Parrot Crossbills

Yesterday (Sunday 24/11) me, Dave, Sam, Jon & Kirsty headed for Norfolk. number one target were the party of 12 Parrot Crossbill at Holt Country Park. They'd been there a while so we were pretty dam hopeful of catching up with them.

On the way in the early morning gloom we briefly stopped near to Guyhirn (Cambridgeshire) to have a look for the small flock of Common Cranes from the roadside. We weren't to be disppointed with 4 birds present. A nice start to the day. Terrible picyure below:

We arrived at Holt Country Park around 8am and met up with Kieran and Bob, friends and local birders. After a while of waiting around the car park, a birder beaconed us over to a nearby path. There in the top of a pine were the feeding Parrot Crossbills!

Over the next half an hour or so, we enjoyed great views. It was difficult to say how many there were, however possibly up to 10 birds. They then relocated to the car Park where enjoyed them a little more along with a nice coffee. Fabulous!

We then went a short distance along the road to Edgefield Tip where we quickly picked up a smart 1st-winter Glaucous Gull residing in a field with other large gulls. A nice bird and a lifer for Jon, Kirsty & Sam.





Next we visited Salthouse with the hope of Snow Bunting and Black Brant. In the car park a brilliant little flock of Turnstone that were rediculously tame.

We walked east to Gramborough hill and slightly beyond. The sea was relatively quiet with a distant Diver species, probably Red Throated, in flight and several Guillemots flying about.
We eventually found a decent sized flock of Dark Bellied Brent Geese. Before long Dave found a smart Black Brant amongst them. Further birds here were few and far between and we failed to find any Snow Bunting.

We drove a short way west to Cley to have a closer look at a Black Brant, this time in the field just east of the Beach Road. It showed brilliantly well with the sun behind us, amongst a flock somewhere between 50 &100 of Dark-Bellied Brents.

   









We finished the day at Titchwell to again have a go at Snow Bunting and maybe something on the sea. After a seriously welcome jacket potato and chilli, we set off up to the beach. Sadly we saw very little, but a nice walk right round to Thornham Point was very nice. Best birds seen were a brief Barn Owl, 1-2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Eider heading west and all the usual waders and waterfowl. 

But that wasn't where the day finished. As is tradition we turned into Wolferton Triangle in the vain hope a Golden Pheasant would show itself. Unbelievably we were in luck! We literally turned into the road to see a male Golden Pheasant casually strutting his was across the road 50m or so away, before disappearing into the dense, roadside rhododendron. What an end to the day! Great days birding with as usual, wicked company.