'Mystical valley' Hume's Warbler

With a free weekend I text James to see if he fancied a trip to Cromer to look for the Coues's Arctic Redpoll and Iceland Gull. He was already planning a return trip to Waxham and the Shangri-la Chalet area to look for the Hume's Warbler after last Sundays failings.

Knowing I would be visiting Waxham on Saturday I jumped at the change to pop to Cromer with dad on Friday. After a quick bit of shopping (the purpose of his trip) we wandered over to the 'Lifeboat' slope and very quickly spotted the juv. Iceland Gull among a group of mainly Black-headed and Herring Gull that appeared has a Crab boat prepared it pots anchored close into shore. After that success we drove home via the coast road, but with no sign of any birders we didn't try to stop and look for the Arctic Redpoll. Leaving Agnes with mum, dad and I visited his allotment to collect some winter veg but also to set up my new camera trap near by, i'll report any success later in the week. A large mixed tit flock near the allotment held LTT, Blue Tit, Great Tit and 2 Marsh Tit something i'd not seen here before and also new for the year.

This morning (13th) Laura and I first had to go and collect our second car, meaning now I can get out birding with Agnes on my days off, without relying on lifts. James called by at 10.30 and we headed off to Waxham. As with last week we found a small group of birders near the chalet, with no recent sign of the Hume's Warbler i was surprised not much searching was going on. After a short while we headed south along the landward side of the dunes determined not only to find the bird but stay warm. For the next hour Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and Wren frustrated us, before a small bird-watching tour located the bird, not far from us, just south of the chalet. We got really clear if brief views on three of for occasions over about 10 minutes, the bird mainly kept low in the often dense under canopy of the stunted sycamores. What really surprised us both was how vocal the bird was at times and the volume of the call. A couple of Goldcrest were also seen and i heard and probably briefly saw a Chiffchaff, while trying to follow the Hume's Warbler back towards Shangri-la.

We next called at Happisbugh in the hope of connecting with the c11 Shorelark frequenting the area. We had no luck locating them, and neither did Gary White who we met of the Coastal Path near the Lighthouse. He had earlier had a Lapland Bunting nearby so we wandered further on towards Cart Gap. We also failed to relocated the Lapland Bunting, but two male Stonechat added to my fledgling year list and walking back James spotted 4 Snow Bunting slowing making their way along the beach.
Arriving back home for a warming cuppa a Song Thrush sang boldly in the hedge neighbouring my house. A pleasant couple of hours, with my first lifer of the year.