30th April 2011

A charming female Whinchat provided some compensation for those of us who were still asleep when the elusive Hoopoe was making one of its brief appearance in the Valley.

29 April 2011

In common it seems with the entire rest of the country we had our own Bar-tailed Godwit today, feeding in the horse paddocks. As you can see it was dressed in its finest royalist celebration plumage, and was feeding in a field right next to an albino pheasant. Today's national Godwit Pageant has gone curiously unnoticed in the mainstream media, which seems to be far more concerned with some other pair of animals, one dressed up in flashy red and the other sporting full albino plumage.

From 2011-04-29

A Buzzard was also in the air, and Pete finally saw his first parish Yellow Wagtail of the year.

26th April 2011

A fairly routine April seawatch was finished off nicely when a Shorelark, expertly picked up by Andrew, dropped onto the beach.

25 April 2011

A White Wagtail was in the paddocks this morning.

22nd April 2011

The raptor rapture of recent weeks continued when a fine Osprey flew in from Somerton then, sadly for village based spotters, turned north and headed off strongly towards Horsey. A Common Buzzard and ringtail Hen Harrier were also present at the same time.

21st April 2011

Colin and John both independently refound the Wryneck in the South Dunes while in the North Dunes a Cuckoo spent a few moments sitting on top of the Totem Pole.

20th April 2011

Apart from all his other exploits Colin also saw two Little Terns last night - surely one of the earliest records ever at Winterton.

Three were present over the North Beach this morning and there were also two Ring Ouzels in the North Dunes.

Of course the main highlight of the day is still to come. Keep watching to find out what treasures Sean uncovered at Black Lark Hollow three years after The Day of Days.

19th April 2011

Fresh from his Goshawk triumph, Colin came up with the goods this morning too, with a fine Wryneck on the bank in the valley. Also present was a Lesser Whitethroat, and a Tree Pipit flew over calling. Here is the Wryneck, hideously over-sharpened:

17th April 2011

Much quieter today - a pair of Buzzards being the highlight.

16th April 2011

The first of the Ouzels today. Tim had three early on and I had one early afternoon. Also at least 15 Wheatears in the North Dunes.

10th April 2011

Tim saw a Rough-legged Buzzard over the North Dunes this morning.

9th April 2011

A couple of Common Buzzards anda nice male Brambling were the highlights today.

8th April 2011

Another Winterton mega this morning in the form of an Egyptian Goose that flew south over the sea only to return 5 minutes later heading north. Fairly quiet otherwise with about a dozen Swallows and four Sand Martins north and about 30 Linnets feeding on the dunes with a similar number heading north. Colin saw two Redwings in the Valley.

7th April 2011

At least 3 Wheatears on the North Dunes this morning.

6th April 2011

I was alerted by Peter at about 8 o'clock this morning and was in time to see a Red Kite before it headed inland towards East Somerton.

5th April 2011

A quiet seawatch this morning produced only four Eiders and five Curlews south and a single Gannet north. A sense of confusion and self-doubt was finally cleared up this evening when a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler were eventually seen side by side in the garden. They had spent the previous 10 minutes mischievously swapping places!

4th April 2011

Today Colin saw a Buzzard over the North Dunes and Tim saw a Short-eared Owl and five Ruff, also on the North Dunes.

3rd April 2011 - the Mother's Day Eagle

Huge excitement this afternoon. We had noted that a White-tailed Eagle had been seen around Cromer but we held out little hope for down here. That all changed when Keith Dye called to say it had been seen at Stalham, which is pretty much along a straight line from Cromer to Winterton. We all shot up to the windmills just outside the parish and began scanning inland. Suddenly Pete shouted "What's that over the church?? It's the eagle!! I've got it!!" and sure enough there is was, flapping heavily past Winterton church, on the seaward side of us! We called various Spotters, including John, who walked out of his front door to see it flying over his head. It lumbered south to Hemsby then turned inland, seeming to go towards Ormesby, and then we lost it. Great record, especially considering that the last one in the parish was shot, I believe. Shame it didn't stay longer to annoy the "say no to sea eagles" folk who seem to be plentiful around here. Sean

Yes indeed , this is all very nice but the above account fails to mention the "Bird of the Day" - a slightly ragged Canada Goose heading north this morning. Also a nice smattering of Blackcaps and Willow Warblers now. Significantly, no Black-headed Gulls were seen in the Parish today. Pete

Bloody hell I was just looking at my Winterton list and fantasising about Canada Goose... and Coot. Bah! Commiserations to Colin on the Eagle but congrats on scoring the Low Road Bullfinch. Sean

Thanks for the commiserations but its worse than you think because I didn't see the Bullfinch. Colin (posted by Peter)

2nd April 2011

A Coal Tit in the garden this morning and a Blackcap in full song along Low Road.  Sean

Also this morning one each of Swallow and Sand Martin heading south along with approximately 200 Linnets, a Rock Pipit, three Sandwich Terns and a Common Tern. Also a flurry of Chiffchaffs down the Valley with up to six present and a Siskin in the garden. Of most interest though was a southerly movement of 15 Black-headed Gulls, no doubt heading back to their continental breeding grounds. Peter