Such a beautiful day, we couldn't resist going out birding, despite having much to do before setting off for Scotland on Tuesday. No, not packing, that's a last minute job, mainly gardening, dealing with potting on vegetable seeds etc. I planted a row of Chard yesterday but still have pepper and tomato plants to pot on.
Barton Broad woods were echoing with the song of Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs which seem to have arrived in force. From the boardwalk platform, we added a few lovely, so elegant, Arctic Terns to the year list. Too distant to photograph, even through the scope.
A Water Rail called very close to us and Pam managed to see a Cetti's again, whilst I was digiscoping an adult Little Gull. So difficult to catch any light in a black eye in a black head.
We added nothing at Winterton, No room to park at the Village Hall so we walked Winterton south dunes from the southern Hemsby end. A mistake. Accompanying our walk was the smell of chips and kebabs and the noise of go-karts and arcade music. The place was heaving with holiday makers and they're well provided for with entertainment and food .
The dunes here are very sparsely bushed so we soon gave up, seeing only House Sparrows and Dunnocks. Deciding not to walk from the Winterton Beach car park, we drove home, Pam adding a House Martin at Somerton.
Pager message. Male Pied Fly in Kings Loke Hemsby !! We set the SatNav and drove back.
The loke is a very quiet lane, lined with large treed gardens and 'nice' houses. Where was the bird? Another car was parked in a small pull in at the end of the houses. We parked and he was the reporter of the sighting who then kindly led us along an unmade road and into a dense copse, to where he'd last seen the bird. We saw our first Comma and Peacock butterflies, plenty of bee flies and common birds but not our target. Ah well. Male Pied Fly in spring is pretty unusual in Norfolk which is why we tried. Maybe half an hour wasn't long enough for a reported as 'elusive' bird. The reporter had seen it once, gone for his camera and had been unable to find it again. Steve saw it late afternoon !
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