Saturday 27 October 1990

RSPB Titchwell & RSPB Snettisham, Norfolk, 27/10/1990

Cloudy, cold, squally rain.

Birds seen on or around brackish lagoons at Titchwell: Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Brent Goose (in their normal large numbers at this time of year), Shelduck, Teal (also in large numbers, male and female), Gadwall, Lapwing, Herring Gull, Moorhen, Coot, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Ruff (which was in winter plumage with orange-red legs, white-edged wing-coverts, although I could not identify it immediately and needed to look at other books), Wigeon, Grey Heron, Shoveller, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Mallard, Turnstone, Curlew.

Birds seen on the sea from Titchwell's sand dunes were: Great Crested Grebe (winter-plumaged), Eider, Great Black-Backed Gull, Cormorant, and on the beach: Sanderling, Black-Tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover.

Birds seen in vegetation whilst returning to carpark were: Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Long-Tailed Tit and Blue Tit.

At Snettisham there were mainly waders and gulls: Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot (in usuall large flock), Black-Headed Gull and Great Black-Backed Gull.

34 species including 0 new species.

Wednesday 24 October 1990

RSPB Snettisham, Norfolk, 24/10/1990

Clear, bright and cool, turning cloudy and cold.

Birds seen on journey to reserve: Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Jay and Pheasant.
Birds seen on fields and salt flats around the gravel scrapes: Moorhen, Lapwing, Black-Headed Gull, Mute Swan, Skylark, Kestrel.
Birds which were seen on the rather deserted lakes as the tide was very far out were: Coot, Mallard, Little Grebe in winter plmage of rather white colours, a Red-Breasted Merganser seen from afar and not seen when in the hides, Redshank, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Wigeon which were gradually turning from eclipsical plumage to distinctive plumage.
Wren was on a post outside the hide. Greylag Goose, Magpie, Starling, Pochard were other birds seen on or around the scrapes.
A group of birdwatchers, when asked, identified a Shore Lark on the tide-line, about a metre from the path, about 30 yards away from us. The bird had a beautiful yellow face with black mask and chest, compared to the rest of its light brown plumage, eventually the bird cam closer and after going into a hide, and re-emerging, the bird came to about 10 yards, upon which the markings were easily seen with the naked eye, an excellent view of a new bird species to me.
The birds seen from a hide looking out onto the mud exposed by the low-tide were: Grey Plover, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, large clouds of Knot seen in the far distance and Curlew.
Other birds seen on the scrapes were: winter-plumaged Great Crested Grebe, Teal, Gadwall and an eclipsed-plumaged Shoveler. Other birds seen walking back to the car were Great Black-Backed Gull and a possible Kingfisher.

34 species including 1 new species.