The prospect of a County tick would normally have me fretting and frothing at the bit. I must have been unwell! An indication of my increasing improvement was a rise in anxiety level that the Blue-headed Eastern Yellow Wagtail (nominate race tscutschensis) which was found at Sedgeford on December 23rd by James McCullum and Kayn Forbes, would depart.
I have seen an eastern Yellow Wag before, on St Mary's in Scilly. I keep reading reports that this bird is the first Blue-headed for the UK an others that it's the fifth British record. It's definitely a Norfolk first. It's a first winter male and that is a British first.
With only one shortstop, we drove straight to Sedgeford, recognising the appropriate lane from friend Pauline's very helpful photos and instructions. As well as the cluster of about a dozen parked cars on the road.
Despite its potholed appearance, the lane was very easy to drive. There were a few birders on the raised field bank opposite and a few more overlooking the twin dung heaps said to be a favourite haunt.
Pam parked in her usual thoughtful way, more concerned with keeping out of the way than a good viewpoint for the bird. Very commendable and often frustrating.......Feeling guilty about driving up at all, Pam spoke to a nearby birder, feeling compelled to tell him that we'd driven up because I was a week out of hospital with pneumonia. He suggested that we park here. and wait.
The field behind had a sprinkling of military upright Fieldfare. To our delight an enormous series of skeins of Pinkfeet filled the sky in front of us. The entire flock - several thousand birds - whiffled before landing in a field far below.
An hour later, the rearview mirror informed Pam that the wagtail had landed in a puddle very near to the waiting birders. I put one foot out in time for the bird to fly past me, calling loudly, before landing on the right-hand dung heap. Great.
Then, a woman, who had just arrived, dashed across and stood between us and the bird. She could have joined the others waiting near the hedge.........
I then had very good, although distant, binocular views of this charming bird clambering over the dung heap in the sunshine. To the woman's left or over her head. I attempted some photography, having difficulty with a pale sunlit bird on a black background. Probably some of my worst photographs.
I'll call them record shots, which is the supreme dismissal. Very heavily cropped anyway.
Happy, as soon as the bird disappeared over the top, we joined the general exodus, driving on to Hunstanton Tesco for fuel - for the car and for us.
We added Fulmar whilst eating half a sandwich each on Hunnie cliff top.
Thornham was nearly empty of water, a lone Redshank the only wader viewable. A small mixed flock of Linnets and Twite looped along the channel before disappearing.
Brancaster Staithe is a must for us. Also devoid of water but surprisingly free from birds. A few hopeful Black-headed and Herring Gulls loitered nearby,
The ever-present Turnstones still finding something to eat in the gravel.
A few distant Brent Geese added to the year list, Pam finding one Curlew nearby.
The SatNav told us that we needed to follow the coast road as far as the Letheringsett turn off for the shortest and quickest way home. This took us through Wells. Joining the cluster of cars at the Roughie viewpoint, Pam recognised David D's car and then the man himself spotted us and bounded over. No. the Rough-legged Buzzard wasn't in sight but they'd been watching a Short-eared Owl. Almost immediately, a Barn Owl flew right along the bank and a Short-eared Owl flapped along the back of a pool How lucky were we? A few snatched shots under David's armpit....... it will do for the year file. We enjoyed seeing how many birds we could photograph last year so we've decided to do it again.
We'd survived the longest day out by far, quite easily. We were both tired when we got home but a successful birding day adds joy to life.
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