Almost a year late but my 2010 yearlist now has a new addition.

Last November a pale redpoll was found with the twite on the brackish marsh and the id features led me to say that it was a mealy. Unknown to me, the bird was seen by some people far more experienced that myself and it had been submitted as an Arctic.

Fart-forward a year and I was talking to Andy Stoddart this morning about the Coues's Arctic redpoll that is about at the moment and it was he who had identified last years bird. Andy has kindly commented on my photos and I am now able to change the identification and increase my 2010 yearlist to 210.

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

I have to say that the Snettisham WeBS count doesn't always inspire me with much joy but today was different. The morning was bright and crisp after a light frost and the tide was high enough to bring the birds in close. The only downside was the results of the surge tide last night. The main access path to the end hides were blocked by flooding and there was even water coming through the shingle bank onto the pits!

A change of route allowed me to pick up part of the white-fronted goose flock that has recently arrived with 65 flying out onto the local fields. The pits were quiet, so it was the long walk along the seawall to the count the saltmarsh and mud. By the end of the count the knot figure (partly counted by Jim) was just under 30,000, 1300 dunlin, 3000 oystercatcher, 2 peregrine and a further 21 white-fronts on the Sandringham farmland.

Once I got back to Titchwell, it was apparent that we had not escaped the tide with 4-6' of dunes being lost and also a small amount of water on the main path at volunteer marsh! A nice adult whooper swan dropped onto the new reedbed pool and a male hen harrier roosted.

Just heard from Keith that one of the chaffinches we re-trapped on Saturday morning was originally rung on the site in September 2003!

Despite very windy conditions this morning we had a very productive ringing session with 92 bird processed of which 27 were new. The main highlight came from the first bird of the day, a Danish ringed blackbird! Other goodies were the 2nd kestrel in the last 2 weeks (an adult male), 3 redwing, 4 bullfinch (+4 re-traps) and a goldcrest.

Thankfully, the weather on day 2 was far better and it was nice to be able to see more than 100m!!

I started early with a quick look at Gypsy Lane. Most of the geese from earlier in the week had moved on but the 8 barnacle geese were still present along with the Dutch neck collared (green SXX) greylag. 5 marsh harrier, ringtail hen harrier and a barn owl madeit worthwhile.

First stop with the group was to overlook the marshes at Burnham Overy. Straight away we picked up a common buzzard perched in a hedge and then noticed 2 birds together over the dunes. Although distant, we had good views of a rough-legged buzzard and marsh harrier interacting.

Holkham was quiet with still no geese along Lady Ann's Drive. Another common buzard put in an appearance but the highlight was a vey mobile flock of 45 snow bunting. While waiting for the minibus to pick us up, I picked up an adult peregrine on the ground.

A quick stop at Brancaster was well worthwhile with a nice close flock of turnstone but best of all, 45 twite.

After lunch I headed back to the harbour for another look. The twite had moved further out onto the saltmarsh but I did manage to read a herring gull BTO ring and get 2 colour ring combinations from the turnstone.

Ended the day with 3 short-eared owls and a male hen harrier at Thornham.

Cracking couple of days again.

Another 2-day tour with Stuart http://www.birdtour.co.uk/ started off in very different conditions to the last one. The day started with thick fog but that quickly cleared, unfortunatly that was due to the heavy rain that arrived soon after we got to Titchwell! A sit in the minibus while the heaviest passed over and then off. First bird of the morning was the calling yellow-browed warbler but it didn't show due the heavy rain again! Fen Hide produced 3 very wet looking marsh harriers but not a great deal else. We split the group and I headed off to Parrinder Hide. The fresh marsh was again covered in birds with 1000 golden plover, 5 snipe and loads of wildfowl. A call from Stuart alerted us of a male hen harrier over the saltmarsh but unfortunatly we missed it. The sea was good with at least 60 red breasted merganser, 10 eider, 20 goldeneye and a fly-over snow bunting which could be seen in the low mist! Water rails on the tidal pool and by the visitor centre completed a damp but productive morning.

An increasingly murky afternoon started well. Just as we got out of the minibus at Thornham harbour I picked up the male hen harrier flying over the saltmarsh towards us. It showed really well and the whole group had now seen it. Almost straight away I picked up 2 short eared owls in together over the seawall behind us. Although the light was now very poor and it had started to drizzle, we had good views of the two birds hunting over the rough grassland.

Final stop was the Thornham harrier roost but despite the conditions we did see the hen harrier again.

Hopefully the weather tomorrow for Holkham will be better!!

Despite an impending heavy night in Boston, I managed to get out and have a look around Frampton with JB. Last time I saw the site (in April) it was very dry and there wasn't a great deal to see. This time was very different. The reedbed was hooching with wildfowl, loads of teal and wigeon and a nice female scaup with the tufties. The scrapes were also covered in wildfowl including 23 barnacle, 300 brent and 21 white fronted geese and a fly-over snow bunting. The reserve is looking awesome with lots of water on and is only going to get better as the reedbed becomes more established - bittern this week proves it.

Views over the scrapes from 360 hide

Scaup on reedbed

Barnacles and brents on scrapes

Decent ringing session included an immature male kestrel (ringing tick), male bullfinch but surprisingly no blackbirds given the numbers around at the moment.