Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Awesome Day
Got up silly time in morning and left King's Lynn 6.15am and arrived to a very blustery Cley Coastguards at 7am.
Front section of shelter was full, so I stood in the side section by myself until my friend Pete S. arrived at 7.45am. The sea looked exciting, massive waves crashing down on to the shingle. Had 5 razorbills, 9 bonxies, tons of gannets (stopped counting) both adults and juveniles. 1 kittiwake. Pete arrived and after that along with other birders saw 3 arctic skuas, 2 Manx shearwaters, 2 arctic skuas (1 pale faced), 1 Pom skua, 2 red throated divers, 2 little gulls, common terns, loads of teal and wigeon streaming past. I made the MASSIVE mistake of going to the loo and when I returned I had missed a bl**dy Leach's Petrol:C:C:C - unfortunately for Pete I didn't stop 'going on' about it for most of day and declared I wasn't leaving until I had seen one, just couldn't believe it!!!!!!!
On Cley marsh 28+ Golden Plover, pied wagtails, marsh harrier. Stayed here until about 11.30am and then went to Cley Spy to buy a new heavier tripod - as usual, extremely helpful, patient staff and excellent price.
Went back to Coastguards for sandwiches, tea etc and then heard there was a Grey Phalarope from Dawkes Hide. So parked cars nearby and had stunning views of the Grey Phalarope (2pm) along with 5 Little Stints and 3 Curlew Sandpiper.
Then we drove to Happisburgh to see a nice little bird a Buff Breasted Sandpiper!!!!! (3.40pm) which was teamed up with 3 Ringed Plover in a field, not far from the tearooms from the carpark by lighthouse - stunning views in sunshine and strong wind and also 2 beautiful marked Greenland Wheatears. Beautiful scenery this end of the coast.
Trundled back to Cley Coastguards for 2nd seawatch (my navigator got us lost and we ended up in North Walsham - god knows how that happened!!!!) Got back to Cley Coastguards for 5.20pm. Eddie Myers shouted out 'Sabines' as Pete and I were getting out of car and we raced over just in time to see what I think is my first Sabine's Gull!!!!! (Thank you very much Eddie:t Went back to car to get scope and made a quick cuppa - the wind was incredible now and it was dangerous even opening the boot of car - if you let go of anything it was gone!!! Pete had to sprint after his sandwich box twice!!! I made my 2nd MASSIVE mistake of the day - stood my new tripod down (the legs were at the lowest level) and as I was putting on my 2nd woolly hat!!! - it flipped over, to break the screw thread section from the telescope:-C:-C:-C - am gutted and will have to go straight to dear old Cley Spy tomorrow, the second they open to see what can be done - typical - peak migration coming up and no scope, really hope it can be resolved quickly - like tomorrow morning!!! So after this, just had to watch with bins. Saw flock of turnstones flash by, 2 arctic terns and 2 more Bonxies. I think Eddie M. had a Leaches half distance in what was now ferocious waves, but I couldn't pick it up. The sea when we left was spilling over the shingle!!!! and each tide until Saturday is higher each day!!! Saturday being the highest at 8.5 metres. Had quick cuppa and arrived home at 8.15pm.
Out again tomorrow - lets see what it brings
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Got up silly time in morning and left King's Lynn 6.15am and arrived to a very blustery Cley Coastguards at 7am.
Front section of shelter was full, so I stood in the side section by myself until my friend Pete S. arrived at 7.45am. The sea looked exciting, massive waves crashing down on to the shingle. Had 5 razorbills, 9 bonxies, tons of gannets (stopped counting) both adults and juveniles. 1 kittiwake. Pete arrived and after that along with other birders saw 3 arctic skuas, 2 Manx shearwaters, 2 arctic skuas (1 pale faced), 1 Pom skua, 2 red throated divers, 2 little gulls, common terns, loads of teal and wigeon streaming past. I made the MASSIVE mistake of going to the loo and when I returned I had missed a bl**dy Leach's Petrol:C:C:C - unfortunately for Pete I didn't stop 'going on' about it for most of day and declared I wasn't leaving until I had seen one, just couldn't believe it!!!!!!!
On Cley marsh 28+ Golden Plover, pied wagtails, marsh harrier. Stayed here until about 11.30am and then went to Cley Spy to buy a new heavier tripod - as usual, extremely helpful, patient staff and excellent price.
Went back to Coastguards for sandwiches, tea etc and then heard there was a Grey Phalarope from Dawkes Hide. So parked cars nearby and had stunning views of the Grey Phalarope (2pm) along with 5 Little Stints and 3 Curlew Sandpiper.
Then we drove to Happisburgh to see a nice little bird a Buff Breasted Sandpiper!!!!! (3.40pm) which was teamed up with 3 Ringed Plover in a field, not far from the tearooms from the carpark by lighthouse - stunning views in sunshine and strong wind and also 2 beautiful marked Greenland Wheatears. Beautiful scenery this end of the coast.
Trundled back to Cley Coastguards for 2nd seawatch (my navigator got us lost and we ended up in North Walsham - god knows how that happened!!!!) Got back to Cley Coastguards for 5.20pm. Eddie Myers shouted out 'Sabines' as Pete and I were getting out of car and we raced over just in time to see what I think is my first Sabine's Gull!!!!! (Thank you very much Eddie:t Went back to car to get scope and made a quick cuppa - the wind was incredible now and it was dangerous even opening the boot of car - if you let go of anything it was gone!!! Pete had to sprint after his sandwich box twice!!! I made my 2nd MASSIVE mistake of the day - stood my new tripod down (the legs were at the lowest level) and as I was putting on my 2nd woolly hat!!! - it flipped over, to break the screw thread section from the telescope:-C:-C:-C - am gutted and will have to go straight to dear old Cley Spy tomorrow, the second they open to see what can be done - typical - peak migration coming up and no scope, really hope it can be resolved quickly - like tomorrow morning!!! So after this, just had to watch with bins. Saw flock of turnstones flash by, 2 arctic terns and 2 more Bonxies. I think Eddie M. had a Leaches half distance in what was now ferocious waves, but I couldn't pick it up. The sea when we left was spilling over the shingle!!!! and each tide until Saturday is higher each day!!! Saturday being the highest at 8.5 metres. Had quick cuppa and arrived home at 8.15pm.
Out again tomorrow - lets see what it brings
Best Wishes Penny:girl: