Trip away from SS15 – Norfolk (part 4)

2nd February 2023

I started my final day in Norfolk with a visit to NWT Holme Dunes. Having missed out on the flock of Shorelarks at Holkham beach and bay, I decided to try and see the group of 3 at this site which had also been reported on a regular basis for some time prior to my trip.

I parked at the western edge of NWT Holme Dunes and walked the short distance through the golf course before the track ended with a huge view over the dunes and shoreline. The term “finding a needle in a haystack” came to mind but I quickly noticed another birder who from some distance away gestured and pointed to a location between me and him. I immediately spotted 3 Shorelarks and had excellent extended telescope views of this increasingly scarce winter visitor to the UK and yet a further addition to my 2023 UK year list.

Other birds recorded here included a male and female Stonechat and a single Skylark.

After leaving NWT Holme Dunes, I drove further east along the A149 to Cromer and then followed the coast road down to Horsey.

I stopped at Walcott, primarily to try and record Common Scoter which I had surprisingly missed at Holkham beach and bay. Again, I was unlucky but I did have the bonus of seeing a distant telescope view of a single Gannet, another addition to my 2023 UK year list, and 4 Red-throated Divers flying past.

At Bacton, I saw another Red-throated Diver.

In the Waxham area, I saw 5 Whooper Swans and c.200 Pink-footed Geese and in the Horsey area, I saw 2 Marsh Harriers and a large flock of c.500 Lapwings.

My final visit in Norfolk was to RSPB Buckenham Marshes which is situated on the northern bank of the River Yare in Norfolk and around 8 miles south east of Norwich and immediately adjacent to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. It includes marshland, reedbeds and wetland habitats and hosts large numbers of ducks and geese in winter.

My main target species at this site were Taiga Bean Goose and Eurasian White-fronted Goose. The former are exceptionally scarce winter visitors to a very small number of sites in the UK of which RSPB Buckenham Marshes is one whilst varying numbers of the latter can usually be found here each winter.

Unfortunately, despite several repeated scans across the marshes, I could not pick out either of these species. In fact, I only saw 2 Pink-footed Geese and there is normally a large flock of these birds at this site. However, there were huge flocks of Lapwings and Wigeon, the former frequently taking off and flying around before settling again.

Highlights from my visit included the following: Wigeon (+++++), Shelduck (c.10), Teal (c.10), Shoveler (c.10), Mallard (c.10), Pink-footed Goose (2), Greylag Goose (c.10), Canada Goose (c.10), Mute Swan (2), Cormorant (4), Lapwing (+++++), Golden Plover (++), Black-tailed Godwit (1), Ruff (1), Little Egret (2), Grey Heron (1), Common Buzzard (2), Marsh Harrier (2), Kestrel (2), Rook (++), Chinese Water Deer (at least 10)

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