Migrant Waders and Wheatears

Yesterday (22nd) after having an adventure with Agnes at BeWILDerwood, I had a couple of hours to myself so headed for a bit of birding. I decided to first head to Norfolk Wildlife Trust's newest reserve, and part of my patch Pigney's Wood. The screen by the scrape has now been removed, it had been vandalized on my last visit but now there's no cover to view the scrape. This combine with the over grown margins in the conservation area meant I had no chance of seeing any migrant waders if present. The site was full of singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff, but no Whitethroat as yet. During my relatively quick lap of the site, although few birds were seem butterfly numbers were good, with Large White, Small White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Peacock, Holly Blue and Red Admiral all seen.

After a very quick lap of Southrepps Common I headed to Trimingham next, determined to fine a Wheatear, my nemesis of recent weeks! At Southrepps the site was very quite the only thing of note being 2 delightful flowering Fratillaries. Approaching the clifftop to the West of the Clifftop Woods, I spotted my foe and then a few of his friends. In total at least 7 Wheatear (6 male/1 female) were close by, also lone House Martin and 7 Swallow flew West. In the Wood I found 3 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler, before heading home. Going via the 'Quiet Lane' I found a small group of 6 Whimbrel in a field south of the village. While driving through Gimingham I noticed the fishing lake have almost been drained, an about turn and I was soon watching two Common Sandpiper enjoying the recently exposed mud.

Today (23rd) I had noticed that two Dotterel had be found near Happisburgh. So after arriving home from work and popping to the chippy I was able to park up at Happisburgh by 7pm, after a quick detour via Gimingham. Id been told a Green Sandpiper had also been present at the fishing lakes and luckily it only took me 5 minutes to locate it. West of Dogget Lane off Cart Gap, a lone birder soon guided onto the male bird in the plough in the closet field to us. I soon located the more striking female, as she slowly walked towards us, halving the distance. I spent about 30 minutes watching the birds before they settled back down towards the rear of the field. Without doubt the best views I have had of these delightful birds, I'm used to hazy distant views at Choseley. Typically I had no camera, but I managed a couple of record shots with the phone. Walking back to the car I was serenaded by two Yellowhammer to top of a delightful evening wander.