Bird Race 24th May 2009
On Sunday 24th May Gary, James and myself set out of a day of bird watching, aiming to see as many different species as we could within a single day.
Gary picked us up in Norwich at 5:30am and the race was on. Gary came armed with a list of targets and sites. First up was The Brecks, targeting Golden Oriole, Stone-curlew, Tree Pipit and Woodlark to name a few. Lakenheath RSPB was first up, but i suggested Ruddy Duck at East Wretham NWT so we took a detour, but couldn't find them. On the way to Lakenheath Gary stopped close to Eriswell at a favoured Stone-curlew site, where we soon found 4 or 5 birds. On reaching the RSPB reserve our count was 29. Lakenheath RSPB's mixture of habitats, offered up the expected Golden Orioles and Bittern, as well as 28 other species, including Barn Owl, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo and various Warblers. The Forestry Commision's Mayday Farm Site was our next location, targeting Goshawk, Tree Pipit and Woodlark. The site offered very little so we quickly cut our losses, but not before adding Coal Tit as bird number 50 and a few other commons. Still hunting Wood Lark, Weeting Heath NWT was next, but again we cut out losses without seeing many of the sites expected birds. Before leaving the Brecks we decided on a final site, picking up Tree Pipit, Stonechat and Siskin. Heading NE towards the coast we had a total of 61.
Hunstanton was going to be our first coatal stop but he lure of Woodlark proved to much and Hunstanton was scrapped in favour of Roydon Common NWT. Driving along A47 the Gary shot off down a side road, an ad hoc trip to Pentney Pits was now on the cards. Heavy traffic at the Hardwick Roundabout in Kings Lynn lost us over half an hour so as we arrived at Roydon Common we needed to play catch-up. James spotted a large raptor that turned out to be an unseasonal Rough-legged Buzzard, that gave some close views before drifting SW. A Willow Warbler sung in the trees but again the Wood Lark proved elusive. We jumped in the car, then we heard a Wood Lark, all out! This bird was getting overly expensive, but luckily it sat in a field close to the car. Approching midday we decided to head for Swanton Novers Watchpoint via Flitcham, to catch the best of the raptors. James spotted 2 Curlew in the fields at Flitcham, but Gary and i were more interested with a raptor up infront. We missed the Curlew but the unexpected Black Kite was a much better bird. The Flitcham Little Owl was in his dead tree, so we headed to the watchpoint on 72 species. Luckily at Swanton Novers we didn't have to wait long before picking out a Honey Buzzard among the many Common Buzzards, at one point atleast 9 Buzzards soured above us, a Sparrowhawk also flew through. Finally heading for the coast we stopped to look for the Montagu's Harriers and were again rewarded with clear views of a male. Today was proving very good for the raptors.
Stopping at Chosley before checking Titchwell out our totals appeard good, considering we still had the waders and coastal birds we had over 75 species. Titchwell as ever added a large number of species to the list, but the nice weather had brought out lots of people, especially on the beach. This meant low numbers of waders, and we were banking on Tichwell's waders! Little Gull, Eider, Ruddy Duck, Red-crested Pochard and Mediteranean Gull proved good additions, and Arctic Tern became species 100, but we now needed to shoe-horn in another wader site. Holkham Hall was the nexted planned stop, for its wooodland species, but a walk to the Monument only provided a Treecreeper, Gary also picked up a Goldcrest. Holkham Freshmarsh was to far to walk so me headed to Morston Quay to scan the marshes and channel, Gary and i still wanted a Curlew. Waders again were lacking, but a Short-eared Owl was an unexpected addition. I also had a flyby Yellow Wagtail missed by both Gary and James. With the Brent Geese prsent all three of us now had 107 species. Gary had his 111 species day record in sight, but to break it we needed more waders as it was getting late to rely of finding to much else. A whistle stop trip along the East Bank at Cley was our only chance. Knot and Dunlin were on Arnold's Marsh and a very brief sea watch looking for Gannet gave us a Guilemot, but not a Gannet.
