Spoonbills

Had my first Swifts this week at work but still none on the patch. Red Kite over Loddon was a nice bird and things are happening.
Back on patch today it started off very quiet but maybe as I was out early the birds weren't.
A Common Sand was a year tick on Corton beach, 5 Oystercatcher were on groins by Radar Lodge. Nothing in the bush's and just Common Whitethroat and Linnet in the Compound of Radar.
Back at COSW I was getting frustrated, Common and Lesser Whitethroat and a Northern Wheatear was it. Then Danny rang and I was just telling him how crap things were when 2 amazing and low flying Spoonbills flew South just offshore, a brilliant patch tick Yeeehaaa. So I had to hang up to put the news out. I rang Danny back and whilst talking a nice Whimbrel went south too, then a Fulmar.
Yellow Wagtails upto 5 were in the long grass and occasionally showing.

Back in the Garden 2 Nice Holly Blue Butterflies.

Back on patch in the afternoon and I missed a Spot fly and saw pretty much nothing else.

Stone Curlew

So here I am trying to start the Extramadura trip report but the patch keeps drawing me onto it.
I did have a lie in this morning as I need to catch up with some sleep from the full on trip to Spain.
So I left the house about 930 and stumbled upon my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year singing from the front garden of a neighbours tree.
I got to COSW and could hear a distant Cuckoo, a couple of Common Whitethroats and a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. I moved onto Radar lodge to look for yesterdays Ring Ouzel but there was no sign, it must have moved on. Swallow numbers had now built up and my first House Martins of the year were going through in small numbers.
In the Compound of Radar were a couple more Common Whitethroats and a Greenland Wheatear.
Walking to the north of Radar lodge the grass cutter flushed 4 Yellow Wagtails from the field they flew over very low and at least 1 was a Blue Headed Wagtail, semi patch tick.
I then looked down the field to a strange bird heading towards me, a chap was down there too so my initial thought was he had a captive raptor flying. The closer the bird came the more I realised that it was only a beautiful STONE CURLEW, a very rare bird to lizard land but my 3rd in the 3 years I've been here. This time I managed a record shot as the bird flew past and south along the cliffs.

Returning home via COSW, more Yellow Wagtails over, House martins, Swallows and Whitethroats but nothing to top the Stone Curlew.

Ring Ouzel

Got back from Extremadura today after a massive trip with Keith, a mate from Cumbria.
So I have to find some time to sift through the thousands of pictures I took to pick out a few of the best ones. In the meantime it was back on the patch where this beautiful male Ring Ouzel was showing, showing nicely in the warm sunshine too. A few Swallows and a Yellow Wagtail too.

My first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing from a service station rough patch on my way home from the airport.

Now to start piecing together my Extremadura report.

Cromer and Sherringham.

Started on the patch but it was still very quiet. A Whimbrel was my first of the year and so was a Common Whitethroat both at the OSW.
The rest of the patch was quiet James had a Willow Warbler at the NSW but when I got there they had already passed through. 3 Wheatear still in the NSW compound.

Come late afternoon we were really bored so took a trip up to North Norfolk heading for Cley stopping at Salthouse where I had a distant probable Blue Headed Wagtail but it didn't show outside the long grass.
We moved onto Cley beach carpark where I immediately spotted this cracking Blue headed Wagtail.

Then another year tick was 2 very nice Little Ringed Plover.

Whilst watching the Plovers it was great to hear flocks of Sandwich Terns heading towards the point.
It was amazing to see 30-40 Wheatears all along the coast from Salthouse to Cley.

Cley windmill looked great as ever. Digiscoped from the beach carpark.

We then headed to Sherringham for a cracking evening on the sea front watching the sun go down as we ate our fish n chips.

Then we finished the day with a Beer and an ice cream on Cromer pier, just love it awesome evening.

Oh how good it is to just be an hours drive from our favourite locations.
Back home the moon was stunning.

Local

Started early on the patch and it was flaming still raining, when will it ever stop. I did a bit of a Seawatch but it was very quiet until 2 Fulmar flew North together. otherwise bugger all.
I reached Radar lodge and still had saw nothing and I stood hoping something would drop in for ages. The rain stopped and the sun shone briefly and that's when the birds started. Small flocks of Goldfinch and Linnets. I then started back towards Corton when a Male Wheatear dropped out the sky onto the fence and then flew to the Gun turret base and then onto the golf coarse.

 A Swallow then flew over and a few Sandmartins started flying around.
Back at COSW 50+ Sandmartins was the pick of nothing still.

The railtrack hosted bugger all so did the pond. James had found some Wheatear and a Black red by the entrance to the NSW, so ended my day there still pouring with but there were 8 Wheatear and the Black Redstart still to save the day.

I'm due something proper soon its far too quiet and it becoming very frustrating.
I did take a quick pic of a Kestrel.

Just hope tomorrows better.

More Local Stuff.

White Stork on the way to work again, one of the Thrigby free flying birds probably.

Back on patch Saturday was very quiet in the rain, a Colour ringed Greater Black Backed Gull Black JC003 I think from South Norway. There were still a few Redwings around.

 

 

Sunday the weather has been superb so it was nice to catch up with a few nice year ticks, 11 Swallows, 75 Sandmartins to lunchtime, 3 Sandwich Tern and 2 cracking Yellow Wagtails. First thing I  had a short tailed lark that could only have been a Woodlark, unfortunately it didn't call as it flew south so could 100% nail the id..Other birds moving were Meadow Pipits and Linnets. A Drake Shoveler was a bit of a surprise sat out at sea. Fulmar made an eye level pass along Corton Cliffs. 3 Sparrowhawks were displaying distantly.

 I then spent the afternoon in the garden taking a few pics of the common stuff and hoping for a flyover something but it didn't really happen.