A Beautiful Day!

Our intention was to arrive at Holkham at first light to watch and photograph Firecrests in the sunshine. But news of 17 Cranes yesterday at Titchwell changed our plans.

Driving through Ringstead along the 'Thornham Road' by "Blue Stone Farm" we watched 2 Corn Buntings on wires at 8am which was a good start to the day. It was a beautiful morning, with early morning mist, making beautiful landscape scenes.

The message to RBA yesterday at 6.01pm of 17 Common Cranes being seen at 9am east of Chalkpit Road, Titchwell was enough to get several birders out looking in the area this morning. Several birders, who had travelled quite alot of miles to get here - that's petrol, money and time. Time is something very precious to most of us nowadays. It certainly is very precious for me - I work most Sundays doing an 11 hour split shift, aswell as working a full 37.5 hour week, Monday to Friday. Birding time for me on a Saturday is very precious indeed. We searched and scanned along with several other birders around the roads and fields, but no sign of any cranes. Obviously they have moved on I thought? We saw a ring-tailed Hen harrier at 9am between Ringstead and Thornham and also a sparrowhawk. After much searching, we ended up at Choseley Barns and had lovely views of 9 fieldfares, a mistle thrush, song thrush and a common buzzard.

Titchwell RSPB - a Siskin was feeding on the alders next to the main feeders. We didn't see the Coues's Arctic Redpoll this morning. We were sitting having breakfast in the feeding station when I noticed on RBA via my iphone that the cranes had been seen again! This is what the message at 10.10am read: "19 Common Cranes south of Titchwell in field at 8.30am then flew off" - bit selfish I thought to watch them at 8.30am and then put the message out an hour and a half later and also why didn't they say which direction they cranes had flown? THEY DIDN'T SAY, BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ANY CRANES ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME!!! I phoned RBA to find out it was the same person who had reported them yesterday. I did some homework and asked around to find out that the person who reported the cranes is a hoaxer. Very sad really, because besides wasting alot of people's valuable time and money, if they do ever find anything good, no one will ever believe them!

Brancaster Staithe harbour - stopped here briefly and photographed turnstones and dunlin. One of the turnstones was colour ringed (got photo of).

Burnham Overy Staithe - 11.45am. 5 Lapland Buntings flew over the stubble field adjacent to the A149. 2 Rough-legged Buzzards with 2 Marsh harriers distantly over Holkham pines.

Wells Quayside - there were 6 little grebes by the quayside. Holkham - north west corner, 3 common buzzards circling overhead.

Holkham Pines - how things have changed. Twenty odd years ago, there would have been hardly any cars at this time of the year parked in Lady Ann's Drive. It looked like a bank holiday weekend! Dogs barking, children screaming and general mayhem - not a peaceful scene. Walked west along the path through the pines and eventually had good views of at least two Firecrests in the Holm oaks by "Salts Hole". Several goldcrests about too and a lovely view of a Chiffchaff which I managed to photograph (back end of!) high up in a Holm oak only 50 yards west of Lady's Ann's on the way back to the car.

Cley NWT - Visitor Centre - scones and jam with a pot of tea! Daukes's Hide - Eddie saw the Western Sandpiper distantly - it flew off and we couldn't refind it again. Several marsh harriers cruised round, scattering all the wildfowl.

PICTURES TO BE ADDED