When a bird as rare as a Rufous Bush Chat (last one 40 years ago) turns up you have to go see it, right? Awakening from my slumbers at 7-30am on a rainy Saturday morning could not have been more different to what was in store for me on that morning. I decided to check out any bird news whilst having my customary brew and got a bit of a shock, Rufous Bush Chat at Stiffkey, Norfolk I knew what my birding chums werent doing, so knowing that Kevin C would go, and I gave him a call. He was up for it and his wife Dorothy was already making his sandwiches, then the bird disappeared onto the saltmarsh, it was found soon after and at 10-30am we left a rainy Castleton in my car. Our lovely network of motorways came up trumps again with a 20 minute delay before we even got 2 junctions. The journey down the A1 was quite good but as we got onto the A17 the regular wagons, agricultural vehicles welcomed us. News that the bird was still present really helped and it had stopped raining. We cut inland from Fakenham and arrived at Stiffkey around 2-50pm and there were lots of cars parked on the coast road and down Green Lane towards the saltmarsh. We managed to park and Kevin C put his wellies on, wise chap I thought, it was really muddy and slippy out there as we negotiated our way to the crowd of around 60 birders. A few Torvill and Dean impressions later and we were both watching the Rufous Bush Chat. The bird sat out sunning itself on the suaeda and all the many identification features were seen and enjoyed as it ran along catching insects to eat. At this point I would like to add that all the birders present kept a good distance apart and most wore protective masks whilst watching the bird. It also helped that seven policemen had been stationed behind the crowd to remind them about their duty to socially distance etc. Other birds seen: Dark bellied Brent Geese, Great White and Little Egret, Skylark, Curlew, Kestrel. We both really enjoyed watching this mega-rarity and it was well worth the effort to come and see it. A trip along the coast to Holme next the Sea to try to see the three Red flanked Bluetails that had been seen there was our next stop. We parked on a muddy field and were directed onto the golf course as around 30 birders had assembled and were watching the pines. Eventually two Red flanked Bluetails appeared, what nice birds to end our birding day. No trip to Norfolk can be complete without a call at The Farm roadside café, near Holbeach on the A17 for something to eat. We left there around 6-40pm and arrived back at home at 9-20pm, 400 mile round trip, what a bird! Dave O.
