Monday 17 October 2011

A Great 'Grey' Day

Gary's first day off from work and we started off at Lowestoft to look at the juv. Woodchat Shrike. The bird was very obliging showing to a few feet not far from Link's Road car park. While watching the Shrike Gary flushed a 'crake' like bird, the bird few a second time, an unexpected Quail. With no sign of the Isabelline Wheatear reported the night before we soon headed of to Corton. By the church we soon found a Yellow-browed Warbler but the 2 Great Grey Shrike from the previous day had moved off. with the weather looking good for more migrants we decided to look for our own birds in Norfolk.

Walking along the track at Horsey we found a Goldcrest and Chiffchaff with a tit flock but no 'mega'. Walking the back of the dunes, Siskin and Redpoll passed over head in large numbers along with Redwing and Fieldfare. Gary then found a very distant Great Grey Shrike closer to Waxham(we later got better views from the road). We then chatted to so ringers who had great success with ringing loads of Meadow Pipits and Redpoll. Walking back along the dunes we had a Short-eared Owl in-off and then a small bird land on the beach. Closer inspection and we found i tired looking Snow Bunting on the tide line.

A stop for lunch was retired so we paused at The Poachers Pocket in Walcott for cheesey chips and a pint. While there we added 2 new 'pub birds' in Short-eared Owl in-off and 4 Common Scoter. Other birds included a summer plumage Red-throated Diver, Gannet, Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal.

Final stop of the day was Trimingham cliff top wood. The wood itself only held a few Goldcrest, but on the cliff top we found our 3rd Short-eared Owl of the day and a Green Woodpecker. Here we met Conner and 2 friends, we the searched a nearby stretch of woodland, but only found more Redwing, Fieldfare and a Brambling.

On Saturday we rose early and headed to Warham Green to look for the Rufous Tailed Robin, but along with the the 700 or so fellow birders returned home without seeing the bird. The clear, cold night either killed the bird or hopefully allowed it to continue on its migration. After a full fried breakfast, Gary and i set about arranging our next little trip.

No comments:

Post a Comment