A "Great" Day!

Sunday 12th May
Lucy, Vivien, Ray and I had arranged to meet up and have a pub lunch out today – it was organised a good few weeks ago – why I arranged this in May I really don't know! I kept my fingers crossed that a mega wouldn't turn up that I wouldn't be able to go and see. I was lucky, but a Great Reed Warbler did turn up at Titchwell RSPB!

I picked Lucy up just after 10am and arrived at the family home at Holme to meet up with Vivien and Ray to do a little DIY job. It was a stunning day and was very hot by midday! We went to the Lifeboat Inn at Thornham for lunch and had a lovely main course sitting outside on the patio. Watched Swallows and House Martins overhead, as we enjoyed our lunch, fabulous. The desserts were insanely expensive, so we decided to buy desserts at Titchwell RSPB! If I had been on my own as is usual, I would have nipped straight to Titchwell to see the Great Reed Warbler this morning, but obviously I couldn't just abandon my sisters and Ray!

We arrived at Titchwell RSPB just after 1pm. We had our desserts, sitting outside on a picnic table. Vivien, Ray and Lucy had apple crumble and custard and I had ginger pudding with ice-cream – lovely! We then walked along the Fen Trail to join others, including Eddie, Dave Holman, Richard, Pat & Geoff and lots more, to try and see the Great Reed Warbler. We enjoyed lovely views of a Turtle Dove feeding on the concrete, just before the East Trail and then walked round the corner to the screen overlooking Patsy's Pool. We were very lucky to hear the Great Reed Warbler singing, several times with little breaks and singing again etc, but we did not see it at all. Lucy was getting restless and wanted to go home.

We walked back to the car park as most of us wanted to use the loos. Two birders said to me "its been showing now Penny" (referring to the Great Reed Warbler). I couldn't go back sadly. Ray and Vivien stayed here, whilst I drove Lucy back home to King's Lynn. We left at 5pm and I was back here again by 6.10pm! On route back I had fabulous views of a Common Buzzard on a telegraph pole along a byroad near Ringstead – I stopped the car next to the buzzard and it just there, looking down at me with a big beady eye! The camera was of course in the boot of the car, typical! Whilst I had been gone, Vivien and Ray had had tea and cake and had returned to the Great Reed Warbler, but had not seen or heard it at all. They both met me back in the car park when I returned back. We chatted for a short while and they then left to go back to Ely. Vivien texted me later to say they had stopped in Hunstanton to buy chips and ice-cream on route home. I felt a bit guilty to be honest, I should have joined them really.

I headed back to Patsy's Pool, where I stood with others (including Eddie, still here) and waited from 6.30pm until 9.14pm!!! No sight nor sound of the Great Reed Warbler, which surprised me and others massively. I fully expected to hear it again and for it to be more active and show itself, but no nothing at all. It has either moved further into the reedbed, gone or died! It was bitterly cold at 9.14pm! Walked back to the car park alone and left three others still there, although I'm sure they couldn't have been far behind me. Drove back to King's Lynn, great day, great bird – well to listen to anyway! Roll on next Saturday – I have a week's holiday!!!