July 2021 – Norfolk Guided Birding & wildlife tour reports

By Chris Mills | July 31, 2021

As well as the 4 day wildlife tour we also ran several exclusive Norfolk guided birdwatching days through July. From early July returning adult waders and shorebirds started to appear. A list of bird species recorded are below and and include species recorded during guiding and personal birding sessions. The better birds are in bold!

Overview of the birds seen in Norfolk during July follows .

On 3rd July we found a Pacific Golden Plover at Hickling you can read more about this – read here.

13th July a super pale phase adult Arctic Skua whizzed along the shoreline at Holme also 7 Marsh harriers with the first juveniles on the wing. A sea-watch on 14th July saw some nice passage, with 25 Teal, 350 Cn. Scoter West, a Whimbrel, 7 Knot, 8 Dunlin & 25 Sanderling and good numbers of Sandwich, Common and Little Tern offshore. The most notable bird was a Manx Shearwater passing West. Post sea-watch, a walk around Cley marshes saw Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit and 6 Ruff, autumn adult wader migration underway!

Amazingly a guided walk on the 24th July at Burnham Norton resulted in yet another Pacific Golden Plover, this one found the previous day by the Holkham wardens and still present today. In the afternoon Titchwell was nice and busy with more shorebirds and waders, 300 Black-tailed Godwit, the majority of these ‘icelandica’, but also 3 ‘limosa’ Continental birds amongst them. Also c300 Avocet, 4 Little ringed Plover, 23 Ruff, c100 Dunlin, Common and Green sandpipers, 2 Greenshank plus Redshank and Turnstone. Also Yellow Wagtail and an interesting fresh juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Another sea-watch on 25th July proived fruitful with 11 Arctic Skuas moving through, with four birds close to the shoreline as they harassed the breeding terns. Plus 2 Manx Shearwater passing West, plus c60 Common Scoter West as well. Out on the reserve, along the East Bank, there was a nice show of waders with 4 Wood Sandpiper, 60 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Snipe, 2 Greenshank and Green sandpiper.

On the 27th July I ventured to Snettisham early morning for the high tide, plus with high hopes of the Western Sandpiper. I got lucky with a White-rumped Sandpiper showing well as the tide turned with prolonged views sometime later when the Western Sandpiper appeared amongst the masses of Dunlin out on the mud! The mornign was rounded off with the thousands of Knot, Dunlin and other waders and at least 4 Turtle Doves, one purring and one down on the ground feeding along the shoreline.

July might not be known as a great month for birding, but this year certainly provided some very nice birds!

