A few days in Norfolk yielded Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Twite, Iceland Gull and Richard's Pipit but didn't have time to go for the White-Tailed Sea Eagle unfortunately!

The Lapland & Snow Buntings showed in a field along the cliff top at Weybourne as did the Iceland Gull although the latter was far more mobile; I saw more Skylarks here than I've ever seen elsewhere, the sky was thick with them and their calls, fantastic! And so on to Salthouse where after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing we latched on to at least 22 magnificent Twite, with a few Reed Buntings, that gave good views including some really close aerial manoeuvers.

The following day at Breydon Water (Suffolk I believe), one of the two Richard's Pipits was less than obliging but did stick its head out for five minutes. We'd heard that the Eagle was in the area but when you've got to go...

In my former guise as wild plantsman extraordinaire I was always pleased to see that herald of Spring known as Coltsfoot (Tussilago Farfara) and it was great to see some today at Ivy Lake, albeit a few weeks later than is usual:


Coltsfoot:

I don't really do much sea-watching apart from a little in the Spring but went down to Selsey Bill today. Pleased to see Great Northern Divers, Red-Throated Divers, the female Eider and a few other bits and pieces. Four Wheatears today on the east side of Pagham Harbour but I went to Medmerry again where there seemed to be much more general activity in the relative warmth. Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Stonechats, Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits all put in an appearance and the Spoonbills and Avocets were still on the pools:



Stonechat:

Yellowhammer:

Three Spoonbills & Little Egret:

On Friday I had a look for the geese at Summer Lane in Pagham but none there at all; I've never had much luck here, I think they may just dip in and out for a day. At the nearby SF a real rarity in Sussex no Siberian Chiffchaff! or any Chiffchaffs for that matter, just a few Pied Wagtails, two Reed Buntings and a Grey Wagtail. On to Easton Lane and Medmerry where the three Spoonbills were present on the pools along with half a dozen Avocets and a Red-Breasted Merganser:



Grey Wagtail:

Mediterranean Gull nearby:

Spoonbill:

Red-Breasted Merganser:

Avocet:

Good to see the "Siberian" Chiffchaff that I found on February 13th at Lidsey SF is attracting the birders. Worth having a look at http://georgeheathpatchbirding.blogspot.co.uk/ if your interested in the salient points of Chiffchaffery.

"Interesting" debate on a Facebook group over what actually counts as "rare" as far as posting to the group goes ie: someones patch rarity is not necessarily a national rarity etc., which eventually led to a "scarce" group being created presumably to appease the nay-sayers...and in the "scarce" group all must be well I hear you say? not really...there's now a debate over what is "scarce"...help me...I feel I'm sometimes ploughing a lone furrow in actually enjoying this for what it is, the chance to see some great things and to go to new and sometimes even lovely places. No lists, no masters, no bullshit!


Soldiering on, a Barnacle Goose was a nice surprise this morning at Lidsey along with plenty of Teal, Wigeon and Shelducks. The four Whooper Swans were also present briefly. At the sewage works (what did I say about lovely places??!!), the Siberian Chiffchaff at last showed really well in the elder bush at the end of the path before re-joining its more common Chiffchaff friends on the far filter bed. Lots of Pied Wagtails there too.



Barnacle Goose:

At East Trout Lake on Saturday, the Tundra Bean Goose was still there with the Greylag Geese:



Tundra Bean Goose & Greylag Goose:

Gadwall on Nunnery Lake:

The Little Bunting was seen in a few different areas of Old Lodge on Friday which shows how mobile the Reed Bunting flock is that it is part of. May have caught up with it at 15:30 when I inadvertently spooked the flock into a Scots Pine by coughing but distance was a problem...


Little Bunting or more likely Reed Bunting?:

Looks to have good face pattern, crown stripe, pink legs, tiny bill and eye ring...but outer crown stripes too pale? Probably then, Reed Bunting...back for another go is probably the best solution!