Bird of the Day!

Summary of the day:
Found a Pied Flycatcher (Smile).New camera has 'error 20'. (Angry)

Holme Reserves
Driving through Hunstanton this morning I saw two wheatears flying in front of me by the 'corner of Norfolk' on the clifftop. Lots of starlings feeding near the Golden Lion Hotel on 'The Green'. Spent some time with my parents this morning. Whilst with them, the Pager bleeped up that a probable Whiskered Tern had been seen at Holme at Gore Point'. I said goodbye to parents!!! Off I went and decided to go to the main beach gap at Holme in hope of catching the tern making its way west along the shoreline. I searched for a good while but no luck. No other birds seen really. Went down the Firs Road to the reserves and stopped at the Barred Warbler spot, just in case it was still around - it wasn't. Had lunch in the carpark and then went down to HBO. Also chatted with staff in the NWT Firs house who informed me that the Whiskered Tern had first been seen by birders at 8.30am(ish) and they weren't 100%. Garry Hibbard then saw it at 11.30(ish) opposite the Firs House and then the tern flew back west towards Gore Point. As far as I know, it wasn't seen again.Walked round the back of the pines and found nothing. Walked around the NWT Forestry and saw nothing. Scanned for the tern again from Gore Point - saw sanderling, knot, turnstones, redshanks, oystercatchers, 2 ringed plovers and loads of gulls, but no tern. Went to NOA Redwell Marsh and only saw tons of teal.

Titchwell RSPB
Looking in the visitor book someone had seen 4 brambling in the carpark in the morning and also somene had seen a Sooty Shearwater (not in the carpark!)

A moorhen was clambering on the wooden cross bar over the bird feeders, trying to work out how to balance on the bird feeders and looking most frustrated as it paced back and forth! Most amusing to watch. I couldn't decide whether to go along the main bank where the evening light was better or walk along the new East Trail. I opted for the new trail. As I walked through the path to Fen Hide I noticed a small bird flicking about catching flies near a sycamore tree. I was so excited to find that it was a lovely Pied Flycatcher! Phoned news out to RBA. I know its not a rare bird, but there may have been someone at Titchwell who has a pager and would like to look at this pretty little bird, especially as there is hardly anything else too exciting around at the moment – plus I had actually found something myself! I started to fire off pictures with the new Canon 7D and would you believe it, the message came up on the viewfinder 'error 20' and something about 'remove battery.... turn camera off and on.... bla bla bla.!!! This lost me the only good shot I would have got of this bird – most annoying. I did get two or three pictures of the Pied Fly but they were rubbish. Showed four birders the Pied Fly as they walked from the Fen Hide – they were very pleased. The camera then continued to work, but came up with the message again. I continued using the camera to photograph cormorants, little egrets and sunset and it didn't come up any more, BUT I only bought this camera on Wednesday for goodness sake! Looking on forums etc, it looks like several people have had this error 20 message with firmware 2, onwards. THIS CAMERA is going back tomorrow!!! More wasted birding time, not that there's anything to miss really at the moment. Also heard two Cetti's Warblers at Titchwell and also a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A wonderful sight of 5 blackbirds and 2 song thrushes all sitting on one dead tree stump at the back of the trees on the southerns side of the East Trail path (opposite the row of roosting trees). Beautiful sunset as I walked back. Near the spot where I had seen the pied fly, a huge commotion was going on – blackbirds, robins and jays were all screeching away at something. It sounded like two jays murdering one another, it really sounded vicious! Could have been a tawny owl I suppose, but it sounded like cold blooded murder to me! I'll end on the note!

PICTURES TO BE ADDED

Highlights in Norfolk – RBA
Very Little really!
Fly over Tawny Pipit, Salthouse.