As Cromer Nature Notes comes to the end of its third year I thought I’d reinstate a tradition, from my Aylmerton Nature Diary days, of an end of year review. Looking back over 2022, what a year it has been! Here are the highlights of my Cromer-based birding year – for the travel diaries of our trips abroad in 2022 – including Australia, Sri Lanka, Spain and India go to TrevorOnTour
Back in Norfolk from an extended trip to Australia and Sri Lanka, my birding year began in early February with the arrival of a superb Red-breasted Goose, which ranged between Blakeney fresh march and Cley for a few weeks. Closer to home an Iceland Gull at Cley, the rediscovery of the Short-toed Lark at West Runton and a long-staying Long-tailed Duck at Sidestrand all provided late winter interest.
Early March saw us in Spain for the first of two visits, then it was back to Norfolk to catch up with Garganey at Cley – perhaps some of the birds we’d seen passing along the Catalunya coast in unseasonably cold and windy Mediterranean weather? The discovery of a pair of over-wintering Little Bunting near Weybourne was a welcome surprise – as was their subsequent relocation to Kelling Heath and perhaps a premature breeding attempt! The 24th produced a welcome NENBC tick with an early Little Ringed Plover at Cart Gap.
April, whilst not producing a rush of Spring migrants, did start with early breeding Raven at Holkham (the successful spread of this corvid through East Anglia will hopefully be analysed by UEA students, in collaboration with NENBC, next year) and ended with the first Cromer Peregrine chick of 2022 hatching on 27th. An obliging ‘one day’ Kentish Plover at Cley on 12th broke the spell – I’ve missed several in Norfolk – and was followed by two Felbrigg ‘firsts’. An Isle of Wight satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle G486, flushed from the copse on the Weaver’s Way on the morning of one of our Breeding Birds survey visits, was the first record for the site – it flew off at tree-top height towards the coast, giving awesome views. A couple of days later, on Duck Count day, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler in Boathouse Bay was a welcome addition to my Felbrigg List – there have only been three previous records for this location.
May started with a trip to the Derbyshire dales but resumed in Norfolk with our annual NENBC Big Sit (aptly renamed on this occasion as the Big Squib) on 15th. Our lowest day total by far since starting the event in 2015 (and a hint of things to come), it did however produce a Dunlin on the lake – only the third record for Felbrigg. The arrival of two pairs of Black-winged Stilt at Hickling heralded a late flurry of Spring birding interest, beginning with an incredible ‘flock’ of five Golden Oriole passing West Runton on 20th. Weeks earlier I’d passed up the opportunity to twitch the White-tailed Plover at Ken Hill (first record for Norfolk) in the mistaken belief it would hang around. It didn’t but, mercifully for me, it did put in an appearance at Hickling on 24th. Three days later I was fortunate enough to add yet another Norfolk tick – a calling Corncrake – in suitable breeding habitat and also within the NENBC area. To close out the month a striking Lesser Grey Shrike appeared on the perimeter fence of Norwich airport on 29th.
The late Spring bonanza continued into June with the arrival of up to 9 Bee-eaters at Trimingham. As the record books will show they stayed to breed, with two pairs successfully fledging five young – a ‘first’ for Norfolk and the undisputed highlight of Summer 2022. Oh and I almost forgot – the 9th produced the third new Norfolk wader species for me, in the shape of a ‘spotty’ Spotted Sandpiper at Titchwell on 9th.
You would expect July to be quiet, and so it was, but it’s generally the month when interesting gulls appear from the continent. Caspian Gulls began to arrive on Cromer beach, followed soon after by Yellow-legged – but this was just a taste of things to come! The resurrection of BirdFair mid-month was a welcome opportunity to meet up with old friends and saw the official launch of Bird.Club The month concluded with a scarce and, at times, elusive Night Heron at Cley – the first I’d seen in Norfolk in several decades.
August began with the amazing discovery of a Cape Gull at Grafham Water – a UK ‘first’. We managed to catch up with it after visiting my cousins in Northampton. The month came to a crescendo conclusion with a successful after duty twitch to Hickling to tick up on another UK first for me – Eleonora’s Falcon. Mid-month interest came in the shape of an obliging Spotted Crake at Cley.
September is our time for visiting Spain – a week of raptor migration, plus anything else of interest. The month had started well in Norfolk with local Wryneck and Barred Warbler but failed to build migration momentum as the month progressed.
As September slipped into October another ‘Norfolk first’ for me appeared near Waxham, a Rustic Bunting was found feeding by the edge of a Broadland footpath. It originally gave good views but became more jittery as the day progressed. The established pattern of ‘little and infrequent’ continued through the month until a long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher put in an appearance at Cley. This was followed by the first twitchable Hoopoe in the NENBC area around the caravan parks between Beeston and West Runton. With a deep southerly airstream dominating during the last couple of weeks of October it was no surprise to witness the multiple arrival of Pallid Swift. I had three together at one point over the Cromer Carnival Field. This site also played temporary host to a locally ‘difficult to get’ species, Shore Lark. The month ended in spectacular style with an Alpine Accentor, which appeared at the end of Blakeney Point. The Cley area also recording an uncharacteristically shy Desert Wheatear at the same time, staying into November
For us most of November was dominated by the build-up and two week trip to India. The only local highlights for the few days I was birding being the arrival of a Great Egret at Felbrigg lake – my first for the site since the creation of NENBC, and at the very end of the month, a group of obliging Waxwing on Beeston Common and a flock of up to a dozen Whooper Swan near the Stone Cross at Aylmerton.
December is usually quiet on the birding front and this year was no exception. The predicted southern over-shoots failed to materialise at the beginning of the month, in the abnormally mild weather, as did the hoped-for eruptions of northern species during the prolonged exceptionally cold period in the middle of the month. The long-staying Hume’s Warbler at Brancaster however bucking the trend. On our penultimate sea-watch of the year on 22nd, when the temperature and winds had stabilised, a true surprise discovery was a Black Guillemot on the sea just off-shore from the NLP shelter. Judging from the overall paleness of the bird it was more than likely one of the northern / arctic races. A much-needed ‘first’ for me in the NENBC.
Birding is full of surprises – changes in the weather and seasons creating a seemingly infinite combination of possibilities. 2022 will definitely stand out locally as a good year for the scarce and the rare, but not so good for the regular. Some once common species failed to appear – in any number at least – either as migrants or summer / winter visitors. For example, our NENBC Breeding Bird Survey of Felbrigg – a repeat of the last six years ago – was short on a number of species including: Hobby, Cuckoo and Spotted Flycatcher (inside the park) but surprisingly we did record Willow Warbler as a breeding species. However, the general consensus for 2022 was that it was a difficult year for birding and for birds. Whilst hoping that this was just a temporary dip, those with a climate change / environment / conservation focus will see it at something potentially far more significant. That moment in nature when the car slowly reaches the top of the rollercoaster incline, before plummeting into oblivion perhaps?
So to all of the readers of this blog over the past twelve months I extend a traditional wish of peace and prosperity in 2023. Let us hope for the best in all aspects of our lives – whilst planning for the worst. In specific regard to Norfolk and it’s wonderful wildlife, please do help us help the planet – visit Felbeck Trust or Cromer Green Spaces to see how you can help make a positive difference to nature in your neighbourhood.
Cromer Nature Notes 