Please use the above link for continued access to this site. Its virtually the same address as the original but I had to drop the 'g' in 'birding' because I could n't use the same address.  Hopefully I can contiue to add piccies. Don't forget.....

 

Please let me k now if there are any problems

 

 

 

 

A fine start to the day with a Marsh Harrier east first thing, followed by a couple of geese coming west over Hungry Hill, as they came straight over the garden, I was surprised to see they were Barnacle geese! Garden tick and a TG tick.

A wander along the cliffs at Sidestrand was fairly productive with 21 Crossbill east, couple of flava wags west and a Red Kite that lingered for a while between Trimingham and Sidestrand.  Probably best bird today though was a fine Wood Sandpiper that shared the local reservoir with a Common sand, both struggling to keep a foothold on the sheer plastic banks.  Speaking of struggling, this site has appare ntly reached its optimum capacity for downloads so I am unable to post any pics.  I have tried to create a google apps site which would give me more space but have had  no luck so far. This, coupled with the fact that the 'n' & 'm' keys on my laptop do not work properly, ,means that typing just a few lines has become rather frustrating to say the least!

Having not joined the Lap-botherer's down at Weybourne this winter, I had been quite happy with a close fly-by a couple of weeks ago down at Sidestrand.  A pre-work amble this morning, again at Sidestrand, produced an immediate female Ring Ouzel on the cliff face, shortly followed by a delightful 10 minutes or more with a fairly confiding summer plumaged Lapland Bunting, feeding along the cliff top path.  The walk back along the same path produced a new Wheatear, followed by a nice bright Whinchat.  Also my first Common Swift of the year blazed westwards.  Feels like a good day today, well it would wouldn't it, its a work day!

 

A timely phone call from Paul and Tony , " There's a Rough -leg coming your way now" had ,me scuttling around to the back garden where, low and rapid, a fabulous 2c/y Rough-legged Buzzard powered north-west, just beyond our East hedge.  This one certainly was not lingering.

 

On paper, I thought the weekend looked promising, but despite some glorious weather, locally it was pretty quiet, apart fro a couple of Ouzels and 3 marsh Harrier.  There was, however a pleasant distraction just a couple of miles away in the form of a cracking male Citrine Wagtail at East Runton. 

 

 

 

Spring is my very favorite time of the year.  Emerging from the deathly cold darkness of winter the world seems to quickly come alive.  Life bursts out, is born and re-born.  But we all know that what is born to this world eventually has to fade and leave, a never ending cycle.  So with that, on a beautifully warm spring afternoon yesterday we sadly and regrettably had to say a heart felt fair well to Maddy, our family dog.  Maddy was an enigmatic sprite who shared many a bird walk with me. Indeed, if it wasn't for her I would not have seen half of the wonderful sights I'd encountered in recent years, usually early morning before the rest of the world was awake.  She literally was the proverbial 'best friend', and she will be sorely missed by the whole family, and particularly by me.  Whether she will prove to be irreplaceable, or a very hard act to follow, only time will tell, but our house is certainly going to be quieter, and our lives will have a little less sunshine in it with her passing.  So to those of you, like me, who walked their binoculars and took the dog, do yourself a favour,  just once this weekend leave the bins at home, and enjoy the devotion of your dog because believe me, its not the birds you miss when their gone.

 

 

Tree Pipit 1E

Yellow Wagtail1W

Wheatear 14

Wigeon 2W

Ring Ouzel - male on cliff top,then seen at Hall School

White Wagtail 2 on cliff then W

 

Rouzel

Wheatear - 37 counted, including many 2c/y birds

Ring Ouzel - male breifly on Hungry Hill

Lapland Bunting - male west along clifftop

Meadow Pipit - c200 swarming west in approx 1/2 anhour 1000-1130with Linnet and lesser numbers of Goldfinch

Common Buzzard - a definate migrant E 

Grey Partridge - pair

 

Wheatears