At least 20 Shags roosted on the cliffs at Hunstanton tonight (Robert Smith had 33 recently and Dave Hawkins and I have both had counts of 24 in the days before the 'great fog').
This is a traditional roost site with at least one bird roosting nearly every winter. These are, however, exceptional counts (the highest previous count I have traced for the cliffs is of 15 birds on November 4th 2002) but there are records of higher numbers elsewhere in the county: there were 32 east at Sheringham on 19th Dec 1979, 35 at Mundesley on Oct 1st 2008, 40 at Brancaster in November 1993, 43 at Cromer on 27th November 1960 and a record 71 at Sheringham on 22nd September 1974. Shags also occur irregularly inland but the 24 in a garden at Mundford must have been a most unlikely garden tick for the owner on 27th January 2005.
Anyone wishing to witness the shags at Hunstanton in these exceptional numbers should view northwards from the lookout adjacent to the Salad Bowl Cafe, at the southern end of the cliffs. The birds usually appear about 1-2 hours before dusk and gather in one or two flocks close inshore, before their prolonged and repeated attempts to settle on the cliffs (they settle just out of sight at the western-most extremity of the cliffs). Whilst they seem unconcerned by the appearance of the rooting Peregrines, they flush when approached by walkers (with or without dogs), so please keep your distance and view from the promenade or the lookout. On windy evenings, the birds engage in all sorts of apparently crazy aerobatics at cliff top level - best appreciated from the cliff top opposite the end of Queen's Drive - about half way along their length.
Roosting birds in past years have sported darvic rings placed on them on the Isle of May: I can see at least one of these birds bearing a white darvic too, but have yet to get close enough to read it.
Glad you're back on your feet, more eyes on the coast is a good thing right now.
