NWT Holme Dunes
Most of morning spent completing our monthly WeBs count. Some migration noted with a superb drake goosander flying high south-west over Holme Marsh along with two small groups of starlings totalling 55 west. On the sea four wigeon flew west and another came in off, a lone gannet flew west.
The WeBs produced little in the way of large counts other than 66 gadwall, 900 teal and 4200 common scoter. Three shorelark remained on Thornham Beach with 27 twite, three of which were colour-ringed and later read in the field by Robert Smith by photographing them. This was some feat as the wind was almost gale force as they fed deep in saltmarsh vegetation at Thornham Harbour...photos here
Earlier on the pools of 97 brent geese present only one was a first-year bird, clearly a very poor breeding season! Other highlights today included 1000+ pink-feet feeding on the grazing marshes, two velvet scoters and a ringtail hen harrier.
Saturday 28th November 2015
NWT Holme Dunes
A quick seawatch with few species moving west. Highlights; 2 eider, 5 red-throated diver, 10 fulmar, 9 bar-tailed godwits (from way offshore), kittiwake, 6 auks, skylark, and 3 starlings. These were the only species I considered migrants.
Also offshore 200 common scoter, 10 red-breasted merganser, 2 great crested grebe and a fine grey seal.
A quick seawatch with few species moving west. Highlights; 2 eider, 5 red-throated diver, 10 fulmar, 9 bar-tailed godwits (from way offshore), kittiwake, 6 auks, skylark, and 3 starlings. These were the only species I considered migrants.
Also offshore 200 common scoter, 10 red-breasted merganser, 2 great crested grebe and a fine grey seal.
NWT Holme Dunes
Surge of shelducks
After the stormy weather of yesterday the calmer conditions today produced the hoped for large wildfowl movement. The wildfowl did not disappoint, the star of which was the shelduck. The count (about 6.5hrs) recorded 740 birds moving west into The Wash. The Norfolk record movement for this species is 780 recorded at Sheringham in Oct 1974, and considering the gap in years this makes today's count that more special. Well done to Robert Smith and a team of other observers for stretching the count out in the hope of beating the Sheringham count, it was a valiant effort.
For more details of the days observations and counts see Trektellen
After the stormy weather of yesterday the calmer conditions today produced the hoped for large wildfowl movement. The wildfowl did not disappoint, the star of which was the shelduck. The count (about 6.5hrs) recorded 740 birds moving west into The Wash. The Norfolk record movement for this species is 780 recorded at Sheringham in Oct 1974, and considering the gap in years this makes today's count that more special. Well done to Robert Smith and a team of other observers for stretching the count out in the hope of beating the Sheringham count, it was a valiant effort.
For more details of the days observations and counts see Trektellen
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