Cley & Blakeney Point!

Yellow-horned Poppies at Blakeney Point.

Cley NWT
Arrived at the East Bank carpark at Cley at 7.30am. It was a dull morning and remained cloudy for most of the day, which hopefully would drop some birds in! The new scrapes and pools look fabulous and a pair of Mute Swans had already made themselves at home here. I was hoping to see and photograph yesterday's Wryneck, but no sign of it at all. Did some sea-watching, but only Sandwich Terns and gulls seen. Walked back to my car and then re-located to Blakeney, when yesterday's Red-backed Shrike bleeped up on the pager.

Blakeney Freshes & Friary Hill NT
Parked the car by the gate for Friary Hills NT. I walked along the lower path towards the caravan and quickly spotted the Red-backed Shrike at Blakeney Freshes – fabulous! Very difficult to photograph though as the skies were grey and I only saw it perched up on the very top of all bushes and stems, so rubbish photo obtained.

Walked round Friary Hills, nothing particular of note, but did see a Whitethroat. I was just about to get in my car when I could see two people with large alsatian and small dog walking through Friary Hills AND both off leads. I waited to speak to them and said "did you not see the signs that dogs are not allowed in here' and the lady promptly said 'No because we walked in the other way' – I replied that there is a sign at the other entrance and she blanked me. One of the few places you can walk in peace and not have to look down at what you are treading in – I give up!!! The same couple walked along the Blakeney Bank earlier with same dogs and allowed them to both cr*p and didn't clear it up, irresponsible and selfish people.

Drove to Coastguards at Cley and had lunch and a doze. When I got out of the car and started to walk to BP, I spotted Jim Swalwell who had just come back from walking Blakeney Point – he had found the Barred Warbler at 'The Hood' in a bramble bush and it then dived into the cover of the sueda, he also had a Grasshopper Warbler and I can't remember what else now. He said was shattered and wasn't waking anywhere tomorrow!

The Plantation, Blakeney Point.

Shrubby Sea Blite at 'Beachway', Blakeney Point.

Blakeney Point
I really don't know why I bothered, as I saw very little compared to birders yesterday! But my haul for the afternoon was: 6 Whinchats, 12 Wheatears, 1 Chiffchaff (only bird in 'The Plantation'), a few Hedge Sparrows and 1 Reed Bunting was the best I could do at Blakeney Point today. I suppose it wasn't too bad really, as I have walked this many times and seen far less! Also three Painted Ladies and two Red Admiral Butterflies. Oh, nearly forgot I did see a single Gannet flying east. Other birders had seen a also a Redstart in 'The Plantation', but I didn't see it and someone else had a Pied Flyctacher at Halfway House.

I walked back a different route when I left 'The Plantation' – through the dunes seaward side in hope of flushing a wryneck – not only did I not flush a wryneck, I didn't flush anything, not a single bird! The tide was high when I eventually crossed over onto the beach and I couldn't find any firm shingle to walk on, so I ended up walking all the way back through the sueda  – this only produced a few more Wheatears and Whinchats (included in my totals for the day already). I struggled to get back to Coastguards and felt completely and utterly exhausted when I eventually collapsed in my car.