Not sure if to go to Frampton for the White-rumped Sandpiper or Titchwell for the Semipalmated Sandpiper, decision taken on route was to head to Titchwell.
The freshmarsh is packed with Avocet, Godwits, Dunlin, Knot,Ruff, and a good sprinkling of Spotted Redshanks along with around 15 Spoonbill.
We put the time in searching for the Sandpiper but have no luck so it's off to try our luck at Frampton wishing that we had headed there instead.
As we pull up at the bottom car park it's out of the car & our luck is in as we get onto the White-rumped Sandpiper to get the ticks rolling again. We met up with some birders from Stoke who are around the same number on Bubo as us and they put us onto a Little Stint down by the visitor centre for tick number 2 and it's always nice to put a face to the names. While here we get a good view of the Long-billed Dowitcher it's not needed for a tick but a cracking bird in summer plumage.
When we are nearly home news comes out that the Sandpiper had been found at Titchwell and that is a bit upsetting after the time we put in to seeing it, so we make up our minds to head back on Sunday.
We set of at 5.30am and as we near the reserve news came out that the Semi P had been found but when on the reserve it turns out to be a Common Sandpiper ( shame ).
So we head round to Parrinder hide & settle down for a long watch. While in the hide we meet up with Gordon Hamlet who's book steered us round on our first visit to Scotland a few years ago & it was worth every penny, so really nice to meet him & his lady & spend over two hours talking with him.
Then bingo the flock of Dublin got spooked and when they came back down we spot the Semipalmated with them, it may have been with them all the time but many birders had been looking since first light without luck so who knows, just grateful to have got another tick along with the Curlew Sandpiper for another year tick, so 4 ticks feels good after not getting any for July.
Now feeling very upbeat we are going to drive over to G Yarmouth and try our luck at Breydon Water for a lifer for Jimmy & I as the Pacific Golden Plover is still around.
Parking at the rugby club we set off on the very long walk down to the pumping station.
We are walking at a fair old pace when Brian stops us to say he's spotted a Swallowtail Butterfly,who would of expected that, This slowed us down as we got the cameras out & even better as Jimmy had never seen one so a real bonus.
The pump house still looked a long way off even after 30 minutes walking but with the sweat pouring of us we headed on, my face was the colour of a beetroot but after another 20 minutes walking we arrive to find a few birders with scopes on the bird & within seconds we have another lifer so the walk is forgotten about till we have to return.The luck was really with us this time as the Plover was standing on a pile of horse dung and we had a great side on look at it before it settled back down again as it had been doing most of the time the other fellows had been here watching it.
So what a great two days 5 ticks one being a lifer & meeting some very nice people. sometimes we think we must be mad to do all this but what a great reward for the effort we put in.
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| White-rumped Sandpiper |
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| Dowitcher |
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| The Long-billed Dowitcher |
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| The unexpected Swallowtail |
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| The Pacific golden Plover sitting on the horse manure. |
