A bimble along the North Norfolk coast - 8th March 2025

I headed up to Norfolk for a pre Oriole trip look along the coast.  It was my first visit this year and I was keen to try and at least one of the now three flocks of Lesser White-fronted Geese on the coast.  All relate to the long term Swedish re-introduction scheme with and mix of ringed and un-ringed adults and juveniles within the flocks.  With 41 birds around it suggests that the birds are successfully breeding in the wild but as to why they have headed west this winter I am not sure.

I was not fussed about provenance and just wanted to get in on the LWFG action and to have the chance to see more than one bird at a time which has been the norm with the occasional birds I have encountered since my first with 600 Taiga Bean Geese and umpteen Russian White-fronts at Cantley way back in February 1987.

I made good time and was at the Stiffkey floods lay by 9.40 and not long afterwards it was plainly obvious that they were on the main flood where others were looking.  I checked the last messages and it clearly suggested that there was a pool we could not see back east towards the Stiffkey Fen footpath so I headed back and promptly found the five adult and two juvenile LWFG feeding just in view in the meadow below (where a Cattle Egret also lurked).  I got a couple on to them and then the birds walked closer and out of view.  Splendid views.

Lesser White-fronted Geese - such dinky little geese - amazing yellow eye rings

Red Kites whinnied over our heads and Buzzards and even Marsh Harriers were vocal.  We opted to walk down to the Fen where Avocets were quipping aggressively and on the creeks there were Redshank, piping Oystercatchers, Curlews and a silver Greenshank.  Little Egrets trailed yellow feet and a Kingfisher zipped by. 

Red Kites

It was warming up and the Cherry Plum was alive with Honey Bees and Queen Bombus terrestris but only one Eristalis tenax.  I ambled back passing a Small Tortoiseshell and hearing Reed Buntings, Chiffchaff, Cetti’s Warblers and a Treecreeper and the Red Kites were even lower over my head and I had to point out to them that I was not yet deceased.  The LWFG showed better upon my return and seemed to be taking a keen interest in the low circling Kites.

Red Kite

On to the west end of the floods where the Glossy Ibis was picked up quickly feeding in the rank grass; stopping occasionally to have a preen between probings.  It still had a streaky head but was colouring up on the wings.

Glossy Ibis & Wigeon

Another Kingfisher went down the river and out in the flash water movement revealed the heads of 18 Common Frogs and associated spawning masses.  This was the first time I have seen this to such and extant for years.

As my car was facing the campsite car park I drove down and had a ten minute session watching the Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Marsh Harriers and listening to the bubbling of Curlews.  Jacket off time!

Dark-bellied Brent Geese

Marsh Harrier

I opted to go west but had no intentions of even attempting the Holkham Shorelarks and the cars were almost to the main road so I drove on and stopped at the Burham Overy Dunes track layby where scanning picked me up two breeding adult Great Egrets, so many big raptors and a good selection of geese with my first and only flock of Pinkfeet for the day with 20 with some Greylags.  I could not see any White-fronts off toward Joe Jordan and the fact you can’t stop and look from the road further east is frustrating although on my return I could see the Spoonbills clearly flapping around in the Bones Drift bushes.  Brown Hares lolloped in roadside fields wherever I looked.

Brown Hare

I was in a bit of a directional dither at that point but ended up headed back through the congested villages (Stiffkey and Cley were fun but I saw roadside male Brimstones on the way!) to Kelling and had lunch in the sun at the Old Reading Rooms (despite the sandwich in my car).  The Rooks were energetically keeping me company in the pines.  Feeling rather plump I waddled down the track to the Water Meadows where the vegetation has been completely cleared back and the shallow but very clear stream was visible and flowing and bordered by Celandines, short Alexanders, Primroses and the burgeoning stems of Great Willowherb, Nettles and Fool’s Watercress. 

Periwinkle

Lesser Celandine

Lords & Ladies

Fool’s Watercress

Great Willowherb

Alexanders

Comfrey

Primroses

There were even insects with several Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis tenax and surprisingly four Eristalinus aeneus with their spotty eyes.  Always good to get the yearly Hoverfly list going!  There were Calliphora and Pollenia flies too and a few Bombus terrestris and lapidarius and quite a few Honey Bees, some of which were coming down to drink in the stream.  A male Anthophora plumipes was on some Pulmonaria with his long tongue searching for nectar within.

Eristalis tenax

Eristalinus aeneus

Eristalinus aeneus

Eristalinus aeneus

Episyrphus balteatus

Pollenia sp

Pollenia sp

Calliphora vomitoria with his ginger beard

Honey Bees

Anthophora plumipes

I am not sure on this small bee on the Celandines yet - any help appreciated

I was very pleased to find two spots with Water Crickets – a species I have only seen in the south-west.  They are little weird colourful Pond Skaters and not Crickety in any way whatsoever.  I only found them because the shadows of their feet made four little dark moving spot on the stream bed!

Water Cricket with its shadow feet

Water Cricket

Water Cricket

Water Crowfoot sp

There were not many birds with just a Chiffchaff and the odd Robin and Wren but I was happy to have some insect action!  Skylark were way up above and I heard both Partridges but saw neither.

Fresh dead Teal

Pheasant punch up

Common Toad hiding in the stream

I made it to the beach and found a flock of Scoter just offshore with two gleaming white birds with them – a pair of Long-tailed Ducks!  I think they have been around all winter but have usually been further east off Weybourne Camp.  The Scoter were the tattiest, patchiest bunch of immatures imaginable.

Long-tailed Ducks & Common Scoter

Once back a the car I rashly opted to go back west again and spend the evening at North Point Pools – not really with the intention of waiting for the Pallid Harrier.  I pull in with another vehicle and Peter Webster got out.  We said hello and he suddenly spotted a slim ringtail Harrier.  Unbelievably it was the adult female Pallid over the fields behind the pools and we got some cracking views and counted primaries.  With the next 15 minutes we then found a heavy set adult female Hen Harrier and a slim 1w ringtail Hen Harrier that had a very striking head pattern and boa but the requisite four obvious primary fingers.  It was an excellent and educational surprise Harrier workshop.

The fields were being ploughed and amongst the throng of Black-heads there were many Common Gulls and at least a dozen Med Gulls whose distinctive calls could be heard cutting through the raucous other gull noises.

2s Med Gull

Plough Gulls

Three Ruff were with some Starlings and Lapwings in the same fields and a Green Sandpiper and several Snipe were flushed by the Avocets and a huge flight of Brent Geese that came in for a wash and brush up.

Brent Geese

I had bumped into a young lad – Oscar Lawrence – and his parents earlier at Stiffkey and they arrived at the pools too so we all walked around to the sea wall to check the saltmarsh together. He has a keen eye and ear and thankfully has parents who are helping facilitate his passion.  We watched and chatted and picked up the neck collared Hen Harrier again and saw pale eyes suggesting that it is a ringtail male.  Certainly a striking bird and that had pattern combined the slim build could trick the unwary. 

1w m Hen Harrier

1w m Hen Harrier

A Golden Hour Saltmarsh Hare

Curlews

Otherwise it was fairly quiet with no other raptor action bar Marsh Harriers before I left although Oscar then had a perched up Merlin.  I bid them my farewells and ambled back to where Peter was still scanning round and the day was finished up with a Barn Owl that flew down the hedge line and straight at our heads with those black eyes ignoring us and concentrating on the task in hand.

We both laughed at the sheer pleasure of the encounter and commented that if seeing a single bird after so many years in the hobby can still bring out spontaneous smiles of wonderment that it certainly has to be mentally beneficial for you.  It was a fine way to end my day in the field before poodling down to Great Ryburgh for the night before the early morning cross country assault to take me to the Forest of Dean.