Today started off a as a really naff today, due to the fact I did too many boring houseworky jobs last night, did the Tescos run at 10pm and by the time I had sorted my birding stuff, sandwiches etc it was silly late and when the alarm went off I couldn't get up and couldn't get back to sleep either!!! So eventually arrived at Holme about 10.30, way past the high tide at 6.45amish. Have been sleepy and moody all day!
On route just before Sandringham a common buzzard was circling above as I drove along. Arrived at Holme 10.30 and parked up by the horse meadow half way along Beach Road and saw 2 pied wagtails, not much else. Drove right down to NOA carpark first and had a look round reserve. Several bramblings on the feeders from the hide at the end of the bank. A marsh harrier flew over the marsh. I went to look at the sea but it was like the Sahara!!!! sand was blowing directly towards me, I couldn't even open my eyes! So gave up on that and walked back and through the pines back to carpark, raining now aswell! I was chatting to a couple of members on the carpark and Chris Mills walked up and said did we know there were a couple of Med Gulls from the NOA capark hide, so went to have a look at those (12.45pm), which was nice. Drove back down the 'rud' and had a walk round the Forestry area where all I saw was a magpie and a hedgesparrow singing, not even a stonechat - everything was ducking down in the wind.
Next stop Cleyspy to collect my scope:t::t::t: On route stopped at Siffkey to look at Cattle Egret (ha ha, not). Then after leaving Cleyspy I had an incident with a snotty horse woman - I had passed her slowly and politely, as you do and further up the road I pulled over and stopped to make a phone call to my friend Pete, while I was talking to him the horse and lady had caught up with me and she could not overtake me for a few seconds as there was a car coming the other way - after the car had gone past, she then rode past me saying in a bellowing sarcastic voice 'you could have picked a better place to park' - well that was it my temper went through the sky (yes road rage):C:C and when I pulled off, lets say it wasn't exactly slow to which she stuck two fingers up to me, which I returned back and then put my hazards on as Penelope Pitstop sped off (young people on here won't know what I am going on about!) - I really felt like going back and running her over (yes I know its a dreadful, wicked thing to say, but thats how I felt at the time) Anyway, still fuming I met up with my friend Pete At Salthouse - absolutely FREEZING!! and we saw 3 wheatears at Little Eye (5pm), 2 lovely males and 1 female! Also a few turnstones were feeding close by and 1 snowbunting feeding all by itself:-C.
I left here and went back via the coast road, stopped to view the Warham area and had 2 stunning full adult male marsh harriers who were so brilliantly coloured I thought I was looking at something else for a minute! Also my first swallow of the year wearily came in off the sea. Stopped at Blakeney Quay and Morston Quay, sea is very close to coming over the road, it was so windy couldn't really hold bins still, lots of gulls and brents etc! Stopped at Burnham Norton Carpark and had a cup of tea and my dinner for the evening, a cheese and tomato sandwich! and scanned over the marshes and had 5 marsh harriers in the sky together (7.40pm).
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
