Robin dip

With totally clear skies and a big moon (and with the dip monkey) it was no wonder that yesterday's Rufus Tailed Robin had departed.

We work the surrounding hedges of Warham Greens and find several Brambling, Sisken and plenty of thrushes moving as well as a single Tree Pipit, Little and Barn Owl and Peregrine and Marsh Harrier over the saltings.

Onto Stiffkey fen where a distant Bluethroat was seen in company of several Stonechat and a vocal Yellow-browed warbler along the footpath and two Curlew Sandpiper on the flood and a female Merlin getting harassed by local corvids.

A Raddes Warbler in the hand at Weybourne showed well !! all thanks to Monkeys rally driving skills.

Home via Suffolk and East Tilbury.

On leaving North Norfolk Sunday morning some of the group split, me, jono and monkey carry on birding, the other lads head home. We head home via Horsey for Common Crane (having seen the sandhill again on Thursday on the way up so non twitcher Mo can add to his list!) We find two together in a field just south of Bogrove farm on the seaward side of the road.

News on the pager that the juvenile Woodchat Shrike is still showing in lowestoft, half an hour later we are treated to stunning views of this bird in the links road car-park and even attracts a male Brambling which wasn't so happy of its presents!

Then it was on too Minsmere to filthy twitch a Gloosy Ibis (or ebis if your shaunboy) and a heard of Red deer just outside the reserve including a monster of a stag.

And finally onto East Tilbury, Essex where the half a dozen or so birders are already looking for the long staying Semi P which puts in a brief appearance before flying west with two Dunlin, and with a supporting cast of 3+ Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper the weekends trip took a welcome boost.

Norfolk cont.....

After crap views of a Yellow-browed warbler at well's wood on friday we enjoyed fine fish and chips in the harbour, where the local Starlings were a bit more obliging!!

A seawatch a cley previously was a bit more promising with good numbers of auks and red-throated divers on the move with odd common scoter and brent geese and a few skua's thrown inn.

dave mo stays in to watch the rugby........

shaunboy and redsy dicuss tactics.......

jono hard at work....

monkey adds up his norfolk trip list !

Norfolk 6-9th Oct

Had a long weekend with a few of the boys to North Norfolk where we struggled to find any good birds (probably due to the winds being predominately from the south west for about the last three years!!) but we had great time none the less with good company and plenty to drink!!

Some wader pics from Titchwell.

battle of the bar-wit

Playing it Cool !!

After turning down a lift to Aberdeen last week for the Sandhill Crane i thought i must have been Mental!! but i just couldn't bare the thought of sitting in a car for the best part of 24hours so jokingly said Na thanks ill wait till it comes a bit closer!!

OK, yesterday the Crane has relocated to Suffolk around lunch time and on one of the hottest days of the year myself, shaunboy and monkey all have family commitments all involving BBQ's and Drinking, all texing each other " r u going ? can u go ? shit not really she will kill me !! after 30,000 texe's and 3 billion phone calls we decide not to go and play it cool and wait for after work tomorrow.

Tomorrow comes the bird is still there ! monkey cracks has half day goes with billy no mates, me and Shaunboy wait till 3pm before and then panic and head to Boyton, why all the panic?? the bird shows superbly and only 200yds away and even get a fly pass !! SUPERB.

some dodgy digiscoped pics

local stuff

Early morning visit to the Bay on a very hot October day produced several Sisken high over calling but little else bar the now resident singing Cetti's Warbler.

local sparrowhawk getting grief

Also a Stoat early doors along the foreshore was nice to see.







Popped to the southern end of the Ingrebourne Valley by the Albion Pub and found a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in willows around the pit, then it flew towards the back of the play area.







Five Wigeon were the only other highlight.

Essex Semi P

Another great find by local Paul Wood in the shape off a fine juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper on the mud at the famous East Tilbury, having seen several other good waders here also found by Paul ie White-rumped sand and a couple of Kentish plovers it was great to add semi p to the Essex list and not too far away from London list either!!

Several Little stint and Dunlin were feeding along side the bird so was a good comparison, and a good learning curve having not seen one for a long time now, again well done too Paul for this great find and thanks to Shaunboy for the call.

semi p showing palmitation (lol)

shaunboy, monkey, paul wood, Don.

not sure what going on with monkey's hand ??