Team Local scores!!!!

Post date: Sep 26, 2010 9:10:48 PM

NNE 4-5 Overcast with showers a.m. , constant drizzle from 1430

Grey wagtail- 2 flew north directly over garden first thing - GT

After spurning the advances made by the news that the Empty-Doughnut Flycatcher survived, and was on show on the Point, I spent the morning in Trimingham, doing the circuit twice,flogging the place really hard, with not much to show for it - Common Tern going north over the fields, a couple of Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroat, 4 White Wagtail with a few Pied ,and a single Wheatear.

As the showers started to 'show some balls' I retired to Mundesley around mid day for a spot of sea-watching - Again nothing much doing, couple of Arctic Skua's, few Brent, Little Gull, Red-throated Diver, Wigeon etc. I was expecting more rain at this time, so as it abated I decided to return to some bird finding closer to home. Pond Farm was fairly birdy with my first Brambling nasalling in the sycamores, and a tit flock that also held Chiffchaff, Goldcrest (very scarce last season) and a smart male Redstart. 2 o'clock now, and the drizzle now started and had that 'I aint stopping for a while' feel about it. With that I packed my stuff up and headed home for a hot brew. However, as I was coming in to Northrepps on Hungrey Hill, there was a wagtail on the road, I assumed a Pied that would get out as I approached - but it didn't - and it wasn't! As it sat in the road, about a cars length away it was looking very grey -another White I thought. As I raised my bins for a quick look through the window screen, I did what I always do, announce a rare bird, out aloud, precluded by an expletive- " Its a f****in' CITRINE WAGTAIL!!!!"

An immaculate 1st winter! With it still not moving out of the road I grabbed my camera and saw with disdain another motor coming up the road! I blasted a couple of shots off through the drizzle splattered front screen before the on coming car eventually pushed it off the road where it refused to settle in the field next to it but went high and south. Having my suspicions it hadn't gone far, I ventured down to the Shrieking Pits (with a Stonechat in the cow paddock) where I could hear it calling out of sight from the drainage ditch. Not wishing to flush it, I returned to the car, absolutely soaked, to get my phone to inform the locals, where-after, dispite a thorough search, we failed to relocate it.

Citrine Wagtail - on the weekend of our 1st anniversary in Northrepps

Surely one of the jammiest finds ever!