jforgham
Birding for fun
A three day birding wander around North Norfolk had been planned for well over 15 hours before I set off on the 5.55am train from Bishop's Stortford, Monday 27th Oct. Change at Cambridge meant I was in King's Lynn by 7.43am and after a swift Costa coffee I was on the way to Hunstanton to pick up the ultra efficient coast hopper service. For an amazing £6.00 I bought a "bittern rover ticket" enabling all day travel on buses from Hunstanton to Sheringham, plus trains from Sheringham all the way to Norwich.
En route I had the expected birds as from Cambridge, where it became light enough to bird from the train. First bird: robin singing at Stortford station. Good spots were made including great crested grebe, grey heron, red legged partridge from the train, followed by oystercatcher, lapwing, pink footed geese, little egret, whooper swan (4 over Cley marshes from the bus!) and brent geese. By the time I arrived at the camp site near East Runton, the list was an impressive 41 species. Tawny owl, blue and great tits were added as I erected the one man tent, before heading straight off to the coast for a spot of sea watching. Sparrow hawk, goldfinch and the incredibly tame Sheringham turnstones were recorded. The latter coming almost to hand for chips!! Obesity in Norfolkian turnstone population. They'll soon be seen on one of the invalid cars that seem to be everywhere in the town.
Anyway, nothing but gulls were recorded during the seawatch so I stomped off to check out The Beeston Bump. Goldcrests called but a half hour search for firecrests was fruitless. Back through the town and up to the golf course and the sea watch hut. Still little movement at sea apart from a westerly red throated diver.. Light was beginning to fade so back to the tent, stopping off at the East Runton stores for supplies. The forecast was not too good so the idea of cooking outside for a long time was not on. A tin of Staggs fiery chilli con carne seemed to be a good bet along with a main course soup and a tin of Wilsons chunky steak. Well the chilli was incredible. A tin of beans dowsed in scorchingly hot chilli with hint of meat. Foul, but I was hungry as I washed it down with a fine plastic mug of Cote de Rhone 2006. Such class. However, as I ate the temperature dropped. Consequently, I was sweating and the ground was becoming frosty. Not a good situation, so off to Cromer for the train to West Runton to enjoy several Adnams and/or Wherries at the fine Village Inn. A real fire was the main temptation here. Back to the tent for 11.00pm and another mug of the wine, now served at a reasonable tent temperature (+2C maximum)
A good night's kip, followed by hot coffee, polish kabanos and several Rothman's royals had me wandering around. Goldcrests called from nearby bushes whilst gulls, corvids and assorted finches flew overhead. Mistle thrushes and fieldfares called from local oaks as I wandered off along the path back to Cromer, the train to Sheringham before a bus to Cley. Dressed racily in shorts and long walking socks I arrived and immediately picked up the local residents, getting great views of bearded reedling. The water pipit had moved on but spotted redshank, greenshank, ruff, and snow buntings showed well. However, stonking views of a pair of stonechats took some beating. A cetti's exploded into voice as I wandered towards Arnolds. Again a drop in temperature around 4pm cancelled the sea watch idea. Coffee in the superb HQ was welcome as I scored a final day's hit with a flyover stock dove at the bus stop. 76 species so far, so a hit list passed the time on the return journey to East Runton by bus. Several warming beers at the Ship before heading up the lane for the mile walk to the tent in drizzle and minus temps. Upon arrival another tawny owl greeted me into the completely empty field apart from my one man tent. As the rain turned to hale and the wind picked up, I pondered on why I had no neighbours.
Out came the main course soup, blended expertly with Mr Wilsons chunky steak. Heated gently for 15 minutes this comes with my complete assurance as being delicious, especially washed down with the proverbial Cote de Rhone, now touching -2C on the thermometer. Great warming food made me mull over the joy of just dossing around in a tent, watching the sky and listening to 100's of pink foots and brents moving invisibly overhead. Super, I thought, adding a fourth layer of clothing and back off to the Village Inn, with damp fleeces and jumper in tow. These steamed and dried wonderfully by the fire before returning via train to Cromer and a quick mooch around, lamping for owls. 1 tawny and a shed load of confused sheep was the net result.
