*** Runs in all out-of-breath and excited ***
Well, boy was THAT a day's worth of birdwatching! Saw an amazing amount, gripped off and dipped out on two, ticked loads, squealed a bit at something nauseatingly predictable and got myself a trio of lifers! PHEW!
Was there from 11:30 AM to 15:45 with the parents, weather was cool and overcast. no rain but with sporadically gusty wind. We had lunch first, then went out to do the good bit. The watching!
Now, it's a bit of a role reversal with birdwatching. My parents are both 'dudes' and I'm probably a birder. Instead of me being the kid saying 'I'm BORED!' at the parents, they are now saying it to me on birdwatching trips!
WHEN KATHERINE SAYS: "I'm going to be just another couple of minutes in the Parrinder Hide"
KATHERINE MEANS "You'll have to dig me out at sunset, and only then under protest!"
Firstly, the three lifers:
RUFF - Lots on the second lagoon
WATER RAIL - In the gully near the feeding station
WOODCOCK - on the way back to the car park.
PREDICTABLE AS HELL GRINNING MOMENT - Barn Owl!!!
..... yada, yada, yada etc....
And then in taxonomic order:
Little Grebe - 2
Cormorant - 12
Little Egret - 2
(Missed the reported Great White Egret further east along the coast - AAAARGS!
)
Greylag Goose - 4
Canada Goose - 6
Brent Goose - 3 large flocks, 2 smaller groups on marshland
Shelduck - 9
Mallard - scattered everywhere
Pintail - 20
Shoveler - circa 20
Teal - 20
Goldeneye - 6 pairs
Kestrel - one alongside road near King's Lynn on return journey.
Pheasant - many in fields, 2 at reserve.
Coot - 5 dotted around
Oystercatcher - about 50 on beach
Avocet - 4 wintering on reserve
Golden Plover - one large flock of about 500
Lapwing - about 200, with large flock in fields close to King's Lynn.
Sanderling - 30 or so on beach
Redshank - 10
Spotted Redshank - 2
Black-tailed Godwit - 8, 5 on beach
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2 on beach-nearest lagoon
Snipe - 7 seen from Parrinder Hide
Black-headed Gull - everywhere
Common Gull - 20
Herring Gull - 5
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2
(are you bored yet?
)
Usual Woodpigeons and Collared Doves
Kingfisher - 1
Pied Wagtail - 5
Wren - 3
Dunnock - 4
Robin - 3 - one very obliging round visitor centre. While perching on visitor's hand, it ate mealworms from it!
Stonechat - 2 (1 M, 1 F)
Blackbird - 20
Great Tit - 4
Blue Tit - 3
Long-tailed Tit - 2 in trees on return journey
Magpie - 9
Jackdaws, Crows & Rooks on the way there and back
(nearly there - don't worry!
)
Starling - many
House Sparrow - 5
Chaffinch - loads
Linnet - flock of 10 on reserve
Greenfinch - many round feeding station
Reed Bunting - 2 round Island Hide.
RARE SIGHTING - My letter about dogs on reserves published on page 47 of the latest issue of Bird Watching magazine!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alas, the bearded tits didn't ping for me
Dipped out on Brambling and Siskin
Both disappointments were outweighed by the Barn Owl (
)and three lifers! My next trip will probably be to Cley with a fly-by of Holme on the way back if parents are in a charitable mood. White-crowned Sparrow there at the moment, apparently......
Birdwatching is BRILLIANT!!!!!!!