Dawn Start, Cley, Salthouse & BLAKENEY POINT!

BLYTH'S REED WARBLER

OR REED WARBLER!

Found by Drew Lyness at Blakeney Point

 

 

I got up incredibly early for me! Arrived in Cley at 5.40am. Watched the male Red-backed Shrike again, sitting on the far hawthorn bush, in the same place I left it last night. It was extremely misty, so no point in taking any pictures. On route here, I had to put my fog lights on!

Went to Gramborough Hill. The early morning dew was very heavy and my trousers got drenched pretty quickly! I had a lovely Reed Bunting sitting on a bramble and there was also a juv. but I was unable to get a picture of that sadly. A Wheatear was near the pool just west of the hill, along with a Ringed Plover. Other birds seen were Linnets, a Blackbird, Meadow Pipits, an Avocet and a Little Egret. No megas in the scrub!

Gramborough Hill at 6am!

Reed Bunting early morning at Gramborough Hill

 

Ringed Plover at Gramborough Hill

Quick stop at Walsey Hills NOA along the bottom path and saw a Blackcap and heard a Sedge Warbler singing. Headed to Coastguards.

BLAKENEY POINT!

I seriously can't remember the last time I walked out here! Its well over a year ago at least! Lockdown stopped me last year. Also, I wanted to know what was down here, as there has been no news coming out of here at all, as several birders have remarked! I knew it would be a difficult walk and it was! Packed up my rucksack and even managed to squeeze in my new super light camp chair for having a long luxurious rest at The Plantation! I felt excited walking down there and it was a glorious day. The mist had cleared and I was the only person walking along to the point at 7.35am. I deliberately avoided the fenced area (for birds) and initially walked along the beach and then cut in half way to Half Way house!

The walk out to Blakeney Point

Greylag Goose at Blakeney Point

 

Oystercatcher at Blakeney Point

Pheasant, female at Blakeney Point

 

Nearly there!
 

Lots of Meadow Pipits, a single Greylag Goose just sitting on the shingle and seemed very happy to be photographed (see pic), a female Pheasant and also a male later – not seen any of these birds on BP before! Lots of Little Terns, Common Terns and Sandwich Terns all along my walk – so stunning to watch and diving for fish in the surf, so beautiful. Sat at the picnic bench outside Half Way house to a short rest and also checked the path that runs to the jetty, immediately south of here. Saw two male Stonechats, one at The Hood and another at Long Hills.

Half Way House, Blakeney Point

 

Sea Thrift, Blakeney Point

Stonechat at The Hood, Blakeney Point

 

Sea Campion at Blakeney Point

Small Copper on shrubby sea blite at The Hood, Blakeney Point

 

Creative surf!

 

Oystercatcher at Blakeney Point

 

 

As I neared The Plantation it felt exciting and so good to be back here. The pink Tamarisk was in full bloom and so many memories of lots of good birds came flooding back from over the years, including my best ever Bluethroat picture, taken by this tamarisk! After checking out all the scrub in The Plantation and finding nothing but a few Linnets, I pitched up my camp chair and sat chilling with a coffee and snack! Lovely! It was such a good move bringing the chair, the height of luxury! I sat here for ages, something had to drop in surely? My vivid imagination saw the 12 Bee-eaters arriving from Yorkshire (last seen flying SE) and all perched up on the dead pine stump – what a scene that would have been! But very sadly not a single bird dropped in there. Walked around The Plantation several times, but nothing. I then realised I needed a kip! Laid down and with head on rucksack and new sunhat over face, I think I did actually fall asleep!

Linnet – one of several in The Plantation, Blakeney Point

 

Meadow Pipit in The Plantation, Blakeney Point

 

The Plantation, Blakeney Point

 

 

After hearing voices, I sat up and to my surprise I could see Ajay and two other birders! Not seen Ajay since he worked at Blakeney Point, so it was nice to catch up. Ryan, one of the rangers told me he had just found a female Red-backed Shrike in 'The Garden' (next to the Lifeboat House). Gathered my stuff up as quick as I could and walked over there. I spent FAR too long on and off throughout the day to try and see the RBS and failed. As far as I know, nobody else saw this either, very frustrating indeed! Lots of Linnets in the garden/lupins, a Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Stonechats, Little Terns and Common Terns overhead. A Marsh Harrier also glided over just east of the Lifeboat House, lots of Skylarks and a Kestrel seen. Another birder then joined me and I then discovered it was Drew Lyness, who posts bird news on Twitter. We waited for the shrike – nothing. Drew then walked off elsewhere. A short while after he left, I headed back to The Plantation – on my way, Drew messaged me on Whats App at 13.57 to say he had "Got an Acro!" I turned around and followed the boardwalk over the dunes to find where Drew was – which was just north west of The Plantation in an area, which regulars will know, but difficult to describe – its a huge shallow like bowl of sueda, surrounded by a mini cliff of dunes for a long stretch, just NE of the end of the boardwalk.

