White-spotted Bluethroat at Cley!

The alarm went off much too early, but I really wanted a chance of seeing and photographing the White-spotted Bluethroat closer to the path along the East Bank, which mean't getting out of the door very early. I arrived at Cley at about 5.50am. It must have been my imagination, but when I opened the car I could have sworn I heard the bluethroat singing close by. Anyway I walked along the bank and saw the bird almost immediately at 6.20am and texted it to RBA etc. The light was dire, as yesterday and it was freezing cold. I had every thermal layer on and rain trousers for warmth and I was still cold. It was truly like a winter's day! To add to that it was spitting with rain on and off! I had very close views of a Barn Owl hunting along the dyke. I spent several hours here enjoying this striking little bird who sang and showed for long periods early on, but it remained in the central hawthorns which are still a long way out! There was a also a Grasshopper Warbler reeling distantly.

After warming up in the Cley Visitor Centre I went to North Scrape where I counted 89 'Tundra' Ringed Plover, 1 Little Stint, several Dunlin etc. At Walsey Hills there were 3 Chiffchaffs and that was about it.

I spent the rest of the day being lazy and seeing not very much at all. Although I did go and watch the Grey Wagtails at Glandford for a short time. I spent nearly three hours dozing at Coastguards, Cley before driving along the coast to visit my parents this evening.

Mother had caught a Lime Hawkmoth in the moth trap this morning and I got some lovely photographs of this with the macro lens, late evening settled on a plant in the garden. It really upset me to see my dear father, who's eyes are deteriorating badly – this was upsetting him and I got upset with him, not a good evening at all. I can't begin to imagine what is must be like to lose your sight to that extent. Drove home feeling really sad about father and other stuff. Crap end to the day, sorry but it was!

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED