Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Today I got up at the bizarre time of 5.15am, which is pretty good for me at this time of the year!
Dull weather and no sun. Arrived Holme at 7.15am.
Started off at the horse meadow half way down beach road, but could not get out of car because the lady who owns the horses was there with her massive big dog who promptly charged over to car and glared at me with mad eyes and ferocious teeth, so I thought maybe I won't get out of the car and scan the meadow!!!! Carried on and parked up half way down Firs road by 5-bar gate where there was a very familiar white van! 3 weeks today I have not had my scope (Nikon putting new footplate on) and it is EXTREMELY frustrating not having it! As soon as I walked up onto seawall, there seemed to be lots of action. A marsh harrier over the marsh along with a barn owl was a nice start to the morning. Walking towards the forestry, 6 carrion crows, 1 Connor at Gore Point, 4 stonechats, 1 snipe flew over, 5 shelduck, 1 shoveler, 11 hedgesparrows at least, loads of chaffinches, several blackbirds, 12 goldfinches, 1 curlew, 2 pintail flew over, 2 egyptian geese over marsh, several greylags, 2 wrens, 2 goldcrests, 2 herons, 3 greenfinches on wires, 1 tree sparrow flew over calling, 15 redwings going west, 2 pied wagtails. I walked to reserves via the coastal footpath and then on the board walk past the Broadwater and onto Thornham bank up as far as the sluice, where I saw 3 little egrets, 1 little grebe, 5 linnets, skylark was singing its heart out, 30 oystercatchers were on the shoreline, 2 more stonechats, 15 tufted ducks on the Broadwater along with the ruddy duck still (I presume its been there all week since last Saturday), few pochard, 1 avocet. 2 blue tits in the scrub at end of Broadwater. I sat at observatory and had my mid morning jam sandwich and cup of tea, then carried on along bank and saw 2 bramblings from the hide, 1 coal tit at end of bank and walked back along Firs Road and back through Forestry. 5 more stonechats including several stunning males, 1 great crested grebe on the sea and 3 ringed plover near Gore Point. Had lunch by the car and it started to rain! Left here and went back to my horse meadow to see and hear 1 green woodpecker and 2 pied wagtails. 1 yellowhammer in my parent's garden (had so sort out father's printer, so didn't leave Holme until 3pm!)
Drove all the way along the coast road to Cley to see the shorelarks. Went via the White Crowned Sparrow site and sat and watched from car window, several chaffinches, blackbirds and house sparrows feeding from the seed but no WCS to be seen anywhere. Also goldfinches sitting in the bushes. Went to park at Walsey Hills carpark. It was horrible foggy weather now and I could hardly see along the East Bank, but walked up there anyway. Walked a long way east at the end of the bank and walked up and down the ridge and only saw 3 ringed plover in the mist, some bar tailed godwits and loads of brent geese, but no shorelarks. Walked back and went west quite a way and saw 4 stonechats, but still no shorelarks - couldn't believe it, never mind, thats the way it goes! On the way back I and another couple had fantastic close views of 2 reed buntings and a flock of 19 linnets feeding actually on the path at very close range! When I reached the end of East Bank I crossed the road and a Cettis Warbler burst into song right next to my car! I went up to see Pete at Walsey Hills and his pager bleeped that a wheatear had been seen at 5pm on the pillbox near Coastguards, it was just before 5.30pm when we got there and we walked all round, but sadly found nothing, which was a pity because if I had have seen it, it would have beaten last year's record of 17th March, never mind! Then went and had dinner in all my muddy clothes in the Dunn Cow at Salthouse and marvelled at the excellent chalk drawing that Richard Millington had done of the White Crowned Sparrow on the blackboard!!!!! Left here and had a horrible drive back via A148 in foggy, rainy conditions. I feel like I have been up for 2 days! Work tomorrow, you can bet anything you like there will be something good turn up!!!!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
P.S. Bumped into a couple at Gore Point, Holme who were down from Richmond on hols and they had seen a Firecrest at Holme yesterday!
