Snettisham Coastal Park 13 November

A young male Sparrowhawk

2 of 3 Mealy redpolls Ringed

cettis warbler - the first control bird for the coastal park

Bearded Tits with 2 birds trapped bearing rings from another site

waxwing - at least 6 seen during the morning

Autumn round-up

The Great Northern Diver pictured above,the only Diver of any species I have seen on the Broadwater, was another 'first' in what has been an outstanding Autumn at Holme. The few minus points have included picking a dead Short Eared Owl off the main road from Hunstanton , and not managing to connect either with a yellow Browed warbler this year, or the Juvenile Pallid Harrier seen at Holme. Against this the Arctic warbler stayed long enough to give excelent views, and where better to see another 'lifer'! The Red Flanked Bluetail and the Wood Warbler were Norfolk ticks, and the long staying Red Necked Phalarope completed a double, having seen the previous bird in 2005. Icterene Warbler Barred Warblers and Wryneck all posed in the hand and were supported by good numbers of Redstarts,Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Winchats and several Ring Ouzels and a Great Grey Shrike.Short Eared Owls hunted the marsh and 2 were seen far out to Sea on 1 seawatch, as well as a peregrine passing rather closer in.The sea has offered close views of little Auks on several dates, an amazing 1 day passage of Kittiwakes and many other hours spent in the Dunes with Skuas, Shearwaters and Gannets all passing by. All 4 Suas obliged, including Spooned Poms and a Juvenile Long Tailed in the tally. A Sabines Gull passed close inshore, and all 3 Divers have appeared. It must have now moved on to winter as Velvet Scoters and Long Tailed Ducks have been picked up on more recent seawatches.

Woodcock 6th November

Eastern type Lesser Whitethroat Ringed at Holme 6th November

Redshank and 2 Dunlin feeding on Redwell Marsh Holme 28th October

Tawny Owl Holme 24 October

Another raptor surprise in the form of a Tawny Owl in front of the Pines at Holme

Osprey 22 October

Another year tick in the form of a surprise Osprey visiting fishing lakes south of Downham Market, seen plunging into the water several times !!

And some more at Holme ....

Bearded Tit Holme 16th October

Redpolls Bearded Tits and a Great White Egret Snettisham 13th October

2 of 3 Bearded Tits ringed at Snettisham 13 October.

2 redpolls ringed 13th October

An impressive selection out of the nets was trumped by a Great White Egret that did a slow and elegant fly past before dipping down out of view in the direction of Ken Hill Marsh. A site first !

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Meanwhile back in the Bedford Garden ...

21 September. Reeed warbler. Not a rare bird but not the usual garden visitor either, with at least 2 previous records. Not to be completely eclipsed by the Norfolk coast my wanderings at Priory in eqarly september did produce an extremely obliging Black tern, my only Beds sightings of Spotted Flycatcher and Whinchat and up to 4 Hunting hobbies

House Sparrow 21 September

Swallow photographed at Heacham on 3 August

Stonechat and Redpoll Holme

Stonechat 12 October

Great spotted Woodpecker 11th October

Redpoll 11th October

11 October Common Seal Snettisham

A good display from the waders displaced by the high tide was rounded off with a posing common seal, a Short eared Owl that flew in from the sea, 5 Little stints on the lagoons and a single wheatear in the grass.