Anne's Journal

 Thursday May 7 The birds were first reported last night as 'heard' over Eccles.  This morning, a group of 13 bird was found near Hempstead, Eccles area. We were at Cley for the weekly moth session, which was disappointing - as it has been all year. 5 Muslin moths, all in the Centre trap, was the poor total. The other two traps did not even have any flies or other insects in them. Roger was around the area last night and only saw one lit trap, the Centre trap. Are the batteries being charged? After a drink and a chat, we set off home, passing our road to drive on to Lessingham via Happisburgh. A tell-tale sight, about eight cars parked at a steep angle on the verge of a narrow lane. Even better, birders with scopes gazing into the distance. Pam saw the birds on the distant wires, too far for me, turned round as soon as possible, stopping in a wider bit of the lane from which I took a quick few photos before traffic moved us on. Most of the five photos I was able to shoot were ...

 Sunday May 3 Armed with our valid and hard-won, RSPB permit to drive to Snettisham Reserve, we did. It used to be simple. We drove in to the offices at Dersingham, waited a few minutes and were issued with a laminated  annual permit. This changed two years ago. We now have to call in at Titchwell.  Eventually, I was sent an email with a permit attached which I then printed onto A4 size paper. Not easy to display in the car window if there's a breeze - opening a window or door.  First visit to Titchwell this year, the person dealing with this matter was not present. Second visit, a man would not understand Pam's request, then offered her a lifetime or an annual permit. Lifetime? That was new and a good option. Yes to that said Pam. We don't do them any more was the reply. We gave up and left. I wrote an email to the reserve asking for a permit. No reply. A week later, I wrote a second email. Back came a polite letter and the attached permit ready for printing ??? I'l...

 Friday May 1 I had a routine blood test at midday which prevented a whole day's birding. As soon as the test was over, we set off for north Norfolk, staying in the Cley area. Midday on a hot early summer day, is not good for bird activity. We saw very little at first, heard a lot more, but gradually accumulated a reasonable list for the first of the month. I can't remember a wholly cloudless day in Norfolk in the past. That's what we had today, with thr temperature rising to 23C. Where have the North Norfolk Nightingale's gone? Just being on Salthouse heath at the right time was bound to find at least one on territory. We even had one in a Hawthorn at the bottom of our garden one year.  We added two year birds, a male Bullfinch and a Whinchat.  The Whinchat was at the end of Salthouse Beach Road. I managed a couple of poor snatched photos through the gap between the side mirror and the car body before pedestrians frightened it away. One of them was John Furze who warn...

 Monday April 27 Alerted by a friend, we drove to south west Norfolk, armed with a map and a rather sketchy verbal account based on three bushes. We were not confident. Added to this, we didn't arrive until midday. It was a lovely warm and sunny spring day, the temperature rising to 20C. The area was completely unknown to both of us. After a drive through and several map consultations, we parked offroad near a bridge over a dyke. As soon as we stopped, I heard Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler , the latter a year tick. I put Merlin on and it heard a Nightingale as well as the birds mentioned and several other commoner species. The sound seemed to be coming from the opposite side of the road. We drove out and then in again to another good offroad area overlooking the dyke, the bridge and 'three bushes'. Were they THE three bushes? Yes they were. A Nightingale burst into full song soon after we'd stopped, somewhere in the dykeside bushes near the bridge. I ate my lunch wit...

Tuesday April 21 Although we drove to Natural Surroundings this morning, I didn't go down to the chalet for moth trap opening. Pam deemed the path down from the metal gate to be too dodgy for me to walk safely. Pam went down and then brought the morning catch up for me to see.Richard had kept them on an egg box for me. Thank you Richard. For varying reasons, only Mike and Richard attended this morning - and there were few moths, an easterly wind meant a cold night. Best was a pristine Least Black Arches. At home, we had two Oak Tree Pugs, a Dark Swordgrass and our second Muslin Moth last night.  We have made several short birding trips since I last wrote. Cley Beach Road  Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail , Golden Plover, Wheatear. We called again today and had 6 Whimbrel, easily viewable, but too distant and contra jour for good photos. Sedge Warbler along the road and a Whitethroat near East Bank.  Barton Broad A little bird food sprinkled on the back of a bench brought several ...

 Sunday April 12 Another lovely morning - especially if one is cocooned in a car, away from the brisk wind. Holme was the destination, our best chance of seeing migrant warblers from the car. As we drove through the reserve gate, a pair of Stonechats flitted away. Good start. The volunteer at the kiosk asked us if we intended using the cafe. He then went on about being two helpers short and there only being a very limited offering of eats. No problem for us, we came for the birds. Sitting in the NOA car park, we saw a few Swallows fly through  and a first for this year, two  Sand Martins . We could hear Avocets calling from the Broadwater but nothing else. Having eaten our Morrisons steak pie lunch, we drove slowly back,stopping where a birder was scoping the dunes. Two Wheatears and a female Redstart is what he had seen. We watched for ten minutes without seeing any movement at all , apart from birders walking off the boardwalk and through the bushes. An anxious warden c...