We headed back inland towards Norwich, with the aim of finishing at dusk on Martham Heath looking for Nightjar and Woodcock. Sitting in the car on Salthouse Heath listening for Nightingale tested out patience, all to quickly we gave up, Gary decided with a little bit of fast driving we could fit in another site. Sparham Pools should give us breeding LRP, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail if the light held. A Bullfinch called in the carpark and was quickly located, but large numbers of Common Terns nesting on the small island seems to have exclueded the LRP this year and the Kingfisher wasn't showing either. Down at the bridge the Grey Wagtail also wasn't there, maybe it was getting to late. Just as we were about to leave James heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a quick run down the river bank and we had another species in the bag, but as the sun was setting fast, and we should have been at Marsham Heath now. At Marsham Heath we were joined by Phillip to wait for the Nightjars. Some poor maths by our in house accountant (Gary) had us on a total of 109, he thought he needed 3 species to beat his record. Nightjar and Woodcock were 'guarenteed' so a Tawny hunt afterwards would do it! We didn't have to wait long for the Nightjar to start to chur, but as it got darker Woodcock failed to show. A Tawny Owl was in the woods, and a blast from Gary's phone had it give us an investagtive flyby.
So Gary had equalled his day record, or so he thought. In the car he seemed very frustrated at all the common birds we had missed, time we had lost looking for Woodlark and the bloody traffic in Kings Lynn. He need not have worried, on count back we totalled 113. A great day out but don't let Gary do your tax returns.
| Birds Seen | 113 |
| Birds Heard | 4 |
| Total | 117 |
Birds Seen
- Blackbird Norwich Area
- Feral Pigeon
- Wood Pigeon
- Swift
- Collared Dove
- Starling
- Blue Tit
- House Sparrow
- Rook Nr Wymondham
- Magpie
- Jackdaw
- Little Grebe East Wretham Heath NWT
- Moorhen
- Coot
- Mallard
- Shelduck
- Carrion Crow
- Whitethroat
- Tufted Duck
- Greylag Goose
- Skylark Nr Eriswell
- Stone-curlew
- Pheasant
- Lapwing
- Goldfinch Lakenheath Village
- Greenfinch
- Swallow
- House Martin
- Lesser Black-backed Gull Lakenheath Fen RSPB
- Sedge Warbler
- Reed Bunting
- Mute Swan
- Great Crested Grebe
- Gadwell
- Reed Warbler
- Grey Heron
- Wren
- Common Tern
- Shoveler
- Jay
- Cormorant
- Marsh Harrier
- Canada Goose
- Barn Owl
- Golden Oriole
- Cuckoo
- Kestrel
- Bittern
- Turtle Dove
- Coal Tit Mayday Farm Forestry Commission
- Robin
- Blackcap
- Chaffinch
- Great Tit
- Dunnock
- Song Thrush
- Common Buzzard Weeting Heath NWT
- Mistle Thrush
- Stonechat Nr Grimes Graves
- Tree Pipit
- Siskin
- Black-headed Gull Pentney Gravel Pit
- Oystercatcher
- Egyptian Goose
- Stock Dove
- Linnet
- Red-legged Partridge Roydon Common NWT
- Rough-legged Buzzard
- Willow Warbler
- Woodlark
- Black Kite - Flitcham
- Little Owl
- Pied Wagtail Swanton Novers Watchpoint
- Honey Buzzard
- Sparrowhawk
- Montagu's Harrier Nr Burnham Market
- Yellowhammer Chosley Drying Barns
- Corn Bunting
- Grey Partridge
- Long-tailed Tit Titchwell RSPB
- Ruddy Duck
- Red-cresed Pochard
- Little Egret
- Bearded Tit
- Avocet
- Redshank
- Little Gull
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Ringed Plover
- Pochard
- Herring Gull
- Common Gull
- Meadow Pipit
- Grey Plover
- Mediterranean Gull
- Turnstone
- Eider
- Sanderling
- Sandwich Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Little Tern
- Chiffchaff
- Treecreeper Holkham Park
- Dark-bellied Brent Goose Morston Quay
- Short-eared Owl
- Yellow Wagtail*
- Dunlin Cley Marshes NWT
- Knot
- Guillemot
- Bullfinch Sparham Pools NWT
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Nightjar Martham Heath NWT
- Tawny Owl
* James and Gary missed this bird, but added Curlew and Goldcrest respectably, this left us all on a total of 113.
