Bird Sightings 2016

Four Tundra Bean Geese, two White-fronted Geese and 500 Pink-footed Geese were feeding on fields along Border Lane, Ashby, 25 December, while at Castle Marsh, North Cove, 98 White-fronted Geese…

19 Tundra Bean Geese, 13 White-fronted Geese and 300 Pink-footed Geese were feeding on fields along Border Lane, Ashby, 24 December. A Tundra Bean Goose also flew over Carlton Marshes,…

Two Water Pipits were seen at Carlton Marshes, 15 December. Chiffchaffs were recorded at Flixton GP, 11 December, Carlton Marshes (three), 15 December and Oulton Marshes (two), 17 December; Cetti’s…

A flock of 16 White-fronted Geese was present at Belton Marshes, 8 December, while Pink-footed Geese were recorded at Haddiscoe Island (1,000), 4 December and Herringfleet Marshes (100 flew north),…

A Water Pipit was seen at Carlton Marshes, 30 November, a Grey Wagtail at Oulton, 29 November and a Chiffchaff at Carlton Marshes, 2 December. Bramblings were noted at Carlton…

Raptors at Haddiscoe Island included a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Hen Harrier, five Marsh Harriers, five Buzzards, three Short-eared Owls and three Barn Owls, 23 November and two Peregrines, 25 November.…

Three Cattle Egrets were present at Burgh Castle on marshes north of Back Lane, 13 to 16 November, with one still there on 17 November. A Great White Egret was…

Seven Waxwings were seen along Rectory Road, Carlton Colville, 6 November and a further 12 along Broom Gardens, Belton, 8 November. Two late Swallows were also noted at Rectory Road,…

Waxwings remained along Rectory Road, Carlton Colville throughout the week, with two present, 30 October to 2 November, nine, 3 November, four, 4 November and five, 5 November. Two Bramblings…

The valley joined in the influx of Waxwings along the east coast with sightings at Hollow Lane, Carlton Colville, 25 October, Sands Lane, Oulton, 28 October and Rectory Road, Carlton…

Two late Wheatears were seen at Carlton Marshes, 17 October, with a Swallow and four Cetti’s Warblers noted at the same site, 22 October and seven Crossbills were observed in…

It was a bumper week for passerines – particular highlights included a Shore Lark at Carlton Marshes and a Yellow-browed Warbler along Somerleyton Road, Oulton, 11 October, a Great Grey…

A Yellow-browed Warbler was present in a garden at Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe, 3 October and another was found dead in Oulton, 8 October. A Ring Ouzel was seen along Marsh Lane, Worlingham,…

Two late Reed Warblers were seen at Burgh Castle, 1 October, while Whinchats were present at Carlton Marshes (two), 28 September and by Haddiscoe Bridge (two), 30 September, two Yellow…

A Red-throated Diver was a surprise sighting at Burgh Castle, 20 September and a Mandarin Duck was present at Flixton GP, 21 September. A Wheatear was seen at Flixton GP,…

  A Bittern was seen in flight at Lopham Fen, 17 September and three Little Egrets were noted at Carlton Marshes, 11 September. Passerines recorded at Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe included four Whinchats,…

Two Wrynecks were seen along Breydon south wall at Burgh Castle, 5 September. A Whinchat was also present in the same area on the same day, with further Whinchats recorded…

A Great White Egret was present briefly at Carlton Marshes early morning on 1 September, while Little Egrets were noted at Carlton Marshes (four) and Lopham Fen (two), 29 August.…

Two Whinchats were present at Carlton Marshes, 22 August and a Wheatear was seen at the same site the following day. A Yellow Wagtail was recorded at Burgh Castle, 24…

An Osprey flew over Herringfleet Marshes, 18 August and three Red Kites were seen over Ditchingham, 15 August. Hobbies were reported from Herringfleet, 15 August, Beccles Marshes (two), 16 August,…

An early Wheatear was seen at Oulton, 7 August. Sightings from Ditchingham included a Spotted Flycatcher, 7 August and a Grey Wagtail the following day. A group of nine Yellow…

A Corn Bunting was a surprise sighting at Carlton Marshes early morning on 31 July, with a juvenile Cuckoo, 5 August and a Grasshopper Warbler, 6 August also noted at…

Single Hobbies were seen at Carlton Marshes, 29 July and Lopham Fen the following day. Three Buzzards were noted at St Olaves, 28 July, while Barn Owls were reported from…

Waders at Burgh Castle included 55 Black-tailed Godwits, 24 Curlews and four Redshanks, 17 July and a Spotted Redshank, a Whimbrel and 16 Avocets, 22 July, while Carlton Marshes hosted…

Three Spotted Flycatchers were observed feeding in a garden at St James South Elmham, 11 July. A juvenile Cuckoo and a singing Grasshopper Warbler were present at Carlton Marshes, 13 July. Bearded…

Waders at Carlton Marshes included a Wood Sandpiper, two Avocets and a Redshank, 3 July and a Curlew flew over on 7 July. Single Green Sandpipers were present at Earsham…

