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Description
Winterton Dunes is an extensive coastal acidic heathland featuring a variety of scrubs and trees spread throughout. For birders, the site is a fantastic place to find rare and scarce migrant birds, as well as enjoy some of the spectacular wildlife of the east Norfolk coast. It can be hard work at times, but persistance pays off at this site. Throughout the year, you could find bramborníček černohlavý and strnad obecný in the dunes, alongside the usual common garden birds. Raptors frequent the fields inland of the dunes system including moták pochop and poštolka obecná.
In the winter, a sea-watch may reveal large numbers of potáplice malá as well as turpan černý and flocks of passing berneška tmavá. You may be lucky and encounter a kalous pustovka or moták pilich hunting the dunes. The large Grey Seal colony here attracts gulls, and alongside the expected racek stříbřitý and racek mořský groups, you may be lucky and find a racek bělohlavý or even racek polární or racek šedý! Expect to see waders like kamenáček pestrý and jespák písečný on the beach. The rocky groynes may hold jespák mořský also. Look out for sněhule severní on the beach too!
Spring passage can be hit a miss in east Norfolk, but you would normally expect to see a rehek domácí and a few bělořit šedý to get the season going (from March onwards). Following this will be pěnice černohlavá, budníček menší, budníček větší, budníček větší and more. In April onwards, there may be kos horský, lejsek černohlavý and rehek zahradní to be found. Following a good spell of easterly winds, you may be on for something rarer. Typcial spring scarcities (typcially May and June) might include ťuhýk obecný, rákosník zpěvný, slavík modráček, sedmihlásek hajní, špaček růžový and even vlha pestrá!
Summer still offers migration opportunites, as the waders continue to move throughout July and August. There is a colony of rybák malý on the beach some years, but view them from a respectable distance. It is not impossible to find a rybák černý or even a rybák rajský in the colony if you scan the colony carefully.
Autumn passage can be excellent here, and in the early part of the season (August to September), you might be lucky and find the likes of krutihlav obecný, sedmihlásek hajní or budníček zelený. A good passage of lejsek černohlavý is expected, along with smaller numbers of rehek zahradní. As the autumn progresses (September to November), the opportunities to find budníček pruhohlavý, budníček zlatohlavý, pěnice vlašská, lejsek malý and other seasonal delights increases, especially after easterly winds. Common migrants will also be flooding back in like drozd cvrčala, králíček obecný, pěnkava obecná and sluka lesní.
Sea-watching here is best in northerly or easterly winds, and these can bring terej bílý, racek tříprstý and turpan černý closer in shore. An experienced sea-watcher may be able to find divers, grebes, auks and up to four species of Skua! Stormy conditions in late autumn can bring lyskonoh ploskozobý, buřňáček dlouhokřídlý and large numbers of racek malý. You never know what you might see, so always worth bringing a scope.
Details
Access
Park in the beach car park at Winterton Village, and you can easily explore the dunes from here.
Terrain and Habitat
Sea , Dunes , Scattered trees and bushes , Moors/heathlandConditions
Flat , Dry , Open landscape , DustyCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
Can be usefulGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
Spring migration , Autumn migrationRoute
Wide pathDifficulty walking trail
Average walkAccessible by
FootBirdwatching hide / platform
NoExtra info
This site is a popular dog walking area, and also experiences high numbers of beach-goers in the summer. You can get away from the crowds by heading further away from the village itself.