Monday
9th May fresh ESE Sunny
and warm 21C
An
early morning start today, 4:30AM with not a cloud in the sky and a
superb sunrise. The wind is fresher than yesterday making it cooler
than the last few days.
Lots
of news to catch up on. The year list is now on 239, 22 ahead of this
time last year. I am now in the cafe at Titchwell RSPB reserve, North
Norfolk, having cycled from Kent to here via the Lady Amherst's
pheasant.
Let's
go back a few days . . .
Tuesday
3rd
May light NW sunny, warm
A
cycle to Rainham RSPB reserve for lunch. I couldn't miss out one of
my favourite RSPB reserves, could I? The cycle path along the Thames
took me straight there and also took me away along the great river
before I head inland for Dagenham.
A
crash . . and my fault. I have sunglasses on for the first time this
year and the traffic is stuck along a long road. I cn get through
along the inside, just. Unfortunately to avoid a drain hole I swerve
and hit aside mirror. I immediately stop and so meet Marcia. My
fault, my cost. Sorry Marcia.
The
cycling is rough due to going through the north-eastern edge of
London.
Reaching the Lea Valley reservoirs gives me a break from
suburban roads and, after watching a fox strolling around a large
horse field, a cycle path heads due north along the canalised river
to some prism shaped lodges that make up a youth hostel.
Wednesday
4th
May
light SW
getting hot! Sunny
Off
early in the morning to get to the lady Amherst's pheasant location.
This is the only one, a male, left in Britain so I need to see it. It
will soon be gone.
A
stop in Hatfield to see one of my very best friends was as wonderful
as ever. Coffee and chat, catch up and deep friendship.
Arriving
at the village graveyard, I push the bike up through it and out along
a grassy footpath. Finding the pheasant's haunt, I peer into the
scrub, searching for this amazing looking bird. It calls repeatedly;
a three note call softer than the double note common pheasant. I
don't see it and camp nearby.
Thursday
5th
May light S sunny and hot
24C
Up
early after listening to the Lady Amherst's coaxing me out of my
sleeping bag. It proves almost impossible to see and yet doesn't seem
to be moving around the dense undergrowth. Garden warbler and
blackcap sing in bushes adjacent to the wood and a cuckoo flies over.
Three more birders arrive to help with the search; Laurence and John
from Cirencester, and Peter from Cornwall.
Around
8:00am I find it! Lady
Amherst's pheasant
onto the list as it shows in a less-than-a-metre area next to a tree
trunk about forty yards in front of us. A photograph of this bird is
a rare thing these days.
Bird
secured I need to get to Norfolk.
The
rest of the day is spent cycling to the Ouse washes RSPB reserve.
Once there the evening is spent in the brilliant company of Steve,
the RSPB farm stock coordinator there. Together we sit in the office
and he tells me every tale of cows over the ages for about two hours.
As
the sun goes down and darkness falls I hear and watch drumming snipe.
Friday
6th
May fresh E very sunny and hot 24C
Early
morning birding at Ouse Washes RSPB reserve, moving from hide to hide
to view over the wet grassland and pools. There are a number of male
garganey and I count five before reaching the visitor's centre for an
early cup of tea with Steve.
A
short-eared owl is a surprise for this time of year. Fifty species of
bird before breakfast, always a good sign.
The
oracle sends a text detailing a purple heron at Heacham. I set off
but I am too tired, shattered by the recent cycling distances. I
reach Welney WWT reserve and decide to stop for some lunch. News from
Gill and Amanda bout a temminck's
stint having just been
found takes me to the hide where the bird can be seen. Bird number
230
and another good one to get. A great white egret pokes ot head out
from behind some tall rushes behind it.
Back
at the WWT cafe I just get some soup when Amanda comes up to me again
to say two curlew sandpipers have been seen right at the far end of
the reserve. We both walk there but the birds aren't on view.
Leaving
Welney, after eating my soup eventually, wonderful carrot and
coriander soup, I leave but can only cycle as far as Downham Market.
A bed is available at the best value Bed & Breakfast in Norfolk
and I am soon in bed. Only after having a relaxing bath though, and
drinking a mug of hot chocolate. I am truly bushed!
Saturday
7th
May fresh E sunny and very warm, 24C
After
an immense breakfast I set off for North Norfolk. One last word on
this Bed & Breakfast; in a county renowned for B and Bs being
expensive, at £35 a night, Chestnut Villa is superb value for money.
A lovely bedroom with ensuite, coffee, cup a soups, tea and hot
chocolate, chocolate bars and milk. The bathroom has
anti-antiperspirants, shampoos, creams and shower caps. June is a
lovely host and so welcoming and helpful.
OK,
advert over.
I
soon reach the cycle path that takes me off the main road and allows
me to sing along to Quadrophenia on the MP3 player.
Dotterel
are today's target and to get to Choseley quicker I take the back
roads after Sandringham. It is very hot and soon two litres of milk
have been drunk.
Reaching
the spot that dotterel seem to have made their migration resting
stage, I join others and search the distant stubble fields for the
special birds with a terrific heat haze making viewing almost
impossible. Someone says they have one in their telescope and
proffers the eyepiece for me to get a view. There is a bird in the
centre of the view but there is no way I can say it is a dotterel. An
eyestripe, a bit of breast and maybe a wing, all shimmering and
indistinct. A view of a different,closer bird is better and so
dotterel
can go on the year list.
I
cycle along the lane towards the famous barns and stop on the hill
adjacent to the dotterel filled stubble. Here at last I get excellent
views of four dotterel.
There
are only three of us at this spot and I can't remember how or why but
the discussion goes onto suppression. I mention to one gentleman,
that a famous case of acting against suppressors was when an Essex
birder claimed he had seem an extremely rare hermit thrush. He hadn't
but was so fed up with certain Essex birders surpressing the news of
rare birds that he made up that he had seen the very rare North
American thrush.
“That
was me,” says the other gentleman in our trio.
Unbelievably
it was too. Nigel Pepper, who in 1994 did such a birding 'crime'. He
claim clean in Birdwatch magazine with a double page spread
explaining his reasons. A hero for making a stand against suppression
or a villain for carrying out the birding cardinal sin of a hoax?
Take your pick but here is the man standing right here with me. Now
what shall we talk about? I heard his explanation.
To
Titchwell for the afternoon, a little gull there in the morning has
moved on. Both temminck's and little stint are here.
I
go to the beach an see a number of little
terns, bird number 232.
I return to the hide to find that a wood sandpiper has just flown
over. Missed it.
I
head for the reed bed where a grasshopper warbler was reeling this
morning.
A
text from The Oracle.... alpine accentor at Gibraltar Point nature
reserve near to Skegness; about ninety miles away. With the sun setting I set off.
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