Well, what a day!! We started off getting on site before 6am to have a go at ringing though the forecast wasn’t the most promising with every forecast saying something different, so we weren’t sure if we would get any nets open at all. We were treated to the local Tawny Owl hooting away as the sun only started to rise. By 7am the wind had swung direction meaning we could open more nets and it ended up being a very productive morning numbers wise with the highlight being an apparent local Tit movement with 21 new Long-tailed Tit caught (our resident flock is more or less all ringed) and 1 control Blue Tit (a bird ringed elsewhere not by us)! Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting were also on the move with 12 and 9 ringed, respectively. We also caught a Sparrowhawk, not a bird often caught here with the last being a single bird in 2024.

That stare……

Our ringing totals are below.

**birds in brackets () are retraps.

• Long-tailed Tit 21 (3)
• Blackcap 2
• Chiffchaff 1
• Meadow Pipit 12
• Reed Warbler 1
• Reed Bunting 9
• Blue Tit 3 (3)
• Linnet 5
• Dunnock 2
• Sparrowhawk 1
• Wren (1)
• Robin (1)
• Goldcrest (1)
• Coal Tit (1)
• Cetti’s Warbler (1)

After some well earned lunch (and a coffee) we went off to look for the Lapland Bunting which was found yesterday and had been seen in the morning though was being elusive, and we had a very similar experience having had it once in an hour on the saltmarsh towards Thornham Channel. Sun glare and wind made viewing conditions challenging to say the least.

We headed back along the beach to look for the Snow Bunting which had also been found yesterday and it was showing very well, actively foraging (and catching) some good sized insects. As I was watching it and trying to get some nice photos, we heard an unmistakable sound, as Ed cried out “BEE-EATER” and we looked up and there it was, fluttering over the pines catching insects. Absolutely unbelievable! We ran off the beach trying to relocate it, as we didn’t see which direction it went in as it dropped out of view for us. Another local birder on the boardwalk had picked it up at the same time as us and thought it looked like it was roughly going west. Despite lots of searching it wasn’t relocated. The Bee-eater was the 9th record for Holme with the last being 2019, and the first September record since 1988! I managed to get a few record shots which showed it was successful in catching a dragonfly! What a bird. There can’t many places in the world where you can see Snow Bunting and Bee-eater in the same view, let alone day…!

A splash of colour as the Bee-eater went after a dragonfly, and the wonderful Snow Bunting shortly before we got somewhat distracted

For moths it was pretty similar to previous catches with numbers dominated by 62 Lunar Underwing, 13 Large Yellow Underwing and 29 Beet Moth. The highlights were 1 Beaded Chestnut, 1 Mottled Rustic, 5 Feathered Ranunculus and 6 Deep Brown Dart.

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk Y-br Wblr Beeston Regis still 4.10pm in bushes east of church just west of 1st.house c52.9410,1.2347

Norfolk Garganey Titchwell RSPB on Reedbed Pool c52.9660,0.6056

Norfolk Black Guillemot juv Cley still 3.13pm east of wreck on sea +Black Tern offshore c52.9668,1.0489

Norfolk Bee-eater Holme Dunes NWT flew west over Broadwater at 2.26pm 52.9734,0.5501

Norfolk Snow Bunting Holme Dunes NWT still on beach c52.9754,0.5427

Norfolk Y-br Wblr Beeston Regis still 12.45pm in bushes east of church c52.9410,1.2347

Norfolk 4.Glossy Ibises Cley NWT in field south of Watling Water c52.9542,1.0766 Park at c52.9550,1.0647

Norfolk Caspian Gull 1w Waxham c52.7795,1.6188

Norfolk 2.Garganey Breydon Water c52.6148,1.7117

Norfolk Y-br Wblr Beeston Regis still 11.20am in bushes east of church c52.9410,1.2347

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad Sea Palling still 10.40am SW of The Marrams viewed from double metal gates tho distant NR12 0AL 52.7911,1.5839: Park at 52.7894,1.6013; Viewed from 52.795,1.5892

Norfolk Black Guillemot juv Cley still 10.29am on sea c52.9668,1.0489

Norfolk Lapland Bunting male Holme Dunes NWT again briefly on saltmarsh near Thornham channel at 10.25am c52.9713,0.5713

Norfolk Y-br Wblr Beeston Regis still 9.50am in bushes east of church c52.9409,1.2361

Norfolk Black-throated Diver Sea Palling c300-400yds offshore at 9.10am c52.7930,1.6149

Norfolk 3.Glossy Ibises Salthouse in a field between road +sea at 8.49am 52.9543,1.0894

Norfolk Black Guillemot juv Cley still on sea east of the wreck at 8.42am c52.9668,1.0489

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad Sea Palling still SW of The Marrams viewed from double metal gates at 8.14am tho distant NR12 0AL 52.7911,1.5839: Park at 52.7894,1.6013; Viewed from 52.795,1.5892

Norfolk Y-br Wblr Beeston Regis in bushes east of church at 7.40am c52.9409,1.2361