Welcome to my 220 for 2022 – November Update. The title of this venture is a little mute now since we’re looking at 220 in our rear view mirror. The challenge has morphed into one of how many species can we actually cram onto our lists before 31st December. From a personal perspective this goes against the grain, making a mockery of simply going out to enjoy whatever comes along. On the other hand, it does mean I’m making the effort to get out into the fresh air far more regularly and am seeing lots of things I would otherwise ignore. Certainly, by mid-month I was on the cusp of jacking it all in and maybe taking up tiddlywinks as a hobby, but that feeling thankfully passed, probably due to mixing things up a little and visiting local areas to bolster the 5K list. In any event, looking at the wonderful birds I’ve managed to see I can’t be anything but pleased with how things have developed during November, surpassing all expectations. Hope you enjoy the following brief summary.
3rd November 2022 – It was a grey, dreary day, but rather than stay inside and climb the walls a walk along the beach at Cley provided welcome distraction. I was enamoured with the antics of Red-throated Divers fishing very close to shore, presumably on small fish themselves feeding in the surf. There were at least 3 divers popping up from time to time, surprising me with how long they could stay submerged and how far they could travel during their frequent dives.
Towards the East Bank, we were fortunate to be able to locate the Black Guillemot (232), whose bright white wing patches caught the eye as it floated around some way out. Luckily the sea was also calm which allowed a good view through the scope. One of this species frequented the same stretch of sea last November, perhaps the same bird. Whatever, this one disappeared the next day with it being reported flying west at Sheringham. Another timely connection for the year list.
5th November 2022 – Wader Conservation World Watch today, and what better place to knock up a decent tally than the superb RSPB reserve at Titchwell Marsh.
We timed our visit to correspond with low tide, when the waders are busily feeding on the exposed mussel beds and can be quite approachable. I’ve written before about the magic of this place, today providing just as much delight and entertainment as ever. More to the point, we amassed a list of 14 waders before moving on a short distance to Brancaster Staithe. The hope here was to locate a Ringed Plover, no luck with that, but Allan did spot a bird of prey chasing smaller birds over the saltmarsh. ‘What’s that?’ he said, just as the bird in question halted its chase and perched atop a small bush. Frantic haul of the scope from the car boot, set it up and voila! Merlin (233). A gorgeous female that sat there loud and proud for several minutes. I snapped a long-range shot just to record the moment.
Allan was keen to add the Long-billed Dowitcher to the day list, so in the gloom of the late afternoon we trudged the shingle at Salthouse to the pools aside the ‘Iron Road’. The wader eventually decided to emerge from the rushes amongst which it had been feeding to give good views. However, there was decidedly more interest in the dried up pool to the east of the path, where amongst the frustratingly high plant growth we eventually laid eyes on both Twite (234) and a Lapland Bunting (235). A rather happy end to a great day; three new species for the year list and a total of 15 wader species – most satisfying.
11th November 2022 – Armistice Day, and by coincidence I’d been reading last night about the horrors of the 20th Century World Wars. It certainly put into perspective the ability we have to exercise freedom, such as undertaking this tomfoolery, thanks to the millions of people who gave their lives for that end. We certainly must never forget.
After a chilly and overcast start, it turned out to be a fine and sunny autumnal day. Our venue: Walberswick on the Suffolk coast, our target: a trio of hirundines that had been blown to our shores by the unrelenting southerly wind. But we missed them; ‘Not been around for a while’, ‘Think I caught them flying south’, said a couple of disgruntled birders which was infuriatingly frustrating, where would they logically have flown to? Further along the coast perhaps, so off to Minsmere where at least a decent lunch could be had. The birds though were nowhere to be seen, even scanning north towards Dunwich revealed nothing, but maybe a closer look there would prove successful. It was either that or give up and go home. In the event, it was while scanning the skies from Dunwich Beach car park that a report came in of the birds once again hawking insects over the marshes at Walberswick. A short drive and this time success. In the fading light of a brilliant sunset, we could enjoy a trio of Red-rumped Swallows (236), juveniles by the look of things, swooping through the Suffolk air. What stunning little birds they were. They seldom came close, so photography, always a challenge with such fast moving subjects, descended into a hope and prayer activity, snapping at tiny dots against a bright sky. Editing produced something recognisable at least.
