Norfolk for Oriole Birding 18th October 2025

This morning was the first vaguely bright one and there was even a glimmer of the actual sun when it bothered to get up at about 7.30.  Birds were clearly on the move and in the six minutes outside before breakfast I clocked up 42 species which included a good Finch and Thrush selection and audibly more Dunnocks and Robins around the hotel.

As usual I changed my game plan and chanced my luck at getting parked up at Garden Drove (passing three Great White Egrets over the road just outside Wells!) and got very lucky and had a van sized gap.  It was a pleasant walk down and a few Goldcrests and Tits were noted on the way down while Thrushes, Starlings and Finches were still on the move with some dropping in and others continuing west along the coast.

Getting better views of the Hume’s Warbler was the target and it was tricky whilst trying to rule out a rather plain looking Yellow-browed Warbler.  Two YBWs were very vocal but the Hume’s never uttered a sound.  At least everyone got good YBW views at last.  They were so bouncy.  There were a few Goldcrests in there too and a Tit flock moved through but did not bring anything with it.

Greenshank and Golden Plover were down on the salting with the Brents but our scans did not reveal any odd Harriers or the Ibis this time.

With the crowd growing we came back along the outside of the hedge picking up a Chiffchaff on the way and seeing high flying Dunnocks while a plump Buzzard sat on the barn roof.

On to Cley and Walsey Hills where I thought I would have no hope of parking but my timing was impeccable and a gap appeared on cue saving us the walk from the visitors centre.  I opted out of the Dusky Warbler given the number of people around and we set off down the East Bank with the sound of Pink-feet all around and a couple of calling Crossbills to add to the finch day list.

The Serpentine had a little water in it and the Wigeon were busy grazing and paying us no attention. Some of the drakes were almost out of eclipse. Over Cley there were Marsh Harriers constantly in view and a three Whooper Swans were visible in the field behind the Centre giving me the chance of another rubbish photo!

Wigeon

Whooper Swans - another quality image

The undoubted highlight of the day was a Weasel that was busily hunting alongside us on the bank; popping in and out of Vole holes and grassy tussocks with Blackberry eyes twinkling away.

Weasel

With the Shorelark still present along the bank behind Arnold’s Marsh, we decided to get there first and do the pools later and we soon joined quite a crowd to watch this early solitary Arctic waif grovelling around the spent Yellow-horned Poppies.  Quite a nicely marked yellow and black head and I suspect a trip highlight for many of the group.

Shorelark 

Shorelark 

The sea was very flat and looked very quiet safe for sporadic wavy lines of westbound Brent Geese but we soon began to pick up Red-throated Divers flying and on the sea and then a fine Black-throated Diver following a Red-throat east allowing for useful comparison for those on the scopes at that point.  Always a scarce bird up here.

There was single juvenile Gannet, female Goldeneye, seven Razorbills, a Guillemot and 60 Common Scoter that were a little further along the beach towards Salthouse. A huge bull Grey Seal patrolled just offshore and was far closer than the ones off Waxham yesterday.

Grey Seal 

Other bins were raised as a spiral of raptors seemed to come off the sea.  They received close scrutiny and we ended with eight Common Buzzards and two female-type Marsh Harriers.  Fifteen minutes later seven Red Kites appeared and put on show before dispersing along the marshes.

five Common Buzzards

Red Kites

Red Kites

Arnold’s held a smattering of common waders including a few Ruff and a lovely Grey Plover while a big flock of Linnets periodically came up from the glowing pink-red Salicornia especially when a buck Water Deer galloped through at speed.

Chinese Water Deer

Retracing our steps did not give us the hoped for Bearded Tits but we did hear Cetti’s Warblers and find some Little Grebes in the main dyke and seven Grey Herons came in high from the sea. A strange shape above caught my eye and I suddenly realised it was a large Bat and the steep dives narrowed it down to a Noctule which was statistically the most likely too.  It did not seem bothered by daylight hunting and put on quite a show at some height. A Reed Bunting was the only bird curious enough to fly up and check it out.

 Noctule Bat

Noctule Bat

Noctule Bat

Grey Herons

Lunch back at the van while parking chaos ensued and them up the road a ways to Kelling for a cuppa and slab of ginger cake at the Old Reading Rooms where we were warmly welcomed as ever.  From here we had a quiet and relaxed walk down the lane to the Water Meadows and it was nice to find somewhere with just a couple of local birders around.  The hedge held a few Goldcrest but not much else but it was just good to smell the rich aroma of drying Hop flowers and pungent piggy Hogweed and to identify the last of the summer flowers hanging on.

November Moth agg I presume

Red x White Campion

Red Campion

Hogweed

Red-legged Partridges were calling all around and occasionally exploding from cover and down on the side hedges we picked up a pair of Stonechats and six Greenfinches along with two each of Kestrel, Buzzard and Marsh Harrier.

The pools themselves only held a pair of Mute Swan and some squibbling Teal in the muddy margins and a look at the sea before turning back only gave us another Red-throat and Razorbill.  The day was greying up once again as we walked back but there were still some Dragonflies hawking and I found some fat Tachina fera on the Hogweed. With a drive west ahead of us we started to wend our way back after a day that could have been very different if not for those two chance parking spots.

Tachina fera