Norfolk 4-5-24

A much needed day celebrating the end of Final year courseworks and Dissertation (54% of my degree had been done at this point) in Norfolk, specifically at RSPB Titchwell with Anand, Alain, Joe and Laura. 

Normally when we've done this trip in winter, we leave in the dark and return in the dark so it felt strange to be off out in daylight at 730am; we reached Kings Lynn at 830am before being picked up by Anand, who had kindly driven up from London for a day off too. The highlight of waiting in sunny, scenic Kings Lynn were a few vocal Med Gulls and a Greggs breakfast, a staple to the Cambs Birders birding days.

Anand picked us up at around 9, and we then reached Titchwell at 945am. By 10, we were treated to unexpected and extremely close views of my third Red-breasted Goose. Another 2cy bird to add to the collection I've now seen, as it continues to be a bird that clearly cannot resist myself and Joe.

In being such a lovely spring day, birds just kept on coming and in abundance. Alain is set to leave the UK to return to Singapore in July, and so we the mission was to try and get him as many of Britain's finest species between now and then. News of a Pied Flytcatcher by the picnic area had us rush back to where we'd walked past earlier. A few minutes later I noticed the female bird flycatching overhead, which initiated a period of constant pointing and directing to get as many of the passing Saturday crowd onto the bird.

The next bird to join Alain's ever-growing UK list was Redstart. Having opted to go through the reedbeds for some extra steps, this coincided with a dapper male being reported from the horse paddocks. An annoyingly elusive bird, only appearing intermittently from the scrub and refusing to call or show for more than a second or two at a time. After some more than satisfactory views, our walk continued back to the main path. Marsh harriers aplenty, Reed+Sedge, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatears, Willow Warbler and more had all also been seen by this point, as well as a very tame Muntjac.

Returning towards the main path, we set up camp in the Island Hide to watch Avocets and Med Gulls for a bit. Ruff, Common Sandpipers, Turnstones were the waders on show, all as Avocets walked within touching distance. Having seen the Goose multiple times by this point already, the bird's attraction to us continued; when the Brent's went up, there was no surprise that it joined the party in the hide by dropping in right in front of us. I wrote in January that the views we got in Essex were 'simply unbeatable' and for that context, maybe still so - but to see the bird preening on the Titchwell scrapes really was quite remarkable. Not sure how but I forgot to take photos with my camera at this point instead preferring to phonescope, but Alain of course did the job. 

Alain's photos - Sanderling

Med Gull

Red-breasted Goose

Time had flown by and with little more than an hour left before we'd agreed to leave, we had around 40 minutes to spend on the beach seawatching and wader-watching. On the way to the sea a few Whimbrel made their presence known pittering their away around the saltmarsh. Joe and Laura stood duty with me seawatching to start, as we added Little Terns, Red-throated Diver, Gannet and Sandwich Terns to the day list. There were some decent numbers of Sanderling on the beach too, as well as Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover and Dunlin. Lower numbers than expected, but still a little early for proper wader action. 

Whilst stopping on the walk back to get some improved Little Tern views (Alain's 199th sp in the country) we bumped into Carla who I hadn't seen since a birding holiday to Scotland in July 2022. A pleasant catch-up was had in the company of a Spoonbill and pinging Bearded Tits.

Avocet

Sanderling [barely worth posting compared to Alain's above]

Leaving Titchwell was as ever difficult but had to happen so as to get back to start revising for finals, and so Anand could get back to London. Extending a massive thank you to him for the pickup and the company. Alain, Joe and Laura were as ever a good laugh too. A final acknowledgement goes to Joe's mid afternoon snack, a questionable looking noodle box from a Kings Lynn 'Chinese'.