Best birding in Norfolk

[Goatboy]

Can I have your advice please WABers?

I've got 3 days free in Norfolk in June. My base will be in Cromer. Quite simply what are the best 3 places to spend each day birding?

I will be in the car, so a bit of driving is no problem


Many thanks in advance.

[Adam Cheeseman]

I would choose:

Cley Marshes/Blakeney - Waders, Waterfowl, Seabirds
Titchwell - Waders, Waterfowl, Seabirds
Lakenheath/Weeting - Golden Oriole, Stone Curlew, Hobby.

Cheers,

Adam

[Pyrrhocorax]

I'd agree with Adam, Titchwell has a broader variety of habitats than Cley, so woodland species get a look in too. There are a few Temminck's Stint at Cley (still there yesterday anyway), and last time I was there four species of Tern (Arctic, Common, Sandwich & Little).
It may be worth a late evening, you'd need to stay at the viewpoint at least until sunset, to look for the Cranes coming in to roost at Hickling Broad.
There are great places all around the Norfolk coast, if you dont know the area you're in for a fabulous treat!

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

I would choose:

Cley Marshes/Blakeney - Waders, Waterfowl, Seabirds
Titchwell - Waders, Waterfowl, Seabirds
Lakenheath/Weeting - Golden Oriole, Stone Curlew, Hobby.

Cheers,

Adam

Can only echo what Adam has said, plus Salthouse Heath at dusk/dawn for nightingales and nightjars. We did our annual 'long day' trip there visiting all these areas on Saturday. Salthouse was brill' with more singing nightingales than ever before for us. The golden orioles were singing at Lakenheath (didn't see them this year alas, but the song is great) and there were plenty of hobbies. We also found a good 'free' site for stone curlews near Lakenheath, but didn't find any woodlarks this year. If you don't mind parting with some brass, Weeting is usually a good bet for these.

Regards, Chris

[Pyrrhocorax]

Just realised June is NOT a great time to look for the Cranes at Hickling, far more chance of success in Winter. Better to follow Chris's suggestion for a late night & go for the Nightjars, I nearly missed out at Dersingham because I didn't realise that for Nightjars dusk seems to mean almost dark so be prepared to stay late, or get up very early .

[david156]

All sounds good to me.
At Salthouse heath I heard at least 5 singing Nightingales and a couple of nightjars the other night although nightjar numbers will be higher in june.
You also have strumpshaw fen RSPB reserve, sculthorpe moor hawk and owl trust reserve near fakenham, Holme NWT reserve or any of the coastal spots like stiffkey fen, winterton dunes or warham greens etc... etc..

You could even get in the springwatch mode and visit pensthorpe. You will get a mix of captive aswell as wild birds but you could also tie this in with a visit to the great ryburgh raptor watch point, or swanton novers raptor watch point for honey buzzard amongst others.

Cheers David

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by david156

but you could also tie this in with a visit to the great ryburgh raptor watch point, or swanton novers raptor watch point for honey buzzard amongst others.

Cheers David

Forgot to mention Great Ryburgh, which can be very good. Personally I have found it to be better than Swanton Novers for the honey buzzards. In fact I've had no joy at the latter place at all, so much so, that I now refer to it as Swanton No-birds. Golly, I'm such a card.

Regards, Chris

[david156]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Forgot to mention Great Ryburgh, which can be very good. Personally I have found it to be better than Swanton Novers for the honey buzzards. In fact I've had no joy at the latter place at all, so much so, that I now refer to it as Swanton No-birds. Golly, I'm such a card.

Regards, Chris

Saw one at swanton breifly last year then glided off. Would have been better if I had the Hubble telescope instead of my usual one

David

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by david156

Saw one at swanton breifly last year then glided off. Would have been better if I had the Hubble telescope instead of my usual one

David

Maybe that's where I'm going wrong! You seem a man of good Norfolk knowledge David, I know I'm going off tangent to this thread, but I don't suppose you have a good site for turtle dove for our next visit? We find them very difficult to find these days, though last year found a couple in a thicket in a small quarry on a hill above one of the Burnham villages (can't remember which one). Alas last weekend we found the site to have been wrecked somewhat.

Regards, Chris

[david156]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Maybe that's where I'm going wrong! You seem a man of good Norfolk knowledge David, I know I'm going off tangent to this thread, but I don't suppose you have a good site for turtle dove for our next visit? We find them very difficult to find these days, though last year found a couple in a thicket in a small quarry on a hill above one of the Burnham villages (can't remember which one). Alas last weekend we found the site to have been wrecked somewhat.

Regards, Chris

Saw 1 and heard another at Kelling Heath on the weybourne to holt road. Don't know how reliable the site is for them, i've only been there a couple of times. A lot of the farmland birds like corn bunting, grey partridge, tree sparrows and turtle doves I normally find are easier to see in the west of the county. choseley barns is a good area and its only 5 minutes from titchwell.

On another note, I think part of titchwell is closed later in the year for more work on the new sea wall and hide and I don't think there will be access to the beach area.
Details of whats being done are here http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guid...ange/index.asp

Cheers David.