View from one of the hides
Today I went on a trip to North-West Norfolk, specifically to Holme Dunes, to catch migrant birds, and to Snettisham for the wader spectacular of a spring tide. However on both counts I was fairly unlucky and got neither of what I wanted.
I arrived at Holme around midday and the weather was absolutely gorgeous, with a cloudless sunny sky. However the southerlies which led to this were also the worst winds for birdwatching and resulted in there being few birds about.
Holme is a large dune system behind which lies an area of grazing marsh. It is a large reserve managed by the local wildlife trust, within which is a bird observatory, managed by someone else. This is only the fifth time I've visited here, over a period stretching twenty years, so its not a place I know well.
The hides produced few birds, just a handful of DUCKS on the pools. Likewise the dunes produced only a couple of STONECHAT and a large flock of several hundred STARLINGS, which could be heard from some distance away. I think these birds were more locally produced birds rather than migrants.
The pine trees contained the bird observatory
Onto the bird observatory, the tiny little reserve within the big Holme Dunes reserve (yes it is a bit of a strange arrangement). This little reserve is based in a pine forest, and consists of bushes which supposedly attracts migrants. I don't know if they do because I've never seen anything there. The guy at the observatory brought my attention to a large gathering of birds of prey. Around 15 BUZZARDS were high in the air in the distance, with some MARSH HARRIERS closer to the ground. This was a nice record for a fairly bird less day.
After I left the reserve it came to me why I have only ever been to Holme five times. I've always concentrated on Titchwell and Cley, which I have visited many times, and with the distance I have to travel to get to North Norfolk always went to those reserves which were more reliable and could guarantee good sightings.
However with a trip to Snettisham to see the waders it gave me a chance to experience this reserve as part of a trip when I normally wouldn't.
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