A singing Robin greets Dave as he rocks up at 5.30. We are away, next stop Norfolk. Apart from the stop in deepest darkest Lincolnshire for screenwash. A trucker falls asleep at the wheel and nearly wipes us out as his HGV snakes across the carriageway. We hit King's Lynn at rush hour and its all going well. A few birds falling to the day list, the usual suspects. The higher power that is SATNAV brings us to our destination at 8.40. Not bad.
On site in Cley and im glad to report no craziness. And no bird. 'It showed at half 8' and 'you should have been here 5 minutes ago'. Bugger. We get into the position amongst the thronging masses as a tosser of a bus driver runs his horn all the way past the gardens where the sparrow is taking refuge. Then a shout, its in a bush. I see it strainght away. A stripey manna from heaven. It rises to the top of the bush and is showing like Jenna Jameson (dont ask kids!). A flick out of the garden and it performs beautifully by doing nothing but sit atop the brambles. The next few minutes have it showing throughout the paddock behind. A Barn Owl drifts by in the background. Ker-year-tick and Ker-tick, White-crowned Sparrow in the bag.
The rain starts and the coral bill looks less striking as do the stripes as the sparrow grubs around on the drive. Dave got a shot! Atrip to the hostelry is in order for caffeine and bacon sarnies. Cracking!
Down to Salthouse, where Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting and Little Egret go down on the yearlist. Its grim so we decide to have a look for some geese in the fields south of Wells (we fail). It turns out we drove within a mile of both Ross' and Snow Goose in the day. We are still smiling. A Great Grey Shrike is present at Roydon Common. I head off around the heath with a couple of guys from the midlands but Dave hangs back. I see nothing. He sees the bird as it pops up opposite the car park and flies off. Is it stringy? I doubt it, you couldnt look that smug pretending
Richard's Pipit is discussed and rejected as we decide to head home over 50 species to the better including a few little crackers and one very special sparrow.
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