Wednesday 24th January 2024: Titchwell, Holkham, Stiffkey

 We started the day with a pre-breakfast visit to Titchwell in search of Woodcock. We had been advised by a volunteer that the best chance to see one was as they flew into roost around 7am, but it would all be over by 7.15. And so it proved! As light was breaking we scanned the skies for bird-like shapes. Early risers included a few silhouetted Pigeons and Blackbirds, but soon, as the day brightened we were able to make out the distinctive wing shape, rapid, whirring wing beats and long downward bill of Woodcocks coming in to land. They flew in very fast and dropped quickly into the vegetation but at least five were seen well. A promising start to the day, and with fine weather forecast, we had great hopes for a good day’s birding.

Unfortunately, it proved to be a day of dips! After breakfast we headed to Holkham, generally a great destination with a multitude of birds. Today, it was bereft of activity. There were no White-fronted Geese to be found in their usual field by the road. From Lady Anne’s Drive, there were plenty of wildfowl, predominantly Wigeon and Teal, but none of the interesting waders or winter thrushes we have found in previous years. With large flooded areas, we surmised the conditions were perhaps just too wet. Walking through the pines we found a single Goldcrest foraging which showed well for several minutes. We scoured the length and breadth of the saltmarsh in a hopeless search for Shore Larks, but no success. Tim and I briefly had a bird with a yellowish face in the bins, but it flew off before we could get closer to confirm any ID. 

We left the beach to view the fresh marsh from the hide, but the fields where thousands of Pink-footed Geese should be seen were pretty much deserted. Another birder alerted us to a vast flock of around 1000 scoters on the sea. We headed to the beach, and it was certainly an impressive spectacle, a great line of birds stretching across the bay, with more coming to join them as we watched. We walked closer to the sea, but frustratingly they were too far out to be able to distinguish any Velvet Scoters amongst them. We marched back across the dunes and saltmarsh, again scanning fruitlessly for Shore Lark, before arriving exhausted back at the car park. Imagine our dismay to then discover on Birdguides the larks had just been re-found! 

We were too tired to try again, so instead headed to Stiffkey, where a Glossy Ibis has been reported over several weeks. Could we find it? No! We were informed that it had just disappeared after showing well five minutes previously.

Our last attempt to find a new bird was back at Brancaster beach, with hopes of a Black-necked Grebe in the channel. The tide was rising, but Sue was determined and set off at pace to reach the channel. Tim was flagging after the long walk earlier in the day carrying a heavy scope and camera, and was anxious about the tide so we lingered on the beach to wait for Sue. Eventually, prompted by our concerned phone call, she returned without any success at finding the bird. We walked back along the beach, enjoying some lively Sanderling, highly entertaining with their clockwork runs, fleeing the waves like excited, squealing children. 

Sanderling

As we approached the entrance to the beach, we were a little alarmed to see it was now inaccessible due to the incoming tide. However, we were able to scramble up over the rocks onto a grassy bank and reach the path, relieved we had not delayed any longer. But our adventure was not over, for as we left the car park the road ahead was covered in water.  Sue then remembered a sign indicating it was a tidal road…! Luckily we managed to drive slowly through the rapidly rising water, but it was a narrow escape! We shan’t be forgetting that experience in a hurry.

Our last stop was again at Thornham in fading light, where we enjoyed the spectacle of this tidal road flooded, which we have not encountered before. Despite the lack of birds, it had been a memorable day, with some magical moments and laughter offsetting the disappointing bird list.

Thornham Harbour