New year birding. off we go 2022.

With Brian unable to join us for our usual first day of the year trip to Kent or Norfolk due to a family hospital visit, Jimmy and I head to the local KGV reservoir.

Big numbers of birds are never on the cards but it gets us out and a couple of fairly rare birds for here have been hanging about for some days now, so off we go and over the next few hours we find the Great Northern Diver and the Red-necked Grebe without to much trouble along with 5 Little Grebes, some Great-crested Grebes, Pied and Grey Wagtail plus all the usual stuff. On the river running alongside we spot 2 Goosander and a Little Egret plus some Goldeneye.

So up and running for the new year and along with birds spotted on the way to the reservoir and my garden the first day total gives us 37 ticks, not a lot but better than nothing and we are looking forward to heading to the coast with Brian tomorrow.

We meet up with Brian on the second day and head to Norfolk for a full day's birding.

The first stop of the trip is a gamble as it is still fairly dark but we give it a try and head to a place called Southery and after a drive down a long road we get no sight of the Bewick Swans. They had been seen the day before. we turn round and on the way back towards the top of the lane we spot 4 Swans and once we get the scope on them we have a tick as they are the Bewicks, so a good start to the trip.

Off now to Twitchwell RSPB. On the way, we stop off at Hunstanton to tick a Fulmar.

Over the few hours, we spent at Titchwell a total of 50 or so ticks are seen.

Great White Egret, Water Pipit, plus many Sanderling, Turnstone, and Oystercatcher up on the beach are good to watch.

Next up we are off to Holkham. Stopping off for a quick tick at Wells, where we see a Cattle Egret that had been reported.

Lady Anne's drive at Holkham was packed full of people all out for a nice new year stroll and it was hard to find a parking space. I find it a long walk to the roped-off area on the beach where we find the 4 Shorelark and on the saltmarsh over 50 Snow Bunting show.

A quick look out to sea gets us 3 Velvet Scoter followed by a large flock of Common which gets us a couple of more ticks to round off a great day's birding that took my total up to 88.