Another Awesome Day!!!!!

This is proving to be a much better autumn that last year!!!

Bonelli's Warbler, Rosefinch and Yellow browed Warbler!


After working very late in to the night/morning going through 220 shots of the Flycatcher and adding them to here and other websites, I decided not to set the alarm this morning. I had originally planned to go down the Point today, before the Flycatcher turned up yesterday!

Most of my morning was spent emailing pictures and info to a Media company who had contacted me through Jed A. to ask for my crowd shots at the Flycatcher to be possibly used for National Newspapers!!!!! So naturally I also emailed them some pics of the bird too, just in case they use them aswell!!! The lady I spoke to said she would contact me tomorrow (Monday) if the pictures go in the papers tomorrow!!!!!

Took me ages to get out of the house today - now on my second pair of walking boots as yesterday's still soaked through. Had a strange combination of crumpets with cheese on just for quickness! My destination today CLEY!

As soon as I pulled the car out of the drive I realised it has still lost power, it took ages to get anywhere - don't know whats going on with it, bl**dy frustrating and no time to get it to a garage as starting work at 11.30am tomorrow and I NEED to use this time to go birding! (doing a late shift once a month now - another colleague couldn't do tomorrow so I VERY quickly volunteered!) I have used 3/4 of a tank of petrol to go to Cley and back today - normally its a 1/4 of a tank! The car is chugging when in first gear and stationery and going up hills I can't do more than 30mph and on the straights 40mph max - now the only thing I can think of is I drove VERY quickly through the tidal area of water in the road just before Coastguards at Cley yesterday in my hurry to get parked to go down the Point! I have sprayed all the leads/spark plugs with WD40 before I left to go home and no difference whatsoever - cars behind me getting very frustrated! (not as frustrated as I am). Several people have told me the car needs to dry out - not much hope of that at the moment!

Anyway on route I got a text from M.G. to say there was a Bonelli's Warbler at Wells Wood - luckily I had not gone past the Wells turn off. Parked the car at Wells and in pouring rain walked to the Dell area were there were several birders trying to relocate the bird. After about an hour and a half I had a single view of the BONELLI'S WARBLER at around 3.20pmish skulking about on a thick branch surrounded by dark leaves! I could see the white underparts and the green colouring and that was it! I was standing in a big condensed crowd in a clearing amongst brambles and I was standing to the right - the people on the left had better/more views. Unusually for me I got no pictures, the bird was difficult enough to see as it was and combined with the pouring rain and bad light there was no hope of a picture! Don't think anyone got any pictures, but I maybe wrong. Recognised most of the faces in the crowd - LGRE again, M.G., R.M., Andy W., Dave H., Robin A., Stuart W. (finder - thanks!), Dave F., David N., Dave A. .... the list goes on!

Note: my father Peter Clarke found the first Western Bonelli's Warbler for Norfolk on 7th August 1970 - my mother reminded me this evening - 'did I see it I asked' 'No' mother replied 'you were 5 years old' !!!!

Left here with Andy W. to go the Western track at Warham to look for the ROSE FINCH and Yellow browed Warbler - both of which were seen around 5.20pm thanks to Dave Holman! LGRE also here too along with Dave N., Brian B. and others. The Rosefinch sat for moments in amongst hawthorn leaves in the dripping rain and as I got the camera out of the plastic sack, it dived into the thicker foliage at the back! Losing my touch, no pics of any of the birds I have seen today, not even a measly, smudgy, out of focus shot! The track down to the concrete pad was like a river - don't know how my little car got down there really! Lots of LBJ's flitting about all over the place in the wind and rain - god knows whats out there!

Gave Brian Bland a lift back to Cley and the plan was to seawatch at Coastguards. I drove through the flooded road very carefully indeed! Eddie M. was just leaving and even he was fed up with the rain and 'was going home'. He told me that a Raddes' Warbler had come up on the pager at Stiffkey - BOTHER! Turned car round and went back to Stiffkey carpark to find a very happy, smiley James McCallum in the carpark - the first thing I said was 'you haven't found that as well have you?' he replied 'Yes' with a big beaming smile!!! 'And' he added 'a Spotted Crake at Blakeney Point today aswell'!!!!!!! He must hold the record for the most self-founds in Norfolk!!! James had a friend with him who said he found the Rosefinch a Wareham, so don't know if he found it before John F.? or after! The Raddes' was the opposite end of the pipe that goes out to sea (seaward side) and too late now to relocate I realised. I walked along the narrow path west for a fair distance in semi light and all I can say is, there were several small passerines diving in off the sea into the bushes!!! But much to dark to see anything.

The car trundled home incredibly slowly - oh well at least I won't get any speeding fines! I hate driving slow, its driving me insane!

Looking forward to my little stint out tomorrow morning - but wherever I go I have to leave by 10am - how annoying is that going to be!