***White-rumped Sandpiper – Snettisham***

**Western Sandpiper photograph by Chris Kelly**

	Species	Count	Location	Date
1	Greylag Goose	20	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
2	Pink-footed Goose	1	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
3	Canada Goose	5	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
4	Mute Swan	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
5	Egyptian Goose	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
6	Common Shelduck	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
7	Garganey	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	25-Jul-21
8	Northern Shoveler	4	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
9	Gadwall	4	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
10	Eurasian Wigeon	8	Holme Bird Observatory	05-Jul-21
11	Mallard	12	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
12	Eurasian Teal	6	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
13	Common Pochard	1	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
14	Tufted Duck	1	North Point/Wells	07-Jul-21
15	Common Scoter	60	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
16	Red-breasted Merganser	1	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
17	Common Pheasant	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
18	Grey Partridge	1	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
19	Little Grebe	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
20	Great Crested Grebe	2	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
21	Stock Dove	2	Ken Hill Grazing Marsh	05-Jul-21
22	Common Woodpigeon	15	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
23	European Turtle Dove	4	Snettisham RSPB Reserve	27-Jul-21
24	Collared Dove	2	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
25	Common Cuckoo	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
26	Common Swift	20	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
27	Common Moorhen	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
28	Eurasian Coot	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
29	Stone-curlew	3	Undisclosed	04-Jul-21
30	Black-winged Stilt	2	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
31	Pied Avocet	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
32	Eurasian Oystercatcher	4	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
33	Grey Plover	1	Snettisham RSPB Reserve	27-Jul-21
34	European Golden Plover	6	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	31-Jul-21
35	Pacific Golden Plover	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
36	Northern Lapwing	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
37	Common Ringed Plover	2	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
38	Little Ringed Plover	2	North Point/Wells	07-Jul-21
39	Whimbrel	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
40	Eurasian Curlew	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
41	Bar-tailed Godwit	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
42	Black-tailed Godwit	8	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
43	Ruddy Turnstone	2	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
44	Red Knot	8	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
45	Ruff	5	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
46	Sanderling	40	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
47	Dunlin	2	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	08-Jul-21
48	White-rumped Sandpiper	1	Snettisham RSPB Reserve	27-Jul-21
49	Western Sandpiper	1	Snettisham RSPB Reserve	27-Jul-21
50	Common Snipe	4	Burnham Norton	24-Jul-21
51	Common Sandpiper	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
52	Green Sandpiper	2	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
53	Common Greenshank	4	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	31-Jul-21
54	Wood Sandpiper	4	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	25-Jul-21
55	Common Redshank	30	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
56	Arctic Skua	11	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	25-Jul-21
57	Common Guillemot	4	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
58	Razorbill	3	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
59	Black-legged Kittiwake	20	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	31-Jul-21
60	Black-headed Gull	20	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
61	Little Gull	12	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	08-Jul-21
62	Mediterranean Gull	1	North Point/Wells	07-Jul-21
63	Common Gull	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
64	Herring Gull	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
65	Yellow-legged Gull	1	Titchwell RSPB	24-Jul-21
66	Lesser Black-backed Gull	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
67	Great Black-backed Gull	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
68	Little Tern	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
69	Common Tern	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
70	Sandwich Tern	100	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
71	Northern Fulmar	4	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
72	Manx Shearwater	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
73	Northern Gannet	5	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
74	Great Cormorant	30	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
75	Great Bittern	1	Burnham Overy Staithe & Hickling NWT	02-Jul-21
76	Grey Heron	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
77	Great White Egret	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
78	Little Egret	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
79	Eurasian Spoonbill	11	Ken Hill, Snettisham	02-Jul-21
80	Western Marsh Harrier	5	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
81	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	1	North Point/Wells	07-Jul-21
82	Red Kite	3	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
83	Common Buzzard	4	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
84	Common Kingfisher	1	Warham Fort	02-Jul-21
85	Great Spotted Woodpecker	2	Breckland Forest, Thetford	04-Jul-21
86	Common Kestrel	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
87	Eurasian Hobby	1	North Point/Wells	07-Jul-21
88	Eurasian Jay	1	Breckland Forest, Thetford	04-Jul-21
89	Common Magpie	2	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
90	Eurasian Jackdaw	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
91	Rook	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
92	Carrion Crow	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
93	Coal Tit	1	Breckland Forest, Thetford	04-Jul-21
94	Marsh Tit	2	Breckland Forest, Thetford	04-Jul-21
95	Eurasian Blue Tit	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
96	Great Tit	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
97	Woodlark	2	Cockley Cley	04-Jul-21
98	Eurasian Skylark	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
99	Bearded Tit	5	Burnham Norton	24-Jul-21
100	Sedge Warbler	5	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
101	Eurasian Reed Warbler	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
102	Common Grasshopper Warbler	1	Ken Hill Grazing Marsh	05-Jul-21
103	Sand Martin	5	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
104	Barn Swallow	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
105	Common House Martin	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
106	Willow Warbler	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
107	Common Chiffchaff	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
108	Cetti’s Warbler	1	Holme Dunes NWT	13-Jul-21
109	Long-tailed Tit	4	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
110	Eurasian Blackcap	2	Warham Fort	02-Jul-21
111	Garden Warbler	1	Foxley Wood NWT NR	07-Jul-21
112	Lesser Whitethroat	1	Holme Bird Observatory	05-Jul-21
113	Common Whitethroat	2	Warham Fort	02-Jul-21
114	Goldcrest	1	Lynford Arboretum	04-Jul-21
115	Common Firecrest	3	Lynford Arboretum	04-Jul-21
116	Eurasian Nuthatch	1	Lynford Arboretum	04-Jul-21
117	Eurasian Wren	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
118	Common Starling	100	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
119	Mistle Thrush	3	Breckland Forest, Thetford	04-Jul-21
120	Song Thrush	1	Lynford Arboretum	04-Jul-21
121	Eurasian Blackbird	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
122	European Robin	1	Warham Fort	02-Jul-21
123	European Stonechat	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
124	Dunnock	1	Hickling Marshes NWT NR	03-Jul-21
125	House Sparrow	10	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
126	Western Yellow Wagtail	1	Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT	14-Jul-21
127	Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
128	Meadow Pipit	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
129	Tree Pipit	3	Breckland Forest, Thetford	04-Jul-21
130	Common Chaffinch	1	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
131	Eurasian Bullfinch	1	Ken Hill Grazing Marsh	05-Jul-21
132	European Greenfinch	1	Hindolveston	02-Jul-21
133	Common Linnet	5	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
134	European Goldfinch	6	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21
135	Eurasian Siskin	1	Lynford Arboretum	04-Jul-21
136	Yellowhammer	2	Warham Fort	02-Jul-21
137	Common Reed Bunting	2	Burnham Overy Staithe	02-Jul-21