After the madness of the Easter weekend I decided to get out
early today and head to Overy dunes to escape the crowds. I decided on a mad
plan to get out to the dunes at dawn so I arrived at the top of Whincover
before 5am and headed out along the seawall. Most of my time was spent mooching
around the scrubby areas and central valleys looking for migrants. I did sit on
a couple of the higher dunes in the hope of some visible migration but with the
cloud having already cleared there was very little on the move.
The highlights of the morning were several very flighty ring
ouzels and a very confiding Greenland wheatear.
Tawny owl – 1 calling as I left the car from woodland
towards Holkham
Bittern – booming male from main reedbed area on the grazing
marsh. Was booming for the whole time I was walking out to the dunes but went
quiet about 7am
Grasshopper warbler – reeling male by the track to the
seawall but not seen in the dark. Wasn’t heard on the way back the car. 2nd
bird singing from scrub south of the dunes but not seen either.
Ring ouzel – none were seen at the west end of the dunes and
I picked up the first birds (2) at the edge of the pines. I presume the birds were dropping in as I
ended up with a final total of 7 (6 males) together in the central valley that
I had only walked through a short while before. They were typically flighty and
never allowed close approach.
Stonechat – 2 pairs in dunes
Green sand – 1 west
Yellow wag – very light passage with only 3 individuals west
Hooded crow – surprise of the day was one heading east at
05:45 with a single carrion crow
Great white egret – 3 feeding on Overy Marsh
Spoonbill – 2 adults feeding in Overy harbour before high
tide
Whimbrel – 1 west
Hen harrier – ringtail east along the seaward side of Scolt
Head then east through dunes towards Holkham
Song thrush – 5+ presumed migrants in dunes
Grey partridge – 2 pairs in dunes
Tree pipit – 3 west
Common sandpiper – 1 on Overy Marsh just south of main
sluice
Yellowhammer – 1 west over dunes was an unusual record
Wheatear – the highlight of the morning was the 14 ‘Greenland’
wheatears throughout the dunes including one particularly confiding individual
that allowed close approach. It was fantastic to gradually creep up to the bird
while it was feeding and it didn’t seem bothered by my presence at all. Fantastic
birds and always full of character.
It may have been a very early start but it was definitely
worth the effort.
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