2 Lifers inside 4 days , Montagu's & Dusky Thrush. (1 Mega)

While on a break in Norfolk with Jean I popped into Tichwell for a couple of hours, It's the first time my wife has been here so nearly all the birds were new to her, the favourite being the Avocets .
It's nice to be able to walk the dog on a lead through the middle of the reserve, while here a Spoonbill had been seen by some of the birders, but I missed it.
But to make up for it I see my first ever Montagu's Harrier, I got lucky as a couple of chaps had it in their scope's, they kindly let me have a look through their scope so as not to miss it, as it turned out the bird hangs about for some time.
This was not a birding break so getting the Monties was a big bonus for me.While in the hide I get a year tick with a couple of Common Sandpiper, plus a good Ruff in breeding plumage.

Avocet Jeans favourite of the day

R uff just before the collar ruff comes up that I missed  on camera

Back home & ready to get out with the boy's on Saturday for a trip to Reculver, a Monties has been reported there as well & Jimmy needs to see one for a lifer.
We meet up early with Brian & he tells us the plan has been changed as a mega bird had been reported very late last night, the bird a Dusky Thrush had not been seen here for 54 years.
We arrive at Margate cemetery at 7 o'clock to find hundreds of birders already there, we see many faces that we know and we get to see the target bird right away.
It stays mainly at the top of the tall trees but visible to all, with so many people here to see it the chance of it dropping to the ground are remote. A great lifer for us all, the only down side was I think people should respect that the graves are somebodies loved ones .

Dusky Thrush as near as I got to it.

Off now to find the Monties for Jimmy at Reculver.
We get lucky as soon as we get there, some local birders have it in sight, so we get onto it right away.
It's a long way off so we head off  for a long walk to get a lot nearer to it.
This we do & we get at least an hour of the bird flying around to give us a grand display.
While watching the Harrier a Short-eared Owl pops up for a grand show.
The Red-backed Shrike has shown up a lot farther down the track, so as you do we set off to find it, we walk what must have been 2 miles or more, & it turns out to be in vain so a long walk back that feels like twice the distance.
On the way home the pager goes off to tell of a Cattle Egret near Gravsend, it's not to much of a division to make, so we try for it. When we find the right place it turns out to be a very long walk down a track to get a quick year tick, that makes up for missing out a couple of weeks ago at Grove ferry.
All off us were feeling the strain in the legs, but we are only 43 miles from home now so another great day spent with the boys