Spotted Crake, Titchwell

Having been split between Norfolk and the Isle of Wight the previous evening, we decided to head for Norfolk after checking the weather forecasts.

Arriving at Titchwell shortly before 7am, we made our way towards Island Hide, and located the crake almost immediately.

It was busily feeding among the reeds to the right of Island Hide, it would appear briefly then head back in among the reeds, only to appear again shortly afterwards.

Spotted Crake

We watched as the Crake took exception to the presence of a juvenile Water Rail, and it quickly saw it off. The appearance of the juvenile rail seemed to trick a few people in the hide to thinking there were two Spotted Crake's present.

The freshwater marsh held good numbers of birds, including a very nice Wood Sandpiper feeding close in. Also present were five Spoonbills, 3 Spotted Redshanks, Dunlin, Turnstone, LPR, large number of Avocets and Ruff along with gathering numbers of hirudines, Sand Martins seemed to be present in the greatest numbers but House Martins, Swifts and Swallows were also busily feeding across the marsh.

A short sea watch produced several Gannets, Dunlin and a flock of 15 Eider close in.

The return walk produced good views of a Chinese water Deer.

Chinese Water Deer

At Cley I failed to connect with the reported Temminck's Stint on North Scrape, but did manage to add another couple of year ticks with a single Curlew Sandpiper and 3 well overdue Green Sandpiper's.

Several more scans after the flocks got spooked and took to the air failed to locate the Temminck's but a summer plummaged Knot and a small flock of Dunlin were found.

Curlew Sandpiper