After dropping Dee off at Luton airport early Saturday I headed over to Norfolk for the day to meet up with another Brandon volunteer and RSPB leader Pete Worthy. Firstly to check out his new place in Hunstanton and then to drive the back lanes of the Norfolk countryside.
 |
| Red-legged Partridge - Despite several encounters, we managed not to run any over! |
Eh! The back lanes of the Norfolk Countryside? Yes, a magical mystery tour in which strangely enough you meet very little traffic. It was also a good opportunity to see some of Pete's new patch. Despite not connecting with some of the target birds for the day: Turtle Dove, Montague's Harrier and Grey Partridge, we had a very enjoyable afternoon with Cuckoo, Corn Bunting, many Yellowhammer and equally good numbers of Common Whitethroat throughout the hedgerows.
 |
| Plenty of Brown Hare's on the open fields |
Plenty of Brown Hare's to be found in the open fields and at one stage Pete led me to a family of Adders, sadly something we're not blessed with in Warwickshire. Also of note a very ragged looking Painted Lady, plus Wall, Common Blue and many Small Heath butterflies.
 |
| Yellowhammer - Seen throughout the day! |
We ended up at RSPB Titchwell and after tea and cake took a walk of the reserve to find the usual selection of species. Highlights were a day hunting
Barn Owl, double figure
Little Gull and a family of five baby
Pochard, can't remember ever seeing these before! Being abroad for most of May I could also do with a few more year firsts and this was helped by
Little Tern and
Sandwich Tern, of which there were plenty moving through offshore, along with 300/400
Common Scoter, too distant to ID any Velvet's among them. A brief stop at Holme heading back to Hunstanton produced
Grey Plover,
Lesser Whitethroat and yet another
Barn Owl.
 |
| A very forlorn and scraggy looking Chinese Water Deer at RSPB Titchwell |
Finally, after an enjoyable day and dinner back at Pete's pad, a stop off and walk at Eldernell around dusk on route home. Here a couple of booming
Bitterns, two more
Barn Owls,
♂Marsh Harrier,
Cuckoo,
Fox and a brace of
Common Cranes, unfortunately no sight nor sound of any Crakes!
