Alan Hobson
Well-known member
Okay, I confess - due to a trip to India [work trip, not leisure, alas], this is not a bang up-to-date report from today or yesterday, but from a couple of weeks ago, just before I went. However, it was quite a special birding day so thought it was still worth posting now I'm back.
Two weekends ago I noticed from Birdline reports that there was an interesting curve of sightings of birds I wanted to see, ranging from Elevedon in Norfolk/Suffolk border area up to Choseley by the north Norfolk coast. So off I went on my voyage of discovery, wondering how successful I would be.
When I arrived at Elvedon there was no-one there at all, which did not, I felt, bode well for the presence of the Great Grey Shrike. However, when I set up the scope, there it was, showing extremely well, and looking terrific.
On I drove, to north of Thetford, where saw the Waxwings, just minutes before they flew away strongly to the south (hope they came back for the birders who arrived just after they went). However, no Bramblings there, despite being reported.
Would this be the first failure of the day? Well, no, as it turned out. I decided that as I was just down the road from Lyndford Arbortoreum [I'm sorry, Elizabeth, that's probably spelt wrong, I know] I would break my vow never to search for my bogey bird, the Hawfinch, ever again.
Those who read the Bogey Bird thread a few weeks ago may remember that I had never ever seen a Hawfinch despite repeated attempts at suposedly good sites. In fact, in one of the more basic of my bird books, Hawfinch remained one of only two birds in the entire book not ticked.
But, in a triumph of hope over experience, off I went, managing to find the entrance near the Paddock, and thus arriving quickly there. A couple were staring intently through a scope. Had they found the elusive Hawfinches, or was this a cruel illusion? ["That's a very nice lichen on that tree..."]. They had. Relief, joy.....and very good views of about five Hawfinches. At last!
More joy then appeared in the shape of three Bramblings - a year tick, and making up for their earlier non-appearance. Good views of them too.
However, just to show that it is very rare to find a perfect birding day, it then started to hail, very heavily. In the short distance between the Paddock and my car, I got more battered by hailstones than I ever have before, and ever want to be again....
I then had to decide whether to call it a day, or plough on to north Norfolk. Fortunately I chose the latter, and the weather qickly brightened. Up to Choseley [thanks Jason for the directions!], arrived, and..."Oh, the Lapland Buntings were here five minutes ago, but they've just flown off". Arrrghh......
However, a few minutes later some skilful person [not me, alas], relocated them. And I got terrific views of the Lapland Buntings, including two males in near-summer plumage. They looked fantastic. What was also rather good was that they were a lifer for me, which makes two in one day, plus two year ticks. And I have been hoping for an opportunity to see Lapland Buntings for years.
Everything I went for, I saw, with great views too. And the great bogey bird is vanquished.......
Two weekends ago I noticed from Birdline reports that there was an interesting curve of sightings of birds I wanted to see, ranging from Elevedon in Norfolk/Suffolk border area up to Choseley by the north Norfolk coast. So off I went on my voyage of discovery, wondering how successful I would be.
When I arrived at Elvedon there was no-one there at all, which did not, I felt, bode well for the presence of the Great Grey Shrike. However, when I set up the scope, there it was, showing extremely well, and looking terrific.
On I drove, to north of Thetford, where saw the Waxwings, just minutes before they flew away strongly to the south (hope they came back for the birders who arrived just after they went). However, no Bramblings there, despite being reported.
Would this be the first failure of the day? Well, no, as it turned out. I decided that as I was just down the road from Lyndford Arbortoreum [I'm sorry, Elizabeth, that's probably spelt wrong, I know] I would break my vow never to search for my bogey bird, the Hawfinch, ever again.
Those who read the Bogey Bird thread a few weeks ago may remember that I had never ever seen a Hawfinch despite repeated attempts at suposedly good sites. In fact, in one of the more basic of my bird books, Hawfinch remained one of only two birds in the entire book not ticked.
But, in a triumph of hope over experience, off I went, managing to find the entrance near the Paddock, and thus arriving quickly there. A couple were staring intently through a scope. Had they found the elusive Hawfinches, or was this a cruel illusion? ["That's a very nice lichen on that tree..."]. They had. Relief, joy.....and very good views of about five Hawfinches. At last!
More joy then appeared in the shape of three Bramblings - a year tick, and making up for their earlier non-appearance. Good views of them too.
However, just to show that it is very rare to find a perfect birding day, it then started to hail, very heavily. In the short distance between the Paddock and my car, I got more battered by hailstones than I ever have before, and ever want to be again....
I then had to decide whether to call it a day, or plough on to north Norfolk. Fortunately I chose the latter, and the weather qickly brightened. Up to Choseley [thanks Jason for the directions!], arrived, and..."Oh, the Lapland Buntings were here five minutes ago, but they've just flown off". Arrrghh......
However, a few minutes later some skilful person [not me, alas], relocated them. And I got terrific views of the Lapland Buntings, including two males in near-summer plumage. They looked fantastic. What was also rather good was that they were a lifer for me, which makes two in one day, plus two year ticks. And I have been hoping for an opportunity to see Lapland Buntings for years.
Everything I went for, I saw, with great views too. And the great bogey bird is vanquished.......
