Burnham Overy Marshes and Dunes, North Norfolk Coast (with Alan Pickersgill) 9th September 0630-1400

In autumn, Burnham Overy Marshes and Dunes is my favourite location to visit on the North Norfolk Coast in search of migrant birds, September for the last summer migrants, and again in October for the first autumn arrivals of Thrushes and Finches from Northern Europe.
Today, I visited this remarkable location my good birding friend, Alan Pickersgill, our visit would provide us with 61 Bird species, as well as a lovely Natterjack Toad.

Conditions:  Not a bad day for migrants, dawn was quite bright although cloud increased to eventually give full coverage.  Some light rain showers developed into a more persistent, but light rainfall.  The wind was a moderate southerly.

Highlights
0630: Many thousands of Starlings strung out across the sky from the east to the west horizon and headed off inland.
One skulking Reed Warbler in Hawthorn along track.
One Green Sandpiper on marsh
8 Cattle Egrets on marsh with cattle
One Great White Egret
Migrant arrivals included Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, and a couple of Whitethroats
1215: 8 Grey Herons at height heading west

Burnham Overy Marshes and Dunes 9th September (0700)

Selected Species Notes
As soon as I got out of the car the first spectacle of the day was watching a very large flock of thousands of Starlings strung out across the sky from the east to the west horizon, they all made their way south inland, a very impressive sight indeed.  Were these British birds or arrivals from the continent?
In stubble south of the coast road, 7 Grey Partridges were seen and calling and a short time later a single Red Kite drifted slowly above fields.
Following coffee, we began our day with a walk north between the inviting hedgerows with migrants in mind, and the first migrant of interest was a single Reed Warbler very quietly skulking in the middle of a small Hawthorn from where it was heard to give a brief sub-song.
Continuing our walk north with the marsh now in sight, a small area of water with a muddy shore looked a good site for a passage wader, a check of this habitat straight away produced a single Green Sandpiper, an expected species here.
Next, and of personal interest to me, was the finding of 8 Cattle Egrets on a marsh around cattle.  These beautiful small Herons constitute my first British record.  Smaller, but appearing stockier than Little Egret with a deeper, stronger looking Orangey bill and with a jowl, quite different from the Little Egrets sleek and pointed facial features.  A hint of Orange was seen on the forecrown.  A little later, the Cattle Egrets were joined by a much larger and more stately looking Great White Egret.

Cattle Egret (8 present) at Overy Marshes 9th Sept.

As we walked along the raised path towards the dunes I spotted a Natterjack on the path and then disappearing into grass cover, this was a notable first record for Alan.
We then reached the beautiful Burnham Overy Dunes and decided to walk east towards Holkham Pines.  Our initial thoughts was on the noticeable dearth of summer migrants, however, the reliable and ubiquitous Meadow Pipits were the commonest species seen although a couple of Stonechats were seen together.
The habitat within the dunes, especially towards the east end, is magical for the birder hunting for migrants in autumn, Bramble scrub, Elder, and fruiting Dog Rose cover the dunes, this becomes much denser where the dunes meets the west end of Holkham Pines, and indeed, this is where Alan and I saw most activity, which included migrant Warblers.
It was our intention to check the west end of the Pines, this proved fruitful with many Coal Tits, Goldcrests, Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tits, and Treecreepers moving through the trees as a mobile flock.   It was also in this relatively sheltered part of the dunes where we saw 6+ Blackcaps (including males and a lovely female), 6+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Whitethroat, and a juvenile male Bullfinch, all more or less in the same patch of dunes scrub.
Alan and I then had a leisurely walk back through the dunes, again with Meadow Pipits for company, and at midday we decided to sit for lunch.  During our break we saw an interesting movement of  8 Grey Herons high overhead together, and all in a westerly heading.
For much of the latter part of the morning, rain became the main weather feature with a fairly persistent, but quite light rainfall.  As we headed towards the end of the dunes walk, a single Whitethroat was seen sitting on the edge of Bramble in full view, and picking at fruit.  I think it quite likely that this Whitethroat arrived during rainfall.

 Whitethroat in Bramble in the dunes.  Did this migrant arrive in the rain?

The long walk back along the path with the marshes either side of us was a leisurely affair.  We stopped to overview Overy Creek, the tide was out and several waders were feeding in the soft mud, notably Redshank, Knot, and Oystercatcher.  Finally, the walk between the gorgeous hedgerow corridor leading back to the start/end of our walk revealed a single Dunnock, but no migrants.

Species recorded at Burnham Overy Marshes and Dunes
Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Mute Swan (3), Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Grey Partridge (7), Pheasant, Little Grebe, Cattle Egret (8), Grey Heron (10), Great White Egret (1), Cormorant, Red Kite (1), Buzzard (3), Coot, Oystercatcher, Golden Plover (20+), Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Knot, Snipe (1), Green Sandpiper (1), Redshank, Greenshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Kestrel, Jay, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Bearded Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Skylark (1), Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler (1), Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler (1), Blackcap (6+), Whitethroat (2), Wren, Treecreeper, Starling (1000's south 0630), Stonechat (2), Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch (juv. male), Greenfinch (7), Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting (61 species)