Cley again!

The Black-headed Gull who wondered why he had a mass of telescopes watching him. "No one's ever been interested in me before?"

A stunning, sunny day but no more rares today!!!

Arrived at Walsey Hills, far too late at 8.30am. Lots of people looking and hoping for the Rosefinch to appear again, but no luck. Two birders only had seen it very early morning - just after 5am I think they said. Report of the Bonapartes Gull again this morning but no one knew who and no one saw it again! I ambled around Cley all day which was lovely. Saw several people I hadn't seen for a while too including Kevin Shepherd later on in the day. I walked the East Bank and then east towards the 'sea pool'. The top ridge of shingle was lined with yellow horned poppies all the way along and it was an exhilarating walk in the wind and sun with sandwich and common terns streaming past west. A falcon was heading straight for me - so low it appeared to be skimming the shingle ridge - for a split second, my brain was thinking red footed falcon, until it clearly emerged as a male kestrel!!!! It had continued in the same pattern, as Sue Bryan who was a few hundred yards behind me had the same bird! Sue caught up with me and we sat on the shingle ridge together chatting about the rosefinch and stuff. Sue has lost loads of weight - well done Sue (take note Penny) Anyway got a phone call to say 'Bonaparte's Gull, Duck pond, Salthouse'!!!!!!!! BOTHER, talk about being a long way from the car! Sue and I then split as Sue wanted her camera which she had left in the car at East Bank carpark. I had my camera so I walked east and along the 'Iron Road' and along the road to the duck pond - loads of people here and after all that it was a black-headed gull (see pics above) - dodgy gulls, one of the reasons I don't love them! I don't think anyone is totally sure if there is/was a Bonaparte's gull at all, but we shall see! The ice-cream van left apparently, when all the birders/twitchers turned up - how stupid was that - he could have made a mint!!! A rat swam across the duck pond and was immediately confronted and hassled by a mallard! Also a carrian crow was carrying a large bird which I took photos of. Julian B. kindly gave me a lift back to the Dunn Cow pub - only wanted to go that far, as decided to walk the path which starts at the pub and crosses over the fields and eventually ends up at Walsey Hills. The walk was stunning, but only saw hirundines and pretty sure the same dark, male kestrel I had seen earlier! See picture below of the monument to Salthouse Mariners which is on this walk, from The Dunn Cow pub. The more I walk around Cley, the more I want to live here...... one day! At Walsey there were still a few people standing about, hoping the rosefinch would reappear. Left and ambled around Cley, fell asleep in the car for a hour at the bottom of Old Woman's Lane and then walked to Daukes's Hide. Eddie M. sent me a text seconds before I walked in the door to say 4 Little Stints on Pat's Pool and indeed there were and looked lovely in the evening sunshine along with ringed plovers and at least 2 little ringed plovers and a little gull amongst the usual waders. 15 Shelduck were on the Eye Field. Going back through Holt I stopped at the chip shop (no I won't have Sue's figure if I do this) for a bag of chips and then drove home.

Speckled Wood.

Carrion Crow carrying a starling, possibly?


Monument to Salthouse Mariners, created by Kevin Lee. (iphone)
Cley Marshes beyond. See also video below.




Sunset from the bridge just off the main road,
that leads down to the Hides at Cley NWT. (iphone)