Wryneck at Salthouse

I travelled to Norfolk in the early hours this morning. On site by 7am I started at Burnham Overy and walked down to the boardwalk turning right to walk down to Holkham Pines. The walk delivered 23 Wheatear, 5 Redstart, a Tree Pipit, a Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipits and a warbler that had me thinking I'd found an Icterine but as quick as I got on it I'd lost it so it remains in the probable box. I walked back and did the west walk to Gun Hill where yet more Wheatears and Redstarts performed with Linnets, Wren plus Pied & Yellow Wagtails but no sign of yesterdays Icky.
Making the long walk back to the car I decided to try Salthouse to see if the reported Wryneck might show for me and it turned out to be a good call as the bird obliged. I watched it for around three hours feeding on the shingle and coming to about twenty feet of the few birders/photographers present and only spooked by passing dog walkers. (Why they can't see people are interested in the area they are about to march straight through and take a short detour is beyond me.)

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck at Salthouse

Wryneck

On the walk back to the car I stopped to snap an obliging Knot and Dunlin in a small pool by the car park.

Dunlin

Knot and Dunlin

Knot and Dunlin

Small Tortoiseshell

Did you know the term "put a Jinx on someone" comes from the Wryneck. The bird was used in witchcraft due to the strange habit of turning it's head almost 360 degrees and it comes from the genus of birds called Jynx. Wrynecks are found all over Europe but only on passage from breeding to wintering grounds are they found in Britain in Spring and more so in Autumn. They are related to Woodpeckers but feed mostly on ants from the ground rather than trees.