Sunday 26th October 2025.
A Red-throated Diver offshore passing Salthouse beach.
Becky and I, with the dogs, took a trip to the Cley Coastguard late this morning and although she mostly looked after the dogs while I did a good 'sea-watch' with a small crowd of birders present, she was more than happy to keep out of that cold westerly wind. From there, we had a quick spot of lunch in the Cafe overlooking Cley Marshes and then I had another quick 'sea-watch' from Salthouse to round our day off and then back to the Cottage. The weather was still breezy, but it was much wilder than yesterday. Before all this, I took the dogs for a good walk down the road first thing this morning and even turned up a few nice birds in the bright sunshine.
Holt, North Norfolk:
This Robin was singing in the early morning sunshine above our heads.
Though it was only around 6 degrees (actually about 2 degrees in the wind chill), I was well wrapped up while I took the dogs for their morning walk. Just yards from our Cottage, a small gathering of House Sparrows sat on a well-pruned Privet Hedge and a small tree held four each of Long-tailed Tit and Blue Tit. A Great Tit was thrown into the mix as well. The large Copse further down the road held a Nuthatch high up in an Oak tree along with a couple of Chaffinches and a lone male Greenfinch.
Above, a Nuthatch was high up in the edge of the Copse and below, a vocal Pied Wagtail was perched on a TV Aerial.
Above, this Blue Tit was seen picking off insects on the side of a house and below, three distant Redwing in a small tree in someone's garden.
Above, a couple of female Chaffinches were high up in the trees and below, a record shot of a Redwing passing overhead.
Above, a small flock of House Sparrows were in a nearby hedgerow. Below, a male Greenfinch was perched high up in one of the roadside trees.
This Blue Tit was perched in one of the smaller roadside trees.
A flock of 8 Redwings flew low overhead, but my dodgy camera was too slow to focus to get a nice shot of them passing by. I did, however, see a flock of three distant birds in a tree in someone's garden and took photos of them instead. A Pied Wagtail was perched on a TV aerial and a Coal Tit was seen high up in a tall Conifer to round off a lovely walk.
Cley Coastguard, North Norfolk:
The Coastguard Building we all used for shelter against the strong westerly wind.
There had been a nice variety of birds seen from the Coastguard building here and both Little Auk and the immature Glaucous Gull had been seen here this morning. The drive up to the Car Park wasn't too bad, with not too many cars coming back down the road as I picked up a small flock of Pink-footed Geese in the fields to my right. Once in the Car Park, I paid the £4 parking fee and joined a small group of birders with scopes, using the Coast Guard Building for shelter against the wind. Becky took the dogs for a quick walk but it was too cold and windy for her and so she sat in the shelter out of the wind listening to three old ladies moaning about their ‘birding husbands’ and what they get up to!
Above, Becky with our dogs, Buddy and Ted on the beach at Cley. Below, three juvenile Gannets passing east over the sea.
Using just my binoculars, I was picking up the likes of Gannets and a raft of Common Scoter offshore, but I really needed my scope and so as Becky went back to sit in the car with the dogs, I grabbed my scope and got a good spot to both keep out of the wind and also check the sea thoroughly. I have to say, I could have stayed there for hours as there were so many birds passing through on the sea. No wonder Birdguides was reporting a lot of stuff from here over the past few days.
Numerous flocks of Wigeon were passing through in large flocks.
Now that I had my scope, I picked out wave after wave of Wigeon passing westbound high over the sea, though some birds did fly quite low over the sea as well. Close to the shoreline, a superb summer-plumaged Red-throated Diver was seen on the very choppy water, but better still was a pair of Long-tailed Ducks heading west. I quickly put the chap next to me onto the birds of which he was most grateful and between us, we started to pick out the birds. Another Red-throated Diver passed by and a Guillemot was seen swimming just offshore as well.
Above, a small flock of three Brent Geese headed east over the sea.
Again, more Wigeon went through along with smaller flocks of Pintail and Teal all heading westbound over the sea. A small flock of three Brent Geese headed east, while good numbers of juvenile Gannets were passing through, though most were quite distant. Even waders got in on the act with a flock of Oystercatchers heading west along with singles of both Ringed Plover and Redshank. Sadly, no Grey Phalaropes went through, though there was apparently one on the Marshes nearby. Seriously, if it wasn't for the fact that it wasn't really fair for my wife to be sitting in the car on her own, I would have stayed at least a few hours more. It turns out that shortly after I left, a Short-eared Owl passed by offshore and one of the birders told us that a Woodcock was making its way to dry land from the sea, but was knocked off by a Peregrine and consequently the poor bird landed in the sea! That was the best 'sea-watch', apart from the one-off good day at Gilkicker in the Spring with the boys, I have had this year and I am looking to do a lot more while I am up here in North Norfolk.
Cley Marshes, North Norfolk:
Becky and I ate our lunch outside (no dogs allowed in the cafe) overlooking the superb Cley Marshes. Pats Pool is in the distance and below, overlooking the East Bank.
Though Becky and I never set foot on the Marshes itself, we had a lovely lunch (though a bit cold outside) from the big Cafe overlooking the reserve from the A149. The weather was still quite bright and sunny and while eating my delicious Norfolk Pastry and Baked Beans, we could see two female Marsh Harriers quartering the reedbeds and a variety of waders flying over during our time there. A Common Snipe flew high over our heads as did a small flock of Lapwing. There was a large flock of distant Gulls on Pat’s Pool and through my binoculars, I could pick out Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit on the Pool as well as a variety of wildfowl. On the Cley Marshes here today, reported on Birdguides was a Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Spotted Redshank and the Grey Phalarope! Not bad at all.
Salthouse, North Norfolk.
A raft of Common Scoters offshore at Salthouse.
The Glaucous Gull was reported on the sea here around 10am and so I had to try my luck again. Becky sat in the car again as I gave it another 30 minutes or so checking the shoreline and the sea, but there was no sign of the bird. Though there was a large variety and number of Gulls along the shoreline or resting on the beach, I could not find the bird; but it looked as though it was off Weybourne anyway as it was reported there around 4.30pm.
Above, a close passing Red-throated Diver made its way west through the large number Gulls present offshore. Below, a lone female Common Scoter offshore.
However, I still got to see a nice variety of birds during my time there. The wind was still strong over the beach, but there were a variety of birds passing through still. I searched the large number of Gulls over the waves for anything interesting, but it was all the more common species seen but I did pick up a fine Red-throated Diver passing close in. Numerous Gannets were going past and virtually all the dark juvenile birds, but they were passing close in also. A large raft of 40+ Common Scoter were on the sea and a small flock of 4 Teal headed west along with a few Wigeon and another female Common Scoter. Not bad for just 30 minutes of birding here. Some idiot parent nearly lost his child in the surf down on the shoreline as a large wave nearly engulfed the child as he was in waist deep water, but luckily, the child just managed to get free of the water. That was really a close one as I shook my head at the father of the child. I seriously thought I was going to have to run into the sea to save the child!
Above, I did see a couple of birders checking the Gulls out on the beach further to the east and below, the raft of Common Scoter offshore. The vast majority were female birds.
Above, one of many juvenile Gannets passing through and some came quite close in. Below, you can see how choppy and strong the waves looked and I for one, would not get anywhere near those waves.
On a positive note, it was a very good birding today and Becky and I are going to round the day off with a lovely dinner in a local pub tonight. Happy days. There are so many good Bird Reserves up here and I am spoilt for choice, but it looks as though I might be going to Titchwell RSPB Reserve tomorrow morning.
