22nd of September: Return of the pink feet

Pink-footed Geese have arrived back in Norfolk to spend the winter with us after breeding in Iceland. As numbers build, soon the skies will resonate to their [wink-wink] calls and their v-shaped flying formations. Other winter visitors returning to the Point in the last few days include Peregrine Falcon, Merlin and also Snow and Lapland Buntings.

On Wednesday, Blakeney Point hosted the Little Tern Working Group end-of-season meeting. Where conservation bodies meet and collaborate on ways to protect this under-threat species as well as giving feedback on how the season fared at each site along the coast.

Today, Richard Porter photographed this colour-ringed Stonechat on Blakeney Point. It was ringed as a first summer male while breeding at Arnold's Marsh (a couple of miles east, near Salthouse) on the 12th of July last year. He was seen near the Cley beach car park several times over the winter and has now become our first Stonechat sighting of the autumn.

In this evening's warm weather there has been a hatch of small insects. This has resulted in hundreds of gulls coming to the main dunes to feed.

This weekend we said goodbye to Matt. We are very grateful for the work he has done this summer helping to protect and monitor the wildlife, and also for his photographs. He is returning to Essex where he is involved in a range of conservation work including volunteering for the RSPB. We wish him all the best for the future.

In other Norfolk Coast news, work is underway putting in gutters at Heigham Holmes to create feeding areas for wading birds.

Paul and Ajay

Photos: Victoria Egan, Richard Porter