Bill me!

Those of you that have been to Scotland with me in the past may remember Chris and Anne. They used to run Willowbank Guest House at Granton on Spey where we stopped when I first did the Scottish specialities Tour. Anne was renowned for her culinary delights she procured from the kitchen. Chris on the other hand left an indelible memory giving out whiskey ‘tasters’ and asking my guests to determine the brand. They sold the Guest House some years ago and I started using the Granton Arms Hotel.

A little bizarrely Chris and I knew one another many, many years before I started taking groups to Scotland or indeed before I started ‘Wildlife Tours and Education’, which by the way is now in its 16th year. We hailed from the same part of Yorkshire and we calculated that we once met over a drink some forty plus years ago but didn’t meet again until, at a guess, about 1993 when I first took a holiday at Willowbank. It’s almost surreal how we were able to trace back a chance meeting in our past.

Ever since I first used Willowbank for tours Chris, Anne and I have stayed in touch. We’ve become good friends. Chris and Anne have not lost any of their ability to always be good company and it was a delight to meet up with them this week when they visited Norfolk. They have both generated a healthy interest in birds so it was appropriate we would meet up and go for a walk together down East Bank at Cley. What’s not to love about East Bank?

The over-wintering Long-billed Dowitcher has been a little more sociable of late. This Nearctic visitor has usually been at the far side of the marsh but recently it has been occupying an area close to the East bank footpath. Nice to study that unique snipe-like feeding action so close. Difficult to photograph as it never stops feeding. It eats more than me! It always seemed to have it’s bill in the mud. It did a wing stretch at one point and even then never stopped feeding.

As Chris, Anne and myself watched the Dowitcher yesterday a Peregrine decided to swing over the reedbed. It ended up being moved-along by Corvids; as Bob Mortimer would say “… and away”. However, as the falcon flew over the Dowitcher it was interesting to see it hold its ground unlike the million other waders on the marsh that took flight in panic. Not only did it stand its ground but it crouched flat; maybe in fear, or perhaps defence it half submerged itself in the water. Trying to make itself blend into the marsh by donning a cloak of invisibility. Although it could never match the flock of 44 Snow Buntings we saw feeding on the Sea Wall. Now they really are masters of disguise; easily turning from feather to stone … and back again.

Another Nearctic Visitor

Yet another Nearctic visitor flitting about Cley and Salthouse of late is this Long-billed Dowitcher.

Transatlantic dots

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the Lincolnshire coast to do a little birding. The occurrence of two scarce birds on the UK list at Frampton Marsh RSPB was an opportunity to put that right. A Stilt Sandpiper and a Long billed Dowitcher both from across the Atlantic made landfall on the reserve of late and on Thursday I had the chance to pop around the water and see them. It’s always galling that I can see the reserve across the Wash from the Norfolk coast but it’s a two hour drive to get there.

Instantly on arrival it became obvious that photographing both birds was not really possible without a substantial wait or multiple visits; both waders were extremely distant. The Stilt Sand may as well have been on the Norfolk side of The Wash and it was feeding so vigorously it took on the appearance of a singer sewing machine. The Dowitcher however woke up from its slumber behind a stand of rushes and began a slow walk towards us. 30 minutes later it had halved its distance. It was still a good chuck to reach it but at least was more than a dot on the focusing screen.

Nice reserve Frampton. May go there again.

It wouldn’t surprise me if both birds turned up in Norfolk in the next week or so.