RSPB Snettisham, Norfolk, 28/10/2007

Guided walk for "Autumn Spectacular".
Dull, windy, showery but mild.

Waiting in the car-park for the guide & other walkers to arrive: Curlew, Greylag Goose, Black-Headed Gull, pair of noisily disapproving Egyptian Geese in flight.
Heading into the fishing lakes, over the sea-wall & along the path besides the first lake: Mallard, Moorhen, Long-Tailed Tit, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Lapwing.
On the shore a lone Grey Plover, & at this point large skeins of Pink-Footed Goose could be seen leaving the mudflats to head inland for the day.
As the tide continued to rise birds seen on the water included a single Brent Goose, Shelduck, Canada Goose & overflying the area into the shingle pits/scrapes, Oystercatcher & good-sized flocks of Golden Plover.

Reaching the hide that had been set aside for the guided walk provided views of thousands of birds escaping the high autumn tide by congregating on the shingle of the scrapes including Little Egret, Redshank, Greenshank, thousands of Knot, Turnstone, Bar-Tailed Godwit & on the water, Wigeon, Little Grebe.
As we watched the main congregation of waders, which continued to build-up, a Peregrine, lured by an easy meal, swept in causing havoc. It appeared to be a juvenile, possibly first winter, & it was unsuccessful in its hunt so it flew out into the estuary & out of view; an exhilarating sight nonetheless.

We eventually left the first hide & made our way back up the reserve, stopping to admire the overhead flocks making their way back out onto the now revealed mud after the high tide. Eventually, reaching one of the earlier hides, without the guide who had to leave, for: Goldeneye, Coot, Herring Gull, Cormorant, flocks of Starling, Great Black-Backed Gull, Dunlin, single Avocet, Tufted Duck.

Continuing along out of the reserve, & reaching the fishing lakes & the nearby arable fields for: Magpie, Wren, Common Gull, Mistle Thrush, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit.

44 species, no new species.

Missouri, Illinois & Boston, USA, 06 to 09/10/2007

A week away to visit relatives in the mid-West during the still hot & sunny autumn.

St. Charles, 7th October: Black-Capped Chickadee, Chimney Swift, Mourning Dove, House Sparrow, Starling.

St. Louis Gateway Arch & Zoo, 8th October: Red-Tailed Hawk, Common Grackle, Red-Winged Blackbird, Cardinal, American Robin.

Cahokia Mounds & Grafton, Illinois, 9th October: Double-Crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose & Great Egret on various waterways seen from the car; Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Kildeer & American Crow by the banks of Mississippi in Grafton; White Pelican passing way overhead at Pere Marquette viewpoint.

Boston, 10th to 12th October: House Sparrow, European Starling, Hermit Thrush (whilst walking to hotel), Double-Crested Cormorant (during Boston duck tour).

20 species, 17 new!