Despite Birmingham being landlocked, it only takes two and a half hours to reach north Norfolk. So, after taking my wife to Birmingham, it was off for a days birding in probably the top english county. My first target was the Desert Wheatear that showed to 19.5 metres. Later that day it was showing to 6 feet! A sighting of 3 Shorelarks had me trekking along the shingle ridge at Cley. By the time I had reached Salthouse it was obvious that the Shorelarks had given me the slip but it was now time to enjoy watching and photographing Snow Buntings and Lapland Buntings which were also at very close range. Whilst walking back to the car I found a Little Auk which was freshly dead. It was an incredibly small bird. I long to see a live one at close range one day. Back at the car I had just enough time to see my first Iceland Gull of the year at Edgefield tip. The bird had been reported in a field opposite the tip three hours earlier and was still in the same place.
