Having left Arlesey (Bedfordshire) at 5am, we benefitted from empty roads and arrived at Hickling, in deepest Norfolk broadland at half past six. We had been given pretty poor directions as it transpired and we ended up walking round Hickling Broad a little lost! Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable walk, producing a reeling Grasshopper Warbler and a singing Cetti's Warbler. However, the Savi's Warbler which had been buzzing away in the reedbed for a few days could not be located.
A quick call to Birdline at 8am revealed the bird had been present since dawn and the new directions offered were much more accurate. So, we took the Weavers Way north from Potter Heigham church to the reedbed, where we discovered a small group of birders standing along the path, in the early morning sun. Although the bird had not sung for half an hour, we had been present for only five minutes when a low buzzing drifted over the reeds. After a bout or two of song, I had still failed to see the bird, but a fellow birder had managed to scope it. I had a quick look through his scope and realised the bird was much closer than I had been looking, at about 20 metres. I put the scope on it, where it remained for several minutes, frequently singing in the morning sun. For a dark brown bird, quite a corker! While remaining in the same place, the Savi's Warbler occasionally changed position, allowing good views from all sides. When singing, the bird's beak remained agape, while the throat feathers ruffled.
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After success at Hickling, we spent most of the day enjoying the sunshine outside the visitor centre at Cley, on the Norfolk coast, in the hope that the summer-plumaged Laughing Gull might put in an appearance. Unfortunately, it did not appear, with the highlights being a single Little Gull, nine Whimbrels, some displaying male Ruffs, a Little Ringed Plover and c70 Sandwich Terns. We then drove to Blakeney, where we saw a cool Black Tern resting on one of the pools.
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