9th August 2012
It turns out that instead of looking for waders at Thorpe, I should have been looking for ducks at Whitlingham. Luckily Daniel was, and he found a drake Common Scoter on the Great Broad. I walked down in the morning to check if it was still around, however I was delayed somewhat on Whitlingham Lane as I found a group of five Mistle Thrushes on the recently cut meadows, a long overdue year tick, equalling last years total of 106.
Once I got up to the island, the Common Scoter was obvious, floating serenely in the middle of the broad. I watched it preen and stretch its wings, and eventually it drifted closer to the north shore and began diving. It was excellent to get prolonged views in the sunshine, my only previous views of Common Scoter here was an evening bird at Thorpe three years ago. Bird 107 for the year!
As I began to walk home down Whitlingham Lane I stopped to get a drink out of my bag, looked up and saw a Red Kite soaring over the meadows! A rather tatty one, but nonetheless a patch tick, and bird 108. I now have the rest of the year to see three new birds and break my year list record of 110 from the 2010.
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