EAST WINDS! Garden Drove, Warham, East Hills, Wells!

At long last, East winds today, Thursday and part of Friday and then again on Sunday, may produce something special for us Norfolk birders?! No messing about today, out of the door and off east!

Parked up at the concrete pad at Garden Drove, Warham and walked along the hedge lined track north to the copse at the end. Strong easterly winds all day, made it difficult to pin birds down, but a nice selection here, included hundreds of Redwings flying high west and along the track itself, were Redwings, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Robins, Chaffinches and Blue Tits. Best bird at the far end was a Brambling calling and then seen high in a hawthorn, but I wasn't quick enough for a photo. I slipped unexpectedly on some wet grass and ended up with a muddy hand, but didn't hurt myself at all thank goodness – took ages to clean myself up!

Later on with John F, Ian E., Ben and Phil F. we all descended onto East Hills at Wells! We were not the only ones out here! A fabulous afternoon, dripping with birds! Hundreds of Redwings, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, Goldcrests and also a couple of Wrens, one Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, 2 Little Egrets and one Pheasant. Very sadly we didn’t find the big one! We had a possible Yellow-browed Warbler fly from a pine tree with a Goldcrest, both Ian and I saw what appeared to be double wing bars as it flew away from us to another pine, but sadly we were unable to relocate it.

Every Robin needed to be checked very carefully for blue tails – so many Robins! Later on when alone for a while I saw a possible Red-flanked Bluetail fly from a sycamore at close range and then dive into a short clump of young pines, about 4ft high. It was so quick, but I felt sure I saw red flanks as it dived across, but didn't see a blue tail, so maybe I was imagining things! I didn't take my eyes off where it landed and fully expected to see it again...... I didn't! Two other birders out here, assisted me to re-find it, but nothing, vanished! Very frustrating indeed and later on I returned to the same spot in hope of seeing it again. Ian had a similar experience with a possible Lesser Whitethroat and couldn't re-find it this either. The strong winds did not help at all. Lots of LBJ's! I managed to find a Chiffchaff and someone else had a possible Siberian Chiffchaff. Ben found a Black Redstart on the northern most side of the dunes, but could not relocate it again, after it flew into the pines.

Although it was a fabulous afternoon, it was frustrating to hear of Pallas's Warblers and Yellow-browed Warblers landing elsewhere in Norfolk, but surprisingly not here! So many birds here – there had to be something mega here somewhere, surely?! Not today though!