Today was to be the first full day birdwatching in Norfolk - and where better to spend it than one of my favourite reserves in existence; the wonderful Holkham.
I usually make an annual pilgrimage to this wonderful place to pick up Norfolk's winter specialities and this year was no different. After waking up at quarter to 7, I made my way towards Lady Anne's Drive underneath the red sky of sunrise.
The first port of call was to be the A149 lay-by just before Lady-Anne's Drive where a sizeable flock of White-fronted geese had been hanging out. Having only seen this species once (this one sighting was also coincidentally at Holkham) I couldn't resist having a go at seeing my favourite species of goose. As I pulled into the lay-by, a large flock of geese was immediately in sight, I raised my binoculars and BOOM - there were the flock of White-fronted Geese.
As I was admiring the sizeable flock, a flash of something white and very Owl-like caught my eye. Eventually, the bird in question took flight and came into view - a hunting Barn Owl and a fantastic way to start the day. The bird flew over the White-fronted Geese several times and even posed on a distant post briefly to allow for a few record shots. It's always great finding a hunting Owl!
As I stood admiring the Owl, the White-fronts gradually edged closer and allowed for some fantastic views. If I had a camera I'm sure I would've managed some great shots. Mixed in with the star geese were also some Pink-feet, some Greylags and a nice pair of Egyptian Geese. A distant Jay and a few Common Buzzards were also nice additions to the day's list. After taking a considerable battering from more bad weather and being satisfied with my fill of Geese, I decided to head on towards the beach in the hope of seeing Holkham's main attraction - Shorelark and Snow Bunting.
As I parked up at Lady Anne's Drive, I was greeted with huge numbers of birds. Wigeon and Teal were only a few metres away and large numbers of Lapwings patrolled the fields. 2 Song Thrush also proved to be a nice addition to the year list which is still in its infant stages. However, a few dumpy-looking birds caught my eye and a check in my binoculars revealed that they were in fact Holkham's resident group of Grey Partridge - a declining bird that I seldom get to see. Underneath the shelter of a tree, I enjoyed seriously close views of the birds who seemed unphased by my presence.
Satisfied with my views, I moved on towards The Lookout where I enjoyed a warm coffee and some decent views of a Marsh Harrier. But it was time for the serious business now. I headed through the pines towards the beach in the hope of seeing the reserve's star birds. On the way, a few Shelduck and a sizeable flock of Brent Geese kept me entertained - but I kept my brisk pace up and headed towards the 'roped off' part of the gap.
Upon arrival I was informed that the Shorelarks were in fact showing and I was kindly pointed in the right direction of one of the birds which was showing fairly decently. I was relieved at having connected with truly one of my favourite species to see - I love how bland they look before showing the brilliant flash of yellow and black on their faces. To the right of us, a large flock of birds took flight from the roped off area and it quickly became evident that they were in fact a group of 30 or so Snow Buntings. Delighted at connecting with all 3 target species of the day, I breathed a sigh of relief.
But the best was yet to come, with a bit of patience the Shorelarks gradually got closer and closer and before I knew it they were showing at point blank range! All my previous views of this species were in poor conditions with the birds proving to be elusive - needless to say, this was by far my best ever view of Shorelark.
After watching the birds for what must have been close to an hour, I eventually moved on towards the sea to see what I could muster. It was unusually quiet with at least 6 Red-breasted Mergansers showing at a considerable distance. A lone black Eider also braved the waves and proved to be a nice addition to the year list. However, a fellow birder managed to locate a lone Grebe associating with the Mergansers. With a bit of scrutiny this was eventually identified as a Red-necked Grebe - yet another quality bird to add to the year list.
With a rare appearance of the sun, I decided to head back towards The Lookout for a much needed sausage roll and some warmth. However, there was one more surprise in store. After devouring my food I was pointed in the direction of a White-tailed Eagle! Although distant and not completely wild, it was still insane to see my first ever Eagle perched in a dead tree and a fantastic end to my stay at Holkham.
Being aware of how finite the light was, I got back into the Mini and headed towards Warham Greens. Having almost got stuck in the mud whilst dipping Pallid harrier a couple of months back, I decided instead to park at North Point Pools and take the long walk round. This proved to be a good idea as 10 minutes into the walk I managed to find my second Barn Owl of the day - yet another surprise. I watched the bird hunting in the golden sunlight before deciding that I really needed to head on if I was to arrive in time for the raptor roost.
When I got to Garden drove, I was greeted by a deflated-looking group of birders - none of whom had connected with any form of a ringtail Harrier. Nevertheless, my spirits weren't dampened as I began to scan the marsh for Harriers. A few Marsh Harriers patrolled distantly but nothing noteworthy was found. But as the light began to go, things really began to look up. A distant female Hen Harrier was picked up arriving to roost - a bird that I was frankly delighted to see as I have only ever seen a few Hen Harriers in my entire life!
But then the magical happened. Another ringtail Harrier was picked up flying into roost. As it banked it revealed remarkably orange underparts - there was no mistaking what it was; a juvenile female Pallid Harrier. As the happy group of birders tracked the bird, it eventually sat on the deck and posed for all of us providing good (if fairly distant views). Finally I had connected with the long-staying Norfolk bird - a great addition to the year list and only my second ever after the Pallid at Migfest last year.
But there was to be one more surprise in store. As I was talking to a birder whom I discovered to be the finder of Britain's first ever Least Bittern, he exclaimed looking behind me "WOODCOCK"! I just managed to turn my head in time and catch the rear end of this enigmatic species before it settled in a nearby bush. This was a truly special sighting as it my 250th species seen in Britain and completely unexpected. Needless to say, I didn't manage a picture of the bird but was truly made up at achieving this milestone, even if the manner in which it was achieved was somewhat anti-climatic.
After the excitement of this bird and it now being black, I decided to call it a day and head back towards the car. The Barn Owl that I had found earlier led the way back towards North Point Pools, posing and flying in front of me on several occasions. Another probable Woodcock also flew out in front of me again. What a fantastic end to another wonderful day spent in North Norfolk!
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