Saturday 12th December 2009 – WWT Welney & RSPB Ouse Washes
A fine and sunny morning greeted the 17 members who  gathered at Welney only to find that a combination of high   water levels on the reserve and a spring tide meant that only the main viewing hide was open for business.  As it was such a pleasant day an executive         decision was taken to decamp to RSPB Ouse Washes for the morning and to return to Welney for the afternoon swan feed.  For some, the attraction of the big view from the heated hide and the smell of coffee was too great to resist and they stayed put.

Down the road at the Washes we spent time watching for the tree sparrows but only one or two were to be seen around the visitor centre. Where have they gone? The hides along the bank revealed plenty of ducks but most of the swans were out on the farmland at that time of day. A little brown job moving through the reeds in front of the Grose hide kept us guessing for ages. A stem would twitch and then nothing for a while. Nearly impossible to see clearly when it did show as it would not remain still for long. Try describing which reed stem you mean! After much frustration and debate the little … was revealed as a chiffchaff! Staying for the winter maybe? A good count of 42 species here before returning to Welney for lunch and to meet up with the rest of the group.

We were lucky to spot several Bewick swan on a spit of land close to the main hide. They are usually more retiring than the bigger whooper and once the swan feed mêlée started the whooper swans pushed right to the front and only the diving ducks could compete. Probably due to the access restrictions today, we only managed 26 species at Welney.

Sunday 24th January 2010 – RSPB Titchwell
The snow of recent weeks had finally gone but the very cold weather was still with us. Nevertheless, the day was dry for the 18 people who gathered in the carpark to be met by Rob Coleman, Senior Site Manager for the reserve, who took us on a tour of the ‘excavations’ currently ongoing at Titchwell. As we sank slowly into the mud, Rob enthusiastically explained how much money he had already spent and what the new area would bring as a visitor experience, both for birds and people! Watch this space, as they say! After thanking Rob we made our way back onto the main reserve and the west bank path to the shore. We were lucky to quickly find the water rail in the usual spot near the feeders but no sign of the reported redpoll nor of a brambling. As usual we had to stop frequently on the path to scan the lagoons and the marsh. Four marsh harrier were about the reserve and a distant view of a red kite over Thornham creek,    probably the same bird we saw on the bird race at New Year. Not being able to pop into the Parinder hide for a half-hour or so is a great loss and I look forward to the new replacement hide later this year. The sea watch provided us with eider, great-crested grebe and a couple of velvets, with a small raft of scoter before we returned to the Feeding Station for a rewarding bacon sarni. The species count for the morning totalled 65, normal for Titchwell. Five birders remained after lunch and spent a pleasant afternoon at the RSPB Snettisham reserve ticking 35 species there but failing to find the two shore lark reported. As we were leaving, huge skeins of pink-footed geese passed overhead going to roost on The Wash. A fine end to the day.

Saturday 13th February 2010 – Burnham Norton
Sitting in the car waiting for anyone to turn up, I watched a squall coming in from the sea. Typical weather! In the event things  improved as the morning progressed – only a light shower of rain and a brief snow shower!  Eventually we were 9 and set off down the track accompanied by the sound of gunfire from a group of wildfowlers on the sea wall. Luckily for us they were on the way home and probably just emptying their guns! The marsh quickly settled down and we had great views of flocks of wigeon and teal and good numbers of redwing and fieldfare. Lots of geese as expected but    unable to find any white-fronted. By the time we reached the sea wall the sun was beginning to break through, so we took the long return by the creek. Redshank and other waders probed the mud while the gulls squabbled over something in the harbour. A good total of 39 for the morning. The afternoon group of six moved to Holkham and walked Lady Ann Drive and the pines as far as the Joe Jordan hide. With the shelter of the trees it felt warm in the sun and it would have been easy to doze off in the hide! Not huge numbers of geese and ducks on the marsh but we did find a small group of white-fronted eventually. There was more interest along the path through the pines with parties of long-tailed tit, numerous coal tit and chaffinch and a single chiffchaff. Back along the drive, I noticed that all the scrub and lower branches of the trees have been removed and that a wire fence is being installed. Bit too tidy for my liking and the birds! 33 species total for the pm.


Sunday 14th March 2010 – RSPB Snettisham
The wind has been in the NE for some time, but today it has gone to the NW – straight into the reserve! It is not raining… yet! 16 members on this visit. Little to see on the fishing lakes or the boating lake apart from the resident greylag and Canada geese, heinz mallard and tufty. Our luck was in as we find the two resident shore lark on the beach just below the sea wall and enjoy good views before they fly up the reserve. As the tide is well out we move on to the hides and tick off most of the commoner species before someone finds a purple       sandpiper along the edge of one of the islands. It is very hard to pick out, being a dark bird on a dark rocky background and against the light but eventually we all get it. Bit of a rarity in Norfolk now. There is a party of barnacle goose on the far bank, including a white-headed one! A look down towards the roost bank reveals some     avocets, about 30 I think. Then we find a med’ gull and after moving to the bottom hide for better light the total of meds increases to three and they do look splendid in comparison to the black-headed gull, which should really be called brown-headed gull. The count of avocet reaches 103 and has to be recounted after they take a sally into the air! A snipe dives into the grass near-by and there are those of us who wish it to be a jack, but no such luck! After lunch, those remaining head over to the coastal park, just as a shower of rain arrives with a promise of more to follow. There are several thousand pink-footed on the marsh and are very fidgety, must be nearly time for them to head north. A buzzard is scavenging in a ploughed field with two crows in attendance – it was the crows that gave it away. A short  time later a splendid male hen-harrier flies low along the line of the old railway, until lost in the trees. Two barn owl are quartering the marsh as another shower comes in and we head for home. Been a very good day with a total of 59 species on the list.