A good birding friend of Bob K`s from Australia, Paul Mc, was visiting the UK with a view to seeing a few of the more difficult bird species that grace our little island. A trip was planned and at 4am start on Friday from Bob K`s, with myself and Kev C making up the four in Pauls car. We planned to meet up with Billy J from Middlesbrough & Martin Q from Uppingham at RSPB Minsmere between 9 & 10am. Nice drive down and with the promise of a sunny day, we all met near to where the Stone Curlew`s are usually found at Minsmere. We had a good search around the area without any luck but, a few local birders gave us some information that would prove useful in time! We headed up onto Dunwich Heath for tea and scones then all enjoyed really good views of a male Dartford Warbler, a dashing Hobby was missed by most people. The search for the Stone Curlew`s was well and truly on after going back to our cars. We tried a few tracks without luck, then a tip off from another local soon had us looking at a sitting bird with another walking around, on guard. Great to see them doing really well in this area already having produced a first brood. It was time to get to RSPB Lakenheath next, Paul led the convoy, with a few diversions added in for a bit of fun! The sunny conditions inland at Lakenheath meant that we were all getting a little thirsty, so a drink stop was made. People that know this reserve understand that it is a fairly long walk either by the Little Ouse river track or the one that runs parallel with the train line, also with it being July not many bird songs/calls could be heard. At the end of the long slog we managed to see a cracking Bittern, lots of Marsh Harriers, Buzzard and a lone Kestrel. The reserve is much better visited during the springtime, but never the less it was enjoyable. We headed to our overnight stop at The Bell in Brandon and enjoyed various pints of beer (to stop us all dehydrating) and lovely sit in meal next door of Fish & Chips.
A not to early start, around 8am, had us all heading to Thetford for a Weatherspoons breakfast and then towards Potter Heigham on the Norfolk Broads after a report that two Black Winged Stilts were still on the marshes. What followed reminded me of a Monty Python sketch. Six grown, fairly clever men, all looking at their phones, maps etc trying to decipher the message provided by Rare Bird Alert as to the whereabouts of the Potter Heigham Marshes. A couple of false starts didnt exactly bode too well as we headed of in the general direction. A walk through a cornfield had us all wondering if this was the right path, the rain certainly didnt help either. We next entered a wood and a map on a board clearly showed us were the marshes were, but the advanced party clearly ignored the correct footpath and headed towards Hickling Broad! We trudged on as the rain eased off and after about 20 minutes met a local man who told us about a bird hide around the corner. We all agreed that we were all now on the right path and were soon rewarded by finding two Common Cranes, after a while they flew away, cracking birds. The whole area began to open up and it looked like marshes rather than watery broads, we pushed on. In the distance we managed to find the two Black Winged Stilts, Whimbrel, Marsh Harriers and lots of ducks & geese, nice area. We headed back to our cars along a road/track, a lot quicker than our outward journey, but it was fun! Our final stop was to be Cley next the Sea in north Norfolk, the temperature was beginning to drop as we searched Walsey Hills, the famed east bank and onto the main reserve at Cley, kindly paid for by Paul Mc who was amassing a good selection of new birds in the UK. We met a warden who told us about a Yellow Legged Gull, Yellow Wagtail and a Green Winged Teal that were present, best viewed from Simmonds Scrape. The gull & wagtail showed well but the GW Teal proved difficult, especially as it had moulted out its main vertical white flank stripe, after about an hour of searching and looking at every teal in the area we headed away! Our overnight stay was to be in South Creake in the old school house, it was very quaint. We headed to Fakenham for a lovely evening meal and a couple of pints in another Wetherspoon`s establishment.
After a continental style breakfast we packed up and headed for RSPB Titchwell to see what we could find. Firstly a couple of Red Crested Pochard were seen in advanced eclipse plumage and on the main freshwater area around 20+ Mediterranean Gulls were busy feeding their offspring, they are certainly well established now. A walk to the sea had us watching Sandwich & Little Terns but overall a quiet time for the birds. After tea and scones Billy J bade us all farewell and he headed off home in Middlesbrough. We managed to see a Red Kite about a mile from Titchwell that we thought was a little unusual. Our final reserve was actually in Lincolnshire at RSPB Frampton near Boston, Paul was still doing a sterling job at the wheel, especially along the famous A17. We had to call at The Farm Café near Sutton Bridge for a cup of tea before arriving at Frampton. This reserve improves every time we visit it, a Hobby chasing a few waders around was a highlight for Paul and a pair of Black Necked Grebe complete with young on their backs was a great sight. Now could we get an icing on the cake bird for Paul? Well a visit to the manmade reservoir at Frampton reserve (that feeds the lagoons) might be the place? A sign saying Watch the Turtle Doves from here soon had us actually watching a single dove that sat out for a full 10 minutes! Great bird to end a cracking weekend. Martin Q headed back to his home in Uppingham and we set of for Rochdale. Thanks for driving Paul and hope you enjoyed some English hospitality as much as we enjoyed your company.
