It was a really breezy day with a strong south westerly at the Obs and another day too windy for ringing unfortunately! But it was another nice day birding in the Holme recording area with highlights including at least 2 Ring Ouzel, 2 Redstart and 7 Wheatear. We had a nice fly over Yellow Wag calling at the car park hides and a continuing trickle in off Hirundines across the day with at least 24 Swallow, 12 House Martin and 7 Sand Martin.

On the beach, there was one Whimbrel and small numbers of Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Brent Geese. On the sea, a few Sandwich Tern were passing mid-morning and a flock of approx. 100 Common Scoter were offshore but quiet otherwise on the sea. There was a Sedge Warbler singing at the NWT entrance and at least 3 Whitethroat were around the dunes. There was a large flock of 89 Curlew (along with 10 Black-tailed Godwit) on the car park pools, with 3 headstarted Curlew (yellow flags) and one Wash Wader Ringing Group bird (white flag). Well worth checking through the Curlew flocks for colour rings!

There were no moths in the traps this morning at all, the first blank of the year! There were 3 Speckled Wood together in what felt like the only sheltered spot in the whole site at the back of the pines (from the coastal public footpath).

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk Arctic Tern Ranworth Broad NWT breifly c52.6827,1.4872

Norfolk Pied Flycatcher Winterton this morning c52.7179,1.6982

Norfolk Ring Ouzel male Holme Dunes NWT in dunes then flew towards beach c52.9747,0.5481

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE Sea Palling still 12.35pm north of Hickling Road +Stalham Road juction c52.7869,1.5866

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE Sea Palling still 11.40am north of Hickling Road c52.7833,1.5915

Norfolk 2.Ring Ouzels (both males) Brograve Level at 11.02am 52.7637,1.6406: Viewed from 52.7644,1.6427

Norfolk Pied Flycatcher Titchwell RSPB at 10.30am c52.9632,0.6063

Norfolk Common Crane flew east Dersingham Bog at 10.35am c52.8296,0.4763