East Bank Saves the Day!

Arrived at my parent's house to see how father was getting on, recuperating at home, when really he should be in hospital, but refused to go!!! He's not doing too badly considering his age.

Titchwell RSPB – 10am
It rained most of the day, in fact, no it was all day on and off. Heard my first Reed Warbler this year along with Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Cettis's Warbler singing and 3 Bullfinches. I was not inspired to walk any further than the Fen Trail this morning. I walked round twice and then left. Dipped out on several birds today.

Burnham Norton – 1.00pm
Kestrel hovering, skylarks singing, 2 swallows skim over the marshes, 2 cettis' warblers singing, goldfinches just by the carpark, tufted duck and pochard, 3 pied wagtails, 2 marsh harriers, 2 grey partridges, canada and greylag geese, 2 little egrets and a blackcap singing.

Garden Drove - Western track, Warham
Parked the car up and waited for the rain to stop - my new car now looks old and muddy! Rob, who had just walked back from East Hills said he had had 3 Bramblings and also 6 Ring Ouzels along the track which had been around probably all day - he had just seen them again on the way back.

No birds seen whatsover along the track except for a nice male Blackcap in the copse at the end of the track. As I walked back up, Ashley had seen the 6 Ring Ouzels and pointed to the area that they had flown to. I followed the track west of the carparking area in search of the ouzels, but much searching produced nothing more than a few hares and pheasants!

House on the Hill, Blakeney – 4.15pm
Chaffinches and woodpigeons...... hmmmmm....... One day though I will have the 'House on the Hill Mega'!!! Best bird I found here so far was a Red-backed Shrike.

Walsey Hills NOA
At the end of the bottom path and looking back into the willows I watched 2 chiffchaffs, one of which had an oak leaf in its beak. Not alot else in here really. I heard that a Blue-headed Wagtail had been seen and photographed from Bishop's Hide this afternoon - here is the picture.

East Bank
The sun at last came out, just enough to bathe the reed beds in an orange glow. As I walked along I could hear sedge and reed warblers and also 3 bearded tits 'pinging' - one of them posed close by for a photo. There were loads of black-tailed godwits, a few bar-tailed godwits, ruff in different states of plumage and a single whimbrel feeding on Arnold's Marsh. A greenshank called and another whimbrel was seen on the way back. Bumped into Eddie and we stood listening for the Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling by other birders earlier, but no luck.

Daukes Hide NWT
No sun out now and poor light. Very little seen really, but a green sandpiper called.

As I left Cley via the Wiveton Road I had some lovely surprises - a little owl sat on a pole and a tawny owl took off from a wall a bit further along!!!

Got home late - work tomorrow.

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED