Saturday 30th June - Norfolk Birding Day Tour

Today was a day tour, we started with running through the contents of last nights, moth trap. Unsurprisingly, in the warm weather there was a nice selection - highlights from the trap were:-  2 Burnished Brass, 2 Eyed Hawkmoth,  Elephant hawkmoth, Peppered Moth, Scorched Wing, Latticed heath & Ghost Moth. Including Small Magpie, there was 29 species & around 60 individuals.


We then headed up to the coast, a really nice surprise drifted low across the road -  a male HONEY BUZZARD, it appeared to have come down low after a squally shower had just started we had brief but very good views as it flew east & was mobbed by crow. We hung around for 20 minutes after the shower cleared but didn't see it again. We then headed on further north, we stopped off at a good vantage point & scanning produced a good selection of birds - 6+ Marsh Harrier, 8+ Buzzard, a RED KITE,  Sparrowhawk & Kestrel. Plus good views of a Turtle Dove.


We then tried another location - more raptors, in fact raptors galore! 10+ Buzzard, 10+ Marsh Harrier, 2 Hobby, 3+ RED KITE, but star & unlikeliest bird was an adult dark phase ARCTIC SKUA, which flew towards us & then overhead flying strongly & inland.


We then headed over to an estuarine area, here on arrival we had a SPOONBILL fly over. We then had nice views of 2 Little Terns fishing, plus Common Tern. Several more Marsh Harrier put in appearances, plus another Hobby. Less expected was a single Pink-footed Goose, an over summering bird that was probably unwell in the spring & didn't make the journey north.


We rounded the day off at a coastal fen, with a good selection of birds, a summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, & at least 6 superb adult Mediterannean Gulls!

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