Well it won't take very long to post this evening!!! (will try and lengthen it out!)
Plan for today was: look for Green winged Teal from Dauke's Hide at Cley and then poodle over to East Runton to look for Pallas's Warbler.
Freezing cold this morning!
Arrived at
Coastguards, Cley at 8.50am - nothing on sea whatsoever, re-parked and walked to
Dauke's Hide. A peregrine had apparently put everything up from Simmond's, waited for all the teal to come back
and then scanned every one I could - no sign of Green winged Teal! Few marsh harriers floating about.
Got a phone call seconds before the pager bleeped 'Pallas's Warbler at East Runton' to tell me I was in the wrong place! - as I drove over there I just had a feeling that I was going to 'dip' again. In fact I didn't even bother running down the track, just speed walked instead
- you just instantly know that you have missed out again by people's body language - no bins were raised, no smiley faces (apart from two and you know who you are!
) and very despondent expressions!!! Yes I 'dipped' again. Only good bird was a
stunning male Bullfinch sitting in a hawthorn the other side of the railway track through the gap next to the Pallas's sycamore tree! Also a
redwing here. I basically then wasted most of the day, refusing to leave until I had lost all hope. After lots of pishing and walking about and gazing into sunny sycamore leaves I decided enough was enough. Walked off along a path which went west from the railway bridge and ended up a kissing gate where a NT sign read '
Inkleborough Hill' - which was a lovely surprise, as I have always wanted to climb up here, so off I went and climbed right to the top and sat on the seat to marvel at the awesome view over the coast. You can see soooo much from here - I could see 3 birders in the field at West Runton, presumably looking for the short toed lark, Beeston Bump, Cromer Church etc etc. I did not see many birds on route only a few robins, a jay, a long tailed tit flock (nothing with them) and a few great and blue tits. Walked back to re-join others STILL hoping for the Pallas's. Had a chat with Sue and then walked back to car and had a very late lunch - I can't really remember what time it was, around 2pmish I think. I suddenly noticed a public footpath sign dead opposite following a caravan park with lots of gorse and bushes on the right so decided to take a little wander. This path looked potentially brilliant - it passed a couple of allotments, a grassy field and then lots of scrub and bushes at the top - the path stopped at the precarious cliff edge!!!:eek!::eek!: as I walked to the top I flushed at least half a dozen blackbirds, robins and blue and great tits. Also watched a couple of redwing in a bush too.
Walsey Hills - stopped in the carpark to chat with Pete S. and Graham. Listened to a
Cettis Warbler.
Popped up to
Cley Visitor Centre briefly and as I left had a quick look at the sightings board which read 'Shorelark' so I queried this with the man on reception and apparently
someone had reported a single shorelark with snowbuntings at the end of the East Bank about an hour ago (which makes it around 3.45pm)
Dauke's Hide NWT
On route to the hide I had
6 Swallows skimming around together. The weather had turned horrible in the afternoon and it was grey and cold and dismal - matched my mood right now. Anyway it all turned roses
and thanks to
Andy Johnson who brilliantly picked out the
Green winged teal for me
:t:
5.15pm. Being as I had no cheese scones I did offer half (
note I said half) of my Ripple bar but he politely declined. The day had been saved - one new year tick!!!:t: M.G and E.M then arrived in the hide and Mark picked out a
2nd Winter Caspian Gull on
Simmond's Scrape!!! Now 6.30pm and time to go home.
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
WEATHER LOOKS GOOD FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY!!!!