Norfolk for Oriole Birding - 13th September 2025

The crew were all out on time and we were soon on our way to Snettisham in the hope of witnessing the wader spectacle. Unlike the biggest winter tides, there were not many people down there and wit glorious light we got to watch the tide come quickly in and push the thousands of birds up close to us.  

Unfortunately the off shore breeze kept the tide short of covering the mud but we still got see some amazing swirling, twisting, murmurating balls and snaky lines of shimmering Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot along with huge pied drifts of Oystercatchers, perfectly separated groups of roosting Curlew, even more socially distanced Ringed Plovers and a smattering of other species including stunning black-bellied Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Little Stints and even Sanderling.   

There were many BTO ringed Oiks and amongst the Curlew were multiple colour ringed and white flagged birds whose digits I did my best to read along with  OP (I think) - one of the Headstarted releases which, along with the yellow flag also has a radio tracker fitted to its back.

Curlew - OP - complete with radio tracker

I also saw several colour flagged Bar-tailed Godwits and Oystercatchers.  There were still quite a few sum plum Godwits and Knot too and a single Common Sandpiper was the first of the trip.  Sandwich and Common Terns were also keeping pace with the tide and we were fortunate enough to see two Little Terns (albeit Micro would have been a better name) along with two juvenile Black Terns that briefly settled before disappearing high and inland. Common and Med Gulls were also both new.

A Kingfisher flashed along the channel where a Harbour Seal watched us and flared its nostrils and female Sparrowhawk skimmed across in front less than a foot off the shingle in an attempt to catch one of the small Linnet flock.

Harbour Seal 

Great and Little Egrets were seen and Red Kites, Kestrels (nine on view at once!) and Marsh Harriers were on view near constantly with more Kites and Buzzards inland behind us.  Hundreds and Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits and a few Turnstone had gone onto the pits in expectation of a high tide and soon most headed back leaving just the Blackwits resting up.  A group of six Spotted Redshanks were keeping to themselves on their own private island and 43 Spoonbills were asleep on the bank with some Cormorants and Greylags.  Little Grebes snorkelled but there was little else on there.

Spoonbills

Black-tailed Godwits

mostly Black-tailed Godwits

Two Wheatears bounded around on the shingle sward outside and a couple of Reed Buntings came out of the Suaeda but once again there were almost no passerines whatsoever.  We began to walk back picking up a late Common Swift with some House Martins and Swallows and shortly afterwards two purposeful Ravens making their way inland beyond the pits.  Big raptors were constantly in view.

Suaeda maritima

Wheatear caught between Oriole and Naturetrek

Wheatear 

The tide had already retreated a long way and I was relieved to find a young male Peregrine desperately trying to secure some lunch.  It failed but did put on a grand show for us. A few paces further on three Turtle Doves got up off the beach and did a circuit and two flew right under our noses a short while later.  Rather sadly my first in the UK this year.  Everyone was very pleased to get such close prolonged flight views.  A herd of Fallow Deer were seen on the drive out.

Lunch and toilets drew us away (not necessarily in that order!) and I took us back along the crowded coast road to Holkham once again passing Cattle Egrets on the way.  The sky was looking ominous but we stuck to the plan of a walk along the inside on the pines and to be honest it was a delightfully calm, warm and relaxing experience.  As usual most people just walk through the Gap and disappear!

Red Kite

Red Kite

It was very quiet bird wise with Goldcrest and Willow Warbler added to the trip list as well as Treecreepers, Coal Tits and a few Chiffchaff.  There was not even one Sylvia tack.  Out on the dry fresh marsh it was all about Red Kites and Buzzards and few Muntjac.  I resorted to some quality moth leaf mine time with the crew and educated them on the micro wonders happening in so many of the leaves around us!  Another Common Swift flew lazily west with some Swallows which was surprising.

Work of a Megachile Leafcutter Bee

Honeysuckle

Fleabane

Wild Privet

Robin's Pin Cushion

Old Man's Beard

Ectoedemia heringella on Holm Oak

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Hawthorn

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Stigmella ulmivora on Elm - underside mine exit holes

Acrocercops brongniardella on English Oak

Stigmella speciosa on Sycamore

There were plenty of Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters and a couple of Ruddy Darters too and a few more Butterflies with Wall Brown, Speckled Wood, Small White, Red Admiral and Comma all seen.  

Common Darter

Common Darter

Red Admiral 

Speckled Wood

We stood and quietly watched the view from the platform beyond the Washington Hide before retracing our steps in the now warm sunshine only to be greeted by a purple bruised sky with saturated clouds heading over the Holkham Estate accompanied but spectacular fork lightening.

Jackdaw

As we headed back to Briarfields we caught a few spots of the edge of the storm but had once again somehow managed to avoid getting a proper soaking.

As dusk fell as we headed for dinner a wave of mostly Swallows – all silent – headed steadily and suddenly across the car park and several hundred must have been involved and with a small vanguard was a lone Common Swift.  Could we have made it back to Titchwell before the Holkham bird made it this far west?

We had a very convivial final dinner and opted to spend our last morning back on the reserve where we would have our best chance of finding something new.