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20 Nov 2014 Deserted, again

Another game of blog catch-up. On 6 November, I recounted the tale of the male Desert Wheatear at Lowestoft, which I had been one day too early and one mile too far south to find. Don't worry, I cheerfully told Stuart Reeves, there will be another one out there. And there was. Just a few miles further north, a fraction over the county border into Norfolk, a female was found disgracing itself on the beachfront at Gorleston. Images from the Friday and Saturday suggested that this was another extrovert bird - but that there were rather too many birders enjoying it, for my liking at least. So I held off joining the paparazzi on the Sunday, and instead tried to find my own Dessie in Burnham Overy Dunes (failed, but I did see the Surf Scoter off Holkham, plus Rough-legged Buzzard, Great White Egret and a couple of Ring Ouzel).

And thus I decided to try Gorleston before work on Monday 10 November. No crowds, I reckoned. And I was right. I was the only birder there. But no wheatear either. The clock ticked by, and it was time to leave. Just before departing, something told me to check a scrapyard. And there she was! The female Desert Wheatear. All mine, and only mine. She porned, I papped. She headed off onto the beach to forage, I headed back to my car and onto the office. Top start to the week.