Shuttleworth Lesser spot

Despite the Swiss Gardens being just at the back of College, and Spending many spare hours searching for them, Lesser spotted Woodpeckers had always eluded me. 3 days after hearing one I was finally able to track one down and enjoyed the best views I have ever obtained of the species, as it returned to drum in the same Sweet Chestnut tree, on the top edge of the lake. A Red Kite flew over whilst waiting for the bird to return, and on the return journey a flock of 20 Bar tailed Godwit (Beds tick) flew over farmland below the greensand ridge heading N towards Caldecote and the A1. 2 further county ticks were provided by Ring Ouzel and Wood Warbler (my first for at least 5 years) at Willington the following Sunday. Though generally elusive the Warbler showed well on occasions, with my first Garden Warbler of the year seen and heard along the cycle track. Nightingale was also heard singing in the distance.

The weekend after

Not every day you get to digiscope a Firecrest... This male showed well in the Hawthorns at the back of the NOA Car Park and stopped to preen, long enough to get a few shots and a short video. Saturday saw me record 97 species (all seen) at Snettisham alone, with 107 species seen (of which only 5 were heard) at Heacham, Dersingham and Holme on the Sunday. 119 species in a weekend cart be bad.

One of 3 2nd year Med Gulls on the Pits at the far end of the RSPB (Remember to click on the photos if you want to view a larger image)

One of 5 Whinchat seen over the weekend. This obliging male was taken at Heacham, with others being seen opposite the car park at Snettisham RSPB (Alongside 4 Whimbrel) and Dersingham Bog and Holme (2)

April Half Term

After hearing the Red breasted Geese had departed from Wells, and moved to Kings Lynn I was remaining optamistic that the birds would move around The Wash and eventually turn up at Snettisham. Sure enough, the birds were found friday night and we were watching them by Saturday morning (my first BOU lifer of 07). An added bonus was the Pale bellied Brent Goose that also hung around with the Brent flock, seen on at least 3 seperate occasions and picked out from my camera screen after checking the photos I had taken of the Red breasted! This bird was a UK400 club tick as I have always missed them whenever we had headed over towards Cley. The brent Goose photos either side were taken on the brackish marsh at Titchwell RSPB.

This female Common Scoter spent about a week on the pits and gave the best views I have ever had of the species. The Black-eared Kite was seen well on 3 more occasions and the female Serin at Heacham S beach just made into the northern corner of the Coastal Park, counting as a Coastal Park tick and giving me my 204th Snettisham species. A Marsh Tit ringed by me in the Coastal Park was the first to caught since 1996, and put my Coastal park list 0n 180. This is made up of anything on Ken Hill Marsh, between the 2 sea walls, (including the beach/out to sea) the road leading to the CP car park, and the fenceline behind the green hut at Heacham S beach

Redstart (Holme NWT) and Shorelark (Snettisham RSPB)

Migration was somewhat slow to get going and only really picked up towards the end of the 2nd week. Whilst Ring Ouzel where everywhere (I must have seen at least 34) Wheatear were really thin on the ground, with 8 being my highest count from any one sight. A summer male Lapland Bunting through Old Hunstanton Dunes was a surprise find and Dartford Warbler and Willow Tit also also added to the yearlist.