Norfolk/Suffolk Part 3

It was the third day of bank holiday birding in Norfolk, and today it was the plan to head down to Suffolk to go to Westleton and Minsmere. 

The day was extremely hot and cloudless, and remained that way all day. We parked at Westleton and began to walk through the extensive heath. Almost as soon as I stepped out the car I could hear the distant and constant song of a Woodlark. Walking towards the sound, I noticed a small bird fly from a bit of heather, then land out in the open - a Dartford Warbler, a lifer, but one I'm surprised I hadn't seen already, considering I have visited heathland habitat numerous times in the past. The day was already going well as I searched for my next targets.

Record shot...but at least it can be identified as a Dartford Warbler

I was accompanied by the song of at least one Woodlark all the time as I walked through the many tracks, but never managed to locate the bird. There were many Stonechats perching on the tops of bushes, carrying food.

Just as I approached an area with many trees and dense bushes, I heard the distant, but unmistakable, song of a Nightingale! As I approached the area where the song came from, it became apparent that there were three singing. The next half hour was filled pacing and waiting for one to fly in to view, and eventually, I got a very brief view of one sitting in the bush before it dropped back down in to the dense undergrowth - 2nd lifer of the day. The Nightingale was also accompanied by a singing Garden Warbler, a bird that was new for me last year but one I have seen and heard 5 of this year, and during the weekend I had heard 3.

The rest of the time spent at the heath wasn't as productive as the start, with no new birds seen. I tried every corner of the heath but couldn't find a Turtle Dove. I then managed to get lost, but this led me to seeing a Common Lizard. 

Eventually making it back to the car, we headed down to Minsmere, where we didn't have much time but I was hoping to try for Savi's Warbler. However, after spending an hour in the hide I realised that a warm, cloudless bank holiday at a popular reserve meant it was very busy inside the hide with the door constantly opening and closing, so the chances of hearing a distant Savi's Warbler were pretty slim. The hide did have a couple of Common Terns, a Great Crested Grebe and a lot of Reed and Sedge Warbler though. So after one disappointing search of the wader scrape and a Bittern briefly landing out in the open, I headed home after a successful weekend.