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Norfolk & Suffolk at the Start of the Year (1 Viewer)

Jasonbirder

Jason-occasional-twitcher
Saturday January 4th

My Brother Warren manged to join me for this, my first full days birding of the year. It was a cold clear morning and the windscreen needed de-icing before we set off to East Norfolk. A good variety of birds were on offer but high on our list of priorities were the wintering Dusky Warbler at Kessingland and the Pallid Harrier at Warham Greens.

Cantley Marshes, Norfolk
The Yare valley between Cantley and Buckenham is Englands main wintering site for Taiga Bean Geese and hosts a regular flock in the mid-winter months. The birds can be suprisingly elusive in the heavily vegetated flood meadows and our first point of call was the gate at the end of Burnt House Lane ,viewing from here we spied out about half a dozen partly obscured birds feeding in long grass on the far side of the railway. Heading back up the lane to get a slightly higher vantage point enabled us to get excellent views of comfortably 40+ Taiga Bean Geese accompanied by 6 Eurasian White-fronted Geese. The Taiga Bean Geese were easily picked out by their long necks, wedge shaped heads and overall more "elegant" structure. Taiga Bean Goose is a potential split from the closely related Tundra Bean Goose, an altogether rarer bird, occuring as a irregular winter visitor predominantly to the East and South Coasts, they differ from the Taiga Bean Goose in their shorter necks, "dumpier" structure and differing bill pattern. Also present on the meadows were good numbers of dabbling ducks, predominantly Wigeon. After enjoying excellent views of these birds we headed back to the car keen to press on.

Great Yarmouth Seafront, Norfolk
It is a short drive east along the A47 to Great Yarmouth a traditional winter site for good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls. Parking on the Promenade between the two piers we quickly attracted good numbers of Gulls by the simple expedient of throwing slices of bread out onto the beach in front of us! Black-headed Gulls were the most numerous, but there were also Common Gulls and Herring Gulls on the sand before us. As more birds flew in to take advantage of the free food, we were able to get exceptional views of at least 6 Mediterranean Gulls. 2 Adult birds, 1 2nd Winter bird, differentiated by some residual black markings in the primaries and 3 1st Winter birds. A number of the Mediterranean Gulls were bearing green colour rings. We were also suprised when a 1st Winter Kittiwake flew in and landed amongst the Gulls on the beach, it was instantly picked up in flight by the striking black "W" marking across its wings

Beccles, Suffolk
January 2003 has been notable, amongst other things for an invasion of Bohemian Waxwings from Scandanavia, normally a very scarce winter visitor, lack of food supplies further north can cause good numbers to "irrupt" southwards and reach Britain. An exceptionally beautiful and usually confiding bird, they frequently generate much interest amongst non-birders as they take up temporary residence on suburban housing estates and around supermarkets and retail parks! It was to such an atypical birding site we headed, our destination being a housing estate on the outskirts of the Suffolk town of Beccles. We pulled up down a tiny residential close, to see a number of birders already watching the Waxwings, including Hampshire birder Ron King, who I had last met down at Exminster in December where we shared views of Cirl Bunting. Unfortunately my over noisy greeting startled the birds which promptly flew from their favoured tree over our heads to perch on the rooftops behind us. Luckily one bird perched out boldly atop a handy TV arial and we were afforded typically excellent views as it enabled us all to get good scope views of this stunningly plumaged Scandanavian speciality. Luckily before too long all four Waxwings present soon flew back overhead "trilling" to perch in their usual tree allowing us to watch them all together before we left.

Kessingland Sewage Works, Suffolk
Heading south down the A143 towards Kessingland we stopped briefly at Haddiscoe Marsh (site of last winters Rough-legged Buzzard) to check for any Peregrine Falcons which may have been roosting on the electricity pylons. None were to be seen, but the roadside field held a large mixed flock of Redwing and Fieldfare. We arrived at Kessingland Sewage Works to search for the wintering Dusky Warbler, the site was very familiar as I had been here at the end of December when the bird was first reported. After negotiating the muddy track from the car park we joined a group of birders observing the sparse bushes around the perimeter fence (adjacent to a stubble field). There was no sign of the bird however, and we could not hear it calling. Knowing how mobile the bird had been earlier in the week we left the main group of birders and returned to the main track where we quickly picked up its diagnostic buzzing, metallic "chakk-chakk" call from amongst the dense foliage of some ivy covered trees, the bird was very vocal and calling constantly. The bird seemed to be working on a feeding circuit around the sewage works and we were rewarded with good views of this notoriously skulking species as it perched briefly in the open on the wire of the sewage works perimeter fence and worked its way along an unobscured horizontal branch. In the time we had it under observation we were able to note most of the salient plumage features, it was darker than a typical Chiffchaff with a long and bold supercilium extending well beyond the eye, the pale legs were also noted. Also observed around the site were a number of Goldcrests and a single Chiffchaff which was hovering, taking insects around an ivy covered oak trunk.
The Dusky Warbler is a predominantly late autumn vagrant from the east, breeding in Siberia and China. Overwintering though is not unprecedented with 2 birds in the South-west in the mid 90`s. Seperation from the very similar Raddes Warbler is problematic, though the Dusky Warbler typically has a slimmer Bill, pale flesh or pink legs, drabber paler coloured underparts and a diagnostic metallic "chakk" call.