14th November 2022 – Early morning mist gave way to a brilliant sunny day, one that demanded a walk in the surprisingly mild air. What better place to go for a stroll than along the beach at Winterton, with its wide stretches of golden sand, crashing surf and plenty of wildlife. An initial seawatch revealed good numbers of auks and Red-throated Divers fishing offshore, a steady stream of Gannets heading south, together with Kittiwakes and small parties of Brent Geese. Walking north we began to encounter groups of sunbathing grey seals hauled out and very relaxed. Others provided a constant accompaniment, poking their heads out of the waves to inspect us before rolling over and immersing themselves in the pounding waves.
After half a mile or so, we came upon a flock of about 40 Snow Buntings that allowed close approach. It is hard to see through optics what these confiding little birds were finding to eat, but with the aid of a photograph you can see they are picking seeds from small sprigs of plants almost covered by the sand. They seemed to be finding plenty of these, constantly creeping along sifting the booty through their small orange beaks.
A juvenile Kittiwake sitting quietly on the strand line evoked the spectre of Avian Flu.
On the way home, I found myself standing on the bridge spanning Ormesby and Rollesby Broads, sun at my back, sifting through a sizeable flock of wildfowl. With the support of a fellow birder, we pinned down a lovely drake Ferruginous Duck (237) and a female Scaup (238). The Ferruginous Duck had apparently been cavorting with a hybrid Ferruginous/Pochard, but this individual looked the part of a pure bred, dark rufous underparts, head and neck, a very dark back all contrasting with a bright white rear end. The head and beak shape were also noticeably smaller and more dainty than nearby Pochards. A rather striking bird, seen to best effect in the ‘golden hour’ of the late afternoon. A fly by Bittern added excitement too.
The ‘fellow birder’ referenced above confessed that he was himself undertaking a Norfolk ‘Big Year’. ‘You sure you want to know how many I’ve seen?’ he said. No problem with me. The answer of 283 was a pleasant surprise and I congratulated him on his impressive total. We both agreed that to get 200 species in a year in Norfolk was a notable achievement, anything over that highly commendable, so I felt pretty good about my own year list. Goodness knows it has been a determined effort for me to get this far, to get to his total he must have really gone for it big time. Don’t think I could ever be that dedicated, or maybe nuts, and have no plans to do this again anytime soon.
18th November 2022 – a return visit to the Trinity Broads where amongst a raft of Tufted Duck was swimming a female Ring-necked Duck (239). This bird could be quite easily identified by the clear white banding on the beak, visible at long range. Other than that, it was surprisingly inconspicuous amongst the flotilla of similarly coloured Tufteds.
With clearing skies, we motored to Walcott where sea watching can take place from the comfort of your car. A brisk Nor-wester produced quite a bit of action with many Common Scoter, Gannets, Red-throated Divers, Kittiwakes and Little Gulls moving around. The hoped for Little Auks didn’t appear, but there was ample compensation in the form of a pair of female Long-tailed Duck (240) skittering past reasonably close to shore.
19th November 2022 – Sitting in the snug at Sheringham once more watching an expanse of well illuminated North Sea, undulating with a moderate swell in the stiff Westerly. It didn’t take long before I locked onto some wing whirring Little Auks (241) that arrowed past: a pair followed by a party of 5, then singles at various range, one very close. A pair of Bonxies were unexpected, and it was lovely to see a steady flow of Little Gulls, Kittiwakes, Razorbills and Gannets. Common Scoter and a single Eider added variety to an absorbing hour.
23rd November 2022 – Plans for a trip to the coast were abandoned in lieu of the weather forecast, promising a 92% chance of heavy rain for much of the day. Sitting in The Old Barn Cafe at Whitlingham Country Park staring out of the window at cascades of water splashing into puddles confirmed the wisdom of this decision. Allan and I compensated our fair-weather mindset by indulging in birdy chat, plenty of coffee, sausage rolls and cake. A sure-fire way to maintain our perfectly honed bodies (that may have been a joke).