When I joined Drew, the bird in question was not in view, we spent a long time here, tracking it down, which we did eventually on our return to the initial finding place, when I saw it shoot out of a sueda and bombed back in the direction we had just walked! Ok, it was serious now, we needed to see it and photograph it. It was a s*d to pin down! My first picture and proper view of it, was of it sitting at the base of a sueda and then a nano second later, it shot off (see top two headline pictures). I love warblers, but some of them can be incredibly difficult to ID. My initial thoughts were Marsh Warbler. I don't think either of us had thought properly about it being a possible Blyth's at this point. As Drew highlighted, the bill was really much too long for Marsh, which it was indeed. After seeing several but short views, you could clearly see it had a very long bill! We then decided that maybe it was simply a Reed Warbler?! Anyway, we both got all the pictures that were possible and the acro disappeared. Drew left and I stayed a bit longer to re-find it, but couldn't, plus I was now shattered.

BLYTH'S REED WARBLER

OR REED WARBLER!

All thirteen pictures above have only been cropped and lightly sharpened, no other editing

I walked back to the Garden by the Lifeboat House again to look for the Red-backed Shrike, but again no sign. Drew joined me again and we sat by The Plantation and discussed the Acro, whilst a lovely couple were sitting here who I have met a few times before, but can never remember their names, so embarrassing, sorry! They also noted the lack of news coming out of BP, which I don't really understand why it hasn't been –  if a good bird is not in an area/spot where birds are nesting, I really don't why news is not being put out – plus only the hardcore or crazy walk down here, so you will never get hordes of birders unless its a mega! Its a hell walk, even for the youngsters! Its simply nice to just know what birds are around, even if you are at work and can't get there, plus when you finish work, it helps you to make the decision about whether to push yourself to drive out and look for birds, if you know things have dropped in elsewhere.

Drew then left to walk back to Coastguards. I did say bluntly but politely to Drew that I wouldn't join him on the walk back, as I would hold him up! With him being considerably younger than my old self, he would get back twice as quick as me and I'm sure he did! I stayed here a while longer and then AGAIN returned to the garden and again, no shrike! I noted several hares on BP today, which was lovely to see.

The Lifeboat House, Blakeney Point

Hare just south of the Lifeboat House at Blakeney Point

 

South of the The Lifeboat House and Blakeney Harbour

 

The Tamarisk, Blakeney Point

 

I left and started to amble back at 5.30pm. Oh dear, I felt the same fatigue that you feel when you are half way back and I had only just hit the shingle bank LOL! The thought of walking back was enough to make me sit down on the shingle and have tea! After a hot drink and the rest of my now warm egg sandwiches and chocolate (confession) I embraced the walk back at 6pm, along the beach and did the usual singing and talking to myself to pass the time! Even though it was tiring, it was a wonderful walk back in the sunshine whilst watching lots of terns fishing. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Suddenly I realised there was a Little Tern on the beach being fed by a parent bird – so lovely to watch, not seen this for years! It was a wonderful sight to see the triangle shaped roof of the shelter at Coastguards come into view – it was distant and as usual, the 'triangle' never seemed to get any bigger!

My view from my tea rest before I walked back

Little Tern at Blakeney Point

 

Pied Wagtail in the visitor centre car park at Cley NWT

 

Eventually I stumbled back into Coastguards car park. Bedraggled, windswept, exhausted and ready for a shower! Fell into the car and even though I should have gone straight home, I stopped for another look at the Red-backed Shrike opposite the Visitor Centre, but it wasn't on show when I looked. Went to the East Bank car park, to hopefully meet up with Eddie (which I did), to show him my Acro pictures and his first reaction was Blyth's Reed Warbler, but obviously couldn't be 100% from my photos. Left to go home and arrived back late, as in about 9pm I think. I did not have any energy when I got home to write the blog, but HAD to find energy to go through all my Acro shots, select and then cropped and sharpened slightly (only) and then emailed to several elite birders for identification assistance. I sent them so late, that nobody would see them until Wednesday morning at least! Drew also contacted other people too for advice.

Update – Wednesday Evening

Of the few people I had sent emails to, it was a general consensus that it was a possible Blyth's Reed Warbler. Because of location, time, year/weather it probably was..... but on the photos that Drew and I sent, the ID couldn't really be confirmed as to Reed or Blyth's. We needed more detail on the wing/primary projection etc and sadly neither of us had the picture that was required to tick all the boxes! One person I emailed felt it was definitely a Blyth's Reed Warbler. But sadly there was not enough to clinch it from most! I can't believe how much time I have spent on an LBJ this evening! Ha ha!

Huge thanks to all those that took the time to assist us, especially one particular person who went into lots of ID detail and explanation, which I found really helpful and interesting for the next brown Acro I may come across, either by myself or with someone else!!! If I bump into Drew again, I hope he finds a Bee-eater next time – that...... won't cause any ID issues whatsoever!!!