The second half of September had a run of several days of easterly winds for migrants from the continent to arrive in East Anglia. A few rain showers and murky conditions resulted in a major influx of Honey Buzzards and Redstarts followed a week later by another wave of migrants.

One of the rarest birds in September in Norfolk was seen by only a small number of observers; a Black Stork flew over Caister-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth 3rd. It was probably the same bird that had spent some time previously in Yorkshire. A Glossy Ibis was seen to fly south over Salthouse 1st.

Other highlights were a Lesser Grey Shrike at Sheringham& Weybourne 24th-28th and a juvenile Woodchat Shrike at Beeston Bump 28th-29th. Nearby a Blyth’s Reed Warblerwas found and identified at West Runton 25th-27th.Particularly rare in Norfolk was a Melodious Warbler on Blakeney Point 24th.  There were three Radde’s Warbler; at Wells Woods24th-25th, Burnham Overy Dunes 25th-26thand Holkham Pines 26th-29th. It was a very poor year for Greenish Warblers the only one in September was at Sea Palling 27th-28th.

An Alpine Swift was found over Gimingham & Mundesley during the morning 8th and the next day it was seen at Holme Thrush Nightingale was at Holme 14th-17th. It was seen, by all accounts, on just three occasions, each of which was in the hand. A Red-rumped Swallow flew east at Holme 17th. Nearby a Bluethroat was seen in flight at Titchwell RSPB 24th.

Scare passerines included an Ortolan Bunting at Trimingham17th. A Little Bunting was at Weybourne 26th, and Blakeney Point 26th. A Red-throated Pipit flew west over Burnham Overy Dunes 26th.  ARichard’s Pipit was there 28th and at Kelling Water Meadows 25th.A Siberian Stonechat at West Runton 24th-25th and another was at Stiffkey 26th.

A Barred Warbler was at Winterton 3rd & 15th,up to two were on Blakeney Point 13th-16th and one was atWalsey Hills Cley 26th-27th. An Icterine Warbler was atWinterton 7th, another at Titchwell RSPB 17th and one atHopton-on-Sea 21st.

The first Red-breasted flycatcher was at Great Yarmouthcemetery 15th followed by another 24th, then others at Caister Road cemetery 24th, Eccles 24th, Holme 25thand Holkham 26th-27th.

Great Grey Shrikes were at Wells Woods 24th-25th,Weybourne 25th, Winterton 25th-28th, up to two Choseley 25th-30th, Waxham 26th, Potter Heigham Marshes 26th-27th, Burnham Overy Marshes 27th-28th,Eccles 29th and Hemsby 29th.

There were Red-backed Shrikes at Blakeney Point 7th,Beacons Park Gorleston 9th, Blakeney Point 13th, Heacham14th, Overstrand 14th, Hopton-on-Sea 14th, Winterton 15th-19th,Cantley 21st, Holme 26th-27th, Burnham Overy Marshes 27th-29th and Old Hunstanton 28th-29th.

There were Wrynecks at Gorleston 9th-11th,East Hills 14th, Waxham 15th & 19th,Winterton 16th-19th, Holme 15th-18th,Strumpshaw Fen RSPB 18th and up to two Blakeney Point 14th-16th.A Serin flew over Waxham 20th.

The first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn was at Holme NWT 14th (with up to four there 25th-28th),followed by others at Salthouse 15th, two or three Wells Woods 15th-28th,up to three Holkham 16th-28th, Burgh Castle 17th,Waxham 22nd-23rd, Blakeney Point 22nd,Titchwell RSPB 23rd, Salthouse 24th, up to two Walsey Hills 24th-28th,Cromer 24th, Happisburgh 24th & 26th, Eccles 24th-25th, Great Yarmouth 24th-27th, Sheringham 25th, Warham Greens 25th-27th, Cley 26th, Stiffkey 26th,Burnham Norton 26th, up to two at Glandford 27th-30th,Burnham Overy Marshes 28th, Holt 30th and Cromer 29th.But perhaps the most unusual was one inland at Hellesdon 26th.

Redstarts were found at virtually all coastal localities.The highest count was eighty-six on Blakeney Point 15th.

Scarce waders included a rather an erratically appearing White-rumped Sandpiper at Titchwell RSPB 2nd-6th. A Pectoral Sandpiper was Hickling Broad NWT 2nd-21st &29th with two birds there from 9th-14th. Another was at Titchwell RSPB 12th-28th. Red-necked Phalaropes were at Titchwell RSPB14th-28th, Burnham Overy Staithe 14th andHolme 15th. A Dotterel was at Titchwell RSPB 17th, Cley NWT 19th-21st and Burnham Overy Dunes 28th.

A Honey Buzzard was seen over Titchwell RSPB 1st,Kettlestone 2nd, and Burnham Overy Staithe 7th one of a small passage over East Anglia on that day. However this was totally eclipsed by the movement on 13th-14th. On the first day birds were seen to fly in off the sea at numerous locations around Norfolk. Those on the north Norfolk coast appeared to filter inland as there were sightings over Attleborough, Cringleford and Norwich, whereas those on the east coast continued south resulting in record counts at Minsmere RSPB (see below).

The next day hardly any were seen coming in off the sea and their distribution had more westerly bias with eight over Welney WWT (and see records for Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire). It seems likely that these birds had arrived on 13th in northern England and were making their way south. The movement continued with lower numbers until nearlythe end of the month. Associated with the movement were Common Buzzards and Ospreys.

A Red-footed Falcon was reported briefly at Lenwade 10th.A male Montagu’s harrier flew south art Horsey 18th.

On 7th September a depression centred just off the north Norfolk coast moved off eastwards and as it passed, despite only light winds, it pushed or pulled along a rich seam of seabirds, including a few Cory’s Shearwaters, two of which were seen to fly east past Cley to Overstrandand another was seen off Titchwell RSPB. Mixed in were many Sabine’s Gulls,arguable numbers of Long-tailed Skuas but again no major rarities.

A period of north-easterlies on the back edge of a high pressure areas 23rd-24th resulted in several Leach’s Petrels, a couple of Sabine’s Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and the first Little Auks plus a record passage of Great Skua past Sheringham at least 328 on 23rd. A Black Guillemot flew past 24th.

A rare migrant bat the Parti-coloured Bat was seen to fly off the sea at Kelling 13th and was the first Norfolk record. It spent some time roosting in a pillbox. Disgruntled bat lovers waiting for the bat to emerge at dusk were miffed when they learnt that the animal had been moved and released a couple of miles away earlier in the day.

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