Sunday 9th December 2007 – Holkham Park & Pines
9am and a bright but cloudy start for the 13 birders who set off into the park towards the monument. Blue tit, great tit, coal tit, nuthatch, treecreeper.. all the usual and then … YES.. lesser-spotted woodpecker, up in the tree top. Yes, yes, yes and we all got to see it. “We can go home now”, someone said, “mega tick” but we didn’t go home as it was only 9.30am! A single brambling was found in the trees near to the lake and there were plenty of gulls on the water plus pink feet and egyptian goose in the field. Turning back into the park and chasing what might have been a flock of brambling we got caught by the rain, heavy and persistant. Back to the car for an early coffee. By 11am the rain had cleared, the sun was shining and we headed down Lady Ann Drive. Not many geese here and judging by the big numbers circling in the sky they were out feeding on the fields towards the Burnhams. However, there was a single white-fronted goose near the road and, surprise, surprise, we discovered a chiffchaff singing in a bramble bush at the end of the drive, along with a pair of stonechat. We didn’t spend much time on the beach as no shore lark had been reported for a long while, but the rock pipit were still there. A walker reported a “fluffy duck” on the pool near the hide and we were quite mystified by this until a little grebe popped up… logical really! Good views of a male and female marsh harrier from the hide plus barn owl. Total of 51 species as we made the long walk back up the hill to the car.

Sunday 20th January 2008 – RSPB Ouse Washes
The weather forecast was not promising and the report from the reserve was for rising water levels, so not a suprise that only 7 members turned up today. Assistant Warden Alex.Thomas met the group at the visitor centre and gave an update – noting that the normal water level should be around 1.5m, currently 3.5m and rising! The pumps were running and it actually would have been a good day for windsurfing, unbroken water from bank to bank! Big numbers of whooper swan but all off the reserve feeding in the fields. Siskin were in the trees at the carpark plus a pair of great spotted woodpecker and we had the pleasure of watching a flock of tree sparrow and reed bunting around the feeders at the visitor centre. It was so mild that ladybirds were active and a queen wasp wandered lazily across the window. With so much water around there was little to see from the hides other than great crested grebe and various ducks while a large party of fieldfare and redwing were found in the trees across the river. A great white egret had been reported using the trees near the railway bridge at the far end of the reserve as a roost so we decided to look for that and drove around the washes via Coveney. There were hundreds of swans out on the fields all around but very distant, even with a scope. The egret was eventually located in Dunkirk drain not too far from the bridge and we managed good views before it flew off towards the roost as the light failed. Time for home as a barn owl hunted over the field bringing our species total to 46.

Sunday 9th February 2008 – RSPB Titchwell
Always guaranteed to pull in the crowds, and so it was that 20 group members met in the carpark on a fine, sunny and mild Saturday. High tide was early and I planned to lead the group down to the beach first for a short sea watch. Naturally we stop first to check out the feeders by the centre – siskin and brambling amongst the tits and finches and water rail in the ditch. Two deer were browsing in the undergrowth nearby and seemed unperturbed by all the people. From the bushes by the path near to Island hide came the explosive song of cetti’s warbler while, further away, three marsh harrier floated over the reedbeds. There were good views of the brent geese on the wildfowlers marsh but no black brant amongst them, though reported over the previous days. We arrived at the shore in dribs and drabs and set up our scopes but, unfortunately, the sea was not very productive, only merganser and red-throated diver were of note. We had a look in Parrinder hide on our way back but the water levels in the lagoon were high and few waders could be found. On my way to the car I tagged onto a group looking for the woodcock which is often by the path, near the picnic area, and by luck got my scope on it immediately. A cracker, as they say, as the bird filled the whole frame. What a good end to the morning and 69 species by the group

Sunday 9th March 2008 – The Lodge RSPB
10 members were at the RSPB headquarters reserve on a, mostly, fine and mild day. It is some years since our last group visit and Warden Graham Wilton-Jones had kindly agreed to give a short introduction to the reserve and the changes that are taking place. Such was his enthusiasm that he managed to hold our attention for more than forty five minutes; covering geology, soils, habitats, climate change, mans impact and birds, of course. Now we know why Sandy is sandy!
Taking our leave of Graham the group had a look at the feeders near the carpark, ticking siskin and brambling before moving up to the hide near the house. Here, we had close views of great-spotted woodpecker [very red] and mealy redpoll on the feeders, plus most of the tit family. From there it was into the woods, out across the heathland and back to the house via the quarry. The woods produced treecreeper, goldcrest and another woody but there was nothing out on the heath; wonder where the skylarks were? The quarry area turned up two birders who, it turned out, where moving up to Norfolk to live in Grimston! It’s a small world and we hope to see them at the group. On our return to the cars for lunch we were hit by a sudden hail shower. Perfect timing! 24 species total at the Lodge.
Everyone moved to Paxton Pits NR for the afternoon where we had good views of the cormorant colony on their stick nests up in the trees on Heronry pit. Only one heron seen! The cormorants really were splendid in breeding plumage and many sporting fancy hairdos. Tick-of-the-day went to the six red-crested pochard, males and females and very colourful. A goosander was then discovered and on the way back to the car park a couple of redwing feeding under some bushes. 27 species here and we had only visited one of the lakes.