Burnham Overy Dunes

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. 2^nd 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.