Exclusive Guiding 2 persons North Norfolk 26th September

We started the day birding in challenging conditions with strong onshore winds & squally showers! We had a look at the sea and in between the worst showers there was some nice birds to see!

Brent Goose (Dark-bellied)  3     west
Eurasian Teal  20     West
Common Scoter  40     West
Great Crested Grebe  1     west
Bar-tailed Godwit  1     west
Ruddy Turnstone  10
Dunlin  3
Great Skua  5     East
Pomarine Skua  1     West
Arctic Skua  4
Common Guillemot  1
Black-legged Kittiwake  1
Black-headed Gull  1
Northern Gannet  30     East

After an hour or so of watching for seabirds, we decided to get warmed up and walk down Cley East bank. The wind was still gusting with heavy showers and we made steady progress along the lower path keeping some shelter from the wind. There was several Egyptian Goose, numbers of Common Shelduck, good numbers of Northern Shoveler, at least  10 Gadwall, nice groups of Wigeon,  50 Mallard, with several Pintail and over 100 Eurasian Teal. Waders were also well represent on the new flood pools that had appeared, several Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, 3+ Common Ringed Plover,
Eurasian Curlew, several Bar-tailed Godwit,  30+Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone  and a few Ruff.

On Arnolds marsh there was constant flocks of Dunlin, plus a Purple Sandpiper flew past us with Dunlin, groups of Redshank  and at the rear of the pool a lovely group of 10 Little Gulls were dancing over the water. Plus a late Sandwich tern flew past us. Nearby a Stonechat also popped along the bushes. As we walked back there was 3 juvenile Little Stints were found on the near islands along the Serpentine. We used the Centre, had a quick coffee break and headed towards Wells.

We now headed to Wells, North Point. It was well flooded and there was lots more wildfowl, but just a few waders, 10 Ruff, 3 Dunlin but a Greenshank added to the list and a nice juvenile Marsh harrier was hunting, plus 100+ Golden Plover were distantly present in the stubble fields.
We then headed for a walk around Burnham Norton where there was a small group of 20 Pink-footed Geese, a late Green Sandpiper was on the pools, as was several Ruff and a Greenshank. Out above the seawall huddled up in the still very strong winds were 5 Spoonbill.

Eileen and Geoff had enjoyed their day, and were happy to call it a day having been out in the wind most of the day!

After I dropped them off I headed back to Cley and was treated to the recently found Red-necked Phalarope, also 2 Grey Phalaropes and 2 very confiding Lapland Buntings!