Blakeney Point - 4th September 2014

Dad and I headed up to North Norfolk in hope of adding Ortolan Bunting and Black Tern onto my life and year list for the former, and just my year list for the latter. We decided to walk Blakeney Point, which considering we'd never done this before, seemed ambitious. We cheated a bit though, as we got one of Bean's Boat Trips (highly recommended) out to see the Seals, and then get off and walk back to Cley after landing on the point.

We got to the Seals, and they were fantastic to watch as always. Swimming by the boat or just doing what Seals do best...

We then got dropped off on the point by the National Trust Centre, and walked to the plantation. A Wheatear was very confiding on the way...

At the plantation, we saw 1 Redstart, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 3 Whinchat. These were seen at about 14:00-15:00, and at about 17:00-18:00, there were 7 Redstart, 8 Pied Flycatchers and about 4 Spotted Flycatchers. This shows that birds were constantly coming in throughout the afternoon. We also had a Buzzard fly over too...

We were told that there was a Wryneck at long Hills, so we went to look for that. We flushed it from near the path were we saw it fly right in front of us, but landed quite a way from us, so we didn't bother to walk all the way back. We saw several Whinchat on the walk back, probably about 15 in total...

Waling back across the beach, we had a nice Bonxie fly east, but we also had a cracking juvenile Arctic Skua mobbing the terns just offshore. Incredible...

No sign of the Ortolan Bunting or any Black Terns, but still a pretty good day. However I don't think I will be walking Blakeney Point again in a hurry, as my legs felt like falling off when we finished to be honest, unless there is a MEGA perhaps.....

Happy Birding!

Norfolk - Last Day

A 6am start in the morning is never easy, especially when you've had a late night. We made the effort Saturday morning to reach Cley at about 8am. That was about right, and we parked in the East Bank car park, and headed straight up to the beach. The winds weren't like Friday, strong north. So, there weren't any Skuas or Shearwaters here. What we did see though was about 100 Gannets, a flock of Spotted Redshank, and the odd Dunlin flying past.

Gannets flying west

Other birds at Cley that morning were a single Spoonbill, Little Egret, Marsh Harrier and a possible Osprey at Arnolds Marsh, but nothing was on the board so it was a no.

We then got a text from our "rare bird alert" Jim that a juvenile Red-backed Shrike was seen yesterday at Gramborough Hill, at Salthouse. We didn't know if it was about today, but we couldn't even find the place. But it didn't matter, because the Shrike wasn't there on Saturday, because it got chased off by some dogs!

We thought we then move down the coast towards Blakeney, trying to get a trip out to the point. We tried Beans Boat Trips. They didn't do trips out to the point for a stay, only for the seals. So we went on that (they done trips out to the point a week later for nesting birds sake). Here's what we got.

Oystercatchers at Morston

Common and Grey Seals

All very cute!

We then moved on to Titchwell, and we had a look in the visitor center to see what was about. The highlight  had to be a Purple Sandpiper on the buildings on the Beach. This lifted my head right up. I had always wanted to see one of these birds. So, we got straight up to the Beach. When we reached there, thee was about 30 people watching out to sea - not at the sandpiper? We got there and saw that the Purple Sandpiper was hapily feeding on the building, so people would think that it was not even there. I was mega chuffed! Pictures, a Video, what more can you ask for....

Purple Sandpiper at Titchwell Marsh

Another first was a very distant Arctic Skua that a man spotted, and he only just managed to see it through his scope, let alone my bins! A quick video from Sunday morning as some Turnstone's, a Common Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull was on the rocks amongst other Herring Gulls.....

Common Gull at Sea Palling

Yellow-legged Gull at Sea Palling

When looking at this bird through the scope, it had yellow legs, then it flew back out to sea.

Turnstone's at Sea Palling