BLAKENEY POINT, Cley & Salthouse!

I was up very early this morning and arrived at Cley Coastguards at just before 7.15am. It was a beautiful morning and I could see a couple of people had already set off down Blakeney Point. James MacCallum found the Western Bonelli's Warbler late last night and this had enticed a few people to look for this fabulous bird today. Mark Golley also arrived in the carpark to walk Blakeney Point, so we walked down together. Not much bird action to start off with – until...... a Falcon suddenly appeared before us, in off the sea at speed, going south – at first thoughts it was a Peregrine – it was a chocolaty brown colour and well.... Eleonora's Falcon crossed Mark's mind – this was at 8.38am. Annoyingly I did not have the camera to hand at this point – packed away in my bag. Lesson to be learn't there!

Anyway we carried on and apart from meadow pipits, reed buntings, 3 whimbrel and a few swallows there wasn't too much else to excite us. News came on the pager of 'no sign of the Western Bonelli's Warbler' which I supposed was to be expected really. James MacCallum and Pete Dolton passed us, hitching a lift on the tractor! Sacha passed us on the way back to declare he had seen very little, apart from a few willow warblers etc. In the big bush at Long Hills we did manage to coax out a Willow Warbler (and Pied Flycatcher on the way back). A couple of Wheatears were also seen. The tamarisk bush, just before the Plantation produced a single Willow Warbler. The Plantation produced absolutely zero as we sat and had breakfast (or whatever you want to call it!). It was however a stunning day, with beautiful light. It could have been worse, it could have raining and cold with no birds, which has happened to me many times! Searched around the Lupins, nothing of note. On the way back we saw a Red-throated Diver going east. Walked up to Half Way House and searched to find nothing. Gave up and walked back along the beach to Coastguards. Even James MacCallum et al were walking back early not too far behind us at just after 2pm! Big clearout since last night.

Coastguards, Cley
At Coastguards, Mark went home and I went for my late lunch and a had wonderful snooze on my rug and pillow in the carpark! An hour and a half later...... I could hear a voice saying 'that Redstart was right next to you Penny, when you were snoozing'. Ok, time to wake up! I had a wonderful time photographing this beautiful Redstart who was just sitting about and feeding on the shingle alongside the fence by the cars – obviously tired, poor thing. Nipped up to the Cley Visitor Centre just before they closed at 5pm and it amazed me how many times P. D. managed to wind me up in a fun way in such a short space of time!!! As he looked at the back of someone's camera he declared 'that looks like a Red-flanked Bluetail' – I fell for that immediately, which resulted in lots of chuckles!

Gramborough Hill, Salthouse
This was the most exciting part of the day! Obviously birds had arrived late in the day as they had done last night. I was told there was only a linnet and a whitethroat in here earlier. As I walked up to the bushes a Whinchat was perched on a dead stem (managed to get a record shot) – it then flew off past me as did three others! All four perched on the fence wires further back by a bramble bush, lovely! Also in here was a linnet plus juvs, 1 Whitethroat and a lovely surprise of a Pied Flycatcher which appeared in the big bush, were I saw the last one recently – it was so cute! Got a few pictures, but they were not very good, as it was partly obscured by foliage. I was so pleased with my mini haul and felt on a roll now – where was that one mega bird? I walked part way towards Kelling Water Meadows and saw a male Kestrel sitting on a post and a few Rooks, but not much else apart from a few Swallows skimming by. It was such a beautiful evening though and the sunset was spectacular. Spent the last glimmers of the day at Coastguards as it fell to darkness.

PICTURES TO BE ADDED