It's now Thursday, I've remembered that I hadn't written up a beautiful - weather and bird-wise - day out with Bridget and Aileen. These are usually notable for inclement weather.
Meeting at Holme first car park, we started by walking the Paddocks in a rather edgy north wind, luckily, not a very strong one. The Paddocks is a stretch of hawthorn scrub and bramble between the big house and the golf course, a regular drop-in for spring migrants.
Our first Common Whitethroat sang in the buckthorn/hawthorn scrub before the big house, still keeping fairly low. A big surprise was a Nightingale, singing beautifully as we entered the paddocks along the coastal boardwalk, our first ever in this area. Several Common Whitethroats, singing from hawthorn tops and, a suspected Lesser Whitethroat amongst the calling Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, taxed the hearing of those unable to isolate individual song.
Neither A nor B had seen a Wheatear yet, Wheatear Alley (what we call the open area of shorter grass before Gore Point and the 'Forest'), came up trumps holding at least three birds.
After a drink at Thornham and a fruitless search for Ring Ouzel at Choseley, we decided to give Beacon Hill a go. Couldn't find anything there either.......
News of a Black Tern at Stiffkey Fen, was irresisitible for me. We often miss the Norfolk spring fly-through when we're in Scotland. I don't enjoy the walk out there because of the difficult stiles and uneven path but, it's a lovely place.
Hearing and seeing a Lesser Whitethroat en route, we scoped from the first clear viewing area, soon picking up an elegant Black Tern, making its dipping feeding flight against the wheaten reeds at the seaward end of the water. Delightful birds, I love them - most birders do.
Bridget was the first to spot the Green Sandpiper which re-appeared on the muddy reed bed edge, again at the back of the pool. She also found her own Little Ringed Plover on a near mud island. Next find for Pam was a juvenile and an adult Little Gull, both flying in from the marsh beyond the sea wall. Whilst Pam had gone off to have another look at the L Whitethroat, a calling Med Gull flew over behind us.
The last addition to A and B's year list was Sandwich Terns at Coastguards, Cley. The Eye field also had several Wheatears, two perching on nearby fence posts.
A small ice-cream from the van at Salthouse duck pond to celebrate the end of a lovely and successful day.
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