EAST HILLS!

Got up late and whizzed over to Advanced Camera Services at Watton. I say 'whizzed' – its not a quick place to get to at all! David looked at my lens and did some tests shots – he could only get it to malfunction at f4.5. David is ordering a new diaphragm which will take a couple of weeks to arrive, by which time I won't need the camera for 'rares' anyway!

Made my way to Garden Drove, Warham, Wells. The track up to the concrete pad was extra muddy and water logged. My car is in a seriously muddy state at the moment! A couple of people I know were searching Bacton Woods this morning for the Parrot Crossbills that were seen there yesterday, but found nothing at all.

I decided that if R.M. had found a Western Bonelli's yesterday, then I couldn't see any reason why there couldn't be one flitting about in the sycamores on East Hills! So off I went. I started the walk out earlier than normal after a high tide, but bait diggers were already off out there, so I guessed I wasn't going too soon! I crossed paths with two wildfowlers returning + dog + their catches! I had fabulous views of a Peregrine chasing a Meadow Pipit, which it ultimately caught, just by the dunes of East Hills. It was extremely disappointing when I got out there. Three Redwings in the first big pine tree, one Blackbird, one Robin and one Wren!!! Yep, that was it, a very sorry state of affairs. Not a single goldcrest or anything else flitting about in the sycamore leaves. I worked the whole area hard, but achieved nothing for my efforts. Trudged back without falling over, always a bonus! I didn't see a single bird along Garden Drove track on the way back to the car either. It took forever to get the wellies off this time. That was probably my last walk out to East Hills this autumn, well maybe!

News came on the pager of Raddes's Warbler at Happisburgh at 4.50pm (no way was I going to get there in time) and then the Pallid Swift at Cromer, this time over Morrisons!!!! Why was I not there!!! Carl Chapman was – see his picture HERE. I looked at my watch and realised I wouldn't make it in time, so had a look in Stiffkey Campsite Wood instead and found absolutely nothing. I was then going to Cley to look at gulls for the rest of the evening, but felt exhausted so went home and fell asleep on the sofa as soon as I got in!

My last day birding tomorrow, well until next Saturday that is! Think I might just twitch everything going tomorrow, rather than attempting to find my own birds! Seems like a good plan to me!