Barred Warbler Holme

Up early today and out the door for 6am. I make the 3 mile drive to Holme and I'm alone on the dunes before sun up and this means I get to witness a cracking sun rise.

Sun Rise Holme

So I'm on the reserve and I have it all to my self. I'm searching the bushes along the Dunes with Barred Warbler my target.
I pick up Blackcap, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit. Two Barn Owls hunt across from the car park. I stop to watch a Stoat hunting Rabbit.
I'm joined by another birder and we do a little sea watching picking out stacks of Gannet, A few Arctic Skua a possible Pomarine and two Bonxies before a small group of Scoters pass close in. The other guy has a Manx Sheawater but I missed it. We have waders all along the shore and they include Sanderling, Barwit, Godwit, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Oyster Catcher, Lapwing, Redshank and Greenshank.
We watch a seal pass by and a Sparrowhawk stops to check out the Mipits but flies off empty handed.
We pick out five Turtle Doves and some are juvenile which is good to see.
As I leave I pick up a Whinchat but another search around the bushes reveals no Barred Warbler.

Home for Breakfast then it's off to Cley where I pick up the Pectoral Sand which shows really well from the hides.  A pheasant poses for a pic.

A nice lunch break follows at the Dun Cow. (Great pub but mobbed today because the weathers so good)
Then news breaks that the Barred Warbler has been located so we journey back.

I plot up with the small crowd while Suzanne enjoys some time with her latest book.
After half an hour the bird pops up but it's all very brief. Another half an hour I watch it make it's way along the bushes and out of site and it's another half an hour before it flies back in but dissapoints as it doesn't feed in view again.
So in two hours I've had three views yet I find myself wanting more...maybe tomorrow?

Right now a quick walk round the dunes with Tia and it's off for some window shopping in Hunstanton before dinner.

With dinner done and still an hour of daylight I pop across to Titchwell to watch the sun set.


Sunset Titchwell

Titchwell reveals some great birds too with 8 Spoonbill in view (23 reported today) 5 Marsh Harriers fly over and 50+ Egrets come in to roost from the west. Good wader numbers. Bearded Tits are seen and a Chinese Water Deer plays in the low reeds....cracking little guy with ears like a teddy bear.
Before I leave I witness 40 plus Pink Footed Geese flying in off the sea.

Right now home for a Lager and a little X Factor.