Waxwings

Tuesday December 13

We called in to George Fox Road on the way to Global this time. Second time lucky. 24 Waxwings perched high in the top of a birch tree. I managed a few photos using my Canon Powershot SX 220 'point and shoot' which lives in my handbag, before they flew off.

Justin Lansdell was around the corner. It was his 7th visit and he'd seen them, at last, before they departed. They don't seem to feed here but regularly perch/rest  in the same tall birch.

Enlarged

We had a trip out to Waxham and Winterton yesterday morning as it was sunny and beautiful. very few birds about en route. The usual flock of Lapwings and Golden Plover and a single Marsh Harrier. The sea was pretty calm considering the wind we had on Sunday. We parked in the car park which you can still do for a donation (bucket!) if the coastguard has opened up. Sparse but regular Red-throated Divers, a few Guillemots, three passing Gannets, 5 Scoter and at least 50 Cormorants. The latter had found a shoal of fish close inshore and feeding avidly. One more Marsh Harrier on the way back, an adult this time.

Chance Birding.....

Sunday December 4

George Fox Road is near the UEA village and on our route home from Global (knee scan). No sign of the reported Waxwings. We met the lad who phones the news in and he said they'd flown away about 10, they're often not there. The page reported them again at mid-day and in the afternoon, have to be lucky I guess.

Salhouse Nursery didn't have the new Daphne I'd heard about on the radio yesterday, so that was a cheap trip.

Next was a scan through 2,000 Pinks south of and off the main road to Walcott. My heart sinks....As always, the field was undulating and many of the birds at the back and  a good number lying down. I made myself use the scope through my window and found at least two of the Tundra Bean Geese present. Whitefronts and a single Barnacle should have been much easier, no sign of either.

Probably a dozen Red-throated Divers flying off Walcott and a few Gannets. Plenty of Gulls and a scattering of Turnstones scavenging for titbits along the sea wall.

Waw - and Excellent Views Too

Thursday December 1

Setting off at 6.45 on a very dark overcast morning meant no birds at all seen until well past Holt - Black-headed Gulls !

As we drove west, the weather improved so that Abbey Farm was bathed in cold sunshine. We'd had to back all the way from the horse stable end until the first cottage of the back road to Flitcham. A lorry driver decided he was bigger than us. Then we met more lorries moving sugar beet. The lane to Abbey was like a ploughed field. We did see a Buzzard along there but nothing of note at Abbey itself. Still no water and the hide door had been left wide open, midges aplenty.

An inrushing tide at Snettisham with avidly feeding waders of the expected species, no surprises to-day. Always a pleasure.

Our journey along the north coast was rather faster than usual due to a pager message received at Hunstanton. Viwing from Hunston cliffs added Red-breasted Merganser, Eider, Fulmar, Great Crested Grebe and a Guillemot. It was surprising not to see Gannets after yesterday's wind.

Holme NOA Hide was a waste of time - I was getting anxious to get to Cley.

A hastily eaten breakfast (me, at 11.30) at a full of water Brancaster Staithe, where I photographed Ringed Plovers before hastening along the coast.

At 12.20, we threw the car into a grass verge/field gateway at Cley 'triangle' - the parking area was full -and walked as fast as we could (still slow) out to Daukes. A returning birder told us it had flown off, inner groans. Daukes was fullish but not jammed, most birders standing looking through tripods, which always takes up more space. After seeing a small group of waders fly off out of view, it included THE bird, I manoevered a space for mine and the bird soon re-appeared towards the back of the central island. Our first WESTERN SANDPIPER. I missed the one on the south coast about seven years ago when I was sent back in to hospital with open knee wounds, also missing the Courser on Scilly that year. It still rankles.

Western Sandpiper - not my photograph

During the next half an hour, I had excellent scope views of a lovely juvenile bird, it looked freshly minted. Smaller than a Dunlin, its beak was half the length of a Dunlin's and slightly down turned at the end if seen in profile. It flew ever nearer, the camera shutters were on rapid fire, I wish I'd taken mine. Knowing how distant the birds usually are at Cley I'd decided it was a waste. I should always take one.

