Two Year Ticks

 Tuesday, October 6

It was really odd, not going to Natural Surroundings this morning. Our moth group is now convening on a Thursday until the end of the season - at Anne Harrop's request. She and Simon would like to take Mondays off without having to go to NS to put traps out. Understandable. 

First stop was at Selbrigg to tick off some woodland month birds. 

 

The Coal Tit was the only 'new' bird.

We still drove past the NS entry road at Letheringsett, on the way to Wighton. We started off in Happisburgh, but failed to find the Wryneck's spot, using the BirdGuides app. This app's map guide did take us directly to Wighton and the muck heap where the Hoopoe was hanging out. Off a narrow lane, the immediate area was full of parked cars, as were the two small pull-offs further along. We'd met Richard E when we first stopped, before driving on to turn round in the hope that there would be room for us on the return journey. There was, right by the muck heap. There seemed to have been a mass exodus.

The remaining birders were clustered around a gap in the hedge, which allowed a restricted view into the tall vegetation where the bird was feeding. Getting  to the gap entailed negotiating a rough and narrow edge between a harvested field and the hedge. Fine for the able. Pam managed it to check where the bird was feeding, but said it was not on for me. No birders present were wearing a mask, neither were they distancing. That wasn't on either. I did get out twice. Once to stand near helpful Richard, who had glimpsed the bird, and on another occasion when Pam caught a view. The clicking of camera shutters from the hedge gap were beginning to pall on me who couldn't see a feather. 

Then, whilst I was scanning from the car, Pam saw the Hoopoe appear along the grassy track running past the muck heap. It stayed in view for under a minute before disappearing again. We haven't seen one in this country for a few years. Such charismatic birds. I managed three rapid photos.

 

Penny C and David B have excellent photos ('Penny's Hot Birding and Life' and David's 'Birds of the Heath' blogs).

At least I saw the bird, which was a relief. 

Home for a late sandwich before driving to Happisburgh again with a better idea of the Wryneck's location. Taking the lane labelled Forge, we drove towards Church House Farm and then an unmade track on the left which went off towards some houses. Ah, birders. Five birders were either standing on the bank overlooking a paddock or peering through the hedge and the post and rail paddock fencing. First news was that the bird had flown (!). Then, it bucketed down. The Wryneck was still present but flighty. Our first view of it was when it was at the back of the paddock, actively feeding. It flew again. We crawled down the lane until we found another small gap  through which we could view the bird. - after I'd very slowly opened the car door so that I could see under the rail. Here we had very good views of another charismatic bird. The best I've had since one I saw on the allotments on St Mary, Isles of Scilly.

My shutter went mad. Here are a few of the photos. 

 What a satisfying day.