

Small White
Large White
Green Veined White
Red Admiral
Comma
Small Heath
Grayling
Small Copper
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
Small Skipper
Large Skipper
Moths:
Six Spot Burnett
Cinnabar - 1@ Titchwell 28/07 + caterpillars at Syderstone

[Mick Sway]

Dragonflys:
In addition to those below, there was also a number of Emperor's seen at Titchwell and Sculthorpe Marsh.
My ID on these is purely guesswork so any confirmation or corrections would be appreciated:
1)Brilliant Emerald (somatochlora metallica) ? (was quite a large dragonfly)
2) & 4) Skimmers ( black tailed or common?)
3) Banded Damselfly

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

Dragonflys:
In addition to those below, there was also a number of Emperor's seen at Titchwell and Sculthorpe Marsh.
My ID on these is purely guesswork so any confirmation or corrections would be appreciated:
1)Brilliant Emerald (somatochlora metallica) ? (was quite a large dragonfly)
2) & 4) Skimmers ( black tailed or common?)
3) Banded Damselfly

1 ovipositing Emperor
2/4 Common Darter (no such thing as a Common Skimmer)
3 male Banded Demoiselle

[jimbob]

Great report Mick. I would put a link to this on the Norfolk birding thread, others may have missed it.
Can I ask where you saw Grayling? Only had one so far this year.
Lack of Blue Butterflies appears to be a Norfolk wide problem, maybe further field too.
Next time-consuming you must investigate The Broads! And not that kind of 'broad'.....
Cheers,
Jim.

[Mick Sway]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

Wader images:

The Plover labelled LRP should of course be Ringed.
(credit PYRTLE)
Regarding the photos below the skylark featured in #2, is not dead but on its back having a dust bath on the path at Titchwell.
Image 4 I believe is relates to the Peacock butterfly, which again we did not see any of during our short stay.
I think that image 5 might be a dingy footman moth ?
Apologies for the error.
Mick


PS the Graying's were posted on the sightings board at NWT Cley on the East Bank.
Consequently we had a look for them as we were walking the general area.

[Mick Sway]

[quote=Mick Sway;2504606]The Plover labelled LRP should of course be Ringed.
(credit PYRTLE)

Image 4 I believe is relates to the Peacock butterfly, which again we did not see any of during our short stay.
I think that image 5 might be a dingy footman moth ?
Apologies for the error.
Mick



I note Simon Barnes' interesting article in today's Times referencing the absence of Peacocks and Tortoiseshells this summer. At least we were lucky enough to catch the caterpillar in Norfolk. I agree with him on ringlets and meadow browns as we have seen lots.
Mick

[s.g.]

hi mick,
hope you had a good time,love the shots of the seals and dragonflies.

s.g.