Wednesday 11 June 2014

Burnham Overy - Spectacled Warbler

Tempting though it was, I'd had to ignore the Norfolk Spectacled Warbler for a variety of reasons - that is until I woke up this morning, thought about it, saw the news come out and made an impromptu decision! Gotta go for it..... Four hours later at midday, I was surveying the Suaeda....


Most of the early birds had gone but there was a persistent/changing group of approx 20 on site. Apart from constant chatter and one individual walking tannoy system it was generally good natured! I was lucky in that I had great but distant views for approx 5 mins on arrival, 50m from Gun hill......


I then had to wait another 90 mins before it was refound - 100m from the boardwalk and at last -presentable record shots :-)




Finding a bit of distant suaeda for the background helped but the stark lighting certainly didn't help!






Singing on and off......




We know it's nest building and now lining one of the two nests with feathers!




This one made me smile :-)


And whilst there's plenty of better images out there, I was content to remain in the 25m + zone for this one. And then leave him in peace (until another gallery assembles the following morning!!)


My favourites? Sitting quietly waiting does work!




You have to admire their suppleness!




I'd drunk 1 1/2 litres of water, it was still scorching and I wasn't looking forward to the (mile +) yomp back to the road until chatting to the warden, got a job as gate-man (and a lift) back from the boardwalk!


Thumbs up for a bumpy ride back! Note the special bespoke suaeda/dune camo gear I'm wearing?


Not the sort of terrain to take your car down (a shuttle bus would make a killing!) and three gates later we were back :-)


A molten Tunnocks teacake completed the day :-)  The painful spectre of back to back twitch / lifer dips (Terek Sand and Savi's) had now been laid to rest - wonder where I'll end up next???