mountain man
Guest
Arriving home from Leeds just after 11pm, I jumped in the shower, we grabbed the sleeping bags, loaded the car and set off for Norfolk just after midnight. I now have a policy of arriving at dawn or not at all!!!
In bad traffic, Manchester-Norfolk can take 5 hours; in the middle of the night just over 3 hours. Sarah is useless after dark so I agreed to drive the 180 miles and let her sleep as long as she did the driving the next day.
Stocking up on Red Bull at the 24 hour Esso garage I felt fine. We passed Glossop and headed along the Woodhead pass and then my eyes began. That dreadful feeling when you just want to sleep whilst your driving. I've fallen asleep at the wheel once before which was enormously stupid, not to mention pathetically dangerous, and I vowed never to do it again. So I pulled into a layby, got out and had a walk around.
After 5 minutes I got back on the road, Red Bull in hand (well, between legs) and felt just fine.
The time just flew by and we were soon heading down the A1 nearing Newark. Then the eyes began again. So I pulled in and went to sleep for a couple of hours.
After a horribly groggy drive, we at arrived at Overstrand clifftop car park at about 5.45am, Sarah waking up after a good nights sleep!!!
There were already a few cars and it was light enough to see so we got out and walked along the cliffs towards the Accentor's roosting site from the evening before.
Don't ask me why, but I knew it wasn't going to be there. Despite it having only been found the night before, showing well up until dark and the overnight weather not conducive to a migrant moving off, I just knew it had gone.
Despite searching and an ever growing number of people lining the clifftops, it had obviously gone. A Whitethroat, however charming, was scant reward.
My first dip of 2004!!!
I phoned the negative news in to Birdnet and left at 8.30 and I just knew it wasn't going to be on the pager again that day.
Breakfast at Safeways in Cromer was enough to replenish my enthusiasm and we decided to take advantage of our time in Norfolk by having a "big day" at all the hot spots. We decided on Cley, then heading inland to Weeting, Lynford and finally having a go for Goshawk at Mayday Farm.
Then what happened...? The damn pager went off and there was an Alpine Swift at Beeston Bump, just 4-5 miles from where we were. Even though I've seen Alpine Swift in Britain (including one just 4 weeks ago) and plenty abroad, I just couldn't help it and had to go.
Pulling up at the roadside we had a fleeting glimpse of it disappear behind some houses. Then there was a very frustrating 10 minutes as people continually called out anything that flew even though they were obviously Jackdaws!!!
Well that was enough for us. No more twitching today. So we left and went to Cley East Bank.
As the rain began to fall a Cetti's Warbler sang in the Walsey Hills reedbed and I picked up our first Sedge Warbler of the year. 3 Whimbrel fed in the ditches and there were some stunning red Black Tailed Godwits, almost moulted Ruff and lots of Wheatear.
2-3 Bearded Tit were calling, but the wind was making viewing impossible and we had to be content with flight views. Sandwich Tern was another year tick and then I did at again. I just can't resist. I checked that bloody pager again.
NORFOLK ALPINE SWIFT SHOWING WELL OVER SHERINGHAM GOLF COURSE.
Showing well means a chance of some video so despite my vow to do some proper birding, I just couldn't stand by whilst that was zooming around showing well!
We shot off again back to Sheringham and pulled over in layby next to the golf course. Well it really was showing well! It was rocketting around the distant cliff tops - massive. They are trully exceptional birds.
A few people had managed to get themselves out to the cliff edge and we could see the Swift flying just metres from them and around their ankles. Some people were trying to get out there by crossing the golf course (naughty-naughty) but you can't blame them for trying if those were the views you could get.
Job well done, and some form of compensation for missing the Alpine Accentor.
Sarah still needed Stone Curlew for her Brit list so we headed off into the Norfolk interior and to Weeting Heath.
After paying for our permits (only £2.50) we had amazing views of 6 Stone Curlew from the east hide. At the very far edge of the field a pair were displaying; this entailed one bird (presumably the male) running around looking very stupid with its head down and its tail cocked up. It was an amazing sight. There was a female incubating about 30 metres away and the weird calls of another 3 in the distance was very spooky.
A Woodlark was calling but we couldn't see it. Then one dropped into the grass about 4 metres out from the hide. The warden said what a relief it was now that they had hatched and it was another small victory against the b***ard egg collectors.
Then I had my best tick of the day. As I watched the Woodlark I saw something black moving around in the grass. What the hell is that...?
Oh my God, it was a MOLE!
I'd never seen a Mole before - truly bizarre!
We decided to finish up at Lynford Arboretum and have a go for Hawfinch. I usually go in March and arrive very early - even then they can be difficult, so I didn't expect anything. And to cut a now rather long story short - we didn't see any.
But, we did get all 3 Woodpecker and we did get 3 transvestites...
"What..?" I hear you say.
Yes that s right, 3 transvestites - 3 men walking around seperately in Lynford Arboretum dressed in womens clothes!
3 great days!!!
In bad traffic, Manchester-Norfolk can take 5 hours; in the middle of the night just over 3 hours. Sarah is useless after dark so I agreed to drive the 180 miles and let her sleep as long as she did the driving the next day.
Stocking up on Red Bull at the 24 hour Esso garage I felt fine. We passed Glossop and headed along the Woodhead pass and then my eyes began. That dreadful feeling when you just want to sleep whilst your driving. I've fallen asleep at the wheel once before which was enormously stupid, not to mention pathetically dangerous, and I vowed never to do it again. So I pulled into a layby, got out and had a walk around.
After 5 minutes I got back on the road, Red Bull in hand (well, between legs) and felt just fine.
The time just flew by and we were soon heading down the A1 nearing Newark. Then the eyes began again. So I pulled in and went to sleep for a couple of hours.
After a horribly groggy drive, we at arrived at Overstrand clifftop car park at about 5.45am, Sarah waking up after a good nights sleep!!!
There were already a few cars and it was light enough to see so we got out and walked along the cliffs towards the Accentor's roosting site from the evening before.
Don't ask me why, but I knew it wasn't going to be there. Despite it having only been found the night before, showing well up until dark and the overnight weather not conducive to a migrant moving off, I just knew it had gone.
Despite searching and an ever growing number of people lining the clifftops, it had obviously gone. A Whitethroat, however charming, was scant reward.
My first dip of 2004!!!
I phoned the negative news in to Birdnet and left at 8.30 and I just knew it wasn't going to be on the pager again that day.
Breakfast at Safeways in Cromer was enough to replenish my enthusiasm and we decided to take advantage of our time in Norfolk by having a "big day" at all the hot spots. We decided on Cley, then heading inland to Weeting, Lynford and finally having a go for Goshawk at Mayday Farm.
Then what happened...? The damn pager went off and there was an Alpine Swift at Beeston Bump, just 4-5 miles from where we were. Even though I've seen Alpine Swift in Britain (including one just 4 weeks ago) and plenty abroad, I just couldn't help it and had to go.
Pulling up at the roadside we had a fleeting glimpse of it disappear behind some houses. Then there was a very frustrating 10 minutes as people continually called out anything that flew even though they were obviously Jackdaws!!!
Well that was enough for us. No more twitching today. So we left and went to Cley East Bank.
As the rain began to fall a Cetti's Warbler sang in the Walsey Hills reedbed and I picked up our first Sedge Warbler of the year. 3 Whimbrel fed in the ditches and there were some stunning red Black Tailed Godwits, almost moulted Ruff and lots of Wheatear.
2-3 Bearded Tit were calling, but the wind was making viewing impossible and we had to be content with flight views. Sandwich Tern was another year tick and then I did at again. I just can't resist. I checked that bloody pager again.
NORFOLK ALPINE SWIFT SHOWING WELL OVER SHERINGHAM GOLF COURSE.
Showing well means a chance of some video so despite my vow to do some proper birding, I just couldn't stand by whilst that was zooming around showing well!
We shot off again back to Sheringham and pulled over in layby next to the golf course. Well it really was showing well! It was rocketting around the distant cliff tops - massive. They are trully exceptional birds.
A few people had managed to get themselves out to the cliff edge and we could see the Swift flying just metres from them and around their ankles. Some people were trying to get out there by crossing the golf course (naughty-naughty) but you can't blame them for trying if those were the views you could get.
Job well done, and some form of compensation for missing the Alpine Accentor.
Sarah still needed Stone Curlew for her Brit list so we headed off into the Norfolk interior and to Weeting Heath.
After paying for our permits (only £2.50) we had amazing views of 6 Stone Curlew from the east hide. At the very far edge of the field a pair were displaying; this entailed one bird (presumably the male) running around looking very stupid with its head down and its tail cocked up. It was an amazing sight. There was a female incubating about 30 metres away and the weird calls of another 3 in the distance was very spooky.
A Woodlark was calling but we couldn't see it. Then one dropped into the grass about 4 metres out from the hide. The warden said what a relief it was now that they had hatched and it was another small victory against the b***ard egg collectors.
Then I had my best tick of the day. As I watched the Woodlark I saw something black moving around in the grass. What the hell is that...?
Oh my God, it was a MOLE!
I'd never seen a Mole before - truly bizarre!
We decided to finish up at Lynford Arboretum and have a go for Hawfinch. I usually go in March and arrive very early - even then they can be difficult, so I didn't expect anything. And to cut a now rather long story short - we didn't see any.
But, we did get all 3 Woodpecker and we did get 3 transvestites...
"What..?" I hear you say.
Yes that s right, 3 transvestites - 3 men walking around seperately in Lynford Arboretum dressed in womens clothes!
3 great days!!!
Its my lucky Lesser-spotted finding outfit!
