BLAKENEY POINT!

BLYTH'S REED WARBLER

The Plantation, Blakeney Point

I'm probably the most unfit I have ever been, since the trauma of the last few months and it was a pretty crazy idea to even consider walking Blakeney Point, but I did! It was a beautiful sunny day and probably every birder in Norfolk was out searching for hidden rares, from yesterday's north easterly winds and rain.

It's certainly quicker driving to Cley from my mother's house in Holme, which I am still staying at for various reasons, although not for too much longer. I arrived at Coastguards, Cley at around 9.20am. There were a lot of birders sea watching, but I gave this a miss as wanted to get down the 'Point'! I was a while faffing about with my rucksack and didn't starting walking until about 9.45am.

Reed Bunting

Half Way House, Blakeney Point

Shrubby Sea-blite – Suaeda vera

As soon as I felt the shingle beneath my boots, I felt like turning back. Normally I would feel excited on a day like today, but I felt worried that I wouldn't even make it there physically and mentally, never mind get back! As I trudged along the shingle, I didn't flush a single bird – my heart sank, was I wasting my time and energy? Where were all the Yellow-browed Warblers? The pager bleeped up with several YBW's at various locations and I didn't see a single one all day! I saw a single Starling, 2 Reed Buntings, a few Meadow Pipits and that was it! At Half Way House there were a family setting up breakfast outside on the picnic table, so didn't feel able to look around there. There was nothing in the large area of sueda just north of the house. I felt so fed-up that I walked the rest of the way along the beach – I never do that when searching for birds here. I'm glad I did miss out the rest, as some birders had already found bird of the day at The Plantation when I got there!

BLYTH'S REED WARBLER

The Plantation, Blakeney Point

(pictures heavily cropped with 300mm f4 lens)

As I arrived, Dave Andrews, Simon Mitchell and others were trying to nail an Acro that was tacking in the bramble, just left of the main sycamore. Eventually it showed on and off and cameras rolled! It was identified as a Blyth's Reed Warbler! I timed that just right! It was very difficult to photograph and it was too sunny to obtain any decent pictures, but I managed to get a few shots. The Plantation seemed to be alive with birds and they kept dropping in! There were a least 4 smart Bramblings, Redwings landing and flying off, 2 Continental blackbirds, Robin, Chaffinch, male and female Blackcaps, a pale Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroats x 2, Reed Buntings x 2, several Goldcrests, a Barred Warbler was in the most eastern sycamore and someone else had another, just left of the main central sycamore. I noted a Small Copper basking in the sunshine on a pale log of wood and there was also a Stoat peeking at us from the scrub. A Lapland Bunting flew overhead and another later on. All this action, delayed my much needed lunch.

Yuccas and The Plantation, Blakeney Point

 Yuccas – Blakeney Point

Bramblings

The Plantation, Blakeney Point

Barred Warbler

The Plantation, Blakeney Point

I meandered over to the garden and Lupins, to enjoy my sandwiches. I had about three brief, but good views of a Barred Warbler in the large bramble (found earlier today), so there are possibly three altogether. Not long enough views to raise the camera though! I returned to The Plantation where a single birder was sitting by the fence line and said he had been enjoying watching the Blyth's all by himself. That's the beauty of Blakeney Point, there will never been tons of people for a rare bird unless its really serious eg: Alder Flycatcher! I have seen Blyth's Reed Warbler on BP before – here is the link. I saw one last year too, on the Oriole Birding Shetland holiday at Sandwick.

Close up of the Yuccas in The Plantation!

DESERT or CENTRAL ASIAN
LESSER WHITETHROAT

The Plantation, Blakeney Point 

I spent a good while photographing a stunning Lesser Whitethroat in the west end of the plantation. Nobody else had seen this as far as I know, as most birders had left and a Lesser Whitethroat that was seen in here earlier was nowhere near as striking as this! There was only three birders left besides me at this point, Andy Stoddart + friend and someone else, who were all sitting watching the Blyth's Reed Warbler. Update late Monday evening: Conversing with two extremely knowledgeable birders this evening, this Lesser Whitethroat may well be a Desert or Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat – Wow!

Interesting reading on "Identification of Siberian and other forms of Lesser Whitethroat" HERE.

A bit later on, a couple of birders I know called Chris and Richard (Ian is normally with them) arrived to see the Blyth's Reed Warbler – it didn't play ball and I felt really bad for them after their long walk out here. The sun had gone in and it felt considerably cooler. It was a long time before it put an appearance, the relief on their faces when it emerged from the brambles! We all left just after 5.30pm. It was high tide and walking back in loose shingle was not in the slightest bit funny. The pager bleeped up with Barred Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler in The Plantation at 6pm – I presume it was BP staff, as we presumed we were the last birders to leave. Nobody saw a YBW in there at all whilst I was there, slightly annoying we had missed that.

The walk back from BP seems to get longer each time I go – the triangle shaped roof of the shelter at Coastguards never seems to get any bigger every time you scan it with your bins! Several flocks of Turnstones were on the shoreline and flying east. Three Seals mused at us walking by. We eventually plodded into the car park at 7pm – at least I didn't have to use the torch as I normally do! Drove back to Holme completely shattered. Took me ages to type up all the bird news. What a fabulous haul of birds in Norfolk today!

 The end of a long day!