Sim Elliott
- Oct 17, 2021
- 9 min read

North Norfolk 04.10.21 to 07.10.21

Updated: Oct 25, 2021

I had planned to stay in Hunstanton from Monday 04.10.21 to Saturday 09.10.21; however on the morning of 07.10.21 I took a Lateral Flow Test, which was positive for Covid, so I had to cut my birdwatching holiday short. I stayed in Hunstanton, from where the Norfolk Coastal Bus services (Lynx Buses and Sanders Coaches) serve RSPB Snettisham (to the south) and RSPB Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley and Salthouse Marshes (to the East). I had planned also to visit Holkham National Nature Reserve and the National Trust's Blakeney National Nature Reserve; but did nt do so

(map from Glamping In East Anglia - The Best Glampsites in Norfolk - Wild Luxury

Despite my shortened holiday, I saw six species new to me (life list birds): Golden Plovers' Red-throated Divers; Pink Footed Geese; Bearded Tilts; Sanderlings and a Common Gull.

Monday 04.10.21

RSPB Titchwell Marsh

Located on the north coast of Norfolk, between the villages of Titchwell and Thornham, Titchwell Marsh is blessed with diverse habitats that include reedbeds, saltmarsh and freshwater lagoons where avocets, bearded tits and marsh harriers nest. There's also a wide sandy beach here, which offers extensive views across The Wash. Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve, Norfolk - The RSPB

The Freshwater Lagoon

The freshwater lagoon is probably the best part of the nature reserve. The first lagoon has two birdhides and provide a great view on the mudflats. These mudflats can be jam-packed full of birds, being mainly waders and ducks and especially during high tide. Large numbers of European Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, Dunlin, Avocet and many more can be seen here. This is also a great spot for scarcer species, like Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover and Wood Sandpiper. In summer, roosting Sandwich Tern can be observed here too. The edges of the lagoon are covered with reedbeds. Species like Water Rail and Grey Wagtail can be seen foraging here. Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve | Birdingplaces.eu

A juvenile Shelduck foraging in the mud

Curlews

Dunlin

Hides on the Freshwater Lagoon

Female Ruff

Golden Plover - in winter plumage

Female Ruff

Golden Plovers

Dunlin

A Lapwing and Teal

Teal

A Lapwing, a Dunlin and Teal

A Pied Wagtail

Linnets

Greylag Geese

A Little Egret

Tidal Marsh

A Curlew and a Redshank

A Curlew

A Black-tailed Godwit

A Curlew

Oystercatchers

A view over the reserve

The beach at Titchwell

A Curlew

Old Hunstanton Beach 04.10.21 evening

05.08.21 Cley and Salthouse Marshes Nature Reserve - Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Map and aerial photo from Cley and Salthouse Marshes - Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Teal

Avocet

A Greenshank

Wigeon

A view north to Cley Windmill

View west to Saltmarsh

A Black-headed Gull

Cley seashore

Cormorant

A Red-throated Diver

Gannets

Cley village

Cley Windmill

Cley windmill іs a five storey tower mill wіth a stage at second floor level, twenty feet above ground. Іt has a dome shaped cap wіth a gallery whіch was winded by an eight-bladed fantail, ten feet six inches іn diameter. The cap іs now fixed and unable to turn to wind. There are four double Patent sails wіth a span of 70 ft, carried on stocks 56ft long. The inner pair have eight bays of three shutters and the outer pair have nine bays of two shutters and оne оf three shutters. Іn 1819 the sails powered twо pairs оf French burr millstones, a flour mill and jumper but by 1876 thіs had been increased to 3 pairs of stones and a smut machine had been added.

Cley windmill was built іn the early 19th century. Іt was not marked on William Faden’s map of Norfolk published іn 1797. The fіrst mention was an advert іn the Norfolk Chronicle of 26 June 1819, where the mill was for sale, described as “newly erected” and іn the ownership of the Farthing family. The mill was not sold and remained the property of the Farthing family, until 1875, when Dorothy Farthing, the then owner, died. The mill was bought by the miller, Stephen Barnabas Burroughes. Іt was worked by the Burroughes family until c1912, when the business was transferred to theіr windmill at Holt.

