Minsmere & Landguard gets me 2 ticks.

With the weather looking grotty all around,we take a chance that Minsmere is going to be nicer than most places & as it turns out we miss all the rain & have a cold but rather pleasant day.
On arrival we head down to the North hide & start the search for the 2 Jack Snipe seen here yesterday.
It takes an hour but we find both of them not to far out from the hide but they stay in the long grass just showing from time to time, it's a good view in the scope when they do move about so a nice start with a year tick for all 3 of us.
We walk all the way around the reserve over the next few hours & see loads of Med Gull, 2 Redhead Smew a single Knot & all the usual stuff but no more ticks are seen despite spending time in the Bittern hide they never show for us today.
On the way out of the reserve we take a quick look at the Glossy Ibis that has been around for ages,not needed for a tick but we always have to stop to watch this funny bird.
We call in at Hazlewood common for another look at the Redpolls & get some good views of the Coues's plus Common & Mealy as they fly from the bushes on to the onion field,this is our third visit here & they never disappoint.
A quick stop off at Landguard on the way home gets Jimmy & myself a good year tick when we find 2 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks by the pier.

The 2 Purple Sandpipers

A distant record shot

Left it to late, Bluethroat gets away.

We had all week to go to Landguard or Dungeness to look for the Bluethroats that had landed there but with the bad weather it never happened.
Then on Friday one is reported at Walthamstow wetland centre only a few miles away but we make another big mistake when we wait to see if it was still there on Sat morning & of course it wasn't.
So one gets reported at Dungeness on Saturday when once again we couldn't go, but we meet up on Sunday with Brian & arrive at Dungeness at first light.
Only 2 other birders were looking along the channel at DengeMarsh gully for the Bluethroat but had not seen any sign.
We spend around 3 hours looking along the Gorse bushes where we see many, many Firecrest to give us a year tick & the odd Goldcrest along with some Chiffchaff  for another tick but no sign of the target bird.
When we decide to head off a small crowd of 30 or more were searching but it turns out to be in vain with no further sign of the Bluethroat, so our own fault ,hope to be quicker off the mark next time.
A drive down to the lighthouse gets us more Firecrest. So a quick look  up on the beach gets us a year tick when we find 2 Black Redstart over the power station wall. Sandwich Terns seen but not by me.
Off home but as usual on the way we pop into Elmley where we see a single Dunlin loads of Lapwing & Redshank, Marsh Harriers,a nice pair of Peregrine display,but nothing that we needed for a tick but it's always nice to spend some time here.

One of the many Firecrest

The single Dunlin

Redshank

In the Lighthouse garden

Snowy Owl ( Lifer ) at Snettisham.

Brain wanted to head to Norfolk on Saturday for the Snowy Owl, but I had family commitments so he waited for me to go on Sunday  which was greatly appreciated as the Snowy would be a lifer for me, Brian & Jimmy had seen the one in 2001 at Felixstowe.
An early start gets us to Thornham Harbour where the bird had been seen a few times at around 7am, but it was very quite with just a couple of birders & not much else,so we shoot off & after a short stop at Hunstanton Cliffs for a year tick when we see a few Fulmar's it's off to Titchwell to look for the Snowy.
Another tick arrives with a Yellowhammer, then a Med Gull adds to my list, later a Rock Pipit makes it a good 4 year ticks, but after walking up to the beach to join loads of people it's not looking good for the Snowy today.
We have a look around  the reserve in the hope news might come through of the Owl showing somewhere near. A look along the channels for Red-crested Pochard is very disappointing with a no show having just spoken to Ray who had told us that there was 8 about.
While thinking about heading  back to the car a fellow has news that the Snowy had been seen at Snettisham,, , a large fleet of cars were soon heading there, it had not come onto our pager until we were nearly there.
With the car parked in the small car park it is going to be a long long walk & at speed it was not easy.
The bird is reported as sitting on a mound behind the shore hide & that is as far as you can walk at this reserve not helped by the dread that the bird might decide to head off.
Thank God as we arrive red faced & aching legs the Snowy is in full view & only 80 or so yards away.
What a cracking 1st winter female for a lifer, the bird is very much awake turning his head from time to time & watching the now very large crowd of over 200 people. On the way back Geoff B passes us at pace on the way to get his tick, nearly didn't recognise him with a new hat.
 What a cracking day.
                                               

Brian with thumbs up on my Lifer.

Cracking bird the Snowy

The Snowy Owl

Part of the very large crowd