A good night's sleep ended at first light and a planned take down of the tent, breakfast (coffee and kabanos). The temperature had now plummeted to -4C and having removed the pegs, guy ropes, poles and inner tent, it didn't surprise me to find the fly sheet still upright. Frozen solid. I dragged it into early weak sunlight and wandered off in search of local hedgerow birds. A dunnock posed for the camera and great spotted and green woodpeckers were noted. The tent duly packed, I was off with all gear on the way to Titchwell but first a sea watch at Sheringham. Glad I did.
Between 7.45 - 8.45 I had 5 great northern divers (3 west/2east) gannets galore, long tailed duck west, eider west, 1 lone guillemot, close in, west, finishing with a large flock of meadow pipits that appeared to be in off. I missed, by 15 minutes, a sooty shearwater!
Arriving at Titchwell, off a packed bus, I hid rucksack and scored a direct hit for my hit list with coal tit on the feeders. The promised brambling failed to show so off I strode.
Long tailed tits, pintail, sanderling, black throated diver, snipe were added. A search for curlew sand and purple sand was not a success, but the beach was glorious with 100's of birds. A quick re check from the hides was made before I left to catch the bus back to King's Lynn. A chat at the bus stop led to me counting 94 sp for the trip.
"What you not got?", I was asked.
"Tufted duck, pochard, siskin, redwing, common scoter, redpolls," I replied as a flock of redwing flew overhead. 95!! What chance some owls in the fading light from the bus. 2 more species and I could bring in the dodgy ones (feral duck, feral pigeon and the Salthouse black swan for the hundred. But this was not to be.
I arrived back in the village at 7.30pm, tired, elated and at peace with the world.
Today, a bookcase arrived that had been ordered some weeks ago. We stayed in to take receipt of this. It arrived at 6.10pm, badly broken. Calmly, I emailed the company with attached photos, politely requesting communication tomorrow morning. Oh, the peace that birding can bring.
pip, pip
Jono
Please see http//:littlehadhambirding.blogspot.com for photos as they're too large for here. One or two seem to have come out quite pleasantly.
En route I had the expected birds as from Cambridge, where it became light enough to bird from the train. First bird: robin singing at Stortford station. Good spots were made including great crested grebe, grey heron, red legged partridge from the train, followed by oystercatcher, lapwing, pink footed geese, little egret, whooper swan (4 over Cley marshes from the bus!) and brent geese. By the time I arrived at the camp site near East Runton, the list was an impressive 41 species. Tawny owl, blue and great tits were added as I erected the one man tent, before heading straight off to the coast for a spot of sea watching. Sparrow hawk, goldfinch and the incredibly tame Sheringham turnstones were recorded. The latter coming almost to hand for chips!! Obesity in Norfolkian turnstone population. They'll soon be seen on one of the invalid cars that seem to be everywhere in the town.
