Burnham Overy Staithe - Fri 5 Nov

Breakfast was a 8.30am, so I left Ellie in bed and drove down to Burnham Overy Staithe, arriving at about 7.15am, and narrowly missing four Grey Partridge as they sidled across the road in front of me. I set up my scope and started scanning across the fields just to the south of the dunes. Luck was with me, as within a couple of minutes I picked up the Rough-legged Buzzard as it drifted west before landing out of sight in a field. I turned my attention to the grazing geese and was surprised to find seven Barnacle Geese among the hundreds of Pink-footed Geese. A few Skylarks passed by overhead, and at least five Barn Owls were hunting around the area. Just as I was getting ready to pack up, I spotted a ring-tailed harrier hunting over the fields towards Holkham Pines. My first thoughts were that it was a rather well marked, chestnut-coloured Hen Harrier, but it has since been re-identified as the North American species, Northern Harrier! A real unexpected bonus. I walked back to the car along a hedge-lined path that was packed with Blackbirds, Chaffinches and Goldfinches, and drove back to Wells for a much needed breakfast.