Once the rain eased off, we ventured out to see what this jewel of a wetland could offer. Choosing a suitable vantage point, we scanned the broad and the conservation area which contained much in the way of new 5K birds. Almost the first bird we saw was a 1st winter Little Gull (80) hawking insects from the water surface. Quite an unseasonable find we thought. This youngster would fly the length of the broad in its quest for juicy snacks before working its way systematically to its start point to repeat the pattern over and over again. A Little Egret (81) was good to see, as was a pair of Gadwall (82), a duck that has so far eluded the 5K listing. Amongst the large collection of waterfowl, the most notable was a female Scaup (83) consorting with large numbers of Tufted Duck and providing very good comparative views. A group of 9 Dabchicks (84) was interesting to see and a flyover Fieldfare (85) completed the list.
25th November 2022 – A much better day and a return visit to Holkham. Red Kites were very noticeable on the drive in, and by the time one soared over my head against a brilliant blue sky as I walked along the eastern area of the bay, my count had reached 8.
At the roped off area I was at last able to enjoy the lovely sight of Shorelarks (242) picking seeds from the barren areas of the sandy ground. I counted at least 7 surreptitiously shuffling amongst the stunted vegetation, their brilliant yellow face markings showing to great effect in the perfect light. Quite a contrast to my visit in March. A confiding party of 30 or so Snow Buntings were also using the quiet zone afforded by the absence of continual disturbance by people and dogs, proving pretty conclusively that these exclusion zones work.
A short hop and I could survey the expanse of the bay from the vantage point of the dunes. The long, elegant necks of Great Crested Grebes were dotted around all over the sea. Small groups could be picked out, and a conservative estimate would be about 50. A few Razorbills fished amongst them, but my attention focussed on a loose raft of diving ducks that were strung out along the shoreline. Most of these were Common Scoter, but for a brief moment I latched on to a pair of birds that looked quite different. That duo was repeatedly diving, popping up briefly a few yards away before disappearing again. I knew what I was watching but needed confirmation before I could add them to the year list. Eventually the birds rested on the surface for a few minutes allowing much better scrutiny. A pair of Velvet Scoter (243), the drake with eye catching white blaze around his own eye, the female with smudgy white head markings; both sporting white wing flashes. Whoop whoop!
Having little desire to drive back home in the dark, I moved swiftly to Warham Greens, set up the scope and began scanning the vastness of the salt marsh, stretching in the brilliant light of mid-afternoon to Wells in the west and beyond Blakeney to the east, surely a length of at least 5 miles. Bird of prey numbers were quite impressive, with at least 8 Red Kites, 6 Marsh Harriers, a pair of Buzzards and a Kestrel hunting over the flats. Little Egrets, Curlew and Brent Geese provided a supporting cast, while echoing cries of Redshank and the whistling of Wigeon evoked a sense of wildness. All lovely things to see, but I was hoping for another raptor to make an appearance. After about an hour I was rewarded when, in the far distance over East Hills, I caught sight of a Marsh Harrier stooping on a smaller, uniform brown member of its tribe. These birds twisted and turned amongst the stunted pines and scrub, when the slighter bird showed its white rump patch thus clinching its identity. Hen Harrier (244). Job Done!
28th November 2022 – Who can resist a Waxwing? Not me for sure. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been keeping an eye on the slow spread of these delightfully colourful Scandanavian visitors throughout the UK. There have been rumours that this could be a big Waxwing year, and certainly numbers have been building up well in Scotland and some parts of Northern England. Not so here in Norfolk so far, with only the odd one or two being seen flying through, that is until the last couple of days when a small flock seems to have settled at Sheringham. Fearing this may only be a short engagement, I just had to get out and try and see them for myself. As it turns out I was lucky, and the group of 7 Waxwings (245) sat obligingly atop a rowan tree on the edge of Sheringham Common being admired by an appreciative group of fellow birders and the general public alike. The light was appalling, with a thick mist obscuring the sun, but I managed a few shots from reasonably close range before the birds took wing, flying purposefully westwards to leave the berry laden trees bereft of their splendour. There is an ample supply of juicy fruit for them here, so hopefully they will return for a longer stay.
