Broads Blitz, 14 April 2017

In between visiting parents and delivering Easter eggs I managed to get some birding in today. First stop was a spot I'd been tipped off about that holds 2 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers and lo and behold they showed really nicely along with a Green Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatchers and an Egyptian Goose family.

Little Ringed Plover male 

Little Ringed Plover female

After lunch I left my Mum and Dad's and headed for Rollesby Broad. Upon arrival my target - the drake Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal hybrid was showing by the carpark together with 3 Mandarin (2 drakes, 1 female). Absolutely plastic fantastic but what a good looking bird!

Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal hybrid

Mandarins

Following that I felt some 'proper' birding was in order so I opted for a walk out to Rush Hills scrape at Hickling. I found the drake Garganey nice and quickly but apart from that the scrape was quiet with 1 Pintail, 21 Avocet, 14 Ringed Plover and 3 Dunlin amongst the regular wildfowl. Along the Weavers Way path a single singing Reed Warbler, 3+ Sedge Warblers, 4 Willow Warblers, Cetti's Warbler and distant pinging Bearded Tits was about it.

Garganey

The reported Glaucous Gull was next near Stalham but the bird I found was far from clearcut. RBA questioned the id from the first photo below which looks extremely Iceland Gull-like! Looking at other photos it does appear to be  Glauc but not the largest or biggest billed one you'll ever see. You never stop learning! I finished the day at Barton Broad where a nice Arctic Tern was showing from the viewpoint with 2 Common Terns plus Willow Warbler and Cetti's Warbler.

Glaucous Gull