Migrant Hunt

Sunday April 17

Such a dreadful day yesterday, heavy rain and wind, I was determined to go out to-day as it is probably the last chance in the week to come. 

Wow, lucky chance. The day dawned sunny and cloudless after overnight frost. April's warm sun had cleared most of it off the car by the time we left - 7.18.

Directly to Snettisham to-day. We turned round at the pager noted fish shop and returned to the entrance of the RSPB car park where we parked before walking the short distance to the gate overlooking the pasture. The latter turned out to be a rough field with a high bank at the back, caravanners on the left. What? There seemed little chance of birds. Whilst scanning my first Greylag goslings of the year, and one Wheatear,  a male Ring Ouzel appeared on the far bank, 100+ metres away. I then saw a second male even further away. Brilliant, I am quite obsessed about seeing Ouzels in the spring, as are J and D. I sent them a text on returning to the car for my camera. Ever the optimist - stupid? - I took a few shots.

Heacham North Beach next, not an area we know well. Driving north past the car park and Chalet 42, where there were no birds at all on an increasingly well peopled morning taking their exercise along the sea wall, we drove on and on. The road became very rough and pot-holed, the houses increasingly more up-market. Soon after the start of the un-made road, we saw a Black Redstart sitting on a fence. A short view before it disappeared totally. 

Where would this road come out? Promising looking area on the inland side too, much like Snettisham Coastal Park. We stopped in a wider section where the sea was in view to eat our porridge pot breakfast. The usual gulls, and a fly through Swallow, before I saw a Great Crested Grebe on the sea. The road joined the coast road at the Tesco roundabout.

'Daisy'  was on duty at the entrance hut to Holme. She and her demanding and rather dictatorial mother were always on Scilly at the same time as us. News of a migrant bird in the Paddocks saw us park and walk. Five people were viewing a beautiful male Redstart flitting in amongst the Hawthorn bushes, shivering tail alerting us to its presence.

What next? The reported grasshopper Warbler was not singing in the NOA car park so we walked to the cafe for lunch. What a rip off , never again. Two 4 rasher bacon rolls and two hot chocolates at Tesco cost a total of £7. To-day's cheese sandwich for mew and ham for Pam plus some salad and a cold drink each cost £ 14. 20. Doorstep bread would have looked elegant beside ours. The cheese was tasteless too. Two inch thick crusts were abandoned. Good point? A Tree Sparrow on the feeders.

 Pam then requested that we return home as she had chores she wanted to do.
Via Choseley Barns. Two Grey Partridges ran down the road as we were parked looking for Corn Buntings - none again. The active hares in the fields gave great pleasure. I counted 14 in the plough and Pam 8 in the grassy field. None came near enough really.

 

We also saw Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer to-day.
Home to watch the end of the Leicester match and Man U lose 3-0  to Spurs. What a disaster.