Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Take 4, Bird Party, Red-breasted Flycatcher & More!

 RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER

In the large sycamore tree, at the western edge of Holkham Pines
Found by Chris Deary

A beautiful day in Norfolk with light south easterly winds. I didn't spend long looking for the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler – I've almost given up. Did I want to spend several hours staring at reeds or go off and find my own birds at Burnham Overy Dunes?

I left the few birders who had decided to sit it out and continued along the seawall to the bushes at the end of the boardwalk. A lovely flock of Golden Plover were chilling out in the sunshine, just west of the sea wall – I counted around 50 birds. No migrants in the scrub or the apple tree. I headed east through the dunes and sat by a gully surrounded by scrub and spindle bushes and saw a Wheatear in the dunes above. A Kestrel and a pair of Stonechats were also seen as I made my way east.

Bumped into Matthew S., Chris S. and Ian B. and had a brief catch-up – they had seen the Red-breasted Flycatcher in the large sycamore on the western edge of the pines (found by Chris Deary, thank you very much indeed) and were now heading back west to Burnham Overy. I continued on and went to view the large sycamore. I spent a long time sitting and waiting – staring at every sycamore leaf, walked round, sneaked in under the tree and stood motionless against the trunk hoping for a glimpse of the Red-breasted Flycatcher, but nothing. A Hobby bombed through and caught a dragonfly, right over my head at 4.45pm! Fabulous to see – but it was all so quick, I didn't even have time to lift the camera! I sat and had a sandwich and a cup of coffee. The midges were absolutely dire – attacking me like there was no tomorrow!

I climbed up the bank to view the sycamore from a different angle and watched a huge tit flock consisting of several Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits and at least a dozen Long-tailed Tits and a Goldcrest – all feeding and flitting around amongst the sycamore leaves. I felt very frustrated at not seeing the Red-breasted Fly, but I wasn't going to give up and I wasn't leaving until I had seen it! It took me an hour and a quarter before I caught a glimpse of the Red-breasted Flycatcher – suddenly I found it, perched on a large bough and looking stunning as they always do – it was 5.55pm when I first saw it. The light was not brilliant but managed to get some record shots before it disappeared again. There was a couple of Robins around too and had wonderful views of a Treecreeper sneaking up the main trunk of the same sycamore at 6.20pm. I heard Fieldfares and watched three birds land on the top of the pines, just west of the large sycamore – my first birds of the Autumn.

Made my way back through the dunes and saw the Stonechats again. Passed Jake G. and lady friend on their way to the see the RBFly – they would have been lucky to see it now with the light fading! Nothing else seen along the seawall, apart from a couple of Little Egrets flying east. At the gate on the corner, I dropped down to the lower path to walk back to my car and bumped into Matthew again and Drew L. who were standing at the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler spot – Matthew had thought he saw the bird a bit earlier, but couldnt' be sure. I chatted to them about my forthcoming Shetland trip and declared that if someone found a Siberian Rubythroat in Norfolk whilst I was away, I would never leave the county again! I continued along the track back to my car and disturbed a Barn Owl sitting on the fence by the stile, just before the main road.

Popped into visit my mother briefly – took her some requested chips from Eric's Chip shop at the farm complex in Thornham. I managed to catch the cat in the garden, take it indoors and de-flea it (overdue) before it realised what was happening! Good day all round! Monday and Tuesday off – east winds, migrants – here we go!