Early to mid-March

Typically March has been slow to get going.

Signs of spring were slowly developing – Skylarks now singing everywhere, clear outs of various Buntings and Finches, regular waves of Snipe staging along the cliffs before leaving as well as increases in Pipits, Wagtails and Finches moving which brought with them my first Siskin of the year.

Early in the month a Great Crested Grebe in North Bay was an addition to PWC – strangely having missed them up until now.
Small numbers of Goldcrest and Chiffchaff began to appear along the coast and the Shorelark flock remained at Long Nab with a maximum count of 17, although numbers began to drop during mid-month.

The small flock of Brambling in the ringing plantation began to dwindle in number while a Water Rail was seen in the ditch there on the 1^st.
Things really did start to get going during the middle of the month with spring now in touching distance.

Its always a pleasure to see that first real summer migrant, and it was no different when on the 14^th a Sand Martin shot into view, hawking up and down over the Cromer Point colony.
In the fields behind me were three littoralis Rock Pipits looking rather nice. Movement along the coast also began to pick up with Meadow Pipits and Alba Wagtails predominantly moving north with Finches, mainly Linnet heading south with the occasional Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Siskin mixed in.

Not to miss out on the recently reported large scale Redwing exodus I had a few flocks heading east after work early morning on the 15^th.
Late that morning, a quick check of Johnson’s Marsh on route to Long Nab was very successful and produced four ugly Egyptian Geese.

Egyptian Geese on Johnson's Marsh.

Up at Long Nab it was a generally quiet day, a trickle of Meadow Pipit and Linnet were headlined by 2 Siskin!
At least 8 Brambling and 3 Goldcrest were in the ringing plantation and 5 Shorelark remained by Crook Ness.

Shorelark at Long Nab.

Johnson’s Marsh delivered the goods yet again on the 22^nd with not one but two cracking drake Garganey providing a very pleasant surprise on my way up to what became a very quiet outing at Long Nab – again!

Drake Garganey on Johnson's Marsh.