MUCH better day than yesterday plus year tick!
Was going to leave in the dark, but realised when I went to turn car headlights on that neither front headlights were working, after yesterday's accident, so had to wait until light to leave!
Arrived Cley NWT just before 8am and joined a few other early birders on the path just before Bishop's Hide to watch the Spotted Crake on and off creeping through the reeds up to 8.15am. Thank you to Stuart who let me look through his scope when I first arrived!:t:
Re-parked my battered:-C car in East Bank carpark and started walking along East Bank. The musical chorus of Bearded Tits all the way along was awesome, the most I have ever seen and heard in one hit! I stopped counting in the end!!! Couple of Cetti's Warblers singing. On Arnold's Marsh, several black tailed godwits, redshanks, cormorants, wigeon, dunlin, 1 curlew sandpiper, 3 snipe, 6 little egrets, 1 grey heron. Looked at the sea, nothing much doing. Walked east as far as the Sea Pool along the top ridge. Lots of pipits flying about and feeding along the shingle ridge - had a possible Richard's Pipit, very large, upright stance, streaky breast, in the long grass bank that runs along the bottom of the shingle, from the top ridge, but did not call it in as not sure and it was a very brief view (had a look on the way back, but nothing - not far east, of north end of east bank). 8 Snowbunting at 9.45am on the beach flying west just before the Sea Pool. On the Sea Pool: 5 ringed plovers, 3 dunlin, redshanks, little egret, 1 black tailed godwit, teal. Several flocks of approx 20+ linnets flew west. 2 Wheatears at 10.30am on the shingle ridge between sea pool and Arnold's. 18 Snowbuntings flew west at 11am across Arnold's Marsh. 1 Red Throated Diver on sea at 11am. Water Rail squealing in reeds along the East Bank at 11.20am.
Walsey Hills 12pm - Nothing here apart from a wren and a rat clambering about together in a bush! in one of the net rides. Chris Mills was doing some scrub clearance at the top.
Muckleborough Hill 1pm - Nothing much either really apart from 1 Chiffchaff and a robin in an oak which eventually appeared after lots of 'pishing' - a tit flock of blue, great and long tailed but nothing else with them that I could pick up, 2 jays and 2 kestrels.
Kelling Water Meadows 1.45pm - Only walked as far as the 5-bar gate - lovely and sunny now and quite a few general birds about, great and blue tits, chaffinches, several robins, but STILL nothing special!
Cley NWT 2.45pm - Had another look for the Spotted Crake - thinking that it might be on show in the sunshine for my camera:-O but no luck! Waders from Bishop's hide all looked spectacular in the sunshine. A male marsh harrier landed on the one of the islands momentarily. On the way back along the path a kingfisher shot across and there was a little grebe in the dyke just before I crossed the road.
Blakeney - House on the Hill - quick look here, nothing doing. Slowly, sadly made my way along the coast road to parents to show them the state of my car - father pointed out that it would stop me twitching (not having a car) to which he did not get a brilliant response! Had to go back to King's Lynn early - still in sunshine (against all my rules) and collect heavy items that I will not be able to get after Monday with no car:-C and also had to get home before dark as lights not working.
Cancelled shift in morning to empty, sort my car before it disappears in a puff of smoke on Monday (thats what it feels like!) AND back to work on Monday!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