The bird has been present all week, originally identified as a Semi-palmated Sandpiper. Still a nice bird but Semi-p not a lifer for us, nor even a Norfolk tick. I'm pleased that it was re-identified. After a chat with Richard Porter we sat in the hide facing Pat's, admiring a large flock of Golden Plover, two pairs of Pintail, a single Ruff and 14 Avocets. In the excitement I forgot to look for the Green-winged Teal on Pat's Pool.

No sign of any Snow Buntings at Salthouse. Brenda drove up for a coffee from the van, we had a quick chat with her before driving up Station Road in Weybourne. Steve Gantlett was parked in the only gateway overlooking the geese field and generously moved to allow us in. I soon found two White-fronts and then.......the whole flock of Pinks flew off, including the Tundra Beans we were after. Another day.

A lovely day enhanced by the icing on the top. We saw 82 species in total, despite the haste, including a Common and a Rough-legged Buzzard, Bullfinch, three different thrushes, a Sparrowhawk and both Partridges.

Home at 3.05.

Another Sunny Day

Friday November 25

To make up for yesterday....

Not that early a start, no fog early morning though as we made our way west. Shortly before we got to Sculthorpe, a pager alert sent us slightly off route to Great Bircham, although we did go the 'pretty way'. As the instruction was 'east of Great Bircham' and too vague, I wouldn't have gone. Luckily, Pam thought differently.

We took the SE road out of Bircham for 2/3 miles. We were looking for somewhere to turn round, when I spotted geese in a ploughed field behind a high hedge. Having turned and found a reasonable window in the hedge, I scanned a very large flock of Pinks at the back of a deeply undulating field. No sign of the Snow Goose. I suggested another - and last - look. We turned, passed the field and turned again, stopping at the 'wrong' window - much smaller and lower. By this time, even more geese had flown in, there must have been at leasr three thousand. At last, a white blob feeding at the back of the flock, a Ross' Snow Goose. Still couldn't see it from the original viewing point, where we hoped for a clearer view, such is geese watching.

Hunstanton Cliffs were the next stop, the tide lower than we remember seeing. Fulmar briefly appeared above the edge and a lone female Eider in the distance, amongst the host of feeding gulls. A few Redthroats and Goldeneye.

The car park near the lighthouse produced nothing new but a better view of  half a dozen mixed plumage Eider.

All the usual stops along the coast as far as Wells with lunch at Brancaster Staithe, hoping for Twite. No luck.

We'd both had enough by mid afternoon , we turned inland at Wells and came straight home.

Not as Planned

Thursday November 22

We'd planned a full day out - until I got up with a numb hand and an exceedingly painful wrist/forearm. (legacy of the Aus injury) It didn't improve so we drove via the doctor's and got an appointment for 10.20. That scuppered the plans.

As I expected, probable RSI/ carpal tunnel syndrome/tendonitis, rest it, don't use the mouse, keep taking the tablets. Except that the Diclofenac was changed to Naproxen following recent official advice to the Health Service. Blooming old crock...

After the visit we drove to Friary Hills Blakeney and climbed tot he top of the hill (well, it is in Norfolk), sat on the bench and scoped the marsh. The cows were very distant, just a load of Wigeon, 2 Canada Geese and a lone Barnacle in view. After scanning thoroughly, I focused the scope on the cattle, more in hope than expectation. Hedges prevented viewing much of the pasture. After five minutes, an Egret rose into the air and flew high east before circling and landing so that I could see its orange legs. It spooked a Little Egret which looked slightly bigger and whiter in comparison. A few minutes later, it rose again and flew east, landing out of view.

Our first Cattle Egret of the year. Luckily, I managed to get Pam on to it! Not so lucky, the birder who arrived as we were leaving and left soon afterwards.

A long scan of the geese west of Salthouse duckpond failed to find either of the two reported Tundra Bean Geese amongst the Greylag. Again, they were quite distant with a restricted view, they could well have been there.

Golden Plover Count - Beaten

Tuesday November 15

What a lovely day to visit Titchwell, pre- arranged without a weather forecast too. Cloudless for most of the day. the sea, pools, reeds and birds shown off at their best. It was the coldest day since we came back from Australia though, zip up to the chin and gloves needed.

