Good Birds - no Photos

 Sunday October 1

Out by 8.30. early for us these days - on a dull grey overcast day. Thus it stayed, all day. It was much better for birds than of late. Six Swallows on the wires at Ebridge Mill was  good start. Our second brood of House Martins left a few days ago.

Even though we missed the height of  very high tide at Snettisham, there was still time to see clouds of Knot morphing along the shoreline. The last pit was full of Greylag and little else. Four men walking along the edge of the pit beyond the Shore Hide probably explained that. They appeared to be collecting something. There were still four cars and a trickle of birders lingering from earlier, with the usual dog walkers and strollers. The plaintive whistle of Grey Plover was the background noise, Dunlin, Redshank, Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Little Egrets, Shelduck, a lone Turnstone and Curlew appeared from, and disappeared down, the many creeks and pools left by the receding water. Hundreds of Oystercatchers stretched out in an endless line, no leucistic youngster visible today. They are easily predated, standing out from the crowd.

The Holme highlight was a Whimbrel, flying rapidly west.

Titchwell was packed. It was their Weekend Spectacular. We only wanted to use the facilities. One of the eldely gentlemen on parking duty - there were four - told Pam that it had been a great success. We'd hoped to see some of the moths but gave up on that idea.

Parking at North Point Pools, Wells is dodgy. The space is small and parking often haphazard. Pam took one look down the track and decided that it was not advisable to go any further. We have in the past parked in the field entrance at the top of the entry road. We pulled in there to turn round - and decided to scope the distant water from there. Distant is the key word. But......it gives one a more extensive view of the water. After a slow and intensive scan, I found the Wilson's Phalarope, the crowd gatherer, walking about on the mud at the back of the pool. Slender and pale, pecking frequently as it speed walked through the ducks, Ruff and gulls. More cars had left than had arrived, Pam mooted that we try the car park for a closer view. 

I refound the bird, which frequently disappeared from view. Unfortunately, Pam had no chance of seeing it as she is unable to use my scope. The Phalarope is the best bird around at the moment, all the goodies are in the west and north west. An unprecedented arrival of American Warblers, in both number and variety.

Maybe we'll get an easterly later in October.


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