Lee's Birding Blog: Norfolk and Kent

On the 29th of September my family and I went up to Norfolk for the day starting at Cley Coastguards. We arrived at Cley Coastguards at roughly 6.40am where we got out and down a short sewatch which was about an hour or so long. Birds of note were 2 Bonxies flew east, Puffin sat close inshore along with Razorbill and Guillemot, 4 Red-Throated-Divers 3 flew east and 1 west and lots of Gannets mostly flew east.

Then we started to walk up Blakeney Point until the news broke of a juvenile Sabine's Gull back at the Coastguards, as we were walking back we spotted the Gulls diagnostic wing pattern and it landed on the pool nearest to us so we went closer. After about half an hour the Gull showed superbly well down to 30ft.

Juvenile Sabine's Gull which was showing very well on a pool near

cley Coastguards.

Juv Sabine's Gull taken at Cley

After some pleasing photos of the Gull we continued our walk along Blakeney Point and straight away found 3 Snow Buntings feeding on the beach which were unusually hard to approach. Other birds encountered were lots of Redwings, 1 moribund Puffin, 1 Ring Ouzel, Chaffinch, 2 Golden Plovers, Lots of sanderling and hundreds of Meadow Pipits. We then returned to the Car park because we was torn between going for the Paddyfield Warbler or staying in Norfolk.

1 Snow Bunting of the 3 birds that were unusually hard to

approach at Blakeney

After a 10 minute wait we decided to go for the Paddyfield Warbler in Kent and 4 and a half hours later we were watching the Warbler at close range. (down to 3ft)

The light wasn't that good but the pictures came out fairly good. We left the site at around half five but before going we managed to see the long staying Red-Backed Shrike and a couple of Ring Ouzels, we arrived home at about 8.30pm.