A day all about seawatching given the wind conditions (a total of 7 hours seawatching across the day!), and what a day it was recording a whopping 1623 individual birds of 41 species! By far the highlights of the day were firstly a Leach’s Petrel which appeared at middle distance flying west giving fantastic views before disappearing at the turbines! We suspect it may have landed on the sea, or was just lost to view due to the choppy conditions. Then, at near enough low tide when we were just thinking about giving up for the day a Black Guillemot flew west close in, right on the surf, mega! It’s only the second one I’ve seen in Norfolk and the first at Holme, not a common bird here. We also had 23 Arctic Skua, 5 Bonxie and 16 Manx Shearwater, many of which were flying pretty close in. It also marked the arrival of our first Pink-footed Geese of the year with 47 recorded on the seawatch.

Our totals for other species across the day included 168 Common Scoter, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Fulmar, 135 Gannet, 70 Cormorant, 14 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Golden Plover, 29 Grey Plover, 3 Whimbrel, 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 76 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7 Turnstone, 51 Sanderling, 1 Razorbill, 7 Auk sp., and it was a great day for terns moving with many distant but totals included 4 Little Tern, 2 Black Tern, 136 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Tern, 1 Arctic Tern and 476 Tern sp. A Long-tailed and Pom Skua were also reported from other observers.

Not a good photo but typical views today of the Manx Shearwater, a small bird in some big waves! – photo by Shannon Clifford 

Otherwise around the Obs it was nice to see the Greenfinch back with 2 in the Silver Birch from the hides, a Kestrel was causing mayhem amongst the building Starling flock on the grazing marsh and 2 Greenshank and 2 Snipe were showing well on the Broadwater.

Common Snipe – photo by Seamus Griffin

We had some nice diversity for our Wednesday moth morning with totals added below. Highlights were Agriphila latistria, a local moth in Norfolk and not common at Holme, 1 Pearly Underwing and 2 Delicate.

Agriphila latistria aka the White-streaked Grass-moth

There were 2 Willow Emerald Damselfly again mating in the NOA staff car park and decided to have a rest on the van!

Willow Emerald Damselflies mating

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk 4.Glossy Ibises Cley NWT flew west from The Serpentine at 2.10pm 52.961,1.0634: Viewed from 52.9595,1.0649

Norfolk RED-FOOTED FALCON juv flew west Blakeney Harbour at 2.33pm c52.9680,0.9719

Norfolk RED-FOOTED FALCON juv Cley NWT at East Bank then flew west c52.9586,1.0650

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad Sea Palling still SW of The Marrams on wires viewed from double metal gates at 1.30pm NR12 0AL 52.7888,1.585. Viewed from 52.7948,1.5892. Park at c52.7892,1.6016

Norfolk 3.Long-tailed Skuas juv flew east Sheringham 8am-8.20am c52.9458,1.2069 Park at c52.9451,1.2067

Norfolk Spotted Crake Titchwell RSPB still 1.05pm on Freshmarsh from Island hide c52.9684,0.6069 Viewed from c52.9673,0.6048 Park at c52.9629,0.6063

Norfolk White Stork (ringed) Shotesham still 12.49pm in field north of Shotesham Great Wood c52.5343,1.3114

Norfolk Long-tailed Skua juv flew east Sheringham at 8.20am (+juv Caspian Gull on beach) c52.9458,1.2069 Park at c52.9451,1.2067

Norfolk 1.Pom Skua flew south past Hopton-on-Sea mid-morning c52.5368,1.7445

Norfolk 2.Little Stints Cley Marshes NWT +2.Spotted Redshanks c52.9552,1.0758

Norfolk 2.Curlew Sands Titchwell RSP on Freshmarsh at 10.17am +3.Little Stints c52.9683,0.6093 Park at c52.9628,0.6065

Norfolk White Stork (ringed) Shotesham again in field east of St.Martin’s Church at 9.49am c52.5420,1.3034

Norfolk Spotted Crake Titchwell RSPB still 9.36am on Freshmarsh from Island hide c52.9684,0.6069 Viewed from c52.9673,0.6048 Park at c52.9629,0.6063

Norfolk Spotted Crake Titchwell RSPB still on Freshmarsh from Island hide c52.9684,0.6069 Viewed from c52.9673,0.6048 Park at c52.9629,0.6063

Norfolk Wood Sand Setchey still at Setch Road Clay Pits c52.7055,0.4332