Bittern, Wheatear and Pipit.
The autumn migration is now in full swing, over the last few weeks I have visited my local nature reserve to find shanks & pipers passing through the country. This week we took a trip to the Norfolk coast a ‘Mecca’ for twitchers at this time of year, as the clocks changed just before Halloween.
Although these trips can be done solo, Catherine and I always find when it comes to spotting birds the more eyes the better. So, we joined, as we have done for the last few years, a coach party from the Sheffield and Chesterfield RSPB groups. All their scopes and experience can help easily identify a Common Gull from a Herring Gull in a quick glance. I don’t think they would call themselves twitchers that travel the breadth of the country to see a Nutcracker, when it appears in someone’s garden- but they certainly know their onions.
Thursday
Despite the early 5am start to get to the coach on time, we headed off down to the Norfolk coast with Cley being our first destination. We were supposed to go to Holme Dunes that first day but the problem with a large coach is it’s not easy to get to some places.
So, four and half hours later we arrived at our destination. After a brief talk from staff at a busy visitor centre, we headed off to Bishop’s hide. It did not disappoint - first birds spotted Water Pipit and Snipe.
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) ✅
The Water Pipit is a winter migrant, breeding in mountainous regions, alpine slopes and upland plains.
Very similar to a Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus) but browner, whitish chin and white stripe over the eye. In Summer it has a pinkish breast.
Did you Know?
It is more timid than a Rock Pipit, and when flushed will rise high into the air, giving a loud, shrill, strident fsst; as it gains height, it swings back behind the observer and drops into similar habitat several hundred metres away. This distinctive behaviour although not diagnostic, can help distinguish it from Meadow Pipits (Anthus pratensis) which are found in similar habitats but glide to the ground.
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| Anthus spinoletta - Water pipit - Wikipedia – Durzan ciranoio |
After seeing this wonderful pipit, we headed for one of the three main thatched hides, each looking out on a different lagoon. We choose the middle Daukes hide to give us the best view of all three lagoons. Oona, one of the group members, told me that within the Pink-footed geese on the fields behind the pools was a White-fronted Goose. I gave a resounding aa-ooh Eider like response, which she commented on and Neville with his scope quickly located it. I had seen this goose before, probably on a similar trip with the RSPB, but I don’t believe I would have picked it out if birding alone.
White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) ✅
A winter migrant most probably from arctic tundra of northern Russia.
Differs from the Pink Footed geese in having a more orange bill with a prominent white patch at the base, orange legs and dark belly bars on the underbelly.
Did you Know
These geese may have travelled over 3,000 km from Arctic breeding grounds. Family groups migrate together, with parents effectively teaching their offspring the route, creating a tradition that can be passed down through generations.
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| Anser albifrons - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre – Omar Runolfsson |
Towards the end of the day, having seen 42 birds including Bearded Tit, Dunlin and Great White Egret as well as the above, I couldn’t help wondering why the café was so full on a Thursday afternoon. Then I overheard someone mention that a rarity had been found on the reserve, so it was with some delight that we learned we would be returning the following day.
When you book one of these package holidays you never quite know what type of hotel you’ll get, but this did not disappoint. The room was huge, the facilities excellent and the food was scrumptious. Anyone planning a visit to this part of Norfolk should consider the Knights Hill Hotel, just outside King’s Lynn.
One thing I always like to do when staying somewhere new is explore the grounds. Hotels can often be rather sterile places from a wildlife perspective, but dawn revealed birds calling from the trees and a bug hotel tucked away at the back, suggesting this was rather different. Even the lawn outside our bedroom was dotted with Inkcap mushrooms, hinting at the possibility of waxcaps if we looked more closely, although unfortunately none were found.
Friday
After a hearty breakfast we returned Cley, jumping off the bus to go to the beach down the East Bank first. The morning light was much better than the previous afternoon making it easier to pick out a Spoonbill and a pair of Pintails among the many wildfowl in the lagoons. The Bearded tits remained elusive as did the Water Rail, which occasionally squealed from the nearby reedbeds, while the Cetti’s warbler burst out its song from the bushes where it remained hidden.
