Page 10 - Out Birding Issue 109 Winter 2022

Sne􏰀sham Spectacular 14/082022
Eleven GBC members made an early start and assembled on the seafront at RSPB Sne􏰀sham to enjoy the fabulous gathering of wading birds at high 􏰁de. The sea was already flooding across gleaming mudflats, promp􏰁ng dense flocks of Bar-tailed God- wit and Oystercatcher to march purposefully just ahead of the rising water, eventual- ly mixing with sca􏰂ered groups of Curlew and Grey Plover. Soon shimmering flocks of Knot and Black-tailed Godwit were wheeling around overhead then funnelling down to their roost sites on small islands in the elongated gravel pit just behind the shingle bank. Once the birds had roosted it was 􏰁me to watch from the hides and take in splendid views of bustling crowds of Knot and the more sedate gatherings of Black- tailed Godwits. Other waders jockeying for the prime roost spots included Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Turnstone and Dunlin. Many of these birds were freshly arrived from Arc􏰁c breeding grounds and the Knot in par􏰁cular caught the eye as a good pro- por􏰁on retained their warm peachy summer plumage whilst others had already moulted to grey feathers in readiness for autumn.
Having had our fill of the roost we gathered again on the shingle beach; just offshore adult and juvenile Li􏰂le Tern and Mediterranean Gull were feeding and more distant- ly, Marsh Harriers were patrolling the saltmarsh. The 􏰁de was now star􏰁ng to recede, and flocks of Knot started streaming out of the roost, flying directly overhead at 􏰁mes, and then gathered on the first patches of mud to be revealed again. A Dunlin flock alighted on the mud too, and following a 􏰁p-off from a nearby group, we were lucky to spot a White-rumped Sandpiper, a rare North American wader that had been seen off and on for a few days. By now it was ge􏰀ng rather warm, so we made our way back to the cars and headed back to our various local accommoda􏰁ons for a well- earned siesta.
We gathered again in the early evening at Titchwell RSPB, where we birded for a while then enjoyed a group picnic. Paul spo􏰂ed at Bi􏰂ern flying across the reedbeds, then a flock of Spoonbill flew over and dropped down to the main scrape and started feeding alongside a Great White Egret and a sca􏰂ering of Avocet.
The previous day, some of the group met up at the RSPB European Bee-eater Viewpoint at Trimingham, north Norfolk where two nests were ac􏰁ve, and chicks were being fed by the adults. It was a real treat to watch the adults catching insects including dragonflies and bu􏰂erflies and taking them to the chicks hid- den in the nest holes excavated in sandy bank. A chick was already looking out of one of the nest holes and was clearly close to fledging. We con􏰁nued watching up to six adults as they gathered on their favourite
European Bee-eater: Paul
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