Wednesday 28th January 2026: Holme to Hunstanton and Burnham Overy Staithe

 We woke to clear skies and sunshine, and with a Redwing from our room and a Barn Owl over breakfast, we were set fair for a good day’s birding.

Barn Owl

We started by the golf course at Holme, walking across to the saltmarsh where we soon found Stonechat, Rock Pipit and Skylark flitting about the vegetation. Walking towards the beach to scan for Snow Bunting without success, we scoped Sanderling, Dunlin and Oystercatcher on the shoreline. Heading towards Hunstanton, we followed the track by the marsh. In the channel we found plenty of Redshank, a few Wigeon, a single Curlew and a Kingfisher, perched on a stone wall, before it sped off round the corner. A Little egret was new here too, then a Black-tailed Godwit landed just feet away from us and a flock of Goldfinch circled round before settling on the saltmarsh nearby. 

Black-tailed Godwit

We crossed the channel and scanned the beach, noting a large troop of Oystercatchers, but no new species. We decided to return along the dunes, with views of the sea and marsh. I spotted a group of Bar-tailed Godwits foraging on the shoreline, and a raft of Wigeon on the sea, whilst Tim called three Marsh Harriers which passed overhead.

Next we headed to Burnham Overy, and took a walk along the sea wall, part of the coast path. This was a lovely route, with superb views across the marshes. There were flocks of Brent Geese moving around the fields, calling gently as they passed over. Our first Meadow Pipit was foraging in the grass beside the path, and large flocks of Wigeon fed in the fields alongside the Brents. Scanning the channel, we found restless Redshank, meandering Curlew and a tight flock of Ringed Plover huddled on a sandbank. Nearby, a line of spangled Grey Plover roosted, heads tucked beneath their wings. Dunlin and Oystercatcher were scattered across the mudflats, with a few Shelduck here too adding a bold splash of colour. The path overlooked some pools, and here a few Teal and Tufted Ducks added to the mix, plus three Pink-footed Geese mingled amongst a flock of Wigeon. A distant Snipe was scoped here too.

Back at the harbour, we took a boat trip out towards the sea, searching for a Red-necked Grebe. The boatman had seen this earlier today, and it had been present for several weeks, but we had no joy. Nevertheless it was a very enjoyable and relaxing trip, with excellent views of many of the species seen from the sea wall, but this time they were much closer, and remained very relaxed as we drifted past. The boatman spotted a Merlin cross the saltmarsh at breakneck speed, and we just about managed to track it briefly before it disappeared from view. A pair of Little Grebes ducked and dived by a stone breakwater, with some Turnstones pottering on the top. A sandbank stretching across the harbour mouth, contained an incredible number of loafing gulls, making an impressive sight. These were predominantly Common Gulls, but with a few Black-headed Gulls mixed amongst them and just two Great Black-Backed Gulls. Red-breasted Mergansers on the water were another highlight, with a female seen well at the harbour mouth, and a spiky-haired male looking fabulous in the harbour itself as our trip came to an end. 

We finished the day with a brief stop at Lady Anne’s Drive at Holkham, where we added Shoveler and a solitary Pintail to our tally for the day. 

Burnham Overy