Weeting Heath NWT 10th May 2016
Stone Curlew, Weeting Heath
Thus far our holiday had been characterised by beautiful sunny weather; today that changed and we had a day of incessant drizzle. We had hoped to be able to try for Stone Curlew at Weeting Heath NWT again but with the weather now so poor we thought we didn’t have much chance of success going there again but this was our last chance to try for them so we gave it shot and we were not to be disppointed.
We arrived the reserve with a light drizzle falling. In the hide we watched as the drizzle intensified. Be that as it may, this did not stop a pair of Stone Curlews showing really well. We watched for at least half an hour as one mainly sat on a nest (on eggs presumbly; apparently three chicks had already been born on the site) and the other foraged for insects.
We could not really have expected such good views but that’s birding for you. I even mahaged to get some phone – scoped video with one segment lsti g six minutes ! This was without doubt the best views of Stone Curlews that we have had in the UK.
The rest of the day was a bit of a wash-out. We took a walk round Thetford looking for Otters or Dippers on the river Thet and Little Ouse but to no avail. We decided to return home but we too a slight diversion so that we could do the drive between Snettisham and Fring the is supposed to be the place for Corn Buntings. Well, we didn’t see any; the closest we got was a couple of Yellowhammers. So, Corn Bunting remains our current bogey bird.
Year Tick : Stone Curlew
Bird Sightings : 10th May NWT Weeting Heath
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Eurasian Stone Curlew | 2 |
| Northern Lapwing | 3 |
| Eurasian Jackdaw | 8 |
Bird Sightings : 10th May Fring
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Red-legged Partridge | 8 |
| Common Pheasant | 8 |
| Yellowhammer | 2 |
| Common Chaffinch | 6 |