8/10/09 Holme and Lakenheath Fen

Another good day at Holme today, although slightly dissapointing in terms of grounded migrants considering the reasonably promising conditions. It started on route at Hunstanton, when a Peregrine flew over the car. A seawatch of Gore point produced a cracking Red-necked Grebe close inshore, with a flock of 14 Snow Buntings on the beach and a Kittiwake east. Sewatching of the NOA for several hours was poor in terms of quantity but good in terms of quality, with a Black-throated Diver, first found yesterday, just offshore before it flew east towards the mouth of Thornham harbour and a drake Velvet Scoter west with a group of Common Scoters, as well as 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Fulmars and 6 Eiders. Grounded migrants were very thin on the ground, with a Firecrest on the NOA reserve, 50 Robins, 80 Blackbirds, 3 Song Thrushes and 4 Redwings, while 3 Lapland Buntings showed well in 'the usual area', amongst a large group of Skylarks, part of 100+ in the recording area. The Short-eared Owl was still hunting over the marsh, again giving excellent views. Overhead passage picked up noticeably in the afternoon, with 20 Siskins, 4 Bramblings, 7 Rock Pipits, 1250 Starlings and 375 Woodpigeons west in the day. 3 Tawny Owls were also recorded during the day.

Meanwhile dad made the trip to Lakenheath Fen RSPB, where the GREAT-WHITE EGRET performed well on the Norfolk side of the river. Unfortunately what was presumed to be the White-rumped Sandpiper reported in the morning was in fact a Curlew Sandpiper.

6/10/09 Dersingham Bog

Dad went down to Desingham Bog after work today and was rewarded with good views of the Great Grey Shrike in the trees around the Dragonfly pond.

31/10/09 Holme

A superb day of migration at Holme. On getting out of the car in the half-light it was clear there had been a substantial arrival of Blackbirds and the first Woodcocks of the day were soon flushed from around the NOA reserve. Overhead an excellent movement of Lapwings was noticeable and after the rain cleared away Starlings began pouring through. Blackbirds and smaller numbers of the other thrushes were not only flushing from every patch of cover but readily coming in of the sea or falling out of the sky and dropping into the pines. On walking towards Thornham I rounded the corner of the boardwalk just as a Short-eared Owl flopped onto the side of the path, presumably having just come in of the sea. I quickly backed away and called some other guys from the observatory and we were treated to exceptional views as it sat on the path at close range, before it flew of strongly into the dunes. In the afternoon another came in of the sea and both could be sen hunting the marsh in the afternoon. Eventually I did manage to make it towards Thornham and searched through the sueda for more migrants. Blackbirds were present in good numbers, with smaller numbers of Song Thrushes, Robins and a Goldcrest and a single Ring Ouzel came in of the sea with a group of Redwings. As I reached the end of the sueda 3 Bewick's Swans came in of the sea low, calling and they then flew over the observatory and west towards the Wash, while a Shorelark flew east along the beach towards Titchwell. A dog wandering across the saltmarsh out towards Thornham harbour flushed a Jack Snipe that then flew east. As the afternoon went on Starlings began coming through in even greater numbers, overhead passage began to pick up, particularly Skylarks and Chaffinches and thrushes continued to drop in, while a Goosander along the broadwater was unusual. Dusk came all too quickly, but watching the Short-eared Owls in flight and on the deck by the observatory capped of a spectacular day. Unlike the previous day there was no obvious westward movement of thrushes overhead, most birds were simply diving for cover, with some later moving of south or west through cover.

Grounded migrants (inc. birds in/of into cover and birds moving through cover): 916 Blackbirds, 330 Redwings, 2 Jays, 4 Woodcock, 40 Robins (inc. 1 dutch controlled bird - pic below), 2 Cetti's Warblers, 25 Fieldfares, 31 Song Thrushes, 2 Short-eared Owls, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Shorelark, 2 Stonechats, 11 Goldcrests.

Overhead passage (all west or south in/of): 11724 Starlings, 73 Meadow Pipits, 1650 Lapwings, 20 Reed Buntings, 1 Redpoll sp, 1 Ring Ouzel, 102 Chaffinches, 144 Golden Plovers, 7 Rock Pipits, 66 Skylarks, 3 Bewick's Swans, 11 Snipe, 2 Siskins, 1 Brambling, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Goosander.

30/10/09 Holme

A solid autumn day at Holme, which started of brightly with a female Ring Ouzel in the area around the toliet block. It was clear from the outset that there had been a fresh arrival of thrushes, with Blackbirds in every patch of cover. Overhead passage was reasonable with a steady movement of Starlings and Skylarks. On reaching the NOA observatory I was delighted to discover that they had just caught a Bearded Tit, a species I have always wanted to see in the hand.

A quiet seawatch produced just 15 Gannets and 10 Wigeon. As the afternoon progressed more Blackbirds dropped in, with smaller numbers of Song Thrushes and Robins, while Redwings and a smaller number of Fieldfares passed overhead. I checked the Gore point plantations and although I couldn't spend as much time out there as I would have liked due to the incoming tide I did flush a Woodcock and there were more common migrants. The highlight of the day came in the afternoon when 3 Shorelarks were discovered on the beach by the golfcourse, one of which had remnents of horns.

Grounded migrants: 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Woodcock, 3 Shorelarks, 250 Blackbirds, 2 Bearded Tits, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 9 Stonechats, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 37 Song Thrushes, 3 Goldcrests.

Viz-mig (all west): 2100 Starlings, 155 Chaffinches, 450 Redwings, 75 Fieldfares, 3 Snipe, 80 Skylarks, 1 Tree Sparrow, 65 Meadow Pipits, 4 Rock Pipits, 2 Brambling, 20 Reed Buntings. 60 Lapwings, 1 Crossbill, 5 Siskins, 40 Greenfinch, 30 Goldfinch.