Not having done any real walking for three months or so, I took it easy on the walk out, one prolonged bench sit to view the Freshwater Marsh, which held more birds in number than I can remember in previous years.

Ray Kimber said that the warden reckoned there were in excess of 10,000 yesterday. The bulk of the birds was a huge flock of Golden Plover, covering two islamds and everywhere else I scanned.

Over 4,000, gleaming softly in the sunshine. Many Pintail, hundreds of Teal, fewer Mallard, Shoveller and Gadwall. The wonder is, apart from twenty four Brent Geese that flew in, there were no geese at all.

Trudging towards the sea, we met David (Geordie) and Ben the dog who'd walked to the Point and back, admiring the brightly coloured and confiding Desert Wheatear en route. It had re-located from the end of the boardwalk where it had been yesterday. Shame, I'd been hoping to see it, an extra 1 mile plus was too much. Baz and Barry were sea watching standing behind the bench with three others, the bench was empty. Great. Its legs and the platform were largely buried in the sand but I could still see over the wretched safety bar they erected last year.

Eventually, a male Long-tailed Duck, three Goldeneye, two close Guillemots, an even closer Red-throated Diver and a small flock of Common Scoter were added. A large number of Gannets were fishing actively far out to sea, Little Gulls and most of the waders were in the bay viewable this side of Brancaster Golf Clubhouse.

Birders returning from the Desert Wheatear looked rather leg weary.

Another sit on the way back, a chat with John and Judy Geeson who are off to Argentina on Friday for a 30 day birding trip. Similar to the one we did but omitting the Andes and including the south.

I was leg weary too when we arrived back at the car, in time for breakfast at 12.45 (!!) I couldn't wait to drink my sachet.

A few Yellowhammers at Choseley, before lovely Brancaster Staithe, where Pam ate her lunch.

We were home at 3.10 in good light, which soon faded.

Rather Rare These Days

Wednesday November 10

Ruby phoned early to say that she'd like Freda to come here first, she had a friend sorting her TV out. Freda arrived at 9.00 but work was delayed by social interaction (Pam having a good chat with her!).

We were late leaving for Happisburgh and the hedge opposite the cricket pitch. Many familiar faces were lined up on the field verge bank, peering at a right angle hedge. Richard the Hat told us where to look - at a dip in the hedge where  trees in the garden abutted it. Others were further up the road, the bird is on a circuit. Pauline and Betty had enjoyed my Australian Blog, Bob C was busy talking, Robin A had seen the bird four times since dawn this morning. Our hearts sank. Phew, after 20 minutes or so, peering through people's legs, I saw the Melodious Warbler in the cherry tree, from which it soon flew out of sight. A Norfolk tick. We were unable to walk to the Point for the last one - this is the first county bird to stay overnight. I can't stand for long these days, we left for Waxham.

Plenty of wildly careering Blackbirds (migrants newly arrived), and the odd Redwing in the church area, no sign of the reported Waxwings.

As we drove through Upper Sheringham, news of a Great Grey Shrike at Gibberts Lane (sic, it was Gibbet Lane) off the A149 Holt Road came through on the pager. A short back-track and we found the lane, which was very narrow, with high banks and lined with tall trees which met overhead. Not exactly good viewing - and we found nothing.

Cley Spy yard was the next stop. Pam asked in the shop and then mooched about until she found the male Black Redstart on top of a house roof, no sign of the female though.

Now a lovely sunny, early winter, afternoon, we walked out to Daukes Hide where the bulk of the occupants left as we arrived ! Good, plenty of room to sit and scan. Pat's and Simmonds held many birds of a few varieties. We sat and loved the warm, low golden light of mid afternoon, Cley's reed beds and scrapes looking their best.

First surprise was the arrival of a lone Avocet, it had a damaged leg which meant that it fed hopping, balance achieved by a wing flutter. Later,  it put the leg down and hobbled. Next was the arrival of a seemingly endless cloud of Golden Plover, which found it difficult to settle, over

2,000 in total, my largest flock ever. A Sparrowhawk zipped through, creating havoc, a Greenshank called and a lone Knot appeared. A lovely hour or so, reminiscent of Friday nights at Cley when we were working.

Home via Sainsbury for Pam's fruit and veg shopping.