Stunning Pied Flycatcher at Burnham Thorpe!

PIED FLYCATCHER

Burnham Thorpe

I heard my first Spring Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing today, whilst having my lunch in the car at work. Strong southerly winds and wonderfully warm weather – what a welcome change!

Even though I was tired from work this evening, I had just had to go and see the male Pied Flycatcher at Burnham Thorpe – how could I resist?! After all, you don't see many male Pied Flys in Norfolk and I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Huge thanks to whoever found it and put the news out – it made my day.

Burnham Thorpe is such a beautiful village, I would really love to live here, but not a millionaire, so no point in thinking about it really! I did notice a little cottage for sale and made a note of the estate agents, but could not find the property on their website, when I looked later this evening.

I parked up along the road, adjacent to the picture postcard River Burn by the telephone box and bus shelter as per RBA directions. Another couple also arrived at the same time to look for the Pied Flycatcher. There were no other birders around, but I felt there must be a good chance of finding it, being as it was reported at 5.05pm and had been seen throughout the afternoon. It took us a while, but the couple I met found the Pied Fly in a sheltered spot at the far end of the small park, flitting about in the hedge – what a stonking bird! Fabulous views, but it was incredibly difficult to photograph and was rarely out in the open. It favoured the fence posts behind the long hedge and it was just a matter of luck if you were able to photograph it through a gap in the hedge!

The couple I met left after a while and then Geoff Douglas turned up to watch this fabulous bird – a bit later I had the bird to myself and watched it feeding and flitting about behind the hedge until 8.05pm! The land behind the hedge (with donkeys) is private, so no possibility of getting the other side of the hedge for clearer views. It could not have been a more idyllic spot, with daffodils, river, beautiful trees and pretty cottages – worth leaving my house for!