In 1921, the windmill was sold by the Burroughes Brothers to Mrs Sarah Maria Wilson for the sum of £350 and she had the mill converted to a holiday home. The architect responsible for the conversion was Cecil Upcher. The machinery was removed, wіth the gear wheels being cut іn half and used as decoration within the mill. History - Cley Windmill

Black-tailed Godwits

A Female (or non-breeding) Shoveler

Pink-footed Geese

A Kestrel

A Dabchick (Little Grebe) with a fish

Canada Geese

Wigeon

Greylag Geese

06.10.21 RSPB Snettisham Nature Reserve

Wildlife observation hides give panoramic views across the saline lagoons, salt marsh and the vast expanse of mudflats that make up The Wash. On the biggest high tides from late summer onwards, tens of thousands of wading birds take flight as the incoming tide pushes them off the vast mudflats. We call this the 'whirling wader spectacle'. Snettisham Nature Reserve, Norfolk - The RSPB

I visited Snettisham on Tuesday as a planning visit for visiting on Friday at 6.15am for a high-tide Snettishiam spectacular; unfortunately I had to return on the Friday. Snettisham affords views over the flat mud of the Wash and gavel pit lagoons full of waders, ducks and geese.

Map of the Wash from About » The Wash and North Norfolk Marine Partnership (wnnmp.co.uk)

The Wash is made up of extensive salt marshes, major inter-tidal banks of sand and mud, shallow waters and deep channels. As understanding of the importance of the natural marshes has increased in the 21st century, the seawall at Freiston has been breached in three places to increase the salt-marsh area, to provide extra habitat for birds, particularly waders, and as a natural flood-prevention measure. The extensive creeks in the salt marsh and the vegetation that grows there help to dissipate wave energy, so enhancing the protection afforded to land behind the salt marsh. This is an example of the recent exploration of the possibilities of sustainable coastal management by adopting soft engineering techniques, rather than with dykes and drainage. The same scheme includes new brackish lagoon habitat.

On the eastern side of the Wash, low chalk cliffs, with a noted stratum of red chalk, are found at Hunstanton. The gravel pits (lagoons) found at Snettisham RSPB reserve are an important roost for waders at high tide. This Special Protection Area (SPA) borders onto the North Norfolk Coast Special Protection Area. To the north-west, the Wash extends to Gibraltar Point, another SPA.

The partly confined nature of the Wash habitats, combined with ample tidal flows, allows shellfish to breed, especially shrimp, cockles and mussels. Some water birds such as oystercatchers feed on shellfish. It is also a breeding area for common tern, and a feeding area for marsh harriers. Migrating birds such as geese, duck and wading birds come to the Wash in large numbers to spend the winter, with an average total of around 400,000 birds present at any one time.[12] It has been estimated that some two million birds a year use the Wash for feeding and roosting during their annual migrations.

The Wash is recognised as being internationally important for 17 species of bird. They include pink-footed goose, dark-bellied brent goose, shelduck, pintail, oystercatcher, ringed plover, grey plover, golden plover, lapwing, knot, sanderling, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, bar-tailed godwit, curlew, redshank and turnstone. The Wash - Wikipedia

The shores of the Wash at Snettisham

A Grey Plover

Mallards

A Curlew

Mallards

A Grey Plover

Curlews

Linnets

The jetty at Snettisham

Snettisham pits were dug out during World War II in order to provide shingle that was used to build concrete runways as the American Bombers were too heavy to land on grass. The pits stretch for over 2.5 km and are split equally between the RSPB reserve and privately owned beach properties, including the Snettisham Beach Sailing Club.

Evidence of the operation is still visible today as the concrete roads made to transport the shingle are still used today by the residents to access their property. Whilst the roads are no longer used in the reserve, pieces of them line most of the length of the pits. One of the most distinctive landmarks left from the operation are the ruins of the jetty used to load the shingle on to boats so it could be transported across the country. Snettisham RSPB reserve - Wikipedia

Brent Geese

The Gravel Pits at Snettisham

Egyptian Goose

Wigeon

Greylag Geese

Inside Knot's Landing hide - an explanation of the birds which overwinter on the Wash (Brent Geese, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Curlew, Pink-footed Geese, and Knots)

Knots Landing is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of Dallas, it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of four married couples living on a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Throughout its fourteen-year run, storylines included marital strife, rape, murder, kidnapping, assassinations, drug smuggling, politics, environmental issues, corporate intrigue, and criminal investigations. By the time of its conclusion, it had become the third longest-running primetime drama on U.S. television after Gunsmoke and Bonanza[1] and the last fictional primetime show that debuted in the 1970s to leave the air. Knots Landing - Wikipedia