Saturday 6th September
I woke up this morning to rain beating down outside. Left my house dressed head to toe in waterproofs all ready for the day! and arrived at
Burnham Overy Staithe at 8.30am. I was one of the first people on the quay this morning I think (
most sensible people would probably be asleep instead of walking in the rain!). I started walking along the seabank and there was tons of waders in the channel, lots of redshanks, godwits, avocets etc etc. A fantastic scene of
20 grey plover still in their striking summer plumage all standing on a sandbank was probably the highlight of the day! At least 9 ringed plover, lots of turnstones, 3 little egrets, several curlew. 1
wheatear bounded on the path in front of me. 2 sparrowhawks and a kestrel over the marsh, 1 juv. reed bunting, 3 goldfinches, 2 mute swans. When I got to the end of the bank where the bushes are I decided to 'pish' anything that might be lurking in the big sallow bush, out - it worked instantly - a
willow warbler popped out and looked at me as if to say 'very funny' and just as quick, popped back into the depths of the bush! Walked up to
Gun Hill and stayed there for a while because it came on the pager that a osprey was in the Thornham channel. Good I thought, I couldn't be much higher to view that if it comes this way, but alas it went south!:C I have never known a day that changed as much weatherwise as it did today, sun one minute, pouring with rain the next etc. 5 linnets around
Gunhill area and also a avocet flew along the shore along with sandwich terns. Left here and walked all the dunes, all the way to
Holkham pines to try and find something! Another
wheatear, a chiffchaff, more linnets,
1 tree pipit and 2 green woodpeckers And loads of swallows flying low over the marshes. A couple of birders I met had seen a whinchat, stonechat and a juv. cuckoo. I walked back in sun and showers and half way along the bank 3 elderly gentlemen were walking towards me carrying umbrellas - 'what are you watching?' one of them asked as I was peering into a bush. 'There's nothing here apart from gulls and cormorants is there?' they said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I explained that there was alot more to be found than just cormorants and gulls! Just before the carpark I watched several birds flitting about in the ditch and elders below including a blue tit, great tit, linnets, greenfinch, chiffchaff, blackbird and a jay.
At the carpark Penelope had a lovely snooze in her car in the sunshine after consuming far toooooo many cheese scones (no one to share them with:-C)!!!!!!!!!!!! I am beginning to look like a scone:eek!:
Arrived Titchwell 3.15pm. Walked straight into visitor centre to buy a bar of chocolate (oh dear!) and then straight to
Island Hide to see if I could see the White Rumped Sandpiper :-O. Saw a
water rail (4pm), 1 snipe, several pied wagtails, ringed plovers,
curlew sandpipers, ruff, avocets etc etc but NO White Rumped Sandpiper. Eddie M. walked into the hide and declared he was going to stay until he had seen it or until it was dark, so I said I hoped to still see him sitting here when I came back from walking out to
sea! The sea was quite a way out, but I battled through the wind and rain - it felt like winter!!!!! and stood by the edge of the sea and saw a
dark phase arctic skua attacking a tern going west at 5.15pm. I counted at least
28 grey plovers, 16 sanderlings and 9 carrion crows came in off the sea and went south. Loads of waders feeding in the rock pools including turnstones, redshanks, sanderling, ringed plovers, little egret, cormorants etc etc. Back along the main bank I was scanning over the marshes and spotted a bird of prey at
Thornham Point coming straight for me, narrow pointed wings and as it got closer I realised it was a
hobby - (5.50pm-6pm) it flew over reserve and dropped the other side of the bank, then appeared high in the sky and went back towards
Thornham Point.
3 spoonbills were 'spooning' in the now beautiful sunlight from
Parrinder Hide and I got some distant pictures and also a juv. pied wag was directly beneath the hide window. I counted
74 cormorants on the island, 18 little egrets on the dead trees and 3 grey herons were together on the the middle island. I walked along bank towards
Island Hide. Heard several
bearded tits pinging. In Island Hide I was very pleased to see Eddie M. still there! (sorry Eddie!
) He pointed out
2 Med Gulls to me right at the back:t:
Lots of birds were up all over the place including a marsh harrier as someone was shooting on the marshes over the other side. Very sadly the wildfowlers association is allowed to shoot there.
Someone told me today that a short eared owl was seen in the dunes by Gore Point at Holme this morning. I had aimed to go there after Titchwell, but I ran out of time. Went to parents for cup of tea and then back home.
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
