North Norfolk

11th March

Had a short day in Norfolk 11 Whooper Swans in the Horsey area and a few Common Crane and Barn Owls at Stubbs mill.

Hollesley 25th Feb to 19th March

25th February

Water pipit from the riverbank was new for the year, Merlin on the Saltmarsh and a firecrest from Warren Hill, 14 Tufted ducks and 3 Pochard on scrape being the highlights.

4th March

Black Redstart at East lane.

March 10th

Hollelsley 6 Ruff are new in, 6 Whitefronts still.

12th March 

Now 7 Ruff, 3 Med Gulls, 2 Spoonbill dropped in one color ringed from the Netherlands in 2014 and seen loads since, mostly u the Norfolk and Suffolk coast with some time spent in Dorset. 

Great White Egret still, a Woodcock flew down the river, 1 Green Sandpiper, 130 Whitefronts on the fields still and a few other bits n bobs. 

March 18th

The Chiffchaffs are slowly coming in with 3 singing around the reserve, Adult Caspian Gull on scrape and the great white egret again.

19th March

Started by finding a nice Black Redstart by Warren Hill Prison, it was very shy of the camera to start with, but eventually gave itself up.

I scanned the reserve from warren hill as its a good vis mig area, lots of Siskin over, a couple of Brambling, and a few Redpoll, Redwing in small groups and many groups of 50+ Starlings moving. The height here makes viewing the sea pretty good but its a long way off, so identification of stuff is a challenge, and usually not worth the effort, today though i could pick out plenty of Red-Throated divers and cormorants. 7 Grey plover flew in off but the 1 smaller wader with them i couldn't id. 

I continued round to the river bank when 185 Whitefronts flew in with the 1st winter Tundra Bean goose and 25 Barnacles. Avocet was fresh in. A load of Fallow Deer when charging through the reserve. Wheatear on the riverbank. Chiffchaffs singing all over the reserve. 

Highlight and find of the year however was this 1st winter/female Ferruginous duck orrrr possibly a hybrid, im hoping for a real one but the head and bill looks Pochardish. Ill update this if it turns into a hybrid. (Edit its a Hybrid on reflection)

Possibly get out again later.

Update, after some reflection the duck is most likely a Fudge x Pochard hybrid. 

Back on patch tonight with 2 unringed Spoonbill, Goosander and my first Sand Martin of the year.