Holme Bird Observatory (Header)

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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – NOA RESERVES REMAIN CLOSED AT PRESENT All NOA reserves remain closed at present, and following the lifting of some restrictions in England we would ask our members, visitors and volunteers to be patient while this situation continues. We are still some way from being able to provide a COVID secure environment for our staff and visitors, and any changes must be gradual, cautious and enable social distancing. Broadwater Road is currently closed, and the Beach Road Car Park is also closed. We would advise that parking and toilet facilities are not yet widely available. NWT Holme Dunes, Titchwell and Snettisham RSPB reserves also remain closed, and do not yet have a date for opening their car parks and other visitor facilities. Please also bear in mind that we are now in the middle of the breeding season. Birds which have been nesting undisturbed while visitors have stayed away need this situation to continue until their young have fledged. For similar reasons affecting land managers along the North Norfolk Coast AONB, their Re-opening the Norfolk Coast Working Group is asking people not to visit at this time until organisations have had a chance to put safety measures in place for social distancing and reopen provision such as toilets and car parks. Announcements will be made by individual organisations and businesses when this is the case, so please check before you travel, and don’t come at present. NOA hopes to offer some form of access at its reserves later this summer, but it could still be some weeks away and will remain limited while we find our ‘new normal’. Please bear with us, and we thank you again for your understanding and support

Saturday 15th August 2015

Common Redstart along the East Bank - Holme Bird Obs, 15th August 2015 © Dave Nurney

This female/immature Redstart was viewable along the east bank much of the day. Other migrants included 6 Whimbrel, a Common and 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, a juvenile Cuckoo, and 2 Willow Warblers.
A north-westerly produced some good seawatching including 5 Eiders, 510 Common Scoters, 8 Fulmars, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 41 Gannets, a Great Crested Grebe, 10 Arctic Skuas, 5 Bonxies, a Kittiwake, 2 Med Gulls, 283 Sandwich Terns and 47 Common Terns. A Black Tern and 4 Arctic Terns also flew past the NWT during the morning.

Norfolk News from Birdnet
> Norfolk Juvenile Red-backed Shrike Winterton Dunes NNR in North Dunes 100m/S of concrete blocks. NR29 4BQ TG496198
> Norfolk Icterine Warbler Burnham Overy at 13:30 in Apple Tree at the start of the Dunes Boardwalk. PE31 8JJ TF853449
> Norfolk Wood Sandpiper Cley NWT in flight at S/of Arnold's Marsh at 15:15 + Spotted Redshank NR25 7SA TG049441
> Norfolk Whinchat Burnham Norton at 12:25. PE31 8DS TF828441
> Norfolk Pied Flycatcher Holkham Pines + Redstart in the dunes.
> Norfolk Adult Curlew Sandpiper Cley NWT on Simmonds Scrape + Continental Black-tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper & Little Gull NR25 7SA TG049441
> Norfolk Bittern Weybourne flew/W over camp 09:25. NR25 7SR TG111435
> Norfolk 2 Sooty Shearwater flew/W past Cley NWT at 10:18. NR25 7SA TG049441
> Norfolk 2 Spotted Redshank Breydon Water + No Sign of Possible White-winged Black Tern NR31 9QB TG464048
> Norfolk Wood Sandpiper Cley NWT + Purple Sandpiper on North Scrape this mrng. NR25 7SA TG049441
> Norfolk 3 Whinchat Beeston Bump NR26 8DB TG167432
> Norfolk Wood Sandpiper Titchwell RSPB this mrng. + 2 Spotted Redshank PE31 8BB TF759436