Sea-Watching Continues!!!

BLACK TERN

Gramborough Hill, Salthouse which I found at 2.53pm.

The alarm was set for 4am. Disaster struck. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It said 7.30am. Arghhhhhhhhh.......!!!!! I had slept through three alarms going off. Well, I wouldn't be making the best seats or the cheap seats at Sheringham now!!! There would be no point in attempting to get in the shelters, so option B was to battle it out at Cley.

I eventually rolled up at 10am. Mark Golley had found a Sabine's Gull this morning at 7.25am, close in over the shingle – I was absolutely gutted! Well as they say 'early bird catches the worm' and in this case it was most definitely correct! The shingle bank here between the shelter and sea is considerably higher than it was last year and for someone short or in fact anyone under 6ft this is a problem for viewing. Luckily I managed to get a space in the front of the shelter on the right hand side and stood on the seat to gain height. The centre colomn of my tripod doesn't go quite high enough for this really though. Sacha had just come back from Halfway House, BP and had seen a Hobby and a Purple Sandpiper. Its a good job E.T.M. wasn't there – the amount of birders walking up to stand on the shingle in front of us was just unbelievable really – they moved eventually, but they hadn't got a clue!!!

My list from 10am-11am was:

Great Skuas x 13
Arctic Skuas x 3
Gannets x 25
Common Scoters x 44
Shelduck x 1
Cormorant x 1
Wigeon x 4
Teal x 1
Knot x 1
Great Crested Grebe x 1
Common Tern x 1

Walked down to North Hide with Mark G. On route we saw a cute juv. Curlew Sandpiper having a snooze with three Dunlin on the Eye Pool and also a lovely Whinchat and a Wheatear sitting on the fence wire just before the hide. From North Hide I counted at least 2 Little Stints, at least 4 Curlew Sandpipers, lots of Dunlin and usual waders. I couldn't see brilliantly to be honest, the hide was packed out with people and if you are standing with tripod, you either have to squat down (if you are short) to view under the wooden bar or stand on tip-toe to get over it! Best option is to sit down and use hide clamp, but there were no seats left. Mark walked off east and I went west, back to the carpark.

Back at Coastguards, a man introduced himself who knew my father years ago, can't remember what his name was though now. Lots of people still sea-watching and I was told that several Black Terns had flown by, bother! Had a Houmous Toasted Sandwich at the Cley Visitor Centre and then left to find a mega at Gramborough Hill.

I found nothing at all at Gramborough Hill apart from a few Linnets and Goldfinches. Three Little Egrets were having a squabble on the marsh which was amusing to watch. I sat on top of the hill overlooking the bushes and waited for something to appear but disappointingly, nothing did. I turned round and walked over the hill to sit on the cliff edge and watch the sea. Now, why didn't I do this earlier?! Within 10 minutes of sitting here, I spotted a fantastic juv. Black Tern working its way steadily west right underneath me, awesome at 2.53pm! Bird of the day for me and I found it! I speedily unzipped my bag to get the camera out and managed to get a few distant, record shots. I phoned RBA, so people could have a chance of seeing it at Cley, don't know if anyone did though. The photos won't win any prizes, but at least you can see what it is – well just about! A Kestrel skimmed over the shingle as I sat here. It was seriously windy, but I love being in these conditions, it's just so exciting. Give me a day like today over a hot, sticky summer's day any time! I got a text from Stuart White to say he had found a Yellow-browed Warbler at The Dell, Wells Woods, early record that! Also a male Pied Flycatcher had been found at Titchwell RSPB today. Thoughts now ran through my head about walking Blakeney Point..... no, don't Penny.

 BLACK TERN

Gramborough Hill, Salthouse.

Kestrel skimming over the shingle at Salthouse.

Went to Walsey Hills NOA thinking I might find a Pied Fly in here, but nothing of note at all, apart from a Chiffchaff calling. Nipped over to Cleyspy to get a replacement eye cup for my bins, as I lost one of the rubber bits yesterday.

Warham Greens, West Track. The track was really muddy, water logged and to add to that a farmworker was trimming back the hedges, so I had to work my way round fallen branches and debris. Parked on the concrete pad. Tons of Swallows skimming over the puddles. Found a tit flock and got excited about a possible YBW that quickly turned into a Willow Warbler! Nothing else at all along the track and no birds in the copse at the end. East Hills beckoned in on the horizon – I wondered what was out there today with a Pied Fly and a Yellow-browed Warbler in the county, hopefully nothing, being as I wasn't there!

Stiffkey Campsite – complete waste of time, nothing here at all.

Back at Coastguards, Cley everyone had cleared out. There wasn't a single car in the carpark! One bike in the carpark though, that belonged to Eddie, who had just found a juv. Red-necked Grebe on the sea! Thanks! I managed to see this, as it was working its way west at 7pm.

Drove home, shattered.