Unfortunatly, some numpty in high-vis managed to cut through the phonelines at the end of last week hence no recent updates.

I was nice to get the whole weekend out birding (once the windscreen cracked was repaired) and although not amazing I caught up with some decent birds. The only place I didn't go was Cley. I just couldn't be bothered with fighting to get into the hides with a bunch of idiots but will probably go this weekend when it is quieter.

Saturday started of with a tour of the back roads looking for goose flocks. They seen to be flighty this year but I did manage to find a small flock containing 2 tundra beans. Two adult med gulls were the highlights at Brancaster Harbour but I did manage to get a few photos of some of the gulls and waders that were present. The rest of the day was taken up around Gypsy Lane (2 barnacle and 2 white-fronted geese) and a walk out to Holme and back producing 2 short-eared owl and 19 marsh harrier.

Birds @ Brancaster Harbour

Ringed herring gull

Close-up of ring GG93791 (details to follow when I get them)

Juv herring gull

Roosting ringed plover

Don't know where this bird if from yet but it has been present on the last 3 visits

Sunday was an early start as I was leading a Pinkie Breakfast event with Dave at Snettisham. The geese performed pretty well with ca25,000 leaving the roost plus 25 snow bunting and 4 whooper swans.

After an Overdraft (monster cooked breakfast at the Old Bank) it was off to locate some goose flocks. The only big flock I found (2000) contained a single barnacle and at least 3 tundra beans. A quick walk around Burnham Norton produced very little, it is very dry at the moment, apart from a ringtail hen harrier so it was off to Warham Greens for the roost.

On arrival, a short-eared owl was hunting along the edge of the saltmarsh giving great views showing down to 20m. The highlight was a flyby rough-legged buzzard that was mobbed by a male hen harrier but unfortunatly neither bird stayed. By the time it had got too dark to see I had added peregrine, merlin, kestrel, marsh harrier and a ringtail hen harrier to the raptor list!

Tundra bean geese near Anmer