NOA 2011 SPONSORED BIRDWATCH 24TH DECEMBER

This year’s Christmas Eve sponsored birdwatch was not going to be easy, with very mild and windy recent conditions making things difficult especially for finding small birds, but with 5 ‘intrepids’ taking part; myself, Dave Nurney (Member), Connor & Billy Rand (Nuisance!), and Steve Newman (Trustee) all meeting at 8am at the Golf Course car park I knew we should be able to make a go of things.
I had already made a good start by hearing a Tawny Owl at about 6.30am while enjoying my early morning cup of tea and watching for the necessary basics in the back garden; Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Pink-footed Goose over, and several Redwings around. Armed with some mulled wine and a hip flask for later, I set out for the day’s birding.

At the car park I was able to add House Sparrow and Long-tailed Tit as the others arrived. Steve Newman had already seen Barn Owl and Fieldfare on his way from Hunstanton and Dave Nurney arrived reporting a Little Owl in a tree on the Ringstead Road, together with both species of partridges on the fields there, so we raced back up the road to see if we could catch them. This proved a good move as not only were the Little Owl and the partridges still in situ, but a Barn Owl carrying a vole flew over the road as we headed back. This was a good start

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Meanwhile Connor, Billy and Steve had headed for the beach north of the Golf Course to see what gulls and waders were present, together with anything on the sea. Here we added many species including Reed Bunting, Linnet, Skylark, Mallard, Wigeon, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Diver, Guillemot, Gannet, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Fulmar, Cormorant, Knot, Dunlin, Sanderling, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover and Rock Pipit. Having apparently exhausted what the Golf Course had to offer, we headed on to Gore Point where we added Marsh Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Great Northern Diver, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Turnstone before proceeding along to the Observatory for a cup of tea and to scan the marsh. Steve found a Common Buzzard on the fence on the grazing marsh, and Dave walked through the pines hoping for a Goldcrest but to no avail. However we did manage to add Gadwall and Shoveler on the Broadwater, together with Coal Tit, Bullfinch and Song Thrush in the scrub before leaving the reserve, with a plan to head along the ridge and look for Lapland Buntings behind Ringstead, try Thornham Harbour for waders, and Choseley for Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow.
Connor directed us to the fields where Lapland Buntings had been seen but we could only hear a few Skylarks. Moving on along the back roads there were some big flocks of winter thrushes in the hedges. Connor and Billy went along to the drying barns and found nothing but several large lorries, so we headed straight on to Thornham Harbour adding Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail and Sparrowhawk on the way. At Thornham the tide was well out and there was little in the way of waders to add. Shelduck was the only new species, but we added Feral Pigeon on the roof of Thornham Church. Heading on to Titchwell, we stopped just before the turn off to find a single Yellowhammer sitting in a hawthorn bush on the edge of the marshes.

Then we arrived at the reserve proper, and were straight on the hunt for the Coue’s Arctic Redpoll. At the feeding station there was a host of activity with plenty of finches, tits, Moorhens, and Woodpigeons there. In the alders a few Goldfinches and a single Lesser Redpoll were of interest, and we ordered our food and watched for more Redpolls coming in. Other visitors told us of a Yellow-legged Gull, Water Pipit, a Common Chiffchaff, a Brambling and a single Hen Harrier that had been coming in to roost on the marsh. Having devoured the necessary rations, (and a drop of mulled wine to warm us up) we returned to the feeding station and caught a frustratingly fleeting glimpse of the Arctic Redpoll, twice flying off into the trees behind the feeding station. Dave found the female Brambling, and after a short and unproductive look in the Fen Hide, we moved on to the lagoons via two Egyptian Geese on the grazing marsh, and no sign of Water Rail in the ditches by the path.

On the lagoons several hundred Golden Plover were clustered on the islands and many Lapwings and Pintail were among them. Dave pointed out the Yellow-legged Gull with Herrings and Lesser Black Backs – two more to add, and we looked through the Black-headed Gulls for a Med Gull but without any luck. We couldn’t find any Avocets either, but we heard the familiar call and looked up to see no less than six Spotted Redshanks flying past together. Little Egret was added over the marshes too, and a Black-tailed Godwit dropped down behind the bank. We carried on towards the beach and on the seawatch platform we saw Goldeneye and Eiders which were new for the day. Ringed Plover remained elusive.

By now we were in the low 90s and beginning to struggle for additional species. However, we agreed to return to the Fen Hide area to look for the Chiffchaff and have another go at Water Rail. On the way, we stopped beside the reedbeds and a Cetti’s Warbler alarm call rang out. On the Fen trail Steve came across the Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest was also calling, so we were 2 species up. The light was beginning to fade by this time, and we moved back out towards the south end of the reedbed where we could watch for Harriers. Despite a fabulous display by nine Marsh Harriers, the ring tail never did put in an appearance, however a late Mute Swan flew low over the reedbeds. A final forlorn hope of a Woodcock flying over the car park at dusk left us with a total of 101!

There’s a lot more we could have found; Bittern, Canada Goose, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Peregrine, Water Rail, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Woodcock, Greenshank, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Jay, Bearded Tit, Stonechat, Blackcap, Tree Sparrow and Snow Bunting could all have been possibilities so there is still margin for improvement.

A huge thankyou to Dave, Billy, Connor and Steve for their help, I wouldn’t have seen half the stuff without them, and it made for a very enjoyable day. Thanks also to everyone who so generously supported this year’s birdwatch. I am looking forward to writing a list of new ringing equipment that we can invest in with the proceeds of this fundraiser!

HAVE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Sophie Barker
NOA Warden