Black outs and black terns

Its been another great week for Spring migrants locally, and whilst I have missed most of them they are worth watching out for. One such highlight for me is the return of the common terns. They are most likely to be seen at the Great Melton Reservoir fishing and I was alerted to their arrival on Friday evening by Dan B. These delicate little sea swallows can be easily confused with arctic terns which have been turning up at Whitlingham in the last couplle of weeks. The Video below courtesy of the BTO and partners will assist in telling the two apart

There is and account of the Arctic terns and other local wildlife on James Emmerson’s blog available here. Yesterday evening though saw a couple of my favourite terns also gracing Whitlingham the black tern. I will endeavor to check the lake more often in the hope that one of these rare beauties also ‘turn’ up locally.

Black Tern being harassed by a black headed gull Credit: djcarr007 via Compfight cc

Whilst checking the lake this week I did spot my first fuzzy headed nestlings which were proving quite adept at staying out of my way and flying comfortably. They were not a species I was expecting to see as I struggled to find Mistle thrush at all early last year. This year they have been more noticeable and their plaintive singing around the outskirts of the village is always good to hear and clearly they are having some breeding success.

Young Mistle Thrush with his punk hair cut.

In other news from round the county I have been warming up for next Saturdays 24hr Norfolk Bird race. I was fortunate to spend a very productive Saturday morning spotting a range of very special species however in order to ensure the other three teams do not get any advantage over ‘The Norfolk Home Guard’. I shall be posting full write ups post event or at least when I catch up on sleep so I end the post with one of the more unexpected species recorded for the first time by me in the Breckland area a Grasshopper Warbler. This is another spring arrival having hitched up from Africa and was in fine voice with his distinctive reeling song which gives the bird its name. Once heard never forgotten.

Grasshopper Warbler Credit: Dennis Lorenz via Compfight cc

What’s the Point

With birding still a little bit August slow  I tried an early morning stroll on the West Hethersett Loop. There was some activity with a lot of calling and singing as has been the case recently around the Great Melton Fishing lake The highlights were a green woodpecker calling , numerous Moorhen and young and some very vocal wrens with yougsters buzzing about the woods. I failed again to see any kingfishers but met fishermen who recently watched a pair of birds at the south end of the lake. The corn fields are clearly ready for harvest and I put up red legged partridge and pheasant whilst walking. I also played hide and seek in the grave yard of Great Melton church whilst trying to get the following photo. The pheasant in question is moulting and clearly didn’t want to be photographed not looking his best. Moulting birds usually hide themselves away making another reason for a quiet month.

Later in the day I had the opportunity with some good company to walk one of North Norfolk’s finest stretches of coast and bird-watching from Salthouse to Blakeny Point passing alongside the bird-watching Mecca that is Cley Marshes.

The walk produced the following in no particular order: Little Egret, Black Tailed Godwit (30+), woodpigeons (lots) Meadow pipts (Lots), starlings, common terns, Greater and lesser black-backed gulls, black-headed gulls, herring gulls, cormorants, ringed plover, dunlin, linnet, oystercatcher, redshank. With birds being too distant or  too fast for decent photos the scenery won the visual award and it is breathtaking.

  Cley Village from the coast across the marsh.

The Marker at the end of a long walk with added Greater Black-Backed Gull, and the small green item a Mac Donalds Happy balloon just to environmentally damage the scene.

The ramshackle group of buildings on the point reminds me of something you might see on an isolated Alaskan coast

‘The Plantation’. This is the only patch of growth on the ridge which offers more than knee high cover for birds and can attract all sorts of interesting finds peak migration but we are not quite there yet and it was all quiet.

Picket Fence on dunes now just a few spikes. Reminding the walker not to spend too long on the point or you will become part of the scenery

All photos can be clicked on for magnified views and red text can be clicked on for informative links.