It was a really foggy start driving in first thing this morning, with a real chill in the air after yesterday’s brief mild conditions! The wind had also swung from southerly to W/NW.

It was a quiet morning ringing but the conditions were good with no sun and very little wind. I caught 26 birds of 18 species including 17 new birds and 9 retraps including 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Chaffinch, 6 Robin, 3 Goldfinch, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 6 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Dunnock and 1 Wren. It was nice to catch a couple of male Chaffinch having heard them sing a lot over the past couple of days! The males have such a striking lime green rump which I think is difficult to appreciate in the field.

Chaffinch rump, ooft!

Ringing and ageing birds is often a game of spot the difference, which is easier in some species than others. One of the male Chaffinch I caught was a bird hatched last year in 2025, it had two very noticeable old greater coverts (browner than the nice replaced black feathers). An adult Chaffinch (a bird bird hatched in 2024 or older) would have no contrasts in the feathers and they would all be replaced and in good condition.

Chaffinch showing two old greater coverts (OGCs)

Otherwise around the reserve there were some decent birds found today with a single Snow Bunting and Shore Lark on the beach towards Gore Point. There were also 115 White-fronted Geese on the grazing marsh viewable from the hides but difficult to see. There were a couple of Great White Egret over the grazing marsh, a Greenshank from the car park hide and a drake Pintail still on the Broadwater.

A lovely early spring moth trap today with 9 species including 10 Hebrew Character, 2 Mottled Grey, 2 Dotted Border, 1 Brindled Pug, 1 Common Plume, 2 Common Quaker, 1 Satellite, 1 March Moth and 2 Coastal Buff.

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk Snow Bunting Holme Dunes NWT still on beach c52.9748,0.5542

Norfolk FERRUGINOUS DUCK drk Holkham Hall still 12.01pm on The Lake c52.9528,0.8006 Viewed from c52.9529,0.7990

Norfolk 2.Hawfinches Lynford Arboretum still in paddock c52.5103,0.6805

Norfolk 3.Glossy Ibises just east of Stiffkey still on flood south of A149 at 10.50am c52.9541,0.9431

Norfolk FERRUGINOUS DUCK drk Holkham Hall still on The Lake opposite monument at 9.20am c52.9528,0.8006 Viewed from c52.9529,0.7990

Norfolk Common Crane ad Rawhall still 8.49am at Old Beetley at School Road Flash 52.7317,0.9079: Viewed from 52.7296,0.9055

Norfolk Common Crane ad Rawhall still at Old Beetley at School Road Flash 52.731,0.9071: Viewed from 52.7294,0.9062