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North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring
Naturetrek Tour Report May 2021
Grey Partridge Green Hairstreak
Fallow Deer Natterjack Toad
Report and images compiled by Mike Crewe
Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK
T: +44 (0)1962 733051
E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W: www.naturetrek.co.uk
Tour Report North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring
Over the past 10 years or so, the Holkham Estate has stepped up to the plate and is at the forefront of making
farming and land ownership a sustainable venture. Central to their work over the last four years has been the
improvements to the coastal dunes, beach and freshmarsh that make up the National Nature Reserve and it was
interesting to see how the more damaging aspects of modern life are being wound back to produce a landscape
rich in wildlife. Over these six day-trips during May we enjoyed (or endured!) the usual, unpredictable nature of
British weather, from glorious sunshine to prolonged showers and persistent winds, but it was never too much
that it spoiled our visit and the birds certainly performed well for us.
We spent our mornings in the historically traditional surroundings of the deer park and its ornamental lake.
Walking through the open parkland habitats, we found several pairs of Nuthatches and Treecreepers on territory,
some of which had fledged young by the time of our final visit. A medley of thrushes on territory allowed us to
focus on the different songs of Mistle and Song Thrushes, with the Mistles becoming very visible towards the
month’s end as they collected food for their young. The large Pedunculate Oaks and Sweet Chestnuts in the park
provide plenty of homes for hole-nesting birds, but it is certainly always incongruous that this means we regularly
saw Shelducks and Egyptian Geese wandering through the woodland or even sitting up in the trees!
The large herd of Fallow Deer stayed mostly faithful to their favourites area, though on a couple of occasions
they had wandered well over towards the East Park and were often accompanied by several European Hares.
The vast lawns leading down to the cricket square proved ever-popular with large numbers of Greylag and
Barnacle Geese and, as the month progressed, we witnessed the appearance of the year’s fluffy youngsters. As
the cricket season loomed, the square was sanctioned as a no-go area for the local Oystercatchers!
On the lake itself, large numbers of Mallard, Gadwall
and Tufted Ducks were present, with smaller groups of
Shoveler, Teal, Shelduck and Pochard present. Great
Crested Grebes were occasionally seen courting and
Little Grebes whinnied from the iris beds. Hirundine
numbers fluctuated according to the weather, with
unseasonably cool conditions holding back the start of
the breeding season; but eventually, House Martins
began to arrive at breeding colonies on Holkham Hall
and in the nearby village. Common Buzzards and Red
Kites were always a feature of this part of the walk and we even notched up a pair of Ravens on the monument.
The north end of the lake is often a tranquil place, but at this time of the year, the hurly burly of Barnacle Goose
breeding behaviour dominated the scene and made it a rather raucous place! The lakeside bushes often held
Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits.
After lunch, we generally spent our afternoons on a longer walk that took us out across the freshmarsh and into
the pine-clad dunes and sandy beach beyond. The walk out allows one to appreciate the gradual change from
‘improved’ grassland to areas that are reverting to more natural, wet grassland, grazed at low stocking levels by
sturdy beef cattle. With a reversal of some of the drainage and land reclamation that had taken place since the
late 17th century, there is now a more natural (though still managed) landscape with open pools and rush beds
providing an interesting mix of habitats.
2 © Naturetrek June 2021
North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring Tour Report On many trips, our first highlight came in the shape of a pair or two of very obliging Grey Partridges, that seem to have worked out that hanging out by the people makes them less likely to be attacked by passing predators. Common Redshank and Northern Lapwings were plentiful and clearly benefiting from the habitat management, but always most exciting at Holkham these days are the comings and goings of Little and Great Egrets, Great Cormorants and Eurasian Spoonbills, all of which breed here now. The Spoonbills in particular were resplendent in their breeding finery and regularly provided trip highlights, with nine fledglings appearing at a regular feeding pool and begging from their parents. An additional bonus in the second half of May was a Common Crane, which was regularly seen out on the marsh. The dune edge provided good habitat for us to listen to the songs of Common Whitethroat and Reed, Sedge and Cetti’s Warblers. Willow Warblers also sang from selected spots that gave them suitable songposts. The pines provided some interest for the botanists as five different species have been planted here to stabilise the dunes, so we were able to compare their finer points. Other interesting plants included a small colony of Yellow Figwort and the discovery of False Alkanet (Cynoglottis barrelieri) and Kidneyweed (Dichondra micrantha) – two introduced species that have not been recorded in Norfolk before (though it transpires that the alkanet has been recorded here before but misidentified as a different species). For diversity, it was also nice to visit one of the small colonies of European Ant-lions that have become established over the last few years along parts of the East Anglian coast; a little too cool to see some activity but still interesting to see the pit-fall traps in the sand. For much of the month, the cold, northerly winds made the beach a pretty uninviting prospect, but brief sorties to the north side of the pines on occasion did reveal a few Common Scoter out there, as well as a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks amongst the marram hills, while a few Little Terns had finally returned by late May. A Natterjack Toad (enjoying the rain no doubt) was a nice find on 21st, as was a Green Hairstreak that was enjoying the False Alkanet flowers on 28th. © Naturetrek June 21 3
Tour Report North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring
Species List
The list below gives some rough numbers for the species that we saw or heard (with h=heard only where appropriate)
