Where should we go? Cley? We started off there, with a scone and a cuppa in the Centre cafe. Moth-ing had been cancelled for this morning, we did not miss out on the refreshments.
Maybe we should go for the Isabelline Shrike at Warham Greens. Ominously, the roadside leading down to the smallish car park at Stiffkey was completely lined with cars. Taking a risk, we drove on, finding a good parking place in the car park. I didn't much enjoy the walk to the Whirlygig area. Much of the track was muddy and very slippery, parts of it more like slurry. Returning birders, including Lee, kept telling us to take care, warning of the slipperyness. And... news that the bird had gone missing - again - keeping its reputation of being elusive.
We stayed at the Whirlygig area for nearly half an hour, entertained firstly by Giles who we saw on Scilly every year, who approached us with a lovely smile. Then, a man who goes to Mull every year, we see him with his two collies. He'd been to Shetland for the first time this year and had the Siberian Rubythroat as a day tick. Envy.
Walking on, a small group of birders were obviously intent in their walking. We got to the area where a lone man had just had crippling views. A short wait, as more and more birders arrived, before we saw the Isabelline twice in flight and perched on a hedge top. Good. Shame it's not a tick, not even for Norfolk.
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| I didn't take this photo ! |
The pager's half a mile is very inaccurate. The 25 minute walk back to the car seemed shorter and not as muddy. Weird. It was exactly 25 mins on the way out!
A quick shop in Sainsbury's to buy Jaffa Cakes for Sara and Lamb Stock cubes - they don't sell the latter in Aus despite the huge number of sheep.
We leave for Australia at 3 p.m. to-morrow where I shall still be keeping a Blog with more of a family diary flavour with plenty of birds too I hope. The Blog address is:
www.moggill14.blogspot.co.uk
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