Titchwell all to myself

As I'm staying pretty much on the reserve I'm on site for sun rise this morning and have the whole reserve all to myself which is fantastic.

I walk to the first hide and stop to see what's about. Four Spoonbill on Freshmarsh and the light is golden as the sun rises across the marsh.

Sunrise over Freshmarsh

Dunlin, Blacktailed Godwit, Knot, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Avocet, Snipe, Ruff and Redshank all feed infront of the hide along with an assortment of ducks. Five Egyptian geese fly over and Egrets are also on the move. There's a large flock of gulls coming and going and a male Marsh Harrier hunts the reed bed.
The whole place is lit up Gold by the rising sun.



Gold

I leave the hide intent on being on the beach nice and early but as I get to the next lagoon seven more Spoonbill take flight from close in and I grab a record shot as they depart. Wish I'd known they were there as I'd have crept up to watch them feed for a while.
Great birds to see and great to think they now breed in Norfolk too.



Spoonbills

Further along I see a nice Spotted Redshank feeding. Mipits and Linnets are very active too.
I reach the beach and the tides is right out so I walk to the shore line across the sand.
Here I see Sandling, Oyster Catcher, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Godwits, Knot, lot's of gulls and Gannets are everywhere. I pick out three Arctic Skua flying by and a possible Manx Shearwater at a distance.
Lot's of waders are coming in off the sea in small clouds.

As I walk back I hear Snipe and look up to see seven flying over head.

Back in the hide and with the sun now a little higher I hope to catch a couple of shots of the birds as they feed. As I scan I find a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper feeding with the Dunlin.

A very nice three hours birding now it's 9am and time for breakfast....luckily I'm only two minutes from home.

Black Tailed Godwit Titchwell

White-Rumped Sandpiper Ouse Wash RSPB

The wife's on a mission today to see how many craft shops she can visit in a day and with one being in Wisbech 10 miles from the reported White-Rumped Sandpiper at Ouse I feel the need to add it to today's shopping list and while she has her heart set on some fancy paper and pens etc I have only one thing on my list and it's a lifer.

Ouse Wash. There's a WR Sandpiper out there.

Arriving at the reserve we cross the river and luckily the bird has been reported from Kingfisher hide which happens to be the first and more importantly the nearest hide so Suzanne and Tia accompany me on the short walk. The hide is full but nobody has the bird in scope partly because it's a hard bird to pick out amongst the Dunlin and partly because the place is awash with other species. (If you'll pardon the pun)

Spoonbill, Egrets, Ruff, Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Turnstone (a rarity for Cambridgeshire I'm told) Lot's of Grey Heron but I failed to find the reported Cranes or Glossy Ibis.

Eventually by working with two other birders we find the WRS amongst a small group of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. It's a little cracker and before long the whole hide gets on the bird.

I leave happy but after shopping I feel the need for a little more birding so a stop at Snettisham gives me my fix.

Snettisham

First visit here, must have walked about 2 miles to the first hide on the beach to find large groups of Knot, Golden Plover, Pink Footed Geese, Cormorants, Redshank etc. Not great birds but the thing about this place is quantity not quality.
The only reason I'd make the long walk again would be for a hide tide visit to see the spectacular bird movements on the rising tide or for the Geese moving off to feed in the morning but I'll need to erase the memory of today's walk first.
Beer needed now!

Here come the winter visitors

Back at Holme this morning. On site for 6am and again watching a glorious sunrise.
Two Barn Howls hunt over the misty fields. A pair of Marsh Harrier join them and a young Peregrine is seen.
A single Turtle Dove and again the sea is busy with Gannets and a single diver flies through (BT I think)

Great place.....my new favourite!

Lot's of waders feeding on the beach then 24 Pink Foots fly over heading west. A party of 30 Snipe head over following the coast line west and a cloud of Lapwing follow.
As these birds arrive in numbers the Swallows and House Martins are gathering in readiness to depart.
A lone Swift is seen and then a Whimbrel flies over.
Now down to the serious business.....I want a better view of the Barred Warbler.
I parked up near the bushes it was seen yesterday more so I could use the car to rest my bad back on.

Blackcaps, Whitethroat, Lesser WT, Garden Warbler, Cettis Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock all show well. A Yellow Wagtail flies over and a Tree Pipit drops in for a brief rest before moving on.

