Rough-legged Buzzard and loads of Poms!

Rough-legged Buzzard, Warham Greens.

Another late start today!

Had a look around Burnham Thorpe to attempt to find the reported Great Grey Shrike yesterday, but to no avail.

Warham Greens

Parked by the central Warham track (where the recent Pallas's Warbler was) and walked all the way down to the marsh, nothing of note. Photographed the field of ox-eye daisies east of the track on the way down. Walked west to 'The Pit' where all I found were a few redwings, blackbirds and a flock of chaffinches. Just before I walked through the gate to go back up the track I saw a ring tail Hen Harrier at 1.25pm going west across the marsh. Back up the track I decided to walk the other side of the hedge and alongside the ox-eye daisy field - this proved to be a very good move. Suddenly I realised there was a large pale headed bird sitting in the far hedge - OMG it looked like a Rough-legged Buzzard! Scrambled to get dustbin bag off camera which I had tied round, as it had been raining - when I next looked up the bird was flying and hmmm.... this bird was most definately a ring tail Hen Harrier, very odd I thought as the bird I saw had a pale head and I'm sure looked bigger etc - I then realised that the bird I had seen sitting in the hedge was STILL sitting in the hedge and was indeed a Rough-legged Buzzard!!! 1.43pm The Hen harrier had floated across it as I was unwrapping the SLR! WOW!!! In the sunshine, on my own and there I was with stunning views of both a Rough-legged Buzzard and a Hen harrier! Phoned through to RBA and phoned a couple of people as well. The buzzard flew around (see pictures) and then decided to settle amongst the daisies and then took off and relocated the other side of the A149 giving John Furse, myself and other birders, distant views a bit later on.

Rough-legged Buzzard, Warham Greens.


Rough-legged Buzzard and Hen Harrier, Warham.


Ring tail Hen Harrier, Warham.

Ox-eye Daisies, Warham.

Very late lunch of tomato soup and bread. Went to the NWT Cley Visitor Centre, to buy my 2009 Norfolk Bird and Mammal Report which is now out, broke diet and bought a bar of chocolate from Sue (thanks!) and then had a look round Walsey Hills where all I saw was a Sparrowhawk.

Brent Geese feeding alongside Beach Road, Cley.

Cley Coastguards 5.10pm until 6pm

With Eddie Myers and Andy Johnson - 8 Pom Skuas going east at 5.10pm, Kittiwakes going west in batches of 1, 4, 9, and 16+ totalling 30 Kittiwakes in all.

A much better day then yesterday!

More soup and cruise home.