We were being drawn to the very bird that had filled the visitor centre café the previous afternoon. Before we reached it, however there were distractions out at sea. Red Throated Divers and an immature Gannet flying over. According to a reserve volunteer the wind was blowing in the wrong direction to bring anything closer, so we had to be satisfied with the occasional head of a Grey Seal, the best the sea could offer today.
However further along the beach, a sizeable crowd had gathered, many from our coach party who had found a quicker route to the shingle. Their attention was focused on a bird no larger than a Robin, yet one that had travelled much farther than any of us. The object of everyone’s interest was a first-year Desert Wheatear.
It was showing remarkably well, running across the shingle only ten metres away. Through binoculars it looked pale and sandy, perfectly matching its surroundings. Its buff-coloured upperparts contrasted with darker wings and a striking black tail pattern that flashed whenever it turned. The bird’s upright stance, quick movements and bold dark eye gave it a surprisingly charismatic appearance, and it frequently paused to scan for insects before darting off again.
It was very obliging and a long way from home, its natural habitat being the rocky deserts and dry scrublands of Morocco and Africa, having flown 4,000km from its breeding grounds in Central Asia. This youngster had obviously been blown off course.
I don’t carry a camera, relying instead on my iPhone, so close-up photographs of small birds are usually beyond me. Nevertheless, I gave it a try. See if you can spot the Desert Wheatear in the photograph below. See the bottom of the post for the actual spot if you can’t.
The photograph just shows how well camouflaged it was on the shingle. Had it not been for the gathering of birdwatchers around it, most people would probably have walked straight past without ever realising it was there.
On our return back to the visitor centre, we had fabulous flyovers of Pink Footed Geese.
By the end of the day, we had recorded 77 species in total. Of these, 58 were birds, with 26 being new for the trip list. Ten species seen on the previous day, including Avocet, Bearded Tit, Common Gull and Snipe, were not re-spotted, having either moved on during the night or simply remained hidden from view.
The collective tally for the whole group was undoubtedly much higher; I have linked the blog created by William Bennet, see Next Steps.
Saturday
While much of the country was battening down the hatches in preparation for Storm Austen, the day began surprisingly calmly at RSPB Titchwell. Knowing the weather would eventually catch up with us, we headed straight for the beach where the receding tide allowed close views of shoreline birds.
Sanderlings scurried across the sand ahead of the waves, while Oystercatchers, Grey Plovers, Knots, Brent Geese, Redshanks, and Turnstones, feasted on the water’s edge. Out at sea there was rather less activity. The wind was still blowing in the wrong direction for anything exciting to be spotted, although a lone Common Scoter bobbed amongst the waves.
As the rain began to arrive, we retreated to Fen Hide. Reports had circulated of a Yellow-browed Warbler, but unfortunately, it was not to be spotted by Catherine and I.
Expectations were high as we entered the hide, only to be met with a rather uninspiring view of a small pool bordered by a vast reedbed. A couple kindly vacated their seats for us and, when asked what they had seen, smiled and replied that this was the hide for serenity and contemplation. Nothing had appeared in over thirty minutes.
Delighted with what we had spotted so far, we took it as an opportunity to have our packed lunch and contemplate the morning’s sightings.
A couple arrived not connected with our party, but it turns out did not live far away from home, then along came Neville and Karen who were from the coach. I don’t know if it’s Neville’s serendipity but suddenly things started to be spotted, there was a flyover of a Sparrowhawk, Great White Egret and a Wood Pigeon - well it wasn’t a bad start. It got us talking and the couple mentioned they had seen a Tawny Owl, so Neville and Karen went to look.
No sooner had they left than a Bittern flew in.
Oh, Karen and Neville, you’ve picked the wrong moment!” I thought.
The bird dropped into the reeds and disappeared. We all knew that could easily be the last we would see of it. Bitterns are masters of concealment, blending perfectly with their reedbed surroundings. Although conservation work by the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts has helped their numbers recover in recent years, actually seeing one remains a special event.
I kept scanning the area where it had landed. Then, almost unbelievably, the Bittern emerged from the reeds and began walking slowly through the cut vegetation directly in front of the hide.
