Norfolk Trip

Last weekend I was in Norfolk with Dawn, but it was one of those times when nothing quite goes to plan. There was a couple of Caspian Gulls posing all week on the beach at Cromer, but at the weekend they became really difficult to locate. The adult put in appearance only to be flushed by an over excited young lad - not his fault. I spent far to much time there without any photographic results to show for my efforts. Dawn went off to check out the shops, but there's only so many times you can look around the same shops - apparently.

Titchwell Beach - Away From the Madding Crowd

On Sunday we visited the dunes at Burnham Overy. Instead of making our way to the Barred Warbler that had been there for a few days, Dawn and I wandered off in the opposite direction. I spotted a large warbler in some low bramble bushes, but it was quite distant so I set up my scope. I managed to get a brief view of it, but it was in silhouette because of the position of the sun. Nevertheless I was pretty sure it was a Barred Warbler. It dropped down into brambles and so I moved to a better place with the sun behind me. It eventually climbed back up, but it was very obscured by branches. Sadly it flew from there to some very thick bushes and I never saw it again. I'm pretty certain it was a Barred Warbler, but I failed to get conclusive views.

Sadly Norfolk no longer does it for me the way it used to. The carpark at Titchwell was rammed solid on Friday afternoon with mostly retired birders. The person in the shop kindly asked if I knew my way around. I cheerfully said 'I did thanks'. I'm sure she didn't want to know that my first visits were made in the late 1970's and I knew the place very well thank-you very much. I wonder whether the folks who struggle to to identify the array of common waders on show are in someways getting more of a buzz out of the site than folks with more experience. Back in the day it always seemed like Titchwell was for the 'dudes' and Cley was for more serious birders and perhaps it still is, although I think Cley is about the same these days. Maybe I just don't like crowds anymore.

Spotted Redshank