Cley all day!!!!

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY!

Cley, Blakeney Point and Salthouse

I had planned a dawn start, but you know me, I didn't quite, make it!

Arrived in Cley at 6.40am. It was a beautiful, sunny morning with south easterly winds. As I drove through the village I saw a flock of house sparrows dust bathing by the edge of the road. I parked in the Cley NWT Visitor Centre carpark and there were already half a dozen cars in the carpark.

Bishop's Hide NWT
As I walked along the path to the hide I was serenaded by sedge and reed warblers and a cetti's warbler burst into song. Marsh harriers were cruising over the reedbeds. There were a few people already in the hide, including Trevor D. and a bit later on Julian B. also joined us. I was hoping to see the recent Temminck's Stint, but sadly it didn't show. I had wonderful views of a female White Wagtail which steadily made its way across the front of the hide which resulted in lots of picture taking! Another white wagtail was seen here also. Main highlights were: 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Spoonbill, a single Wheatear landed momentarily, reed bunting, two little ringed plovers, a Little Gull, 3 marsh harriers, bearded tits pinging, avocets. A pochard swam right across in front of us. I spent at least a couple of hours in this hide, much longer than I had intended to!

Walsey Hills NOA
Willow warbler, chiffchaffs, bullfinches, cetti's warbler, common whitethroats here, along with the usual greenfinches, goldfinches, hedge sparrows, blue and great tits, robins. At the end of the bottom path I had some lovely views of a cute Bank Vole clambering over an ivy covered, fallen tree trunk – every time it showed, I just wasn't quick enough to get a picture! Also saw a Peacock and Orange Tip butterfly. I walked round the whole reserve and in the pine copse on the hill I could hear a Tawny Owl calling, but I couldn't find it! I watched an attempted murder on Arnold's Marsh from the hill – 2 greylag geese were entwined in a serious fight and had gripped into each other's necks in a frenzied attack, whilst other greylags watched on – it was both fascinating, yet disturbing to watch. The commotion resulted in other greylags flying in to gather and watch the fight! There must have been at least a 100 geese – it really was a spectacle – it reminded me of crowds of people arriving to watch a public hanging!!! A few of the geese attempted to break it up, but did not succeed. One of the geese eventually weakened its grip and the other managed to get away and seemed unhurt, although shaken up. The other geese then seemed to relax and disperse and almost looked disappointed that there had not been a grander finale!

Cley NWT Visitor Centre
I walked back to my car and saw Eddie M. and Andy J. who had been in the V.C. and were about to leave, but had heard news from someone, that a couple of birders had seen a possible Pallid Harrier flying east from Blakeney. So I joined them and we scanned the skies for about an hour from the viewing point at Cley Spy shop (old V.C.) and hoped that we would be lucky – of course we weren't! But we had fabulous view from up here and there seemed to be so much bird action going on over the marshes – huge numbers of swifts and swallows were whizzing about over the pools – it was very relaxing here just standing and watching. Star birds seen here were a Peregrine and a Hobby. The only worrying thing about being at the V.C. for a long time is the fact that I have no vodafone signal and therefore can't access the RBA website via my iphone (I don't have a pager) and nobody can't get hold of me either, unless of course they remember to ring my 'orange' pay as you go phone (no internet access on this one) and Eddie and Andy don't have pagers either.

Cley Coastguards
I arrived in the carpark to walk Blakeney Point, but my walk was delayed somewhat! As soon as I turned up in the carpark I could see a photographer with camera balanced on fence post, taking pictures of something in the Eye Field. I parked my car in a space which was directly behind the photographer. I quickly realised there were some wagtails literally yards away from the fence line just in front of me! Three stunning Yellow Wagtails and also a Blue-headed type which really was beautiful with a sky blue head. I phoned them through to RBA and then called a few friends and John F. turned up 10 minutes after my call – he ID'd the blue-headed as a 'Channel' Wagtail (a yellow x blue headed). I took far too many pictures when I should have been walking the 'Point'. People were alerted to the wagtails here by my phoning RBA and several people turned up to watch and photograph these very pretty little birds. Had my lunch here whilst chatting to John F. and Pete S. A birder I know, but can't remember his name (sorry) wrote 'clean me' in the dust on my new car - yes I know its washing! Too busy to be washing cars! I packed up my BP bag and set off down Blakeney Point alone at 2.30pm.

Blakeney Point
As I trudged along the shingle I decided I was pretty crazy starting out at 2.30pm, but hey ho! There were good numbers of wheatears flitting about and posing prettily on sueda, reed buntings, meadow pipits and the odd chiffchaff and several LBJ's – you know the sort... dive into small bush and vanish into thin air! Not long after I started the walk it started raining and didn't stop until I was nearly back to coastguards later on. I didn't care too much about the rain, I was waterproofed from top to bottom and my camera was slung in my waterproof bag, but also quickly accessible enough to photograph a mega (ha ha, I wish!) At Halfway House I saw one female Redstart errupt from the sueda cover along with several chiffchaffs flicking about. The redstart was very camera shy! I could hear Whimbrels calling overhead. The moody skies looked set for the rest of the afternoon and evening. When I reached 'The Hood' I saw two more Redstarts (male this time) in the sueda (again camera shy), several wheatears, chiffchaffs and linnets, but little else. I sat on a high dune in pouring rain and and had a coffee and my home made rock cakes (John said yes to a second one earlier so they can't have been too bad!) As rain splatted into my coffee – I smiled and came to the conclusion that its not normal behaviour to sit out in the rain having a picnic!!! It was torture not to carry on any further, but I decided to turn back at this point. I knew I could get to the 'Plantation' and back in daylight (just) but it was the very high tide that was of more concern – I could see where this morning's high tide had come up and it didn't leave much shingle to walk on, before dropping to the soft muddy dykes and this evening's tide was higher than this morning's. I had visions of a difficult walk back in semi dusk, so in my old age and wisdom decided to be boringly sensible! As I turned to walk back I hesitated – what would I be missing further along the shingle? and what would be sitting in the 'Plantation'? – I had visions of messages on RBA later of something amazing posing in The 'Plantation' 'late afternoon' – thankfully (as far as I know) there wasn't anything amazing further along the Point!

I arrived back at Coastguards at 6.25pm. No wagtails in the field now, but 5 Golden Plover were in the Eye Field. Loads of swallows and swifts around.

Sarbury Hill, Salthouse
I had just parked up at the bottom of Old Woman's Lane to go to the NWT hides when Eddie phoned me to say via RBA that a WRYNECK had been seen 400 yards west of 'The Dunn Cow' pub. I scorched off up the road and parked the car opposite Sarbury Hill (which is where it was). I joined a few other birders who were standing watching the path going up the hill – the wryneck had been seen on the path 'but had gone in' – we waited and waited - it appeared on the path for a nano of a second - it didn't even give me time to raise the camera (I tried!) never mind take a picture – that was the quickest view of a wryneck I have ever seen! I didn't see it any more and decided to go to Daukes's Hide for the last light of the evening.

Daukes's Hide NWT
3 Spoonbills flying towards Walsey Hills. A Yellow Wagtail was heard, a cettis's warbler, 1 pintail and a few marsh harriers were seen aswell as the usual waders. As I drove through Wiveton I saw a Tawny Owl sitting on a telegraph pole. I arrived home at 10pm!

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED