Craigs UK Bird Photos

The week started off well, on the way to mothers to drop dog of rach and I nipped into Crosby to get cracking views of the Pallid Swift my first lifer of my trip, we always manage to get something good on the trip down to Derby. The next few days proved equally good with Stunning views of 3 Dottrel 2 Females and a male.

 

 

A male Grey Headed Wagtail, although initially I thought this may be a hybrid due to the slight super, but apparently well within range of thunbergi.

 

 

In with the many Yellow wagtails were 4 Greenland Wheatear.

 

 

Next I had good views of 3 Male Dartfords and then onto Weybourne for a distant Great grey shrike and incredible rach and I had a Male Red-footed falcon fly over our heads,(wicked) which was later seen in Stiffkey. As you can tell this wasn't  a trip for decent photos.

 

 

 

Had a look from Blakeney point for a stunning female Ring Ouzel, although it was a bit flighty. Then I looked from the hill in the village over the marsh and found the long staying Black brant and a Pale bellied Brant in with all the Dark Bellied this was a very nice surprise. 

 

 

Avocet's and Little Ringed Plover were evident in many locations. Titchwell seem to hold more Avocets than usual.

 

 

 

Back to Blakeney for good views of 2 Red Rumped Swallow, I then saw them over the next 3 days Cley, and Weybourne, what cracking birds....

 

 

On my Daily 6am jaunt around the site and heath I found 4 Crossbill 2 Males 1 female and a fledged young being fed by its mother, again I saw this over a few days. Another 35 flew over the site during the week. 3 Turtle Dove were on the Heath. 

 

 

 

On to Titchwell  where a 1st summer Med gull showed well and at Stiffkey fen an Adult Summer Med Gull.

 

 

Then a biggie turned up a 1st Summer female Citrine Wagtail at Cley, (only my third). Although it did always show distantly. There was also a drake Gargeney on the pool.

 

 

Whilst watching the Wagtail I picked up a Stint in Flight I could see the white in the tail and immediately called Temmnicks, when it landed it caused a little confusion as the legs were covered in mud and made them look dark, but we could see the jizz and the braces , eventually everyone agreed it was a Temmnicks, (whooo I got one right!). A White Wagtail was nice.

 

 

 

Tristan rang to say there was a Kentish Plover at Cley! (shit), but I was there!!!!, no at north scrape so I was round there like a flash as this was lifer number 2!. I did manage this god awful shot.

 

 

On returning to see the Citrine Wagtail a day later, I spotted 3 Black Terns fly in, this then turned into 6 then 12 and eventually by the end of the day 30, what an incredible spectacle this was, the count went up to 39 but my max was 30.

 

 

A trip around the broads was nice from Wroxham, where the only bird of note was a Hobby. An a trip on the boat at Hickling broad produce Ruff, Little stint, 2nd Summer Little Gull, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit and 7 Black tern.

 

 

A walk around Weybourne produce another Black Tern early the next morning.

Mother and Father turned up for the weekend so birding was limited, a seal trip to Blakeney point produced Arctic Tern and Spotted Flycatcher, but really little else, oh but whilst I was having supper rach passed me my phone COLLARD PRATINCOLE Salthouse, right folks gotta go, within half an hour I had seen the bird and was back with well deserved pint!!! Whooo this was only my second Collard Pratincole, the first funny enough was at Cley which this bird then relocated to in the week, it gave much better views from here. I had predicted a Pratincole species earlier in the week, but was hoping for Black winged. 

 

 

My Parents left and the birding died down, I missed Hoopoe over the weekend but this wasn't a great loss. The second week was spent looking at the regular breeders including the Stone Curlew, Hobby, Golden oriol, Cranes, Bitterns, Tree pipits and Woodlark. 

 

 

 

I had a walk from Holkham to Burnham over Staith, a trudge through the dunes produced very little, i found a Male Ring Ouzel, female Redstart, Whinchat and a Natterkack Toad, very little for a lot of hard work. Half way through the week a Woodchat Shrike turned up giving me the only opportunity to get some half decent shots.

 

 

I went back for more Brilliant Views of the Pratincole which included good views of 3 Spoonbill, 3 Gargney, 2 Bittern in flight and Whinchat .

 

 

 

The last day was spent at Holme where there were plenty of butterfly's to see and good views of Bittern. The fortnight finished very quite, but we had a hectic couple of weeks birding with plenty of relaxation by the end. A thoroughly enjoyable fortnight.

 

P.s. The order's not strictly correct but then the holiday was a bit of a blur....