£5 for a Wryneck

Tuesday August 30

Birding at last. We didn't leave until mid-day though, a slow morning after a hectic couple of days.

Wells footie club had opened up part of their field as a temporary car park, which saved us walking from the Beach Road car park. It still cost us £5  for an all day ticket despite trying to persuade the attendant that we'd be no more than an hour. I'm not a cheapskate but it seemed rather exorbitant.

The Wryneck was at the south west end of the pitch where we could see a small group of birders on top of a steepish grassy bank. I staggered up, looked through Judy Geeson's scope - she beckoned us across - and joined the group in lying down on the slope looking over the top, Well, I did, Pam saw the bird and climbed back down. The bird was feeding this side of a wire fence, close in to the verge. I attempted some photos but it was rather distant for my 400 lens.

The least bad enlargement !

Lovely birds, looked great through my bins, the lilac back stripes very obvious. After about ten minutes, it slipped under the fence and disappeared into the jungle beyond.

Pat's Pool, Cley was the next stop. We walked out to the eastern hide with the best view of the pool. Virtually all the waders were on the far side of the pool. 141 Curlew Sandpipers were reported yesterday and it looked as though they were still here to-day, some adults amongst them. Our target was Little Stint and one appeared on the nearside of the scrape but still distant for such a small bird.

Another 'least bad'

A single Common Sandpiper, a few Ruff and Dunlin amongst the hordes of Greylag, Canadas and eclipse ducks.

A lovely Meadow Pipit passed through on the grass verge in front of the hide and, a male Yellow Wagtail briefly tripped through.

It was rather cold in the hide, warmer outside as we set off for Walsey Hills. We haven't visited since the new and very impressive wooden steps leading up to the viewpoint over the feeders and Snipe's Marsh were constructed. We sat for a while, whilst common birds came in to feed. No sign of the Red-backed Shrike.
Some birders appeared from the flight leading  down into the trees, having just seen it 'round the back'. Off we went, finding that the path through the trees no longer leads to the bottom track. After a few false routes, we climbed the bank through a gap in the hedge into the field at the back. Hm, two birders who showed us where it HAD been !

Back around the field to the very end this time, didn't fancy the scramble down the bank again. It sometimes hangs about at the opposite, western, side of Snipe's Marsh. Pam made her way through some nettles, calling that she thought she might have got it. I followed through to find no sign of any bird at all. Back on the lower path to find two birders scoping from up above. Another steps-climb to the viewing platform and the bird at last, scope views of it, rather obscured, in a very large area of Blackthorn scrub. It soon showed better, perching on a bare bramble. Success with all three target birds, very satisfying.
I'd fantasized it feeding from the steps' handrail as reported previously...........what a photo opportunity that would have been.