Horsey Ortolan

Yesterday I was out early has I had a list of jobs I should have been doing, but still wanted to have a look at Horsey for the previous days Ortolan Bunting. I arrived at Horsey Corner just after 7.15am early enough for free parking a good start (the pay machines is locked away overnight), and headed towards Waxham Sand Holiday Park. I had briefly stopped a Happisburgh for a sunrise photo.

A theme of the last few days, a pair of Stonechat just south of the Caravan Park were still delightful to watch. I set up in the dunes to scan the short turf of the caravan park, and on my second pass I spotted the Ortolan Bunting feeding on the edge of a track way. I watched the bird for 3/4 minutes before a dog ran across the grass, the OB flew directly over my head and appeared to drop in the dunes a short distance away. I spent a short while looking, succeeding in only flushing the bird before losing it again, but a Richard's Pipit flew over calling. I returned to scan the caravan park but added only a Chiffchaff in the brambles. I walked north scanning the bushes and scrub before turning back to the car park via the dunes. At the northern edge of the caravan park a Yellow-browed Warbler was calling and a Richard's Pipit was seen in the dunes not far from the car. The peace and quiet of the morning walk was soon replaced by the whine of the petrol strimmer, as I gave our hedge its annual major hair cut now the birds have stopped nesting.