April Half Term

After hearing the Red breasted Geese had departed from Wells, and moved to Kings Lynn I was remaining optamistic that the birds would move around The Wash and eventually turn up at Snettisham. Sure enough, the birds were found friday night and we were watching them by Saturday morning (my first BOU lifer of 07). An added bonus was the Pale bellied Brent Goose that also hung around with the Brent flock, seen on at least 3 seperate occasions and picked out from my camera screen after checking the photos I had taken of the Red breasted! This bird was a UK400 club tick as I have always missed them whenever we had headed over towards Cley. The brent Goose photos either side were taken on the brackish marsh at Titchwell RSPB.

This female Common Scoter spent about a week on the pits and gave the best views I have ever had of the species. The Black-eared Kite was seen well on 3 more occasions and the female Serin at Heacham S beach just made into the northern corner of the Coastal Park, counting as a Coastal Park tick and giving me my 204th Snettisham species. A Marsh Tit ringed by me in the Coastal Park was the first to caught since 1996, and put my Coastal park list 0n 180. This is made up of anything on Ken Hill Marsh, between the 2 sea walls, (including the beach/out to sea) the road leading to the CP car park, and the fenceline behind the green hut at Heacham S beach

Redstart (Holme NWT) and Shorelark (Snettisham RSPB)

Migration was somewhat slow to get going and only really picked up towards the end of the 2nd week. Whilst Ring Ouzel where everywhere (I must have seen at least 34) Wheatear were really thin on the ground, with 8 being my highest count from any one sight. A summer male Lapland Bunting through Old Hunstanton Dunes was a surprise find and Dartford Warbler and Willow Tit also also added to the yearlist.