More New 'Ticks'

After you have been birding a few years your 'life' list's growth slows to a trickle, in my case British, Norfolk and Patch Lists.
However in the last week or so I added two Norfolk ticks and a life tick. This week surprisingly the run of birds continued. . . .

8th June - Roughton/ North Walsham

With my daughter back at nursery I planned to look for the Rosy Starling at Roughton after drop off but got called away. At 3pm waiting for pickup I checked the news feeds to see the Rosy Starling was still present but a Blyth's Reed Warbler had been found a mile from home on my patch! We hadn't got out of the car at Roughton when I saw the Rosy Starling on a roof top then in flight. I drove straight to Pigneys Wood rather than get out of the car and wait for the starling to reappear from a back garden. I've not taken a four year old to a twitch, especially not one where social distancing was expected so was slightly apprehensive. Luckily for me Agnes was good though did wonder off occasionally to look at flowers and insects but stayed her distance. I had just missed the Blyth's Reed Warbler showing well but after 10 minutes soon heard a delightful burst of song, my only previous BRW being a silent autumn bird. Brief restricted views followed over half hour, if I'd have been alone maybe i would have jostled for a better position, but i had seen the bird so we headed home for the promised ice cream pudding!

9th June - Swafield

After the nursery drop off I headed home via Trunch. I had forgotten flypaper on a recent shop and coincidenlty saw on the drive too nursery someone selling pitch plants from their driveway! Bargin Pitcher plant in hand (£3) I headed to work, but at Swafield I spotted the distinctive pink waist coat of Rosy Starling on the wires near the Church. A second patch tick in two days and a self find to boot. I could only stay a five minutes before work so I reported the bird and had to leave. After work I returned but couldn't relocate it.

As I write this I have been tempted to visit Thorpe to look for the Savi's Warbler a bird I have only heard but not seen once. But four early shifts means itll be mid-afternoon before I visit and I dont fancy my chances with heat haze, let's hope it stays a few days longer!