2 Days of Cracking Migrants!

On Wednesday, Dad took me up to Winterton Dunes, to see if we could connect with some Autumn migrants. We parked in the car park, and headed North. We were hoping to get the Wryneck which was up by the Totem Pole. We joined the throng of birders who were waiting for the Wryneck, but having no luck.

I had a walk around the scrub the Wryneck was favouring, and found a lovely little Redstart, which was a welcome year tick, but the sun was in the wrong place for a decent photo...

Things were looking promising early on, so we decided to head north to see the cracking male Red-backed Shrike. On the way, I was walking through some dunes on the western side, and came across a small row of low trees. I saw a bird fly out of the right hand side of the trees, and then back up again. The bird had something about it that made it feel different. I walked to the bushes, and found myself looking at my first ever PIED FLYCATCHER! I called over Dad, and we got decent views of a superb bird!

We carried on North with a LIFER and a year tick, and got to the Red-backed Shrike, where it showed fantastically in the scrub about 20 yards from the path....

We also got several Stonechat and Whinchat at this site with a few Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. We moved back South towards the beach car park, and went via where we saw the Pied Flycatcher. We reached the group of trees, and the bird was still in the trees. Great stuff!

We got back to the scrub near the Totem Pole, and a very kind man showed me the Wryneck through his scope. It was in a dark spot in some trees. How someone spotted in there was incredible. Well done to them!

We then went to see the Barred Warbler at Eccles, which was another LIFER for me. It was a tough place to find, but the chap that showed me the Wryneck in his scope led us to the venue. What a man! We then had to scan the brambles, and walked a bit further south and found the juv. Barred Warbler in the brambles, though it was elusive...

Thursday - Minsmere

I was volunteering at Minsmere on Thursday, and I was with the Waveney Bird Club doing the Ringing demonstration. We caught several birds, including Garden Warbler, but the highlight had to be a cracking Kingfisher...

I then wanted to go and see the Wryneck in North Bushes, as I had missed it being ringed in the morning, I was determined to see it, and I wasn't disappointed. It showed well from North Wall looking back towards the visitor centre. We also saw a Whinchat and a Wheatear.

 Spot the Wryneck???

Happy Birding!!

Waxham and Titchwell Marsh - 16th August 2014

As we were staying in a static caravan in Sea Palling, we thought it would be a good time to get out onto the Norfolk coast, and see what was about. Dad and I headed to Waxham early morning to do a bit of sea-watching. We got a few distant Arctic Skua's, a nice Fulmar north and a possible Sabine's Gull that flew close North but it was very brief.

Later on that day, we headed to Titchwell, hoping for the Spotted Crake. We got out to the Island Hide, and prepared to wait for an hour or so, in hope of the Spotted Crake making an appearance. We were entertained while we waited by Ruff, Golden Plover and Sandwich Terns...

A Wall Brown posed for us outside the hide...

With no sign of the Spotted Crake in the morning, we headed out of Island Hide and to the beach and Parrinder Hide. The sea didn't hold much apart from some Eider close inshore and a Buzzard that came in-off! Parrinder Hide held the usual Spoonbill flock, 19 strong, and a couple of Spotted Redshank which were nice to watch...

We headed back to Island Hide, where hadn't missed the Spotted Crake. Unfortunately, it never showed throughout the day, but we I did spot a Water Rail in the spot where the Spotted Crake had been, which got people excited!

We also got 4 Red-crested Pochards in the Reedbed before the freshmarsh which was a nice Norfolk year tick!

A quick visit to Cley provided us with a distant Little Stint, a Whimbrel, a flock of Spoonbills and the gull flock which held the Franklin's Gull, but we didn't see it...

Happy Birding!!

Isle of Islay - Final Birding Day

Well, what a holiday we had to this point, and now it was the last day. Where to go????

With a report of an Osprey up at Loch Gruinart RSPB the previous day, we thought we would go and give it a look. We arrived up at the reserve and walked the Woodland trail. We had a couple of Common Carpet moths which were nice...

Also lots of Green-veined White's along the path...

Also a Common Darter and a Meadow Brown.

We reached the first hide....Taigh Deas

We got a Snipe in this hide but not much else. However, I was scanning the dunes out the back and picked up a large raptor flying over the bay. I kept watching it, and then it dived into the water. It had to be an Osprey! Far too far away for a picture, but it was viewed closer from the second hide, Taigh Tuath, but still distant...

We then went up to Ardnave Point again, where we had the usual Chough, Raven, Shag, Gannet, Meadow Pipits, Swallows, Oystercatchers and Skylarks. We also had several Grayling too...

The last day was a wet day, so we didn't do much, but we did get a pair of Whinchat, Stonechat and a ringtail Hen Harrier which was great! We also got a Stag outside the cottage in the evening which was great, and a Whitethroat was a nice surprise too.

That is it then, our Islay Holiday of 2014! Hope you enjoyed reading the posts. Happy Birding!!