Anyway, nothing but gulls were recorded during the seawatch so I stomped off to check out The Beeston Bump. Goldcrests called but a half hour search for firecrests was fruitless. Back through the town and up to the golf course and the sea watch hut. Still little movement at sea apart from a westerly red throated diver.. Light was beginning to fade so back to the tent, stopping off at the East Runton stores for supplies. The forecast was not too good so the idea of cooking outside for a long time was not on. A tin of Staggs fiery chilli con carne seemed to be a good bet along with a main course soup and a tin of Wilsons chunky steak. Well the chilli was incredible. A tin of beans dowsed in scorchingly hot chilli with hint of meat. Foul, but I was hungry as I washed it down with a fine plastic mug of Cote de Rhone 2006. Such class. However, as I ate the temperature dropped. Consequently, I was sweating and the ground was becoming frosty. Not a good situation, so off to Cromer for the train to West Runton to enjoy several Adnams and/or Wherries at the fine Village Inn. A real fire was the main temptation here. Back to the tent for 11.00pm and another mug of the wine, now served at a reasonable tent temperature (+2C maximum)
A good night's kip, followed by hot coffee, polish kabanos and several Rothman's royals had me wandering around. Goldcrests called from nearby bushes whilst gulls, corvids and assorted finches flew overhead. Mistle thrushes and fieldfares called from local oaks as I wandered off along the path back to Cromer, the train to Sheringham before a bus to Cley. Dressed racily in shorts and long walking socks I arrived and immediately picked up the local residents, getting great views of bearded reedling. The water pipit had moved on but spotted redshank, greenshank, ruff, and snow buntings showed well. However, stonking views of a pair of stonechats took some beating. A cetti's exploded into voice as I wandered towards Arnolds. Again a drop in temperature around 4pm cancelled the sea watch idea. Coffee in the superb HQ was welcome as I scored a final day's hit with a flyover stock dove at the bus stop. 76 species so far, so a hit list passed the time on the return journey to East Runton by bus. Several warming beers at the Ship before heading up the lane for the mile walk to the tent in drizzle and minus temps. Upon arrival another tawny owl greeted me into the completely empty field apart from my one man tent. As the rain turned to hale and the wind picked up, I pondered on why I had no neighbours.
Out came the main course soup, blended expertly with Mr Wilsons chunky steak. Heated gently for 15 minutes this comes with my complete assurance as being delicious, especially washed down with the proverbial Cote de Rhone, now touching -2C on the thermometer. Great warming food made me mull over the joy of just dossing around in a tent, watching the sky and listening to 100's of pink foots and brents moving invisibly overhead. Super, I thought, adding a fourth layer of clothing and back off to the Village Inn, with damp fleeces and jumper in tow. These steamed and dried wonderfully by the fire before returning via train to Cromer and a quick mooch around, lamping for owls. 1 tawny and a shed load of confused sheep was the net result.
A good night's sleep ended at first light and a planned take down of the tent, breakfast (coffee and kabanos). The temperature had now plummeted to -4C and having removed the pegs, guy ropes, poles and inner tent, it didn't surprise me to find the fly sheet still upright. Frozen solid. I dragged it into early weak sunlight and wandered off in search of local hedgerow birds. A dunnock posed for the camera and great spotted and green woodpeckers were noted. The tent duly packed, I was off with all gear on the way to Titchwell but first a sea watch at Sheringham. Glad I did.
Between 7.45 - 8.45 I had 5 great northern divers (3 west/2east) gannets galore, long tailed duck west, eider west, 1 lone guillemot, close in, west, finishing with a large flock of meadow pipits that appeared to be in off. I missed, by 15 minutes, a sooty shearwater!
Arriving at Titchwell, off a packed bus, I hid rucksack and scored a direct hit for my hit list with coal tit on the feeders. The promised brambling failed to show so off I strode.
Long tailed tits, pintail, sanderling, black throated diver, snipe were added. A search for curlew sand and purple sand was not a success, but the beach was glorious with 100's of birds. A quick re check from the hides was made before I left to catch the bus back to King's Lynn. A chat at the bus stop led to me counting 94 sp for the trip.
"What you not got?", I was asked.
"Tufted duck, pochard, siskin, redwing, common scoter, redpolls," I replied as a flock of redwing flew overhead. 95!! What chance some owls in the fading light from the bus. 2 more species and I could bring in the dodgy ones (feral duck, feral pigeon and the Salthouse black swan for the hundred. But this was not to be.
I arrived back in the village at 7.30pm, tired, elated and at peace with the world.
Today, a bookcase arrived that had been ordered some weeks ago. We stayed in to take receipt of this. It arrived at 6.10pm, badly broken. Calmly, I emailed the company with attached photos, politely requesting communication tomorrow morning. Oh, the peace that birding can bring.
pip, pip
Jono
Please see http//:littlehadhambirding.blogspot.com for photos as they're too large for here. One or two seem to have come out quite pleasantly.
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