Another trip to Draycote Water.

The weatherman had said that Thursday would be the best day of the week for sunshine so I went to Draycote water again to get some more shots of the Pectoral Sandpiper but this time in the sunshine.When I got to Toft that morning surprise surprise it was very dull ,windy and damn cold.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was showing well though which was surprising because there was some lawn mowing going on close by,a couple of fishermen were very close to it's feeding beach and of course a few birders were by the wall looking down on it.It did not seemed to be phased at all by any of this but just keeps on feeding.It must be very hungry!!!!

The rocky area just below the wall all along the Farborough bank was very lively with Meadow Pipits,Grey and Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears all showing well.Also on site but missed by me included a Bar-tailed Godwit,a Ruff and a Rock Pipit.

Visit to Draycote Water.

This morning I shot over to Draycote Water with fingers crossed that the Pectoral Sandpiper that was present at the weekend was still about.

When I got to Toft I saw no other birders about so I feared the worst and Too Late Max had struck again but luckily I bumped into Francoise and she pointed me to where it was.Another piece of luck was that Dave Hutton was there and he had the bird in his lens.

What a great bird and so accomodating as it did not seem to mind us taking shots as it fed on the shoreline.Not a life tick but I was very pleased because I'd missed one at Cley only a few days ago.

Also very close by were 3 Dunlin and a Ringed Plover.A couple of Curlew Sandpipers had been present but I missed them but who cares!!!!

A Visit to the beach at Salthouse.

Decided on last Friday afternoon to have a look at the beach at Salthouse although I knew it was too early for anything decent to be there.

A walk westwards towards the Eye produced several Wheatears,loads of Meadow Pipits and Linnets.In one of the small pools was a lone Dunlin that didn't seem to mind the people strolling closely past as it fed.

A walk to Granborough hill was pretty quiet until what I though was a pile of old ropes turned out to be a juvenile Gannet that was either injured or exhausted.Although a juvenile it was a very large bird with a wicked looking bill.

There was an incident when I was having lunch on the front lawn of the Dun Cow pub at Salthouse when suddenly a very low flying jet fight appeared from nowhere and roared right over the pub.The noise was unbelievable.The lawn got very messy as it screamed overhead and it was not all caused by split drinks.

A Visit to Hickling Broad and Winterton Dunes.

I met up with Pete at Hickling Broad on Thursday morning.I was a bit apprehensive as previous visits there had been a great disappointment.

After nearly 2 hours of walking round we had seen virtually nothing at all but but things improved a tad when we were walking down the vehicle track past the Bittern Hide when we had distant views of at least a dozen Cranes as they flew eastwards,a couple of Marsh Harriers appeared but also at distance and a Hobby made a brief but close appearance zooming very close over Pete's head.

At lunchtime we went over to Winterton Dunes a place I had not been to before but famous for getting some great rarities if the conditions are right.The conditions weren't right of course when we were there but we did see some Stonechats,a Redstart and a Whinchat.Also we witnessed a fight between a Kestrel and a Jackdaw.

A Visit to Cley next the Sea.

Last Wednesday and last Friday I went to the reserve at Cley in Norfolk to see if I could get some decent shots of whatever was around.

On the Wednesday I met up with Pete Walkden in the Bishop's hide where we found it a bit dull and quite breezey and worse of all the birds were quite a distance away.This was the same when I went there on my own on the following Friday.

Did manage to see 3 Spotted Redshanks,2 Little Stints,3 Curlew Sandpipers amongst the more common birds.Best of all I got good views (through someone's scope) of a Pectoral Sandpiper and also was treated to a flyover by 6 Spoonbills.

Nothing much of note was about along the East bank or on the shingle banks on the beach except a lone Little Egret, 2 Scaup,a few Meadow Pipits and a couple of Wheatears.

Along the East Bank on Friday morning loads of Bearded Tits were flitting about but the rotten swine would not stop still long enough for a decent shot so I ended up with loads of shots of the reeds.

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Brandon Marsh Trip.

Went to Brandon Marsh early on Saturday morning and joined up with several mates in the Carlton hide.It was ideal for taking pics the wind had dropped and there was bright sunshine.

Loads of great shots taken then.No!!!!!! It was so quiet it was unbelievable.You would have found more action down in a coal mine that closed down in the 1950's than here.As lunchtime approached most people had left the hide some were so depressed that they walked out with slumped shoulders and were shedding a few tears.

Allright I exagerate a little but it was a very quiet morning the only thing of interest was a KF which stayed mostly on the far pole with it's back to us.Saw a few Common Snipe in front of the East Marsh hide but that was it.Just one of those days.Hey Ho.

Trip to Upton Warren.

Friday morning started sunny and the wind had dropped right down so off I shot over to Upton Warren.However by the time I got to the Moors Pools the there were some clouds floating in and the wind had started to freshen.I hate windy weather for birding!!!!!!

There was a lone Black Tern zooming round the pool and allthough it landed a few times it was always a fair way off and the light was poor with what sun there was was behind the bird.Got a couple of so so shots.

From the last hide a few Chiffchaffs/Willow Warblers were showing and a couple of Ravens flew over.A KF turned up and did some fishing but my efforts to get a fishing shot ended up as the usual failure.My collection of empty water shots is growing very large now.A couple of shots are below.

At luchtime I went to the Flashes hoping the Sabines Gull come in to roost early but of course it hadn't.The usual suspects were showing including Common and Green Sandpipers,a Little Ringed Plover,three Redshanks and 40+ Curlews.A Linnet showed in front of the hide with blue streaks on it's breast.A great rarity? I don't think so but it caused a bit of a discussion in the hide.