Ring Ouzels Galore!!!!!!
When I left Lynn it was a glorious sunny day, a few miles before I reached Holme it was completely overcast!!!!!
Lots of bird movement today and the most swallows, martins and ring ouzels I have seen, stopped counting in the end!!!
Arrived at Holme 7.45am and parked car half way down Firs Road by 5-bar gate. I walked along coastal path and then veered off through forestry (NWT buckthorn area), 2 pied wagtails, 3 yellowhammers flew right over my head (west), 2 avocets on saltings and 1 redshank. Female kestrel sitting in bushes on forestry. At least 26 hedgesparrows, 2 egyptian geese flew over marsh, 4 red legged partridges exploded from marram, 2 swallow and 2 housemartins went over, 4 shelduck. At 8.15am I saw 2 male Ring Ouzels sitting on a big bramble bush just left of last big block house at end of forestry, I just saw them in time before a dog walker reached them! They then flew across me, back to the midst of forestry, as I watched them land there were 3 more!!! (3 males and 2 females). 14 goldfinches, 8 more house martins, 3 more swallows, blackcap singing in buckthorn by NOA carpark, 5 linnets, 5 more swallows! Walked round back of Firs House amongst pines, 1 green finch, 1 coal tit. Scanned marsh from coastal path overlooking broadwater and saw 8 avocets on broadwater, 3 pairs of shovelar, 2 redshanks sitting on posts in middle of marsh. As I walked round the corner to Holme Bird Observatory, they were ringing a Firecrest!!!!!! Talk about Lucky!!!! (with yesterday's Lynford one as well!!!!!). 1 Sparrowhawk flew over. 10.35am Sat in hide at end of bank, saw a female blackcap, and a very crisp looking goldcrest and also a chiffchaff. The sun had now broken through and things started to liven up. Walked back along Firs road, and then diverted into Forestry again to see 5 (either the same or new?) Ring Ouzels. 2 more swallows, 14 Brents flew east. Suddenly while standing in my favourite spot, a high bank overlooking a pond, I heard the wonderful reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler!! - I swung round to locate it and 2 men had also heard it, we pinpointed it to a bramble bush, but didn't really see it. Anyway I noticed on the coastal path a very tall man (looked through my bins - being nosey!!) and it was someone I know, so I walked across to tell them above the Grasshopper Warbler, as I did so, I saw 2 stunning male wheatears sitting on the buckthorn, sunning themselves! A brimstone was fluttering about too. I started to walk along coastal path back to my car and bumped into another birder I know and we were swopping our birding news when he heard another grasshopper warbler dune side of the path and we both saw it too!!! There were 9 grey plover on the shore and 1 ringed plover flew in, the sea was really hazy. Anyway David carried onto to HBO and I continued walking the path in direction of car. Saw 16 linnets and suddenly before me all I could see was wheatears! - in that wonderful flat area of forestry (where many years ago in the old days was a regular favourite patch for bluethroats, wrynecks and hoopoes) I counted 5 (3 male and 2 female) at least, they all looked stunning in the sunshine and looked happy to be here, one spent ages preening himself, ruffling his feathers several times, it was wonderful to watch, there was also a mistle thrush amongst them and several meadow pipits. 10 more Brents flew over, also 12 curlew. A stoat scurried along the verge near the carpark.
Drove back down to NOA carpark, swopped my wool hat for my Tilly Hat and took some layers off!!! (boilding hot now) where I sat in my deckchair eating my lunch and a whole easter egg!!!! with a nice cup of tea in the glorious sunshine thinking about everyone at work!!!! Saw a Willow warbler in the buckthorn. Walked down to Observatory and saw 1 little egret, a short eared owl scanning marsh, willow warbler in sycamore. Sat here for ages, felt tired and lazy now!
Arrived at Redwell Marsh at 5.15pm. Saw 3 pairs of Gadwall, pair of shelduck, pair of shovelar, 2 black headed gulls, 3 lapwing, mallard plus 14 young, bobbing about in the sunshine, they looked very vulnerable! The gulls though so too! 5 jackdaws bathing. Suddently 6 swallows and 4 sand martins appeared and skimmed over the water, beautiful. 2 noisy egyptian geese landed in water and there was one redshank.
Arrived at Holme Marsh 5.45pm. Pair of bullfinch sitting in trees by gate by carpark. Chiffchaff singing on path to hides. Very unusually, nothing from 1st hide. So walked along path (missed 2nd one out) and along path, saw and heard Willow warbler. Went into 3rd hide at 6.15pm and saw 2 male Ring Ouzels quite happily feeding to left of water, 1 pair of Gadwall. Just as I was about to shut the flap, 3 birds flew in: 2 pied wagtails and a stunning male wheatear!!!! Walked back to carpark and then walked down main public footpath (have not been down here for ages). This path goes about half way out across marsh, but does NOT go to beach, please note, ends at a farm gate marked private etc. At the end I had brilliant views of a short eared owl, as the sun started to go down and a wren was furiously ticking away by gate. There were several hares across the marsh too. This path looks like it would be brilliant for migrants, worth a look in future I think. As I got almost back to carpark, loads of swallows and martins twisted through the pink skies towards me and beyond, stunning.
P.S. My mother had 7 Ring Ouzels early this morning behind caravan park (golf course area) at Holme.
Best Wishes Penny :girl: