Norfolk: Isabelline Shrike and Pallas's warbler

Sunday 11th October

A Barn Owl perched on a roadside fence post on route to Norfolk was a great start to the day, In the semi darkness we pulled over to take advantage before heading off to Titchwell for a day's birding.

Before reaching Titchwell car park a Little Owl perched on top of a telegraph pole is also seen along with large numbers of Red-legged Partridge in the surrounding fields.

At Titchwell a walk from the car park to the beach produced good sightings of Marsh Harriers, Golden, and Grey plovers, Curlew Sandpiper, Snipe, Eider, Common Scoter, Sanderling and Razorbill along with several skeins of Brent geese.

Curlew Sandpiper

 On the return walk we had a brief search for the previous days reported Yellow-browed Warbler but failed to find it among the tit flocks.

While enjoying views of Turnstones, Ringed plovers and Dunlin at a brief stop at Brancaster the pager bleeps into life to report a Radde's warbler at Holkham Pines.

Having parked up and headed off along the track towards the dunes the pager reports the presence of an Isabelline Shrike at Beeston Regis! Already half way along the track we decide to turn around and go for the Shrike. Arriving at Beeston and after a very short walk from the car we found the Shrike perched up in a Hawthorn Bush immediately!

Isabelline Shrike (B Anderson)

There were plenty of local birders already present when we arrived and after an hour of watching the Shrike news filtered around that there had been a Pallas's Warbler found nearby at Sheringham.

After some confusing information as to the exact location of the bird, we parked up and found the bird showing superbly along the edge of the golf course and railway tracks in the company of Goldcrests.

Pallas's Warbler (B Anderson)

Not a bad ending to another great days birding in Norfolk.