Heading towards Norfolk this morning we decided to start the day at Holkham and try our luck with the Radde's Warbler. As we headed along Lady Anne's Drive a small covey of six Grey Partridge were seen feeding close to the fence line on the right.
Shortly after leaving the car the first Yellow-browed Warbler was heard calling from a nearby pine tree. Taking the West path we made our way to the crosstracks, and what we thought was the area the Radde's had been seen in. As we scanned the area the rain fell and the first soaking of the day duly followed. We then discovered we had been scanning the wrong area! Two hours in two wrong locations, we eventually found the right area and were soon rewarded with a showy Yellow-browed Warbler that dropped into the brambles. Another downpour and another soaking followed but as the rain eased the Radde's started calling from within the same bramble bushes, it briefly appeared near the top, giving decent views through the bins but quickly took off and headed lower and deeper into thicker cover.
Heading towards Cromer, we made a brief stop at Walsey Hills and found a couple of Jack Snipe busily feeding along the back edge of the reeds.
A Dusky Warbler at Cromer was to be our final destination of the day. We parked up close to Cromer Golf Club and headed up to the lighthouse and down the bank on the other side to join a small group of birders already present. The Dusky Warbler was heard almost immediately, The hard teck, teck call ringng out, then the rain came and the heaviest soaking of the day followed! Eventually the rain eased and the bird started calling again. Several flight views were had as it moved through the vegetation and then some decent views of the bird perched and flitting about among the branches followed.
A decent if wet day with three additions to the year list, the Radde's Warbler also moving the life list up another notch.
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