I don’t know how word got out, some were obviously pulled in as they passed the hide, maybe coming looking for shelter from the storm that had now arrived. But before long the hide was full. Standing room only, with cameras poking out the window and scopes being offered to not only RSPB coach members but everyone who came by that afternoon. It was wonderful to share the Bittern sighting; nobody went home without a smile on their face.
Then, just when it seemed the afternoon could not get any better, something disturbed the water beside the Bittern.
At first, I assumed it was a large eel trying to evade a predator. The water swirled again further to the right many bubbles surfaced. Then a head emerged.
It’s an Otter I exclaimed…. Wow.
Suddenly we were watching not one elusive wetland specialist, but two. Whether either was aware of the other’s presence, we’ll never know.
Further bubbles appeared in the water as it swam away, but unfortunately no further sightings were seen.
Storms may have dominated the weather forecasts that weekend, but for those of us packed into Fen Hide that afternoon, the Bittern was unquestionably the headline act.
The bird count for the day was 47 with 2 mammals Otter and Hare. There were 12 birds new to the holiday bringing my total bird count to 78.
Sunday
The final day of our adventure took us to the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust reserve at Welney. Overnight, Storm Boelo had now made its presence felt and the wind was still gusting strongly across the fenland. The lagoons were whipped into a frenzy; white-crested waves making them look more like a stretch of coastline than inland freshwater pools.
The birds seemed none too impressed by the conditions either. Many stood with heads tucked into their backs, conserving energy while keeping a watchful eye open for danger.
That danger occasionally appeared overhead in the form of Marsh Harriers quartering across the reserve. A Peregrine sat amongst the vegetation beyond the lagoons; it was not particularly interested in hunting looking slightly fed up with the weather. Who could blame it?
We had gone for the delight of the Whooper Swans but unfortunately even though 200 had arrived earlier in that week, there were only a few on the lagoon during our visit. They were probably out on the fields feeding, coming back at dusk which unfortunately we weren’t around to see. There were plenty of Cattle Egret around the cows, which were commented on when leaving the reserve mid-afternoon, certainly into double figures.
What was fascinating was the number of Common Darters along the paths sheltering behind the hedges which acted as a windbreak on such a blustery day, there must have been over 50 sighted. There we also a few Buff-tailed bees and hoverflies, Footballer and the Marmalade pictured below. It seemed to have really long wings, so I suspected this might be a migrating one click here to learn more about migrating hoverflies.
By the end of the weekend we had recorded 114 species, including 87 birds, 6 mammals and 3 hoverfly species amongst the highlights. More importantly for my ongoing quest to reach 1,000 species, the trip added 27 species to my year list, including 9 lifers, bringing my total to 978.
That leaves just 22 species to find before the end of the year. The challenge is becoming increasingly difficult now, but perhaps some fungi, plant galls or mosses will help me over the finish line. Time will tell. Check back in a couple of weeks to see whether I managed it.
It was a shame we did not get the Nutcracker that had just dropped in to Norfolk over the weekend that would have been the icing on the cake, but what a splendid time. Nevertheless, the Desert Wheatear, the unforgettable Bittern with the surprise Otter encounter ensured the trip was packed with memorable moments.
This is the third adventure with this group, organised by Chris in association with Cairngorm Travel who ensured the whole event ran smoothly. The company of birders often changes from trip to trip with a few familiar faces, but everyone is always keen to let you look through their scopes and will grab you when something special happens.
I look forward to next year’s adventure in Dorset in April.
Next Steps
More photographs and the full list of birds, with further information about the reserves visited, can be found at the following link:
North Norfolk multi-day trip - 22-25 October 2026 - Sheffield Local Group
In total the group saw 111 birds. The blog splits down birds and other sightings by day.
Nature Reserve are a wonderful place to visit this time of year, you never know what might be passing through, so I would encourage you to go.
References.
Hume.R, Still.R, Swash.A, Harrop.H and Tipling.D Britain’s Birds. An identification guide to the birds of Britain and Ireland publisher Wild Guides
Hollom.P.A.D The Popular Handbook of British Birds (5th Ed.). Publisher H.F & G Witherby LTD.
Vinicombe.K, Harris.A and Tucker.L. The Helm Guide to Bird Identification. Bloomsbury 2014
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