Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Another Fantastic Day
Holme all day
Alarm went off at 5.15am switched it off and overslept:-C - obviously my body had not recovered fully enough from doing Thornham and Blakeney Point yesterday!!!
Arrived Holme 9am - drove straight down to NOA Carpark as Connor and my friend Pete had text me to say Great Grey Shrike on NOA Carpark! Now I know I am being greedy after seeing one yesterday, but it would have been brilliant to see one on home ground! Birds flying everywhere, have not seen so much action in the skies for a long time - it was incredible. I knew it was going to be good when arriving on carpark to see a Whinchat, Stonechat and a Redwing all in the same hawthorn bush!!! Met a couple of people who had seen the Great Grey Shrike 7.30 this morning - don't think it has been seen since - found out later it had actually been found last night and someone had taken pictures of it! Anyway after dipping on shrike walked towards observatory and while chatting with someone on bank, news came through that a Barred Warbler had been found in the buckthorn dead opposite NOA carpark, so I shot back - it was seen by the same couple who had seen the shrike, they were having a lucky day! Stood for a while, by didn't see it. Was then going to go up to the forestry to find myself a RFB when we heard the observatory had caught a Redstart (10.15am) in the nets - so went back to take a picture. A nice Brambling sat in the sycamore by pond at the observatory. I then went round the back of the obs. into pines tons of goldcrests flicking about after flies. Walked up along dunes towards forestry and saw loads of chaffinches feeding and a Ring Ouzel got up from the dunes, which was a lovely surprise! , also another group of chaffinches by block house along with a nice Green Woodpecker. In the Forestry at 10.55am 1 Wheatear and 1 Very crisp male Blackcap while eating my lunch, I imagined a RFB popping out of the brambles, but no luck! Was then going to walk Gore Point when Connor rang me to saw he was having brilliant views of Barred Warbler, so walked back along road and stood on carpark with several other people and waited for it to appear, it took awhile (12.30pm) but it showed eventually! I then cut across from carpark and into back of pines again and stood by edge near beach and flushed a lovely Redstart (no ring, so was 2nd one of day) (1.55pm). Went back to observatory where they had caught a Kingfisher! I sat and watched a Siskin feeding just in front of observatory! News came through about a Yellow Browed Warbler by the first mobile caravan home after Pay Hut, so I drove up the road and parked by 5-bar gate and walked to where people were standing. Connor had managed to see it but I didn't! I did see a nice Pied Flycatcher though! Several of us then went to see a 2nd one that had been seen by another BF member on this thread by Brooke House (by the bridge), a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over. Walked along a path to that point and we still didn't see that one! A 3rd YBW was seen at the observatory! I then walked alone to toilet block area and back along the path behind bungalows towards Pay Hut. Skies were now blackening and saw tons of gulls flying on the dune ridge against the black sky, it looked very beautiful. 4 Little Egrets over marsh. Walked back round to try and see Yellow Browed Warbler again and after another patient wait I was lucky, although it was a very brief view! (5.45pm). At least 15 Swallows went over. Just past the pay hut a Starling sat on the top telegraph wire and directely beneath a Mistle Thrush. Up ahead hundreds of starlings were gathering on the wires. I then walked all the way down to observatory again via top coastal path in hope of flushing a wryneck or something, but no such luck! A raptor flew into pines by Firs steps, but not sure what it was, I am guessing Sparrowhawk. Gave in my list to HBO and then a lovely person gave me a lift back to my car at 5-bar gate and then went to parents for chinwag and home. Holiday has ended with a massive list of birds, back at work tomorrow, bother, could get used to this!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Holme all day
Alarm went off at 5.15am switched it off and overslept:-C - obviously my body had not recovered fully enough from doing Thornham and Blakeney Point yesterday!!!
Arrived Holme 9am - drove straight down to NOA Carpark as Connor and my friend Pete had text me to say Great Grey Shrike on NOA Carpark! Now I know I am being greedy after seeing one yesterday, but it would have been brilliant to see one on home ground! Birds flying everywhere, have not seen so much action in the skies for a long time - it was incredible. I knew it was going to be good when arriving on carpark to see a Whinchat, Stonechat and a Redwing all in the same hawthorn bush!!! Met a couple of people who had seen the Great Grey Shrike 7.30 this morning - don't think it has been seen since - found out later it had actually been found last night and someone had taken pictures of it! Anyway after dipping on shrike walked towards observatory and while chatting with someone on bank, news came through that a Barred Warbler had been found in the buckthorn dead opposite NOA carpark, so I shot back - it was seen by the same couple who had seen the shrike, they were having a lucky day! Stood for a while, by didn't see it. Was then going to go up to the forestry to find myself a RFB when we heard the observatory had caught a Redstart (10.15am) in the nets - so went back to take a picture. A nice Brambling sat in the sycamore by pond at the observatory. I then went round the back of the obs. into pines tons of goldcrests flicking about after flies. Walked up along dunes towards forestry and saw loads of chaffinches feeding and a Ring Ouzel got up from the dunes, which was a lovely surprise! , also another group of chaffinches by block house along with a nice Green Woodpecker. In the Forestry at 10.55am 1 Wheatear and 1 Very crisp male Blackcap while eating my lunch, I imagined a RFB popping out of the brambles, but no luck! Was then going to walk Gore Point when Connor rang me to saw he was having brilliant views of Barred Warbler, so walked back along road and stood on carpark with several other people and waited for it to appear, it took awhile (12.30pm) but it showed eventually! I then cut across from carpark and into back of pines again and stood by edge near beach and flushed a lovely Redstart (no ring, so was 2nd one of day) (1.55pm). Went back to observatory where they had caught a Kingfisher! I sat and watched a Siskin feeding just in front of observatory! News came through about a Yellow Browed Warbler by the first mobile caravan home after Pay Hut, so I drove up the road and parked by 5-bar gate and walked to where people were standing. Connor had managed to see it but I didn't! I did see a nice Pied Flycatcher though! Several of us then went to see a 2nd one that had been seen by another BF member on this thread by Brooke House (by the bridge), a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over. Walked along a path to that point and we still didn't see that one! A 3rd YBW was seen at the observatory! I then walked alone to toilet block area and back along the path behind bungalows towards Pay Hut. Skies were now blackening and saw tons of gulls flying on the dune ridge against the black sky, it looked very beautiful. 4 Little Egrets over marsh. Walked back round to try and see Yellow Browed Warbler again and after another patient wait I was lucky, although it was a very brief view! (5.45pm). At least 15 Swallows went over. Just past the pay hut a Starling sat on the top telegraph wire and directely beneath a Mistle Thrush. Up ahead hundreds of starlings were gathering on the wires. I then walked all the way down to observatory again via top coastal path in hope of flushing a wryneck or something, but no such luck! A raptor flew into pines by Firs steps, but not sure what it was, I am guessing Sparrowhawk. Gave in my list to HBO and then a lovely person gave me a lift back to my car at 5-bar gate and then went to parents for chinwag and home. Holiday has ended with a massive list of birds, back at work tomorrow, bother, could get used to this!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Last edited:
