Holme & North Norfolk 17 October 1999
by Gordon Hamlett
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PBC Trip Report Holme & North Norfolk 17 October 1999 by Gordon Hamlett |
Sometimes the weather can be just too good. A prolonged spell of easterly winds had everyone licking their lips in anticipation of what might be around. In the event, the skies were totally clear and bright so that though there were many birds migrating, most of them were continuing inland rather than being forced down on the coast in front of us and flight views only are never that satisfying.
Not that there weren't good birds around, We started off at Choseley, a couple of miles inland from Titchwell where an absolutely cracking male Pied Wheatear strutted his stuff on the roof and walls of one of the local houses. An excellent bird but I'm not sure how pleased any of us would be to open the curtains one morning and see over 50 scopes peering intently towards us.
This is an excellent area to work if you have not been before with plenty of Tree Sparrows around, Fieldfares and Redwings moving in good numbers - something that was repeated everywhere we went - together with fields full of gulls and plovers and hedgerows full of finches. There were plenty of Pink-footed Geese on the move too.
At Holme, there were small parties of Chaffinches and Bramblings passing overhead and we had just found a family party of Stonechats when two birders started running like mad back towards their car. This could only mean one thing and news quickly filtered through of a Red-flanked Bluetail just five miles along the coast, a major rarity from Siberia.
A quick vote saw the party split up, the sensible deciding to stay and watch the migration at Holme with the idiots (most of the 19 who had turned up I hasten to add) charging off and joining the convoy of cars heading towards the churchyard at Burnham Deepdale.
It soon became clear though that bird had quickly disappeared, a pity as it was one of four in the country that day and the only one not to show well. So the convoy moved off to Wells where there were reports of Dusky and Yellow-browed Warblers - more eastern vagrants. Both birds had been seen earlier but naturally, there was no sign of either when we looked. Best bird here was good views of a Brambling, a lifer for several group members.
The group now split up; some went to Blakeney Point where they found a Pallas's Warbler, others to Titchwell where there was a Great Grey Shrike showing and others back to the wheatear.
A slightly frustrating day. There were plenty of rare birds seen - Radde's Warbler and Richard's Pipit were also reported, but with the exception of the wheatear, nothing showed very well. Too much chasing and too few birds. Those who stayed at Holme probably picked the sensible option.
