May 31, 2008
500th entry - a twitchy day!
My 500th blog entry coincides nicely with a rather manic trip all over east Anglia with Neil. We left my flat just after 10pm yesterday and I got back here at 7pm this evening - needless to say my brain is fried and this entry may well read as gobbledegook!
The birding started in style up at the Nene Washes, listening to at least 6 rasping Corncrakes under a starry sky. This was an experience I had never dreamed possible on mainland England, and I certainly hope the reintroduction programme continues to flourish. Next off was a loooooong drive to the Brecks, where at about 3am we finally heard churring Nightjar and a bonus Long-eared Owl chick begging. I managed an uncomfortable hour or so of kip in Neil's car, but was up again at 5am exploring Lynford arboretum, where the best sightings were a hunting Barn Owl, a perched Tawny Owl and a Spotted Flycatcher. Checking some random good-looking habitat on the drive out of the Brecks yielded pleasing looks at Woodlark and Tree Pipit.
After a big fat fry-up to rally the spirits, we headed to the Great Ryburgh raptor watchpoint - in spite of fly-bys by several Common Buzzards, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk and Hobby, we couldn't detect a Honey Buzzard. Better luck followed at the next site, where a territory-holding Wood Warbler put on a great show.
Next stop was Waxham, where we again got lucky with a Tawny Pipit which conveniently landed on the path in front of us just as we arrived.
A trip to Felixstowe was misguided, as we dipped an Icterine Warbler and increasing tiredness put paid to any further thoughts of birding. This twitching malarkey isn't as easy as it was 10 years ago! I'm sure by the time I get to my 1000th blog entry twitching will be well and truly out of my system - at least until that White Gyr shows up...
Posted by rjhall at May 31, 2008 10:36 PM