MEGA BIRDING DAY!!!!

White Spotted Bluethroat at Welney WWT

Common Cranes flying east over The Firs Road at Holme next Sea

Grey Partridge in a field near Titchwell

Fire in Beach Road at Brancaster

A White Spotted Bluethroat had been found yesterday at Welney and so decided I would attempt to see it today. Plan: to arrive at Welney at 6am - ok I didn't quite manage 6am but did arrive in the carpark at 6.30am.

By the time I reached Lyle Hide it was 6.45am - not many birders were there which was a surprise really as you don't see too many White-Spotted Bluethroats in a life time! Beautiful sunny morning and excitement in the air. Stunning close views of the White Spotted Bluethroat at 7.10am and on and off up until 9.20am. I have seen a few bluethroats, but never have I heard one sing - it sang beautifully and displayed - fanning out his tail whilst balanced on a reed in the glorious morning sunshine - the white spot stood out amongst the vivid blue chest and I just knew this would most certainly be bird of the day! Absolutely magical! Got some record shots too (behind reeds though!) BF's seen Simeon, Connor and Dave Appleton Oh and nice to meet you properly Sue G.

See Kit Day's spectacular photograph of it this morning: http://www.kitday-uk.com/bluethroat_welney.htm

Other birds seen here: Spotted Redshank, Swift, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warblers.

Unfortunately I HAD to go into King's Lynn town centre (yuck) - errands etc, but then continued on to Holme. On the pager: Great White Egret, Whinchat, Turtle Dove etc etc! After dropping shopping off to parents and sitting outside having my sandwich chatting to father I spent the rest of the afternoon birding Holme.

Started off at the horse paddock half way down Beach Road, hoping for Ring Ouzels, but none there. As I drove down the Firs Road, I had just got as far as Redwell Marsh when the pager bleeped up with 'Norfolk possible Lesser Kestrel male reported Holme at east end of golf course in bushes between golf course and paddocks at 1.30pm' - how perfectly timed was that I thought - there I was right opposite the said area!!!! Parked at the 5-bar gate - rang NWT to find out more...... got out of car and as I climbed up the sea bank I could hear Gary Hibbards voice (NWT Warden) saying excitedly 3 Common Cranes above going east of Holme Church and there they were circling round and at one point towards us!!!!!!! (2.45pm) How lucky was that! Got lots of pics of these too! I was on a roll now! Grasshopper Warbler (note - not 'gropper' ugly name) reeling away as we watched the cranes make their way over Thornham bank and 3 Yellow Wags flew over.

After hearing two different stories about the Lesser Kestrel I decided to have a good look around anyway. Gary H. had only found a Common Kestrel after much searching - BUT it doesn't mean to say there isn't one there!!! Walked from the Saltings car park all along the back of the paddocks, to the village carpark where I consumed a Chunky Choc ice (I decided I deserved one!) and continued back down the Firs track, into Redwell Hide and then followed the river path back up the Hun Bridge/pay hut. Saw a Common Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat in the paddocks along with female and male Blackcap. Heard my first Cuckoo at 4pm near the village carpark. David A. sent me a text saying he had a 'cracking male redstart round the back of the paddocks (when I was in the village carpark) - I eventually saw this (5.20pm) when I went back round to the paddocks, but no sign of the female redstart that other people had seen. 400+ black-headed gulls on Redwell. Three Essex birders here (on boardwalk between carpark and Forestry) told me they had seen the Whinchat on a bramble by the reed bed on the marsh and they also got quite excited when they thought they had picked up the Great White Egret, but the light/distance/vegetation had played tricks with us! A quick walk round the Forestry area produced nothing and I walked back along the Firs road hoping for a glimpse of the whinchat, but no luck.

Holme Marsh Reserve - warning: you can't park down here I discovered - the normal parking area for 3 cars does not exist!!!!! There are diggers there etc etc - apparently Anglian Water are doing something there... something to do with the sewage system etc etc. I only walked to the first hide, nothing much apart from Tufted Duck on the water and chiffchaff and willow warbler singing.

Got a cracking picture of a grey partridge in the evening down a farm track near Titchwell.

Had to call 999 again - approaching Brancaster there was masses of billowing black smoke by the church and as I reached Beach road adjacent to it, there was a ball of roaring flames coming from what looked like a large waste/bin!!!!!!!! A local man put some of it out with buckets of water from the outside tap from the church before the fire brigade actually got there!