May 2nd 2010

Dave and I cleared the weather front east of Peterborough that had brought heavy rain to Rugby overnight on our way to Choseley, Norfolk to see the 2 Dotterel that were present yesterday. A Barn Owl was perched by the roadside near Thorney Toll, Cambridgeshire.
Unfortunately in a bitterly strong North Easterly we and a few other souls failed to locate them in two hours of searching the Pea fields finding 2 Wheatear and a female Merlin that settled for 10 minutes on the deck in front us.
Completely frozen we moved on to Titchwell for a welcome coffee then a look at the reserve where we managed 5 Wheatear, 3 Little Egret, male Red-crested Pochard, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 20 Grey Plover, 3 Little Tern, 2 Marsh Harrier but no sign of the Garganey or Long-tailed Duck. Plenty of the more common birds expected here and despite the wind managed 3 Bearded Tit and a few warbler species. Most birders turned back when they reached the coast as the wind was blowing sand straight in to your face but we persevered and came away with 5 Little Tern, 4 Eider, 500 Common Scoter, 5 male Velvet Scoter, 6 Gannet, Fulmar and a Great Skua.
Even though it was a sunny day the cold wind had no effect in warming us up so we headed inland to Weeting Heath National Nature Reserve where we found a singing Wood Lark near the car park, 2 Wheatear and eventually distant views of 3 Stone Curlew.

Richard