Accidental Twitch

Friday July 23 

Wader-hungry, I'd planned a visit to Snettisham on our only 'free', non weekend day, for two weeks. It started well. Pam appeared, to tell me that, as she got the car ready, she had startled two Green Woodpeckers from John's front lawn . Then, both birds, an adult and a juvenile, could be seen anting around our small garden pond. Through two layers of double glazing - the french doors and the sun lounge window, I took a few photos. Such easily spooked birds, they disappeared as soon as they saw a movement.

 

We bypassed most of our usual stops, intending to reach the Wash before it got too hot. We needn't have bothered, it was overcast and dull all day in a pleasant upper 60s temperature.

Ever hopeful, we took the back lane to Abbey Farm, stopping in a gateway from which one can view the base of the old Oak tree, a favourite Owl haunt. A little bit of manouvering enabled me to see hrough the gate and a small gap in the extremely tall vegetation. Bingo. A Little Owl.

 

 

Driving through Ditchingham, my phone informed me that there was a Western Sandpiper at Snettisham RSPB. Amongst the Dunlin on an ebbing tide.  It's not possible to hurry along the Chalet Park track. Nor the opening and shutting of the gate. Breasting the rise onto the sea wall. a small huddle of telescoping birders clustered on the paved walkway in front of the near chalet. Promising. The bird was between the far boats, in the middle of the Dunlin flock, which was scattered along the wet foreshore. I scoped the area, looking for a bird without a black belly, sporting a longer bill, long wings, and a short tail. Yes. Western Sandpiper. A good year tick - and in summer plumage. Not the best of views. but not our first UK bird. 

Black-tailed Godwits, the Snettisham swirling flock of thousands of Knot, Avocets, Curlew, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Redshank.  Wader hunger assuaged somewhat. There was a goodly group of loafing Sandwich and Common Terns on the beach too. The birds on the last pool's islands were still bringing in fish for their young.

Holme NOA car park was our next and final stop. That track !! We both complained at every jolt all the way out, swearing not to return unless there was a specific reason. Hm. We ate a late lunch/breakfast in the car park. A Wren sang from the reed beds and then....Pam said ' did you hear that?'. And I had. A distant Grasshopper Warbler. My new hearing aids were worthwhile. Before we left, the bird sang very loudly from the near reedbed, we couldn't locate it though.

An accidental twitch indeed, and a very successful day.