Umplanned

Saturday May 19

Pam appeared at 6.15 this morning, saying 'Shall we go birding?' I replied mmmmmmmm, where? We left for Cley and were walking to Daukes by 7.45. - in thick and rather wet haar.

We met a woman near the hide who said that the Temminck's were on North Scrape.........

We stayed half an hour, watching not a lot. Four first summer Little Gulls and a Common Sandpiper. Views of Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting and Beardies along the path, both on the way there and, better views on the way back to the car park.

North Hide is a bit of a dreaded shingle trudge for us. It didn't seem too bad this morning but the visibility when we got there was appalling. Scoping was like looking through muslin. Birds can be very distant on this scrape, they were.

Eddy M was in the hide and yes, the Temminck's had flown - to Simmonds Scrape in front of Daukes, where we'd just been. Eddie tried his best to show us where the Temminck's were on Simmonds but no way could I claim a year tick on those views.

We stayed an hour and a half or so, the visibility gradually improving after a patchy start.  Three Spoonbills on Billy's Wash, 3 Curlew Sandpipers in summer plumage, a Little Stint, 2 Little Terns and a couple of Wood Sandpipers were of note. All had to be found amongst the restless flock of 150+ Dunlin present for the last couple of days. Very enjoyable and worthwhile.

A welcome hot chocolate at Salthouse car park, North Walsham for new fish at Angel Aquatics (the Heron had ours when we were in Aus) and seed peas at the garden centre. I discovered that I'd forgotten to order any. 

I read an article in Birdwatch to-day about the prolific rise in the number of Blogs by birders, most of which are rubbish and not worth reading.

Readers have a choice....!!  Mine replaces the annual diaries I have always kept and I only give the address out to friends who request it. It's totally for me.  If you come across it by accident, feel free to delete !