An Osprey was seen at Weybread GP, 28 June. Hobbies were noted at Carlton Marshes and North Cove SWT reserve, 27 June and Barn Owls at Carlton Marshes (three), 26…

A Great White Egret was present at Carlton Marshes, 19 June, together with three Little Egrets, while a further Little Egret was recorded at Burgh Castle, 24 June. Raptor highlights…

Carlton Marshes hosted six Spoonbills on 12 June, while Little Egrets were reported from Earsham (two) and Shotford Bridge, Weybread, 12 June, Herringfleet Marshes, 14 June and Carlton Marshes (three)…

A male Blue-winged Teal was present at Carlton Marshes on 6 and 7 June, the first record of this North American duck for the valley. Carlton Marshes also hosted five…

A Temminck’s Stint was found at Carlton Marshes on 29 May, the first one ever seen in the Valley. Other waders present at this site during the week included a…

Red Kites were seen at Castle Marsh, North Cove and Ellingham, 23 May and a Peregrine at Flixton GP, 28 May. Hobbies were recorded at Castle Marsh (two) and Belton…

The wader highlight of the week was the presence of three Wood Sandpipers at Carlton Marshes on 16 May. Other waders at this site included two Little Ringed Plovers and…

A Tree Pipit was seen at Carlton Marshes, 12 May, with a Whinchat present at the same site the following day. A Blue-headed Wagtail and a Yellow Wagtail were noted…

A Whinchat was present at Carlton Marshes, 6 May. A Grey Wagtail was seen at Worlingham Marshes, 1 May, six Lesser Redpolls at North Cove, 2 May and a Stonechat…

A male Wood Warbler was singing at Carlton Marshes on the morning of 28 April. Carlton Marshes also hosted two male Blue-headed Wagtails, 27 April and two White Wagtails, a…

A male Garganey was present at Carlton Marshes, 22 April. Five Cranes, in groups of three and two, flew over the same site the following evening. A Great White Egret…

Three Cranes flew high north over Herringfleet Marshes on 12 April. Little Egrets were recorded at Herringfleet Marshes, 12 April and Carlton Marshes (eight), 13 April and the first Common…

A Lesser Yellowlegs was found at Carlton Marshes, 3 April. Other waders at this site included four Redshanks, 3 April, two Avocets, 5 April and a Jack Snipe, 9 April.…

The first Swallows of the year were seen at Lopham Fen (three), 29 March, with subsequent March sightings at Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe on the 30th and Beccles Marshes (three), Carlton Marshes (two)…

A Crane circled over Carlton Marshes on the morning of 22 March before heading off west. The long-staying Cattle Egret was seen at North Cove throughout the week, a Great…

The Cattle Egret showed daily at North Cove, while Little Egrets were noted at Carlton Marshes (two), 13 March, North Cove, 14 March, Beccles Marshes, 17 March and Worlingham Marshes,…

The Cattle Egret remained at North Cove throughout the week, while Little Egrets were seen at Carlton Marshes (four), 12 March, Earsham (three), 10 March and Burgh Castle, 11 March.…

The Cattle Egret, present at Aldeby earlier in the month, was relocated in fields by Cove Dam, North Cove on 29 February and remained until the end of the week…

A Firecrest was seen at Fritton Lake, 27 February. A Grey Wagtail was present at Oulton Marshes, 22 February and an impressive count of 200 Siskins was made at North…

The Cattle Egret was present at East End Farm, Aldeby until 19 February. Little Egrets were recorded at Carlton Marshes (two), Aldeby and Lopham Fen, 14 February and Oulton Marshes,…

A Cattle Egret was a surprise find at East End Farm, Aldeby, 11 February, remaining to the end of the week, while Little Egrets were recorded at Herringfleet Marshes (two),…

Firecrests were seen at Rookery Park Golf Club, Carlton Colville, 31 January and in a garden at Barnby, 2 February. A Bearded Tit was recorded at Fritton Marshes and a…

A Spoonbill flew south over Burgh Castle late afternoon on 28 January, while Little Egrets noted at Outney Common, Bungay (two) and Worlingham Marshes, 24 January, Oulton Marshes and Redgrave…

The Lesser Yellowlegs was again present at Burgh Castle, 17 and 18 January, while a count of waders at the same site on 23 January included 23 Avocets, 13 Black-tailed…

A Jack Snipe was seen at Castle Marsh, North Cove, 16 January, along with 20 Common Snipe, and a Green Sandpiper was present at Outney Common, Bungay on the same…

It was a good week for wildfowl, with three Tundra Bean Geese present at Churchfarm Marshes, Burgh Castle, 8 January, and White-fronted Geese recorded at Castle Marsh, North Cove (15),…

The wintering Lesser Yellowlegs at Breydon Water put in appearances at Burgh Castle Flats on 29 and 31 December and 1 January. Other waders at Burgh Castle Flats included 216…