Birdwatch UK October 2017

26 Birdwatch•October 2017 http://www.birdguides.com/birdwatch

WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS

WAXHAM, HORSEY AND WINTERTON

By Tim Allwood

❯ Sites and access

There is free open access to all sites; however, parking charges

apply in the car parks. The nearest train station is at Great

Yarmouth, from where there are hourly buses to Winterton; see

http://www.fi rstgroup.com for details. Waxham and Horsey are not served

by public transport, though, and you will need a car to follow the

whole itinerary. There is no speci c provision for disabled access,

but the track south of Horsey Gap is wide and relatively  at.

❯ Maps

• Ordnance Survey Explorer OL40 and Landranger 134.


• See bit.ly/bw304Norfolk for an annotated Google map which can
  be viewed in a smartphone or tablet browser.

❯ Web resources

• http://www.noa.org.uk for the Norfolk Ornithologists’ Association.


• http://www.norfolkbirds.weebly.com for the Norfolk Records Committee.


• http://www.birdlineeastanglia.co.uk for news and to report sightings.


• Follow on Twitter: @NorfolkBirds and @BirdGuides.

VISITOR INFORMATIONVISITOR INFORMATION

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Where and why

The stretch of coast running

between Waxham, Horsey and

Winterton comprises an extensive

dune system with a healthy

amount of scrub and scattered

bushes and some small wooded

areas. The whole area is easily

accessible on foot and has great

potential for seeing coastal

migrants, seabirds and incoming

winter visitors. It also boasts the

very real chance of  nding

scarcities, or even an eastern

vagrant or two if you’re very lucky.

Route planner

Waxham is on the B1159, one

mile south-east of Sea Palling and

two miles north-west of Horsey.

Either park sensibly on the

roadside or use the Horsey Gap

pay-and-display car park, which is

accessed by turning east off the

B1159 at Horsey Corner.

Starting at Waxham church (TG

441262) , as dawn breaks

over the dunes, occasional skeins

of Pink-footed Geese may be

seen overhead as they move to

feeding  elds. Common Cranes

can be watched or heard bugling,

especially early in the morning

• try scanning the  elds from a
  vantage point in the dunes.
  At this time of year,
  conditions may be suitable for a
  seawatch, with Manx and Sooty
  Shearwaters and Great and
  Arctic Skuas all possible among
  the commoner seabirds. There
  is also the outside chance of a
  rarer skua, diver or grebe. Find a
  sheltered spot to hunker down in
  the dunes and try your luck.
  The churchyard, its surrounding
  lanes and the woodland and

scrub around

Waxham Gap

should be checked

for Long-eared

Owl, Firecrest,

Black Redstart,

Woodcock and

scarcer warblers

such as Yellow-

browed and

Pallas’s among the

commoner fare. The

chance of a Dusky

or Radde’s Warbler

in any dense, rank

vegetation is worth

bearing in mind.

Marsh Harrier

may be encountered

over inland  elds,

while Great Grey

Shrike is possible

almost anywhere as you follow

the coastal path south. On a

good morning, migrants can be

moving almost continuously, with a

steady trickle of  nches including

Brambling, Redpoll and Siskin.

Scarcer species such as Snow

and Lapland Buntings may be

encountered, and possibly even a

small group of Shore Larks. Short-

eared Owls coming in off the sea

can be conspicuous. Check the

grassy area around the pipe dump

(TG 453251) for migrants before

returning to Waxham and driving

a mile south to Horsey Gap (TG

463241).

Explore the coastal path north

to the campsite – checking the

short turf for Northern Wheatear

and pipits – and south to the

Nelson Head track (TG 472233).

Scan the open ground, fences

and bushes for migrants such

as Wryneck, Ring Ouzel, shrikes

and chats. A Richard’s Pipit

is certainly possible, either

overhead or  ushed from the

open grassland. Check isolated

spots of cover for warblers,

 ycatchers and more chats.

Winterton-on-Sea is located

on the B1159 three miles south

of Horsey Gap and a mile north of

Hemsby. Turn east off the B1159,

drive through the village and

park in the beach car park. The

large area between the Nelson

Head track and Winterton is best

accessed by driving two miles

south to Winterton village (TG

498197) and walking north.

Before heading north, check

the large oaks and sycamores

on the inland edge of Winterton

south dunes for Yellow-browed and

Pallas’s Warblers, while the scrub

below the chalets can attract

Barred Warbler and shrikes.

Walking north from Winterton,

the large open area of grass and

heather scrub can be hard going

and relatively birdless, but you

may encounter arriving Bewick’s

and Whooper Swans and Pink-

footed and White-fronted Geese,

and this area is an ideal spot

from which to get a decent view

should you do so. A vantage point

from the dunes may also reveal

Snow Buntings on the beach,

more Marsh Harriers, cranes

and perhaps a Hen Harrier,

while Rough-legged Buzzard is a

possibility in good years for the

species.

As the light begins to fade,

thrushes can drop out of the

sky like stones, crashing into

the nearest cover, along with the

occasional Woodcock. Pink-footed

Geese and cranes may again be

seen or heard as they return to

their roosting sites and you return

to your transport in Winterton. ■

DAVID KJAER (WWW.DAVIDKJAER.COM)

Keep an eye on the sky early in the morning

for the possibility of Common Crane.

Where

to watch

birds

to watch

birds

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READS

• Best
  Birdwatching Sites:
  Norfolk by Neil
  Glenn (Buckingham
  Press, £19.95).


• The Birds of
  Norfolk by Moss
  Taylor (Christopher
  Helm, £50).
  Order on page 61.

1710 p26-28 WTWB sites FIN.indd 26 15/09/2017 14:03:14