Twitching in East Anglia with Alison

Monday 23rd January 2023

The annual Ashdown Bird Group trip to East Anglia started today and finishes on Thursday.  Although Alison and I couldn't make the full trip we agreed to spend the first day with them as they birded in St Ives, Cambridgeshire and then in Norfolk at WWT Welney. The weather was clear and dry but it was very cold and did not get above freezing until after lunch.

A= St Ives

B= Eldernell

C=Welney WWT

St Ives, Cambridgeshire

After a hearty Wetherspoons breakfast at the Swan & Angel in St Ives we made the short journey to Meadow Lake, parking at the entrance to Hunts Sailing Club.

• Immediately, we could see a fabulous drake smew, swimming in the only section of water, not frozen over, by the sailing club.  

The photographers followed the path towards the clubhouse, hoping to get a closer view.  I joined them but quickly decided I was better off where I was previously so I left them there and went back.

• Incredibly 3 drake goldeneye had joined the group of birds in the water and after a while they produced their delightful courting routine in which they thrust their heads back quickly so that their faces point upwards to the sky.  I have never seen anything like this before so I was literally gobsmacked. 

• The others had seen 2 drake smew and a redhead.  They too had witnessed a courtship routine for these birds so they were very excited.

What a great start to the day!

The main group were running late so they decided against going on to Eldernell and headed off to WWT Welney en route to the Caley Hotel near Hunstanton.

RSPB Nene Washes, Eldernell

 We arrived just after lunch to find lots of birders on the raised bank adjacent to the car park - a healthy sign.

• It was healthy indeed - in no time at all we were looking at a short-eared owl roosting in a bush less than 20 metres away.

• The long-eared owl was present, some 20 metres further west but it was extremely hard to pick out.  Eventually we did and we enjoyed reasonable scope views.  Apparently there were 3 birds earlier in the day.

• Another 75 metres away to the west, a tawny owl was showing well from a hole in one of the trees in a small wood.

• We weren't finished there - on the way back to the car our attention was drawn to a male hen harrier flying low over the fields close to the reedbed.  What a majestic bird.

Our detour to this site was fully justified with 3 species of owl on show and a hen harrier as a bonus. ....and we still had time to rejoin the others at WWT Welney.

WWT Welney

We arrived back at Welney just after 3 p.m., in good time to meet the rest of the group and have some lunch before the close of play for the day. 

• Within seconds we were looking at tree sparrows - a Welney speciality.  There were loads of them at the feeders.

• Then it was a barn owl that caught our attention as it flew by us along Lady Fen as we viewed from the centre.

• Bob J pointed out a cattle egret in the distance - my first one in 2023.

 I jokingly said to John E " Can you conjure up a crane to complete my bucket list for the day?"

• Lo and behold he spotted a flock of 12 flying towards us before they turned and went off into the distance!

We left around 4.30 pm after a most fulfilling day.  It was one of those days when everything went according to plan and more.  I hope this continues for the group when they get to thier destination on the north Norfolk coast.

A brilliant twitch!

2023 species count = 107

All photos courtesy of Alison Playle,  except the one showing the courting goldeneye which was taken from Twitter.