(not) LANDGUARD - 14th April

 Went over to Felixstowe Ferry first thing where it still felt very wintery with the chilly but light northerly breeze and clear skies; there were a few migrants around despite the weather which included my first Whitethroat of the year – a smart male giving little snatches of song, at least 3 Yellow Wagtails in the fields, my overdue first White Wagtail of the year on the golf course, an increase to five singing Sedge Warblers, a Blackcap and a nice group of six spangly summer plumaged Golden Plover.   

Other birds comprised the pair of Little Owls at their box again, 2 Avocets, 4 Mediterranean Gulls and 6 Little Egrets.   

In the afternoon I had a little walk round Upper Hollesley Common where despite the chilly conditions I had good views of a singing Woodlark and a fine male Dartford Warbler which seemed to be following a pair of Stonechats around.

Whitethroat

Sedge Warbler

Kestrel

Woodlark

10th - 12th March

A couple of days birding out east; popped into Grafham Water, late morning on the 10^th where birds included 2 Common Sandpiper on the reservoir edge opposite the lagoons (presumably wintering birds rather than migrants), 2 Avocets also on the shore, a Red Kite, 2 singing Cetti’s Warblers, my first singing Chiffchaff of the spring around the lagoons and a couple of noisy Green Woodpeckers.   

A good morning birding in the Brecks on the 11^th produced the highlights of good views of a pair of Woodlark at Santon Downham with then good but brief flight views of a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker along the river at the now very famous last site in Norfolk after it called several times, getting closer and closer and finally distant views of a Great Grey Shrike near Fincham.   

Started the 12^th at Thornham, where I turned up bang on a super-high tide so everything was underwater but I did have a flyover Twite (a year-tick); I then failed to find the Shorelarks at Holkham (probably again due to the super-high tide) but there was a single Snow Bunting there.   A scan from the main road was then the most productive stop of the day overlooking Holkham Marsh where there were at least 4 Spoonbills with one feeding on the pools and another couple in the trees, thinking about starting to nest; also here were 300+ Avocets, 60+ Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, 2 Great White Egrets and thousands of duck, constantly flushed by 9+ Marsh Harriers and 3 Red Kites – a great Norfolk scene!

Woodlark

Stonechat