Saving lives at Gun Hill!!!!!!! etc etc -
See my blog for non birdy stuff and why I had to ring 999!!!
Woke up naturally at just after 5am - decided to have another few minutes and when I next looked at the clock it said 7.30am - BOTHER! Had intended on going out VERY early this morning... oh well!! By the time I got out of the house it was 9am. Absoutely stunning day - for the first time I did not wear my coat! Delivered shopping to my parents. A Great Grey Shrike had been caught and ringed at Holme Bird Observatory (courtesy of RBA). Presuming the shrike had gone I continued on to Titchwell for a short while before hitting Burnham Overy Dunes.
Titchwell produced
Cettis Warbler singing in the carpark. Looked for the Lesser Whitethroat that someone had heard but to no avail, but did hear a
Blackcap and
Willow Warbler singing away in the blackthorn, now in flower.
Lots of Bees buzzing about today everywhere in the glorious sunshine and Robins sitting about looking pretty. Nothing on the ploughed field at the end of the carpark apart from a couple of red legged partridges and a kestrel - not a single wheatear either! A
Common Buzzard went west over the Fen Trail at
11am Heard my first Sedge Warbler by the Island Hide at
11.45am and a
pair of Red crested Pochard were by the far side of the brackish marsh. A very crisp male
Reed Bunting sat in sueda along the main bank. Several
Chiffchaffs flitting about in the trees opposite the first seat along the main bank. Also, Long tailed tits and goldfinches near main carpark. Another
Common Buzzard at
12.30pm over the carpark whilst munching on a sandwich. Saw Robin Abel in the carpark who told me the Grey Grey Shrike was still on view at Holme.
I decided to go to
Thornham Harbour and walk to see the shrike after a kind phone call from Ray Roche telling me the shrike had bounded east over the Thornham Bank and he was viewing it in a suada bush from the first sharp corner of the bank. On parking the car I phoned Ray to see if it was still showing and was told it was a distant hazy smudge in the middle of the marsh...hmmmmmm.... ok Penny, you are not year listing, you don't NEED a distant smudge - keep to plan and go to Burnham Overy!!! There were
7 Black tailed godwits feeding away in the chanel by the coal barn. Got back in car and continued along coast road to park at
Burnham Over Staithe (now 2pm).
Parked the car off the road about quarter of a mile past the Hero Pub on left hand side and followed the track down that joins with the Burnham Overy Staithe main public footpath. I passed a birder not long after starting my walk - I wish now I had asked him if he had seen anything as I saw very little for all my effort! Birds seen: lapwings displaying, greylags, brent geese, redshanks, Little Egret, carrion crows, cormorants flying over,
Cettis' Warbler singing and
Bearded Tits 'pinging'. On reaching
Gun Hill area I decided to sit the other side on the edge of dune to have a cup of tea and sandwich - from this point I could see the beach, Scolt Head and Burnham Over Staithe - it was a beautiful day, it felt like summer!
See my blog: http://pennyshotbirdingandlife.blogspot.com for what happened next!
My plan was to walk to through the dunes and on through Holkham Pines and Lady Anne's to catch the coastliner from the Victoria back to my car. (This will be my new route to avoid paying £5 to park in the new ticket machines in Lady Anne's Drive!) My walk produced very little, in fact all I saw were a handful of
linnets! The best thing I found was a
Sand Wasp I found scurrying about just before Holkham Pines. Couple of
chiffchaffs by the gate at the beginning of the main path through the pines and a
Marsh Harrier. On reaching
Joe Jordans Hide, I decided to change my route - I followed the path that diverted off left from the hide and followed the track all the way up to the road - nothing particularly special on route... a couple of chiffychaffs, egyptian geese, greylags, little egret oh and a barn owl, climbed over a 5-bar wooden gate, crossed the road and stood by the entrance to Holkham Park's church and had about 2 minutes to spare before the 5.47pm Coastliner turned up! Had a cup of coffee back at my car and then continued along the coast road.
Just after
Stiffkey I parked the car by the gate (which says 'no parking'!) known as 'White Bridges' just after the track/bridge to Stiffkey Fen and stood for ages trying to photograph
fish leaping out of the water to catch midges - it was fascinating to watch and I did manage to get ONE out of focus picture - it was a miracle I got one at all! In the picture I could see purple markings on the side of the fish - anyone any ideas what they were please? Also saw a
barn owl and a
marsh harrier here.
House on the Hill, Blakeney - not much here, apart from chaffinches, great tit, blue tit and jackdaws.
Coastguards, Cley - only came here to watch the sun setting and to be by the sea. A family had lit a fire/barbecue about 50 yards from the carpark, on route to North Hide - what do they think this is - a seaside resort!!!:-C:C
Barn Owl along beach road.
Walsey Hills - walked up to the top of the steps and in the last glimmers of light watched a heron flying lazily across East Bank. Greylags squabbling loudly in the Snipe's Marsh and a
Cettis Warbler singing.
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