Cley NWT Reserve, Norfolk
After a stop-start drive through the outskirts of Norwich, we arrived on the north Norfolk coast at Cley NWT and parked in the east bank car park. We were here to look for Water Pipits which had been reported recently in the serpentine field to the east of the east bank. We hooked up with my Father who was already on site and had had views of Marsh Harrier whilst waiting for us to arrive. Searching through the large numbers of Dark-bellied Brent Geese failed to turn up the recently reported Black Brant, but our disappointment was soon put to one side when I located a Water Pipit at extremely close range, feeding along the edge of a rainwater puddle. We were treated to exceptional views as it fed in the open directly in front of us enabling to take in all the obvious and subtle identification pointers. In structure it was obviously larger and more Wagtail like than a Meadow Pipit, with a bold white supercilium and sub-moustachial stripe, it was a cold grey colour above and clean white below. While we were watching the Water Pipit and starting to think about a walk around the reserve, we were alerted to the presence of the Pallid Harrier which was showing well at the nearby Cockthorpe Airfield, too good an opportunity to miss we piled back in the cars and headed off.

Cockthorpe Airfield, Norfolk
Following hot on the heels of Britains first Twitchable Pallid Harrier in August 2002, another was located at the end of the year associating with the Hen Harrier roost at Warham Greens, this time a juvenile female, giving birders another opportunity to catch up with this extremely rare raptor. Cockthorpe Airfield just inland from Stiffkey, is an old world war 2 Airbase that has been given over to farmland. The Pallid Harrier had been seen on a number of occasions in the area, feeding around the airfield and farmland. When we arrived, good numbers of birders were already on site and more were arriving so there were one or two parking problems. By the time we had got out of the car, the weather had taken a turn for the worse with a cold heavy rain and strong gusty wind making life extremely uncomfortable. The bird had been seen flying off north shortly before we arrived and despite a search of the area we were unable to locate it. We also drew a blank searching through the Brent Goose flock, a Black Brant had been observed here but we proved unsuccesful in finding that too!


Holkham Dunes, Norfolk
We parked at the end of Lady Annes Drive and on getting out of the car were able to note 2 Egyptian Geese on the freshmarsh to the east of the road. Weather conditions were awful, with the cold heavy rain turning to sleet driven into our faces by a cold driving wind as soon as we left the shelter of the conifer belt and stepped out onto the saltmarsh. We cut staight out across the saltings in the hope of locating the large flock of wintering Shore Larks. Heading out towards the dunes, I quickly spotted a large flock of birds flying in to land at their base, it was the Shore Larks! At least 35 to 40 of them were visible, moving rapidly while feeding confidently amongst the saltmarsh plants and tide washed seaweed. We were all able to get excellent scope views of them. Unusually, as Snow Buntings normally outnumber Shore Larks by a considerable margin we had to work hard to find them and we were only able to pick up 6 or so of the beautiful white, ginger and black Finches mixed in with the Shore Larks. We spent the next ten minutes searching further along the saltings in the hope of connecting with Twite, but the weather conditions were poor and worried about the light failing early we set off back to the car and headed further east down the A149 to Warham Greens.

Warham Greens, Norfolk
The track north of the A149 towards Warham Greens was a rutted muddy nightmare, which quite sensibly my Father following in his own car refused to drive down, I was more cavalier about it in my much abused Alfa and so ended up ferrying him up to the parking area! We eventually walked down to join at least 70 other birders on the saltmarsh who were waiting for the raptors to come in to roost.There were 5 Little Egrets visible on the saltmarsh and while we were watching 2 Ringtail Hen Harriers were active, flying over the beach and saltings before settling down to roost, watching these gave us the opportunity to take in their size, structure and flight action which would prove an invaluable comparison when (hopefully) the Pallid Harrier arrived. We were also lucky enough to see a Merlin which flew along the saltmarsh and then spent quite some time perched out in the open on top of a sueda bush. Eventually I picked up a Harrier flying rapidly in from the East, low over the saltmarsh, it looked "different" to my eyes but I didn`t want to shout it out in case I was wrong! I tried to get Warren onto it quietly, but the birders next to us must have overheard me and started asking for directions and calling it out, pressure moment! I was much relived as the bird got closer and I was proved correct, it was the Pallid Harrier. It was obviously smaller than the Hen Harriers, with slimmer wings and a faster more bouyant flight. The white rump apperared narrower too. Sometimes as it changed direction in flight we were able to see the orangy-rufous body and underwing coverts. It spent some time perched ontop of a sueda bush but at this range it just appeared an even chocolate brown, with no plumage features visible. It was quite active and we must have had it under observation for 10 minutes before we finally lost sight of it. This was my second ever Pallid Harrier following the bird at Elmley in August 2002, but was a lifer for Warren and both of my parents. Pallid Harrier is an extremely rare vagrant from Eastern Europe and Asia, though recent years have seen its breeding range expand westwards. Mid-winter is an unexpected time for one to occur in Britain as at this time of year it should be wintering in tropical Africa!

So ended another splendid day out in the field, Norfolk almost my adopted home county had done me proud once again!!
 
A very good day you had as well,

I had more luck with the Black Brant on the pitch and put cpurse at Wells around a week later than your trip.

And yes, I love that Merlin, he is aware we are there, a right poser.

Congrats on the pallid, I seem to be the Jonah for all who go there when I do, I have actually given up going down there for the sake of others after 7 attempts.

Mike
 
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