Sunday, 7 May 2017

Daddy & Daughter Birding

With Laura away in Barcelona, the car was free so I decided to take Agnes out on her first twitch, our second birding trip after a walk on the patch a few months ago. A pair of Black-wing Stilt were near Potter Heigham, so after have breakfast we headed out.

Parking at Latham's we walked north along the bank of the River Thurne, with Agnes on my back I couldn't take me scope so was relying on the generosity of others if the the birds were at a distance. Walking down to the flood, i saw my first Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Common Tern of the year. We heard a distant Cuckoo and Swift seem to be back in numbers all of a sudden. Reaching the first pool, i could pick out Dunlin, Grey Plover, Avocet, Redshank, Common Sandpiper and a Wood Sandpiper with ease, and with a little help soon saw Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Gargany. The middle pool held a few ducks more common waders and a Spoonbill. It was on the end pool we saw our target birds the pair of Black-winged Stilt a little distant but borrowing a scope I got good views, a summer plumage Spotted Redshank was nearby and I saw a second drake Gargany. An Arctic Tern briefly alighted on the marsh, 2 more Spoonbill were around and we had totaled 11 Wood Sandpiper, before the cool breeze and being stationary had started to test Agnes's patience. A brief look for the Wryneck seen Friday by the mill only enabled use to see the Cuckoo from earlier.

I let Agnes walk back from the bridge to the car and she got very excited by a brood of freshly hatched Egyptian Geese although the parents seemed less than amused, especially as she was calling them ducks. After a quick bottle in the car (milk for Agnes, not beer for me), Agnes started to doze, so any thought of a further walk from Potter church to Rush Hill's and looking for the Savi's Warbler was put on hold. And in all honestly was a bit optimistic on my part. Writing this we are sitting at Nanna's anticipating a roast, not a bad Sunday Morning.

 Our first Birding trip in Feb


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