07/05/2021
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21/05/2021
28/05/2021
31/05/2021
Birds
Grey Partridge Perdix perdix 6 4 2 4
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 4 2 4 1 4 1
Brent Goose Branta bernicla 100 120 30
Canada Goose Branta canadensis 10 1 3 10 4 1
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis 60 100 100 100
Greylag Goose Anser anser ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Mute Swan Cygnus olor ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 5
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca ✓ ✓ ✓ 5 ✓ 10
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata 6 2
Gadwall Mareca strepera ✓ ✓ ✓ 6 ✓
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope 4 1
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 2 2
Common Pochard Aythya ferina 1 1 3 1
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 20 ✓ ✓ 4 4 20
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra 50 30 15 50
Common Swift Apus apus 40 40 15 10 10
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus h 1
Stock Dove Columba oenas 2 h
Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 1 1 1
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 4 2 1 1 3
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra ✓ ✓ ✓ 6 5 ✓
Common Crane Grus grus 1 1 1
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 4 4 3 h 5
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1 2 6 7
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 12 15 ✓ ✓ ✓
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 2
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 4 6 8
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 12 10 3 1
Red Knot Calidris canutus 1
Common Redshank Tringa totanus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus 2 2 4
Common Gull Larus canus 1 1 2 2 1
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 1 3 2 ✓ ✓
European Herring Gull Larus argentatus ✓ 6 ✓ ✓ ✓ 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 2
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis 15 2
Little Tern Sternula albifrons 10
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 6 4 6 6 12+ 8
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2 2 4 2 2 1
4 © Naturetrek June 2021
North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring Tour Report
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31/05/2021
Great Egret Ardea alba 2 1 2 2 2 1
Little Egret Egretta garzetta 10 4 10 10 10 10
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 6 6 4 1 6 6
Red Kite Milvus milvus 6 8 4 1 2
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 4 3 3 1 5 4
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major 1 h h
European Green Woodpecker Picus viridis h h 1 1
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1 2 1 1
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo 2
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius 4 1 2 1 2
Eurasian Jackdaw Coloeus monedula ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Carrion Crow Corvus corone 2 ✓ ✓ 2 2
Northern Raven Corvus corax 2
Coal Tit Periparus ater ✓ 2 2 1
Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Great Tit Parus major ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis h h h ✓ ✓ ✓
Sand Martin Riparia riparia 3
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum 6 12 ✓ 20 ✓
Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti h 1 h h
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus 4 h ✓ h ✓
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 3 h h h ✓
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita ✓ ✓ ✓ h ✓ ✓
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus h h h ✓ ✓
Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla ✓ ✓ ✓ h ✓ ✓
Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca h
Common Whitethroat Curruca communis h 2 3 h ✓ 2
Goldcrest Regulus regulus 3 2 h 2 ✓
Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea 1 1 2 4
Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris 3 1 1 2 3
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 1 ✓ ✓ 3 3
Common Blackbird Turdus merula 2 1 1 1 2 1
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 2 h h
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 2 4 5 4 4
European Robin Erithacus rubecula ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola 1 2 3
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 2
House Sparrow Passer domesticus 1 h ✓ ✓ h
Dunnock Prunella modularis h h 2 2
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 3 h
Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii 3 2 h 1 3 1
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis h 4 3 10 10 10
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula 2
European Greenfinch Chloris chloris 2 2 h ✓
Common Linnet Linaria cannabina 2 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 1 h h 2 1
© Naturetrek June 21 5Tour Report North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring
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31/05/2021
Mammals
European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus ✓ ✓
European Hare Lepus europaeus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Fallow Deer Dama dama ✓ ✓ ✓
Chinese Water Deer Hydropotes inermis ✓
Reeves's Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Stoat Mustela erminea ✓
Reptiles & Amphibians
Common Toad Bufo bufo ✓ ✓
Natterjack Toad Epidalea calamita ✓
Viviparous Lizard Zootoca vivipara ✓
Butterflies
Green-veined White Pieris napi ✓ ✓
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines ✓ ✓
Peacock Aglais io ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta ✓ ✓
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui ✓
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria ✓ ✓
Wall Brown Lasiommata megera ✓ ✓ ✓
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus ✓
Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi ✓
Holly Blue Celastrina argeolus ✓
Ant-lion pits Euroleon nostras ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Dragons & Damsels
Azure Bluet Coenagrion puella ✓ ✓
Large Red Damsel Coenagrion pulchellum ✓
Common Bluetail Ischnura elegans ✓
Hairy Hawker Brachytron pratense ✓ ✓ ✓
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6 © Naturetrek June 2021North Norfolk – Holkham in Spring Tour Report Social Media We’re social! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and be the first to hear about the launch of new tours, offers and exciting sightings and photos from our recently returned holidays. © Naturetrek June 21 7
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