10th to 13th May - Thorpe Forest, Thetford
Although the Great Spotted Cuckoo persisted for a couple of weeks I never got the chance to get back to look for it with work and my brothers Stag Weekend filling my time. Staying near Thetford I was only a few miles from the Little Bittern, but without a car (and still intoxicated) was unable to get to see it.
I did however managed a couple of delightful early morning walks along the River Thet and also considered a new list to sit along side my 'Pub List', a 'Tub List'! With a hot tub on our veranda and me rising much earlier than the others I had ample time for a dawn chorus soak at 5am, before my morning walk. Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Wren, Robin amoung others may not prove to be 'blockers', but not many can have Spotted Flycatcher and Treecreeper on their 'Tub List'. Tawny Owl was also added one evening.
13th May - Beeston Regis
Arriving home from Thetford by 11am I had little to do until 3pm nursery pick-up so decided on a little walk. Temping as the Great Spotted Cuckoo was at Weybourne I knew I didn't have time to walk such a large site. A Wryneck had been seen at Beeston and despite seeing a few, it somehow had alluded my Norfolk List. I was soon told the Wryneck wasn't about, but decided to keep looking anyway. I failed to find much but did find an area I liked with lots of ant hills, returning to this area for a final look I heard an unrecognizable call. After consulting google it was a Wryneck call, it took a further 20 minute before the bird called again and was eventually seen and finally added to my Norfolk List.
20th May - Southrepps/Cley
A walk around Southrepps Common before Nursery has become a regular thing at Agnes insistence and has lead to us almost being late on couple of occasions but today our walk was rewarded with our first Garden Warbler of the year.
With many of the previous week/days migrants having appeared to move off, including a Red-spotted Bluethroat I hoped to see, I opted for a walk along Cley East Bank after drop off. Hobby and Greenshank were added to the year list, but it was a little quiet and with the Great Spotted Cuckoo finally departing I decided to do some chores at home.
21st May - Felbrigg/Weybourne
Agnes wanted to go for a walk after Nursery so he headed to Felbrigg for a walk around the lake and meadows. On what was quite a warm afternoon unsurprisingly we saw very few birds, but she was happy just to show me the 'big' trees she had spotted.
Laura's return from work relieved me of childcare duties and I was free to visit Weybourne on what was becoming a delightful evening. Parking in Beach car park it was a bit of a walk to look for the Red-spotted Bluethroat that had been re-found mid-morning. I joined a group of birders from the East Norfolk Bird Club in looking for the bird, sorry I don't remember names but they offered great company and chat. Eventually the bird was located in a favoured spot, but offered only fleeting views before disappearing from view into a private area. A crowd was growing as others decided the evening was too nice for watching TV. After a while a local birder, with designated access organised to flush the bird. This resulted in rather spectacular views in the evening light, stopped any trespass and allowed the bird to rest, as after a few minutes of viewing, most birders left very content.
23rd May - Titchwell/Wells/Cley/Marsham Heath
I'd snatched a few hours birding during my week off but today was the designated birding day, I had hoped to catch up with James and head to Cambridgeshire for the Bikal Teal, but other commitments meant I was alone and the Teal had also flown. Titchwell RSPB still held a few 'year ticks' so was my start destination. On route I caught up with the last of the long staying Dotterel at Chosley and a couple of Corn Bunting nearby. The Red-crested Pochard didn't take much finding on Patsy's Pool, but the calling Turtle Doves took an age to see. All the expected birds were seen at Titchwell but nothing else of real note, so I headed East after a bacon roll.
I stopped of at the relatively new pools to the east of Wells and in short time had seen 2 Black-wing Stilt, a Great White Egret and 4 Spoonbill, as well as a host of other waders. Content with my fill I continued east in the hunt for more migrants.
The Cley area was starting to feel like home but with little evidence of new migrant arrivals I settled for a pleasant couple of hours on the main reserve, rather than driving from place to place in hope. 4 Temmink's Stint were on Symmond's Scape supported by a Little Stint and 2 Little Tern, my first of the year, this supporting cast was swelled by the regular 'extras' of Avocet, Godwit, Dunlin ect.
After cooking Dinner I was about to settle on the sofa and watch whatever was on, when I decided as the evening was nice to go out for another walk. I headed to Marsham Heath in the hope of catching up with a Nightjar. It was still rather light when the first bird started to churr and soon at least 3 birds were calling. Walking toward a tree in the middle of the heath soon a Nightjar was 'buzzing' me giving terrific views before perching in clear sight and continuing to churr. Waiting until it was almost dark I also saw 2 Woodcock and a Tawny Owl.
12th June - Horsey
After watching news of the Lesser Grey Shrike for a few days I finally got time to visit Horsey. Parking at Horsey Mill I bolted down The Nelson Track and soon as distant views of the Lesser Grey Shrike in the dune brambles. Soon the bird was flushed by walkers, moving onto some fence posts and giving slightly closer views. Walking back it occurred to me I may be able to add the bird to my 'Pub List'. Stopping at The Nelson's Head, standing on the bank in the back garden I could see a black and while dot in the scope! Walking back via the road I spotted a 'Reed Warbler' in the roadside hedge slightly out of place. Rounding the corner I found two birders scanning the hedge, they had seen the warbler to but it was doing a Swallow call, then a bit of Reed Bunting. After watching for a while it was obvious that I had stumbled across a Marsh Warbler, something later confirmed by the fellow birders sound recordings.
