A trip of two halves!

8/10/05 Walsey Hills, Wells Wood, Choseley Barns, Titchwell RSPB leaders: Connor

This week there had been a huge movement of rarities along the coast and I was finally able to go out at about at 11:00 am on the Saturday. The main target was Yellow Browed Warbler with other targets including Rose Coloured Starling, Richards Pipit and Great Grey Shrike. We started of at Walsey Hills where there had been two Yellow Browed Warblers this morning. By the time we got there they hadn't been seen for over an hour. I checked many tit flocks but all I could find was Blackcap, two Redwings, four Fieldfares, Treecreeper and five Bramblings.

Friary Hills, Blakeney then beckoned for a Great Grey Shrike. Unfortunately it had been flushed by a Land Rover by the time I had got there! The day continued to get worse. A stop at Wells Wood didn't provide any of the previously reported five Yellow Browed Warblers, just Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel.

At Choseley Drying Barns there had been both Great Grey Shrike and Black Redstart. I got out of the car and fixed my scope on a very distant grey and black blob you could just tell was a shrike. A walk towards it provided more satisfactory views. The Redstart hadn't been seen for some time and I couldn't see it either although a Peregrine flew over for some consolation.

On to Titchwell, the last resort for Yellow Browed Warbler. Here I met the other leaders. Unfortunately they had to leave and about half an hour after this a Yellow Browed Warbler at first gave reasonable views, then more brief views before I got some stunning views when it was in a hedge right to me! A Firecrest was also in the same hedge! Other birds here include Redwing, Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay. Finally the Yellow Browed started calling near Dragonfly Pool but it did not show itself again.