A mega day for seawatching with the wind blowing northerly and picking up as the morning went on. The conditions and light were good most of the day with just a few heavy showers passing through leading to some amazing rainbows and atmospheric seawatching conditions!

Across the day we recorded good numbers of gull and wildfowl passage with 272 Brent Geese (including some Pale-bellied birds seen), 127 Wigeon, 37 Teal, 3 Velvet Scoter, 7 Pintail, 30 Eider, 161 Common Scoter, 69 Black-headed Gull, 3 Med Gull, 88 Kittiwake and a whopping 283 Common Gull!

A great day for Common Gull passage with what felt like a steady stream of them for most of the day

It was a great day in general for a range of species moving past Holme with 231 Gannet 1 Fulmar, 6 Manx Shearwater and some cracking scarcer birds including 6 Sooty Shearwater, 3 Bonxie, 3 Leach’s Petrel, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Pom Skua, 7 Arctic Skua and 2 Long-tailed Skua. There were also 4 Short Eared Owl in off the sea as well!!

Atmospheric Gannet, passing an impressive rainbow

Mid-morning we picked up an Arctic Skua on the horizon that, along with a Great Black-backed Gull, was hassling a thrush. We soon realised the bird being pursued by the Skua and Gull was a Blackbird, which would have just crossed the North Sea and was battling to make it to land. We sadly didn’t see if it made it, but a cruel reminder of what these birds go through when they migrate!

Around the Observatory there were 5 Redpoll, 2 Brambling, 2 Blackbird and a noticeable increase in Goldcrest, however it didn’t feel like there had been a big arrival of birds throughout the day! There were 2 Jack Snipe and 2 Greenshank on the Broadwater. The 3 Shore Lark were still at the east end of the beach.

Moths were much quieter today with only 9 species recorded with 9 Narrow-winged Grey, 2 Deep Brown Dart, 16 Large Wainscot, 9 Beet Moth, 8 Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Lunar Underwing, 3 Beaded Chestnut, 1 Black Rustic and 1 Dark Chestnut.

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk Sooty S’water flew east Cley Marshes NWT at 2.03pm c52.9616,1.0573 Park at c52.9544,1.0563

Norfolk 3.Shorelarks east of Holme Dunes NWT still 2pm in dunes at east end c52.9740,0.5690 PE36 6LQ

Norfolk 2.Leach’s Petrels flew west past Holme Dunes by 1.53pm c52.9759,0.5562

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull ad Walcott NW off at 1.40pm c52.8425,1.5012

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull y’day flew past Bacton at 9.20am (+Black-throated Diver south) c52.8533,1.4774

Norfolk Snow Bunting Cley Marshes NWT on beach at 12.54pm c52.9625,1.0627: Park at c52.9544,1.0563

Norfolk Grey Phal flew west Cley Marshes NWT c52.9616,1.0573 Park at c52.9544,1.0563

Norfolk 12.Shorelark Walcott flew over Poachers Pocket at 12.35pm c52.8431,1.5010

Norfolk Black-throated Diver ad flew NW past Walcott at 12.30pm c52.8517,1.5188

Norfolk 3.Shorelarks east of Holme Dunes NWT still in dunes at 11.56am c52.9740,0.5690 PE36 6LQ

Norfolk Long-tailed Skua ad flew north Hunstanton at 11.56am c52.9415,0.4835

Norfolk Sooty S’water flew west Cley Marshes NWT at 11.48am c52.9616,1.0573 Park at c52.9544,1.0563

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull juv Mundesley offshore c52.8817,1.4419

Norfolk Long-tailed Skua flew east Cley Marshes NWT at 11.31am c52.9616,1.0573 Park at c52.9544,1.0563

Norfolk Grey Phal flew north Hunstanton c52.9415,0.4835

Norfolk Sooty S’water flew north Hunstanton at 10.33am c52.9415,0.4835

Norfolk Leach’s Petrel Sheringham flew west past seawatching shelter at 10.22am c52.9473,1.2073 Viewed from c52.9458,1.2069 Park at c52.9451,1.2067

Norfolk Mealy Redpoll Holkham Pines at Meals House c52.9713,0.7990

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull juv flew north Hunstanton at 10.02am c52.9415,0.4835

Norfolk Leach’s Petrel flew north past Winterton North Dunes at 9.40am c52.7179,1.6982

Norfolk Leach’s Petrel flew west past Cley at 9.23am c52.9651,1.0483

Norfolk Pom Skua flew east Kelling Water Meadow at 8.51am c52.9549,1.1166

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull Salthouse flew west Gramborough Hill at 8.43am c52.9541,1.1043

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull juv flew west past Weybourne at 8.38am c52.9496,1.1404

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull juv flew north Hunstanton at 8.20am c52.9415,0.4835

Norfolk Hawfinch Kettlestone in woods then flew high west c52.8461,0.9173

Norfolk Hawfinch flew south over Strumpshaw Fen RSPB at 7.45am c52.6074,1.4429 Park at c52.6071,1.4566

Norfolk Sabine’s Gull juv flew north past Walcott at 7.20am c52.8425,1.5012