30th November 2022 – The Waxwings appear to have flown, so Elizabeth and I thought we may as well try and see another wind-blown waif, this one occupying a stand of small willow and sallow growth alongside a muddy bank at Brancaster. Once getting a gauge for the habits of this tiny bird, we positioned ourselves strategically opposite a natural gap in the trees where we would at least be able to see it fly between cover. This worked a treat and with a little patience came the reward of being able to briefly see and photograph a diminutive and very active Hume’s Warbler (246). This very pale individual betrayed its approximate location by calling quite loudly on a regular basis, a piercing two syllable call not unlike a poorly defined Marsh Tit at maximum volume, at least that’s my take on it. A very unplanned and unexpected sighting this, and although the pics below are nothing to jump up and down about, believe me they were taken at lightning speed with a bird moving through the foliage very quickly. All in all, we were both really pleased with being able to get a good look at the bird for at least 10 seconds during our hours watch! For reference have a look at Darren’s Blog which contains much better pictures of this species and details of how he found that bird for himself.
The skies looked like they were clearing to the east, so we decided to move to Holkham to see whether a rather larger bird, an immature White-tailed Eagle no less, felt like putting on a show. Intelligence gathered on the way indicated the target bird was taking a siesta on the top of a tree beside the lake in Holkham Park. We parked up (2 hours free – result), and commenced our stroll to the lakeside, admiring on the way the beautiful colours of the oaks and beech illuminated by a now strong late autumnal sun.
Our hopes were dashed of catching up with the bird when we met a chap who informed us it had flown away about 10 minutes earlier. Not necessarily an issue, because as we drove past the park on the coast road, Elizabeth thought she had seen a very large bird fly low and possibly land on an open area pretty much in line with where the bird had apparently disappeared. We searched around the northern end of the lake, including a fenced area of low scrub enclosed by the flint wall park boundary, but no sign. Compensation was gained by watching lots of Dabchicks fishing on the lake and enjoying the glorious reflections of brightly coloured autumn foliage. Exquisite.
We moved to Lady Anne’s Drive where the parking meter was out of action (Result No 2). Some guy thought he had found the bird and was letting people have a look through his scope. I had a peek but couldn’t see what the fuss was about. It simply didn’t look right; the posture was all wrong. Eagles are big, have their sleeves rolled up with a ‘I’m an Eagle, what you gonna do about it‘ demeanour. This bird had all the aura of ‘I’m just a Buzzard, all hunched up and looking glum‘, not the same at all. Light was fading and we decided to call it a day and get home before dark. However, I had a hunch that we might just strike lucky if we swiftly moved half a mile west for a last-ditch scan of the marsh. We did so, parked up and bingo! White-tailed Eagle (247) and what a stonker! The bird, part of the Isle of Wight release program, perched regally atop a dead tree, surveying its chosen wintering ground. It was the boss, and nothing could come close in sheer size and majesty. A Red Kite or Buzzard would briefly display displeasure at the intruder by making a stoop, but the eagle simply watched with unflinching distain. Just to give an impression of size, the (dodgy) pics below show the eagle staring out a Buzzard (top right) and a pair of Red Kites (bottom right). A pretty impressive beast and a fitting way to end a very productive month.
There you have it, despite misgivings and some soul searching (not just by me as Darren’s November summary will attest), November has turned out to quite excellent. We now have 2 of us well over the 220 mark, with Tim within touch of that milestone, and we still have a month to go. I think we’re all running out of birds though! An interesting tussle is taking place in mid table, who will win that mini league I wonder? I’ve already provided a link to Darren’s blog which is well worth a read especially since it covers species that don’t feature for us Norfolk based folk. Sean’s monthly summary can be found here.
Participant | Overall Score | 5K Challenge | Garden List |
Barry Madden | 247 | 85 | 32 |
Darren Archer | 224 | 118 | 55 |
Tim Oxborough | 211 | 63 | |
Sean Locke | 176 | ||
Allan Archer | 171 | ||
Elizabeth Dack | 170 | ||
Ros Burrough | 152 | 66 | 44 |
Excellent read as usual Barry. Enjoyed it very much
Thank you. I consider it all a joint effort because there is no way I would have done this on my own. Be nice to just go out birding though and not care what we see.
well who would have thought you can enjoy November so much?
Great birds great blog.
Thank you. I did enjoy November in the end. Mind you, half way through I really did nearly pack it all in. You’ve done extremely well to push past 220, and I think you’ve found more birds yourself which is always far more pleasing. Well done.
I think you might have pushed yourself out of reach Barry! Mind you have made a supreme effort! Glad to see you got the eagle. It’s been good to share a few new birds with you this year – oh and the sausage rolls, cake…and chats.
Thank you. Couldn’t have done it without the support and company of yourself and others. Not over yet though!