North Norfolk

What a Cracking days birding today, myself and the Monkey, Bradders, Jono and Nick head up to Norfolk for some new year listing and what a great start, picking up the very striking Great Grey Shrike at Fakenham that appeared just as we were about to give up, also adding Grey Partridge and a fly over Goosander.

Then it was onto Cley to filthy year tick the Western Sandpiper (or sandpaper for jono!) that showed well in the beautiful sunshine albeit a tad distant.

Then onto Salthouse where we jam in on a fly bye Glaucous Gull which lingered briefly before carrying on eastwards, also picking up a single Snow Bunting.

Then Well's Pitch n Putt for Black Brant and pale bellied brent and near bye Holkham pines where we jam in on the Rough-Legged Buzzard and add both White-fronts and Barnacle Geese to our tally.

Black Brant (centre)

No stopping us now we head on to Titchwell where we have great views of the Coue's Arctic Redpoll in the picnic area alongside both lesser and Mealy for comparison.

Coue's Arctic Redpoll

On the reserve we catch up with the regular waders plus Spotted Redshank and two Scaup and a brief seawatch we find 2 Whooper Swan, Goldeneye, Red Breasted Merganser and both Common and Velvet Scoter along with plenty of auks and red throat divers.

Scaup

A stop at Flitching farm we add a cracking ringtail Hen Harrier and a dozen Tree Sparrows.

A superb days birding with good company and a bit of banter and a total of 90 species seen wasn't a bad haul.