Spring is still taking its time to get to Norwich, but a couple of Water Pipits at Thorpe was enough to get me out after work, albeit in the rain. No sign of them, a good poke round turning up the usual stuff, Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler, Teal etc. I was about to leave when I heard a calling Redshank. I spun on the spot trying to pick it out, the second call just as hard to pinpoint as the first. Hoping it had landed rather than gone straight through, I walked to a gap between the willows and scanned the shingle spit. At the end was the Redshank, which strolled around for all of 30 seconds before flying up and off eastwards. On the NN coast you can walk through a marsh full of them, but this was only my second Whitlingham area record, and arguably my best find here this year (how depressing is that?). As I waited for the bus back to the city, no Alpine Swifts went to roost on Thorpe church, which was a shame.
Do not know who saw the WATER PIPITS by the Thorpe (Whitlingham) Station Marsh cattle pound this lunchtime and am unaware of anyone, until today, who has seen that species either side of the river at Whitlingham or Thorpe.
ReplyDeleteRedshank is a bird you have over other Whitlingham watchers for the year but not for our site life lists.
Sorry I do not need alpine swift for Whitlingham!! 2006 Norfolk Bird Report, page 248, finder "J Gilroy". I was waiting at the lights on Unthank Road at the ring road when the pager went off with the bird, 2 April 2006.
Hi Paul.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of Water Pipits at Whitlingham before either, although the Punkbirders have had Rock Pipit when it was still being quarried. There have been some at Buckenham recently, so I presume it was those ones.
I saw on BUBO that you got the Whitlingham Alpine Swift, I don't think I'm likely to catch you there! The Cromer one was my first Norfolk record. Redshank is no more than a good year bird, but it saved me coming home empty-handed!
Best wishes,
James