Pre-edited version of the 'Wildlife roundup' published in the Spring issue of 'Tern' magazine by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust by Robin Chittenden

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Birdline East Anglia report for October-December 2025

 

Although this will go down as one of the quieter autumns for small birds turning up on passage, there was a last-minute flurry of arrivals from the east. This was all down to the winds turning to the east (at last) instead of the more usual south-westerly airflow, which basically discourages birds from heading west to Norfolk from the continent.

 

There was a remarkable arrival of both Dusky Warblers, small brown birds that mostly skulk and often only given away by their ‘tecking’ call, and Hume’s Leaf Warblers, small brown birds with stripes, which was fairly recently split (ie discovered to be a different species) from the similar looking Yellow-browed Warbler, small greenish bird with stripes. There was also an arrival of sparkling Pallas’s Warblers, small greenish birds with yellow stripes, and which ties with both the Goldcrest and Firecrest in being the smallest birds to be found in the UK. It seemed you had a good chance of finding any of these migrants at any bit of woodland or scrap of scrub around the Norfolk coastline.

 

To cap it all an Eastern Black Redstart was found at Sheringham. It’s a bit like a Robin but with a black chest, blood-orange underparts and red tail. So strikingly pretty. They are normally found in the far east from Iran to China. This was only the third time that this race of Black Redstart has been found in Norfolk. This combined with the possibility of it being elevated to a separate species, and its general tameness, made it popular choice over the Christmas period. 

 

Dippers are more often associated with fast flowing rivers on the north and west side of the UK. Once in every two or three years a Dipper will arrive in Norfolk from Scandinavian for the winter. These are known as Black-bellied Dippers and one was found this winter by the River Wensum at Bintree Mill. It had the habit, though, of disappearing for days at a time. It would not have helped, that much of the river runs through private land, and that a perfect area had been created in an unviewable section, downsteam from the Mill. The river there has been ‘re-naturalised’ with riffles and a stoney bed. This was created for Barbel fish to spawn. This habitat would also suit the Black-bellied Dipper down to a tee. The last popular Dipper in Norfolk spent the winter by the River Little Ouse at Thetford in 2012.

 

Following the mass arrival of Glossy Ibises in early autumn, mentioned in the Autumn issue of ‘Tern’, a few ended up staying for winter. NWT Cley Marshes had up to three, but somehow, they managed to hide away most of the time, feeding in obscure ditches during the day. This is somewhat surprising, as Ibises are distinct, with a downcurved bill and can be very colourful in good light. In flight they always strike me as being prehistoric looking. They often returned to roost on the North Scrape, where you could view them from the new moveable converted shipping container, known as Gilmour’s hide. You may have read about it elsewhere, but it can be towed out of the way if an exceptional high spring tide is predicted. Maybe Glossy Ibises are going the way of Western Cattle Egrets, and Great and Little Egrets before them, in becoming part of the normal birdlife to be seen on a day out in the marshy areas of Norfolk. Let’s hope so.

 

Winter is a good time to see a varied selection of seabirds off the Norfolk coast. Anywhere around the north coast can be rewarding but the section between Hunstanton and Holkham Bay, including NWT Holme Dunes and RSPB Titchwell, can be particularly good for finding species, such as Black-throated Divers, Great Northern Divers, Red-necked Grebes, Slavonian Grebes and Long-tailed Ducks. Often ‘scopes are needed to view them well, so I always feel a frisson of excitement if any are spotted close inshore or even better on inland pits. This winter, so far, there has been a Black-throated Diver at Brancaster Staithe and another on the River Thurne near Ludham, two Long-tailed Ducks on the pits at RSPB Snettisham, a Red-necked Grebe at King’s Lynn and Filby Broad and a Slavonian Grebe at Barton Broad.

 

Exceptional late summer visitors seen in December included a Whinchat at King’s Lynn, a Swallow at Kelling, Northern Wheatear at Hunstanton and a Garganey at RSPB Buckenham Marshes. Could it be the start of some summer visitors becoming semi-resident? If climate change continues on the current trajectory, it seems there will be no pressure for them to go and hence there will be no advantage for them to migrate. So yes, expect summer birds to be overwinter here in small numbers. Shorelarks seem to have decided to winter in Suffolk so far this winter. No birds so far at Holkham Gap.