Late Autumn Rush, North Norfolk Coast, 24 October 2012

With just an afternoon off and an impending birding-free weekend in Bath I dashed up to the North Norfolk coast in the fog and gloom for a birding fix.

Heading through the lanes to Stiffkey a Common Redstart flew across the road at Cockthorpe before I joined the other cars at The Greenway in Stiffkey and made my way east through the woods. 300 yards RBA had said but was much further than that before I came across the small group of birders and within 5 minutes I was enjoying some crippling views of the Red-flanked Bluetail around some logs and brush piles. The woods were absolutely alive with migrants - Robins, Song Thrushes, Fieldfares, Blackbirds and Redwings all in huge numbers plus a single Ring Ouzel and a late Swallow

With more news from RBA my 2nd port of call was Brancaster Staithe (via an impromptu stop at Burnham Overy Staithe because yours truly obviously can't read properly!). En-route the thrush theme continued with flocks seemingly bursting out of every roadside hedge!

At Brancaster Staithe a walk for half a mile west to a row of willows and the Arctic Warbler was showing on arrival. It's so long since I've seen one of these beauties I'd forgotten how good they are! Another Common Redstart, Chiffchaff, Bramblings and more thrushes and Robins later I had to give up on the afternoon in the gathering gloom and head back to south Norfolk.