I can see movement in the target bush, something in there. I get glimpses of the Barred Warbler for over an hour then I get a good view as it stands up before flying off. Shortly after the bird flies back in only this time it sits on top of a Hawthorn sunning itself for about five minutes and I get one of those rare "showing well" moments as far as Barred Warbler goes anyway.

Happy with that I head of home to sort breakfast for me and the good lady. The dog's still knackered from yesterdays outing and might need a little time before I wake her for todays trip.

Onwards and upwards!



Barred Warbler Twitchers from yesterday...it was a little quieter this morning

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.

Baillons Crake Rainham OUCH!

So it's Friday night. I've just driven to Titchwell where I'm staying for a week birding the North Norfolk coast with my wife and Tia (The dog) 



Tia

Just as I land and unpack the bags at Goose Cottage the news breaks.....Ballion's Crake at Rainham!

Now theres luck for you...you book a week off work to go to the birding capital of the universe and a mega turns up on your doorstep.

Can I jump in the car and head back for it?  it's only two hours!
The sensible side wins and I head off across the road to walk the dog across Titchwell reserve.
The walk is rewarding anyway...lot's of Spoonbill about, a couple of Marsh Harrier, Waders galore.
some Bearded Tits fly low across the reeds. The walk is followed by a quick drive to pick up fish and chips and we're home to watch the end of he England game.

Still a little bitter about the Crake but maybe it'll stick around for me.
Hope the Jim's pick it up in the morning.

On a positive note....check this view from our bedroom window.....Spoonbills and Marsh Harriers without leaving my bed...now that can't be bad!

View over Titchwell from the cottage

The Cottage from the reserve...couldn't get closer to the action if I tried!

Short Billed Dowitcher Lodmoor dilemma

Well

I have the car booked in for a service today.....with a lifer 3 hours away BAD TIMING!

I have set myself a "soft" 2 hour twitch rule..that is to say if something drops in and it's less than 2 hours (ish) away I'd go.
The SB Dowitcher would be a lifer...they just don't land on the island! so maybe I could stretch to 3 hours?...but the cars in the garage!

I have a meeting planned for tomorrow and I go away tomorrow night so it looks very much like this little lifer is going to escape me unless it hangs around then I may catch up with it at some point.

This game needs boundaries. It needs a sense check on every twitch. Costs need to be considered.
Time needs to be considered...dare I say the better half needs to be considered!

So all things considered....I still want to go and see it!

fingers crossed for it to be a long stayer!



Took this shot of the moon this morning...seems closer than normal

Skua hat trick at Dungeness

Kestrel at Dungeness

With a slight south westerly forecast for this morning I thought a trip to Dungeness might bring reward so after collecting the Jims we headed off down the M20 and arrived at the point for 7.30am.

We climbed the ridge onto the shingle bank behind the power station to find the hide locked and no birders present. The good news is that the hide by the patch has been re built and is nearly finished.
The old hide was lost to strong winds last winter and the power station have sponsored a new one.

Kestrel

As we reached the patch a couple of birders approached but had little news of note from their trip further round the shore so we all got to work on the patch.
The tide was a long way out after last nights full moon and the water outfall from the power station was very evident in the patch as it pumped out several feet high.

We picked up a small group of Arctic Terns and Common Terns working the patch.
Then Jimmy picked out a nice Little Gull amongst them and I found a young Kittiwake.
Sandwich Terns passed through and a group of about thirty scoters flew past with a smaller group settling on the sea. A couple of GC Grebes were seen and several Porpoise also came close enough to give us good sightings. An unidentified duck flew through and a Yellow Wagtail flew over head too.

By 9am we were a group of ten as more birders joined us.
Gannets dived in the distance and then the Skua activity began. A couple of Arctics danced acrobatically along as they engaged with the terns at times. A Great Skua then flew through followed by a single Pomarine. More Arctics came through quite close giving good scope views.

As activity here slowed and we had no sign of Black or Roseatte tern we moved on.
After a coffee at the local cafe we spent some time at the fishing boats where we had two more Arctic Skua really close in and a very distant Bonxie. Sandwich Terns and more Porpoise showed here and several small (unidentified) waders came in off the sea.

259 birds now seen this year.

A quick stop at the reserve for the Jims to find Tree Sparrow followed by a trip to Denge Marsh where we failed to connect with the Gt White Egret despite it being posted a couple of minutes after we left by another birder. Hundreds of Sand Martin flew over the water here as they feed up ready for the big flight ahead of them.
I didn't really give the camera much time today save the three pics posted of Heron and Kestrel.



Heron over Denge Marsh