We arrived at 8am and parked up scanning quickly for the reported Green-winged Teal but couldn't find it in the time allocated although with lot's of Ruff out on the marsh we added our first year tick of the day. As we walked out towards the dunes we realised the high tide was really high and had cut off our route to the dunes although I managed to find a way through wading in the foot deep waters leaving the Jims behind to wait for the tide to retreat which took about half an hour.
The Scoter flock/raft was distant but massive with estimates of between five and six thousand birds and being distant in gloomy light we knew something would have to change if we were to find the Black Scoter amongst them. We picked out several Velvet Scoters both in flight and on the water before Jim found two drake Long-tailed ducks for our second year tick of the day. Other ducks seen on the sea were Tufted, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelduck along with Mergansers and a couple of Red-throated Divers.
We scanned for almost three hours with no joy and the car park time expiry was looming so we set off along the beach in search of Shorelark but again the tide made it difficult without wellingtons. I crossed whilst the Jims walked back towards the carpark. As I walked back I saw Shorelark for another year tick and a call to the Jims was met with a reluctance to join me out on the marsh again having just negotiated their return around the marsh. Back at the car park the Jims had found the Green-winged Teal and quickly put me on it for another year tick. (At least until it's lumped later this year or early next year)
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| Green winged Teal in with the European Teal at Holkham |
We set off to Cley next pulling up at the west bank where we surprisingly and very quickly located the flock of thirty plus Twite and then moved on to Sheringham to search out another year tick with this being a regular location for us to find Purple Sandpiper. We walked along the shore searching the rocks finding just Turnstones for our trouble and again the car park limit had us returning early but one last look out to the rocks from the car park area delivered a single Purple Sandpiper which we all got on before it flew towards the shelter and the rocks beyond.
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| Turnstone at Sheringham |
A decent return for our time even it it did fail to deliver the life tick we all wanted today.
Year list now 159
Black Scoter did make one of my lists.......the DIPPED list!
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