2 x SPAT + SHAT + TWAT = 11

Friday 8th May and the SPATwagon was once more rolling down south for some more birding exploits. With me today were Damon (The Dudekeeper), Matt Meehan (of The Welsh Association of Technobirders) and Alan Northern (Staffs Hoteliers Association of Twitchers aka SHAT).

Originally this trip was to go and look at the Savi's warbler in Essex but seeing as none of us tick on call alone this was not worth the effort as the bird was not really showing itself to the masses. Instead we opted to go for some classic year ticks in Cambs, Suffolk and Norfolk making sure we were in the right place if a mega occurred.

Little Paxton was our first stop. Arriving at 5am we got onto Nightingale immediately and very quickly found out the place was stiff with them. Their song was fantastic but they are skulky LBJ's and it took much patience to locate each bird but once on them we got some fantastic views even close enough to see leg rings on one of them. Both Matt and Damon were happy as this was a lifer for them both. We checked out the pits and got common terns but not the black tern that had been reported the evening before which had obviously cleared out.

Happy Campers after bagging Nightingale.

Celebratory Sausage Rollz

(LtoR: Damon, Alan and Matt)

So where to now, well the Lakenheath area was chosen and about 1hr later we rolled up to a well known site for Stone Curlew which, once one of us was bothered to get a scope out the boot, we locked onto. Another lifer for Matt!

This was beginning to look a bit like ticking by numbers and we jumped back into the wagon and headed to RSPB Lakenheath to try for a fave of mine the Golden Oriole. In the past I have been used to early mornings at Lakenheath being glorious still sunny affairs with views of barn owl and gropper and hobbies,etc. This morning was different, it was blowing a gale and we were all a little bit concerned as to whether we would see anything let alone hear the lovely flutey call of an Oriole. So once I had managed to get all my gear ready (much hilarity was had as the gang watched me try and put my camera bag around my waist and fail over 3 times!) we made our way up onto the main path that runs between the fen and the woodland. OMG!! The winds were fierce, this was not at all good, how on earth were we going to get on any birds? We plodded on and caught up with a very pleasant old chap from Berkshire and he joined us in our romp up to the last plantation where we knew there had been reported 2 male birds. On the way we were lucky to get good views of Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Common Tern and many other marshland species. We walked right to the end of the last plantation and didn't hear a call at all. However, at this point the wind seemed to change direction and blow through the forest towards us. If we were to hear a call now would be best as the wind would blow it to us. After about 10 minutes of intense listening we heard the unmistakable haunting flutey call of a Golden Oriole and it was close by. I pretty much thought I knew the vicinity of where it was coming from and started scanning the trees. As I did so I noticed the smallest fleck of yellow amongst the green poplar leaves. I got my scope out and scanned the area and sure enough this speck of yellow turned out to be a stunning Male Golden Oriole!! Everyone got a look through my scope and then tried themselves to get on it. It took most of the throng a good 5 minutes more to locate the bird in their own scopes but this they did and we were all treated to this bird for over 30 minutes as it sat still keeping out of the wind. This was yet another lifer for Matt and what a way to get one of these!

Can you see it yet? - Look Closer.

So elated we went back to the SPATwagon and had a celebration pork pie each. We checked the bird news and as luck would have it 3 Dotterel had appeared just east of Ringstead so off we sped (via the Wolferton triangle for a fruitless attempt at golden pheasant!) we got to our destination (after a triple by-pass of Ringstead culminating in asking a local posh lady for directions) and subsequently sighted 3 female Dots thus and yet another lifer for Matt!

Remember Spot the ball? This is spot the Dotterel!

On the way back to the car we got on another bird for Matt, a Cornbastard was singing in a nearby hedgerow.

Now for Monty's, we got to the site and found a throng of retried raptor watchers reminiscing and having a picnic whilst vaguely waiting for the Monty's to show. Reliably they informed us of a Male and Female bird. "The female is up in the filed somewhere" and the male "off hunting over the road. So we set up camp. Matt needed something out of the car so off he popped, I piped up "you watch it'll show now" and sure enough the farmer appeared on his quadbike, zoomed up the track and flushed the female who showed for about a minute and went out of sight over the ridge. An agitated Matt then reappeared LOL! Eventually he was put out of his misery and chalked up yet another lifer as the female reappeared and gave us prolonged views.

All these ticks were making us hungry so with Dudewell very nearby we opted for here as our final destination. We headed straight for the tea shop and had a posh sandwich each followed by tea and cake. Then a yomp to the sea and back produced only a few year ticks including Ruff and Eider.

We headed back to the car and then as if by magic the dudekeeper appeared to feed the Robins in the car park.

The Dudekeeper!

So that was that, 11 year ticks, now for the long drive home and a curry for dinner. Oh yes some of us were hardy and stayed the course, others were less hardy:

Who is the hooded dude?

Why it is Friar Matt (TWAT)! - with his liccle cushion LOL