Norfolk Autumn Migration Tour for Oriole Birding - 2nd October 2024

It was blowy all night again and it was disappointing to head out with it still raining after breakfast and once at Holkham we spent a few minutes waiting for it to pass before gearing up for our day in the field. It started we with a couple of Song Thrushes dropping in along with the first calling Redwing of the year and Jays were out burying acorns in the field margin just beyond the wood affording excellent views and this species became a feature of the day.  There were no Pink-feet what so ever.

It was good to get out of the wind and sound of it roaring through the pines was an accompaniment on the right side for the entire walk down. We took our time and quickly picked up a Ring Ouzel bounding high ahead of us followed by a female Brambling that dweeked at us from the top of a dead tree but other than a few more thrushes it was quieter than I anticipated. 

There were Goldcrests and Coal Tits to find and both showed well but I did not pick up a single warbler until Meals House where a Chiffchaff was heard while Treecreepers became the bane of my day as we heard several but did not get a sniff of one of them.  I may have spent some time showing the crew Moth leaf mines – as you do!

Parornix anglicella on Hawthorn

Ectoedemia heringella on Holm Oak

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Hawthorn

Stigmella lemniscella on Elm

Phyllonorycter tristrigella on Elm

Ruby Tiger cat

A Green Woodpecker briefly posed and the lake was home to the usual happy Mallard, Gadwall and Little Grebes. 

A coffee break in the new shiny Joe Jordan Hide was also quiet with a few Marsh Harriers quartering including an orange tagged bird and a brief Great White Egret while two Green Sandpipers were on one of the small pools with some Egyptian Geese.  A single flying Pink-foot was the only one we saw all day.   Chinese Water Deer lurked in the rushes and Swallows drifted east along the tree line.

Outside the Ivy was alive with inverts with Common Wasps and imposing Hornets, four Hoverfly species, Buff-tailed and Common Carder Bees and a host of industrious Ivy Bees.  Red Admirals circled and Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters started to get on the wing too.

Ivy Bee

Hornet

Common Darters 

We continued on adding a few flyover Siskins and we could always hear Robin and Song Thrush but at the end the party of Yellow-browed Warblers had vacated their Sycamore clump. Looking out over the dunes at the end there were Swallows and House Martins circulating around the corner where it met the trees and was obviously concentrating insects and they were joined on the fence wires by a female Stonechat.

Retracing our steps took us onto the Bluetail Trail and at the very end of it we at last heard a Yellow-browed Warbler although it moved away and we didn’t see it.  I was very glad of the Walsey Hill experience yesterday!  Lunch in the hide added a couple of juvenile fly bys and Greenshank and three Ruff were now on the pools while a male Blackcap was feeding quietly with a Dunnock in a small Hawthorn. A Lesser Whitethroat was seen briefly by chance being blown down the hedgeline out onto the marsh with a Chiffchaff!

Megachile leafcutter bee work - ovals for sides of tubes and circular for lids!

Spindle

Peltigera lichen

We spent the amble back trying to pin down those pesky Treecreepers and Chiffchaffs but failed but there were still birds arriving and several small groups of Redwing simply dropped out of the sky into the pines.

Redwings

Araneus diadematus

Pied Crow - well sort of

There was time for a coffee at the centre (when a Raven appeared near some Kites in the distance) and then down to the beach to show the crew the Bay.  The tide was well out but I could still see Common Scoter so we all enthusiastically yomped off for a closer look.  The wind was howling and the sand was blowing and everyone was pleased to get a closer view of the bobbing ducks as well as several sheering juvenile Gannets and briefly a couple of Sooty Shearwaters.  

Common Gull

It was a bit windy

Tiny Julie - she did come back...

 Common Glasswort - Salicornia europea

It was just too tough to stand and watch for long so we looped back around and just as we reached the steps five Wheatear appeared on the tideline.  They had not been there when we went out and were avidly feeding.  Such cracking little birds and with many miles yet to go.  A final Tit-flock check and then back to the van after eight hours in the field.

Northern Wheatears 

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

The journey back to Briarfields was enlivened just before Burnham Norton with at least eight Cattle Egrets along side the road with time and space for to stop and have a look from the van.  An excellent way to end any day.

Cattle Egret