That's right I said "Seawatching"...?! A word you haven't probably seen much of you have followed my blog over the past 5 -6 years but yes it was time to drag myself up to the coast and away from the Patch . After seeing the sightings from couple weeks back I decided 2 Tuesdays ago that I should get my self up to Cley or Sheringham . I couldn't get there before 9.30 as jobs I couldn't move so I chose Cley and arrived around 9.45am and joined the line of birders with scopes and was very quickly watching a Bonxies flying close in and chasing a Blackbird ! After a few minutes it moved on and a shout out of a distant Shearwater ... Now I didn't see it although I could see what I thought was a Juv gannet but was told it was indeed a Sooty Shearwater which had been called ,I have to take my hat off to some of the birders there as they have put in many hours of sea watching over the years and can ID something so far out on the horizon which I struggle to find let alone find the features ! Any ways I won't be ticking the sooty but I was pleased to say I did see a total of 12 Little Auks which were a lifer for me and one of the target birds of the day. My next lifer came with 2x Long Tailed Ducks which passed by West close to shore and again I hoped to see. Then a few groups of C Scoters ,a flock of Wigeon passed and 3x Guilemots were a rest in the sea giving great views. Then a couple of Kittiwakes flew west . It was a great few hours and I started to get my eye in in a few of the true sea ducks and there behaviour/jizz. Being around those who are more experienced too helps of course.Inparticlur one birder I stood next to named "Sean" who was a diamond geezer and good company .i decided to Leave just after 1pm . I found it so enjoyable I decided to head to Sheringham the following day . I know I need to do more to get better at polishing my up my Seabird identification .
I arrived and saw 2x birders with scopes and decided to join them rather then going below into the shelter itself. After a few minutes we we're discussing the previous few days birds and introduced each other -Paul (fellow essex boy and Greame a now local lad) were great company aswellas good help . After watching around 6 Little Auks and 8x Brent geese pass through West ,we were soon watching a distant Short Eared Owl which Paul picked up. It was an amazing experience to see this owl as it arrived to Norfolk and we watched it all the way in as it passed over the sea and then buildings and carried on. That was a great time for coffee and celebrated with a Chocolate biscuit ( cheers Paul) and sat watching the rather calm sea now. The weather was a bit to nice maybe but we still managed sone more crackers. I spotted a C snipe coming in and over head along with a group of Thrushes,:Redwings,Fieldfare and a few Blackbirds. Then a cracking Woodcock picked up again by Paul in the distance . We watched it come all the way in and over, very nice and never get tired of seeing these birds . A female Goldeneye,Shelduck and a couple of Guilemots and I decided to leave off and to work.
It's been a good few days birding and I think I need many many more mornings of Seawatching though !
Happy birding
Ricky
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