The Whitlingham Bird Report for 2023 is now available to download from the Bird Reports page or from here

15th February 2009

Dad acted as chauffeur in a multi-site tour of the north west of the county. We set off at 8 for Dersingham Bog in the hope of Great Grey Shrike. As it happened we wandered around in birdless drizzel, but this was more than compensated for by a juvenile male Golden Pheasant, that wandered out of the road and into the rhododendrons at Wolferton Triangle.

At Hunstanton rain meant we couldnt see any scoter, let alone Velvet. I added Fulmar to the yearlist, and after a cup of tea at the lighthouse cafe, a mass of 1000+ Common Scoter were visible offshore, although no chance of picking out velvets. We carried on to Gypsy Lane, were the Black-necked Grebe was showing well, my first in Britain. In the area between here and Brancaster I also added Skylark, Water Pipit, Knot, Snow Bunting and Red-breasted Merganser.

We had lunch (and a pint of Wherry!) at the Ark Royal in Wells, and scoured the harbour. Six Little Grebes were no substitute for Slavonian, and a possible hybrid Dark-bellied Brent x Black Brant wasn't that exciting either. We finished the day at Holkham, where Adam added White-fronted Goose from the far hide. Having been told by a passing birder that the Short-eared Owl was visible at the end of the drive, we must have missed it by minutes, seeing only a distant Barn Owl.

Nine species added today, 126 Species now.

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