CBC Wildlife News

Records submitted in the last 14 days, most recent first. Amber indicates local or uncommon, bold red indicates a description is needed for verification at county or national level, green indicates category D (reasonable doubt of natural occurrence) or category E (escapes or non-sustaining introductions).

Tue 20 October 2026

Cley Marshes
15:45 to 18:30
The fresh easterly began to drop a little as the afternoon went on, but we lost the sunshine from earlier, very murky early evening.

3 Tundra Bean Goose (Three in onto Whitwell Scrape with a large number of Pink-feet at 1735) ,

45 White-fronted Goose (Eurasian) (At least 45 birds, including some small family parties, in winter wheat fields along Old Womans Lane in the afternoon, amongst around 800 Pinks) ,

2000 Pink-footed Goose (Minimum count of birds into roost on the reserve late on ) ,

14 Caspian Gull (Another superb night! The easterly wind may have helped nudge numbers up, but may have more to do with the murk. Three birds on Whitwell by 4.30 and they kept coming. Most birds on Whitwell again until a Marsh Harrier spook - x5 1w, x3 2w, x1 3w, x1 near-ad, x4 adult) ,

1 Yellow-legged Gull (Just four this evening, including three adults) ,

750 Herring Gull (British) (Minimum count, perhaps more - I was too busy watching the Casps pile in!) ,

250 Lesser Black-backed Gull (Another down turn in numbers ) ,

1 Mediterranean Gull (single 1w on Simmonds) ,

1 Great White Egret (Dropped onto the back of Whitwell for a few minutes before moving briefly to Simmonds ahead of heading east to roost) ,

[Mark Golley]

Mon 19 October 2026

Cley Marshes
16:45 to 18:25
Breezy early evening from ESE to E, lots of cloud with occasional bursts of sunshine

1 Baltic Gull (Striking 2CY bird on Whitwell, the most eye-catching bird of the evening) ,

9 Caspian Gull (Seven on Whitwell and two on Pat's Pool - at least five 1w, 2 2w, 1 3w, 1 stunning adult) ,

5 Yellow-legged Gull (Modest mix of 1w, 2 2w and 2 adults) ,

1 Mediterranean Gull (Lone 1w on Whitwell) ,

250 Herring Gull (Mostly crammed onto the islands on Whitwell) ,

350 Lesser Black-backed Gull (Like the HG's, huddled together on Whitwell with more on Pat's) ,

1 Siberian Chiffchaff (Lovely, clean looking tristis in the bushes behind the hides) ,

1 Chiffchaff (collybita) (Behind the hides) ,

3 Goldcrest (Also behind the hides) ,

55 White-fronted Goose (Eurasian) (Two parties, both heading west to east towards dusk) ,

[Mark Golley]

Mon 19 October 2026

Cley Marshes
14:00 to 15:00
Photos by Paul Williams

1 Desert Wheatear ,

[CleyBirdCo]

Mon 19 October 2026

Cley Marshes
13:45 to 14:14
Warm, wind from SE

1 Desert Wheatear (Male on top of beach hotel before flying off towards the boats. Good find earlier by Peter Allen and Another.) ,

[David Griffiths]

Mon 19 October 2026

Cley Marshes
13:00 to 14:00
Sunny, light ESE breeze, not much cloud

1 Desert Wheatear (Gorgeous first-winter male, initially on the Eye Field fence between the beach car park and the North, then got a bit skittish and headed back towards the beach, landing on the Beach Hotel briefly before settling around the tractors on the Point side of West Bank) ,

[Mark Golley]

Mon 19 October 2026

Salthouse
08:40 to 08:42
Clearing sky. No wind.

1 Brown Hare (Salthouse Beach.) ,

[Graham Sutton]

Mon 19 October 2026

Salthouse
08:25 to 08:35
Dull and damp. no wind.

1 Snow Bunting (Feeding on Gramborough Cliff Face.) ,

[Graham Sutton]

Mon 19 October 2026

Salthouse
08:10 to 08:15
Rain stopping. Very poor light, no wind.

1 Bar-tailed Godwit (Feeding on Gramborough lagoon) ,

[Graham Sutton]

Mon 19 October 2026

Cley Marshes
07:45 to 09:50
11-12C, ESE f1, cloud. Visited Bishop's, Skirts, E Bank & Arnold's.

9 Pintail (incl.3 m, Brackish) ,

3 Grey Heron ,

3 Little Egret ,

7 Cattle Egret (5 mobile E of E Bank, 2 Pat's) ,

2 Little Grebe (Main Drain) ,

3 Avocet ,

4 Curlew ,

1 Bar-tailed Godwit (Arnold's) ,

44 Black-tailed Godwit ,

1 Snipe (Pat's) ,

20 Redshank ,

10 Ruff (8 ad m, 2 juv m, Pat's) ,

128 Dunlin ,

10 Ringed Plover ,

2 Grey Plover ,

35 Cormorant ,

1 Mediterranean Gull (1st cal yr, Pat's) ,

1 Buzzard ,

3 Marsh Harrier ,

[David & Pat Wileman]

Sun 18 October 2026

Cley (sea)
07:00 to 11:00

75 Wigeon (West) ,

4 Red-throated Diver ,

1 Mediterranean Gull (Adult east) ,

41 Common Scoter (West. Minimum count) ,

2 Manx Shearwater (West) ,

90 Eider (West mostly males) ,

1 Leach's Petrel (West) ,

1 Arctic Tern (East) ,

[David Fell]