Set off flippin' early on Thursday (11/09) and headed straight to his house in Holt. Plan was to tackle the challenge that is Blakeney Point with Robert Smith in light easterlies.
We started from beach car park, Cley late morning, soon picking up a handful of Wheatear. The march up proved pretty fruitless, however soon before reaching 'The Hood' we got news of a Greenish Warbler there. Scouring the brambles delivered nothing so we began ploughing through the nearby sueda. To the left of me Kieran then stops in his tracks and 'cauge' as you like says, "got a RB Fly here". "You what!?" Carefully moving back round behind him, I looked over his shoulder and there it was as bold and flippin brass, an Red Breasted Flycatcher chilling on a clump of sueda. We inched a tiny bit closer and unbelievably it flew closer and posed it arse off no more than 7 feet away from me. Needless to say it got well and truely blasted by the SX50! It was clearly very fresh in and showed well for a good while until we let it be. A long awaited lifer, a bird that has long eluded me. Boom!
Looking back in the same area we all noticed something else flicking around the same area, quickly revealing itself to be the Greenish Warbler. Great! My second Greenish, the other also being on the point a couple of years ago. The bird also showed surprisingly well, often pausing right on top of the sueda.
After a very brief Pied Flycatcher and very tame young mouse, we headed on up the point adding Greenshank & Whimbrel. Despite the RBF & GW, there was rather surprisingly little else about. We managed a Whinchat, another Pied Fly, a Whitethroat and a couple of Chiffchaff at the plantation and a Spotted Flycatcher & another Whinchat at the nearby lupins. Several Wheatear were also dotted around along with 1 or 2 Song Thrush.
Towards middle point a Hobby swooped through, taking a Dunlin, there was another 1 or 2 Whimbrel and a incredibly showy Redstart sat right out in front of us on the side of a bramble bush.
Walking back we again found both the RB Fly and Greenish Warbler, still in the same area, as well as another Pied Fly. After the long trek back, we rewarding ourselves with a stonking chinese back in Holt.
The next day was far brighter and suggested little movement on the passerine front, however with light easterlies still in place, we decided to hit the point again, this time with Kayn Forbes joining me and Kieran.
First up though, Kieran and I started up at Cromer seafront to have a look at the adult and juvenile Caspian Gulls that have been showing well there in recent days. We were in luck and they showed very well at close quarters. Was great to get up and close with a species that is usually seen distantly at dusk in the middle of a reservoir on a bitterly cold winter evening!
We then made for the point via an awesome pasty in Weybourne. Heading up the point again several Wheatear were found, together with a Whinchat and 2 Redstarts.
Sadly, it was real hard work with very similar fare to the previous day minus the quality. Still, it was a good crack with a barrage of banter flying about! A Sedge Warbler eventually showed itself, the plantation held a Redstart, Chiffchaff and a presumably migrant Sparrowhawk slowly circled over. Wheatear numbers generally were a little higher than the previous day. Middle point and far point had a few birds as we racked up a couple of Whitethroat, a Pied Fly, Willow Warbler, Hobby, a Garden Warbler, 2 Whinchat and a couple of further Wheatear.
Feeling pretty bloody nackered, we trudged back to the car, arriving there in the dark.
The next day was rather more chilled, starting late morning at Blakeney Freshmarsh to see the long-staying juv Red Backed Shrike. Well we saw it but sadly it spent the whole time chilling his beans right in the centre of a bush and after a while we gave up on seeing him out in the open.
We then paid brief visits to Cley East Bank and Gramborough Hill near Salthouse. At Cley we had great views of a flyby juv Hobby, at least 3 Whinchat, a couple of Wheatear & a juv Curlew Sandpiper on Arnold's Marsh. Gramborough held next to nothing, other than a small flock of around 10 Egyptian Geese.
We then spent the afternoon looking for a Barred Warbler at Weybourne but sadly no luck. The best we could muster was several Blackcap and some showy Teal which posed well for photos. Then that was the day done & dusted
My last day in Norfolk was spent between Burnham Overy & Titchwell & I ended up seeing some good stuff! After the previous day's Barred Warbler disappointment I was chuffed to see one had turned up on the south side of Burnham Overy dunes. So, after checking Blakeney for the RB Shrike (which had appeared to have moved on) I headed for Burnham.
The long walk to the dunes in the bright sunshine produced a couple of Whinchat & Wheatear and a flyover Spotted Redshank calling it's head off! Initially the Barred Warbler wasn't showing. After 20 mins or so however, it flew from one bit of scrub to the other and from then on showed pretty well on & off moving around a berry-laden bush. Yes yes yes, lifer no. 2 of the weekend, both were long overdue too!
After getting good views, I decided to head back to the car and then blast some common birds with the SX50 at Titchwell to polish off the weekend! On the walk back the Whinchat & Wheatear were still there, with one Wheatear in particular being particularly tame.
Titchwell had plenty of birds on offer, with in particular lots of Ruff on the Freshmarsh. Star of the show though was a juv Curlew Sandpiper literally right in front of Parrinder hide. After enjoying him for some time and having a good look around, I finally, reluctantly headed home to Brackers.
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