Another day of north westerlies and the first bit of frost was on the path this morning. It was a beautiful morning and sunrise, albeit pretty chilly in the wind! We had a great seawatch with our highlights including 1 Puffin, 5 Long-tailed Duck, 6 Goldeneye, 12 Little Gull, 21 Kittiwake, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Velvet Scoter, 6 Eider and 1 Slavonian Grebe. There were some other bits around going past during the seawatch with a juvenile Glaucous Gull going east over the dunes, and two Shore Lark and a Merlin flew past west on the beach. A Hen Harrier appeared in the dunes during our seawatch later being seen further west.

A beautiful Merlin charging west over the beach

In the afternoon whilst I was at the computer updating some membership related stuff, I heard the unmistakable trill of a Waxwing. It was sat on the Alder right outside the Obs being harassed by the local Goldfinch, which were not happy at all about having to share their usual tree! It sat for close to 10 minutes before flying west into the dunes, and then it flew back east again to seemingly tour most of the tree species present at the Obs – appearing over the Obs pines, before spending some time in the Birch tree, before being chased off by an unhappy Great Spotted Woodpecker, forcing it back into a Pine tree and then finally into the Poplar tree before disappearing!

Waxwing in one of the pine trees

Late afternoon, just as the sun started to go down after a lovely late autumn day, 2 Barn Owls hunted over Holme Marsh with a third in the paddocks around Redwell.

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk HUME’S WARBLER 1ml ENE of Stiffkey still 2.20pm at Stiffkey Fen in willows between A149 +1st gate c52.9548,0.9609

Norfolk Red-necked Grebe Sheringham flew past seawatching shelter at 7.52am +ad.drk.Velvet Scoter flew west c52.9473,1.2073 Viewed from c52.9458,1.2069 Park at c52.9451,1.2067

Norfolk Water Pipit Denver Sluice at Tallymore Farm NR c52.5910,0.3454

Norfolk Little Bunting Stiffkey still 12.15pm at east end of Campsite Wood in hedge +crop tho elusive c52.9563,0.9362 NR23 1QE

Norfolk 30+Snow Buntings Winterton Dunes still 52.7187,1.6976

Norfolk 5.Tundra Bean Geese Wiveton flew north over Letherpool Lane at 12.05pm 52.9506,1.0375

Norfolk c20.Snow Buntings Titchwell RSPB on beach at 11.56am 52.9739,0.6042

Norfolk Waxwing Holme Dunes near 1st hide at 11.42am c52.9748,0.5542

Norfolk 3.Glossy Ibises Cley NWT flew west over West Bank at 11.52am 52.9608,1.0489. Viewed from 52.9606,1.0473

Norfolk 3.Glossy Ibises Salthouse flew west over Iron Road at 11.48am +5.Shorelarks still (+4.Twite 6.Snow Buntings) c52.9583,1.0848 NR25 7XA

Norfolk FERRUGINOUS DUCK fem Filby Broad again 10.55am 52.6616,1.6395. Park at 52.6647,1.6381. Viewed from 52.6636,1.64 NR29 3AA

Norfolk 3.Snow Buntings Titchwell RSPB on beach at 10.28am 52.9739,0.6042

Norfolk DESERT WHEATEAR fem SE of Eccles-on-Sea still on beach off east end of Beach Road at 10.44am c52.8048,1.5765

Norfolk HUME’S WARBLER 1ml ENE of Stiffkey still 10.57am at Stiffkey Fen in willows between A149 +1st gate c52.9548,0.9609

Norfolk HUME’S WARBLER Holkham Pines still by Joe Jordan Hide. Park along Lady Anne’s Drive c52.9715,0.789 Park at c52.9660,0.8144

Norfolk Twite Salthouse still on shingle ridge east of north end of Iron Road 52.9555,1.0801. Park at 52.9534,1.0806

Norfolk Little Bunting Stiffkey still at east end of Campsite Wood in hedge at 9.30am tho elusive c52.9563,0.9362 NR23 1QE

Norfolk HUME’S WARBLER 1ml ENE of Stiffkey still at Stiffkey Fen in willows between A149 +1st gate at 9.10am c52.9548,0.9609

Norfolk Glaucous Gull juv flew east over Holme Dunes c52.9742,0.5525

Norfolk Waxwing flew south over Holkham Pines at 7.09am c52.9719,0.7815

Norfolk FERRUGINOUS DUCK fem y’day Cantley beet factory again 1.30pm c52.5692,1.5281. Sign in at security NR13 3SH then follow footpath SE along River Yare. Stay on permitted path, no other access