Sunday 3rd June 2012

   Early start for me this morning, to get to Blacktoft Sands RSPB, before the Marsh Warbler gets disturbed. Pouring with rain, but hey try anyway. Gate was locked!!!!!! Doesn't open until 9am. Oh well, had a drive around, but very little happening in this weather. Breakfast it is then.
   After breakfast, back to Blacktoft. The weather slowly improved, but still windy. The Marsh Warbler was singing fairly regularly and showing every now and then. Quite a few sightings of Marsh Harrier, Avocets and Tree Sparrows were had over the next couple of hours. But, sadly the Marsh Warbler never sat close enough, or in the open enough to get any shots of it. Also we had 2 flyover Yellow Wagtails.

Tree Sparrow (Adult)

Tree Sparrow (Immature)

 













     

   Decided to travel down to Norfolk for the next couple of days.
   Titchwell RSPB was the first stop, hides would be handy to keep out of the rain!!! Walking towards the hide i noticed a Bittern over the reedbed and a Marsh Harrier, even in the crap weather. Then a large white bird flew across the freshmarsh, Little Egret i thought at first, but as i got a decent look, it turned out to be a Spoonbill It landed on a spit of land on the freshmarsh, near some Little Gulls (there were 21 in total). In the hide, one of the wardens picked up the Bittern again, i told him i had seen it earlier. He then told me it was the first sighting on the reserve for 3 weeks! 2 Common Terns and 3 Sandwich Terns were on the freshmarsh briefly. Then someone picked out the Temmincks Stint, which had been seen the day before, sadly much too distant for the camera. Some Bearded Tits and at least 1 Little Ringed Plovers were seen on the walk back, along with a flyby drake Red-crested Pochard.