Burnham Overy Dunes, Gun Hill & Wells!

WRYNECK

Pinewoods Caravan Park, Wells

Today was the first time I have been out birding properly, since before my mother died. There have been days when I half felt like going out and then felt too upset to go. With the rain and north westerly winds, the normal me would have been at Coastguards, Cley or Sheringham at first light to seawatch with others, in hope of seeing something good and my goodness there has been an awesome sea passage today!!! At Cley: Wilson's Petrel, Leach's and Storm Petrel and at Holme a Great Shearwater was seen this evening – all would have been new birds for me! But, I don't feel ready to join crowds of people yet, too soon, too much, so I opted for solo birding and headed to Burnham Overy Staithe to search for any potential migrants.

When I arrived at the layby to walk Burnham Overy Dunes, it started to rain heavily, so I stayed in the car and had an early lunch and a coffee. Eventually the rain stopped and surprisingly the sun came out, which I wasn't expecting. I made my way along the hedge lined track and then up onto the sea wall. I saw a Wheatear bound between sueda bushes and then vanish. Lots of Canada Geese on the marsh and a Kestrel hovered close by. The bushes and apple tree at the end of the boardwalk produced only Linnets. A Little Egret was feeding on the marsh, just west of the boardwalk.

North West of Gun Hill, Burnham Overy Dunes

I headed west to Gun Hill – more Linnets were seen, and a Reed Bunting, but little else of note. At the far west end of Gun Hill I watched a Ringed Plover and another Wheatear on the shingle side of the beach. It then rained heavily, but I was prepared and had top to toe waterproof clothing. I spent a while on the beach just enjoying the dramatic scenery of Scolt Head Island with white sands gusting in the wind, blue sea and black clouds. There was a smart Grey Plover feeding in the rock pools along with several Turnstones, Ringed Plovers, Curlew, Oystercatchers and Black-headed Gulls. I made my way back over the dunes and headed back to the boardwalk, where I sat for a while looking hopefully into the branches of the apple tree, but nothing appeared! Made my way back to my car.

I succumbed and headed to Wells for the Wryneck (seen yesterday and today) – it was after all, only a few miles from where I was! When I arrived the Wryneck had not been seen for a good hour. I got lucky when Richard B. suddenly saw the Wryneck skulking in a bramble, then appeared on the sandy soil beneath the pines for a very short while, before bombing off into a high pine tree to retire for the night I presume. I headed east and back to Holme.

Sunset at Burnham Overy Staithe