I thought my birding days on the north Norfolk coast were over but, thanks to a very kind gesture from Andrew, I was able to join him for a day trip to see the bee-eaters at Trimingham near Cromer and the American Golden Plover at Cley Marshes.

Trimingham near Cromer

• We set off from my home at 7.15 am and by 11 am we were watching our first bee-eater, perched on the overhead wires at the sand quarry alongside some woodpigeon.

   

 

In fact this was the only bee-eater on view while we were there - the other two were away for a time, presumably further down the valley or on the nest in the burrow of the sand bank.

• We moved to the other side of the tree to get views of the lone bee-eater as it flew in and out of the burrow it was carving out for itself on the bank.  Here the views were spectacular especially when the bird flew around the quarry creating a kaleidoscope of rich colours.

The whole event was managed very well by the RSPB and the North-East Norfolk Bird Club on behalf of the local farmer. 

The return of these birds created quite a stir in the press and the extract below from the Countryside Jobs Service is typical of the reporting

Rare ‘rainbow birds’ make historic return to Norfolk - RSPB

Bee-eater pair in Norfolk 2022 Credit Mike Edgecombe

Bee-eaters, which first bred in Norfolk last year, have made an unprecedented return to our shores.

Three of the colourful birds, including a nesting pair, have been spotted again in a sand quarry near Cromer, and it is the first time the summer visitors have returned to the same breeding site in the UK in consecutive years.

The birds are being closely monitored by the RSPB, local birders and North-East Norfolk Bird Club to ensure their safety and allow them to breed undisturbed. At least one nesting pair has already been confirmed and it’s anticipated additional birds may join them.

Eight Bee-eaters were a sensation when they arrived in Norfolk last year, and birdwatchers are excited about their return, with many keen to catch a glimpse of the brightly-coloured visitors.

While there is excitement, there is also concern about why the exotic birds are now nesting here instead of their favoured Mediterranean habitats. Formerly very rare breeders in the UK, this year marks the seventh breeding attempt in England in the past 20 years. This suggests they are attempting to establish a regular breeding colony in the UK, a clear impact of climate change.

Mark Thomas, from the RSPB, said: “Bee-eaters have generally turned up in the UK on a very ad-hoc basis, so far never re-using the same nest site twice. We can’t be certain if these are the same birds that raised a successful brood here last year, but it is a real possibility. If that’s the case, this could be the start of Bee-eaters properly colonising the UK and a sign that they may become a regular feature of the great British summer.”

Cley Marshes

We found the American Golden Plover, after a bit of a mix up at the start as to where best to park the car.   

• It was quite a long way from us and tucked into the vegetation.  We were looking at it head on which made it very difficult to distinguish it from the lapwings that were also present.  Once found however, we waited for it to turn sideways on and it was then quite easy to see the main ID features.  

All pictures courtesy of Andrew Killick

What a bonus - thank you Andrew for a fabulous trip!

2023 species count = 178