Dull weather and no sun. Arrived Holme at 7.15am.
Started off at the horse meadow half way down beach road, but could not get out of car because the lady who owns the horses was there with her massive big dog who promptly charged over to car and glared at me with mad eyes and ferocious teeth, so I thought maybe I won't get out of the car and scan the meadow!!!! Carried on and parked up half way down Firs road by 5-bar gate where there was a very familiar white van! 3 weeks today I have not had my scope (Nikon putting new footplate on) and it is EXTREMELY frustrating not having it! As soon as I walked up onto seawall, there seemed to be lots of action. A marsh harrier over the marsh along with a barn owl was a nice start to the morning. Walking towards the forestry, 6 carrion crows, 1 Connor at Gore Point, 4 stonechats, 1 snipe flew over, 5 shelduck, 1 shoveler, 11 hedgesparrows at least, loads of chaffinches, several blackbirds, 12 goldfinches, 1 curlew, 2 pintail flew over, 2 egyptian geese over marsh, several greylags, 2 wrens, 2 goldcrests, 2 herons, 3 greenfinches on wires, 1 tree sparrow flew over calling, 15 redwings going west, 2 pied wagtails. I walked to reserves via the coastal footpath and then on the board walk past the Broadwater and onto Thornham bank up as far as the sluice, where I saw 3 little egrets, 1 little grebe, 5 linnets, skylark was singing its heart out, 30 oystercatchers were on the shoreline, 2 more stonechats, 15 tufted ducks on the Broadwater along with the ruddy duck still (I presume its been there all week since last Saturday), few pochard, 1 avocet. 2 blue tits in the scrub at end of Broadwater. I sat at observatory and had my mid morning jam sandwich and cup of tea, then carried on along bank and saw 2 bramblings from the hide, 1 coal tit at end of bank and walked back along Firs Road and back through Forestry. 5 more stonechats including several stunning males, 1 great crested grebe on the sea and 3 ringed plover near Gore Point. Had lunch by the car and it started to rain! Left here and went back to my horse meadow to see and hear 1 green woodpecker and 2 pied wagtails. 1 yellowhammer in my parent's garden (had so sort out father's printer, so didn't leave Holme until 3pm!)
Drove all the way along the coast road to Cley to see the shorelarks. Went via the White Crowned Sparrow site and sat and watched from car window, several chaffinches, blackbirds and house sparrows feeding from the seed but no WCS to be seen anywhere. Also goldfinches sitting in the bushes. Went to park at Walsey Hills carpark. It was horrible foggy weather now and I could hardly see along the East Bank, but walked up there anyway. Walked a long way east at the end of the bank and walked up and down the ridge and only saw 3 ringed plover in the mist, some bar tailed godwits and loads of brent geese, but no shorelarks. Walked back and went west quite a way and saw 4 stonechats, but still no shorelarks - couldn't believe it, never mind, thats the way it goes! On the way back I and another couple had fantastic close views of 2 reed buntings and a flock of 19 linnets feeding actually on the path at very close range! When I reached the end of East Bank I crossed the road and a Cettis Warbler burst into song right next to my car! I went up to see Pete at Walsey Hills and his pager bleeped that a wheatear had been seen at 5pm on the pillbox near Coastguards, it was just before 5.30pm when we got there and we walked all round, but sadly found nothing, which was a pity because if I had have seen it, it would have beaten last year's record of 17th March, never mind! Then went and had dinner in all my muddy clothes in the Dunn Cow at Salthouse and marvelled at the excellent chalk drawing that Richard Millington had done of the White Crowned Sparrow on the blackboard!!!!! Left here and had a horrible drive back via A148 in foggy, rainy conditions. I feel like I have been up for 2 days! Work tomorrow, you can bet anything you like there will be something good turn up!!!!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
P.S. Bumped into a couple at Gore Point, Holme who were down from Richmond on hols and they had seen a Firecrest at Holme yesterday!