Great day, great weather & great birds!

It doesn't usually happen like that does it? Great weather & great birds that is!

I set out at 7am with a good frost on the ground, & clear blue skies. I made sure the wheels stayed out of the shadows & headed for Buxton heath. This was so straightforward - unclip shoes from bike, hit "terra firma", listen to Woodlark singing (99) - here's to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, these weren't here until a few years ago after all the scrub clearance, thanks guys!

I did quick circuit of the heath, no Stonechat but at least 3 singing Woodlarks. Dealt with yet another dog-walker with dogs tearing through the habbo', although as i was in a good mood, my delicate approach was met with an unusual polite response!

Then headed on to Swanton Novers, but not before adding a singing Chiff-chaff (100) near Thurning, didn't bother to stop for this one! At Swanton I scanned the treetops, plenty of Buzzards, at least 6 in the air. Then two sound recording attempts at Firecrest went unrewarded. Moving another 250m down the path I gave it another blast, as it went through it's 3rd rendition - I got that instinctive feeling I could here bird singing back!! Stopped the device & yep, no I can definitely hear a Firecrest (101) singing back. Eventually got rubbish views of it high up, it refused to come down & give me a real show. But yippee, this was 3rd time lucky & wasn't sure if this was going to make it on to the list as I couldn't find any here last year.

Now heading for lunch, very civilised at Pensthorpe, then past the plastic & on to the "wader scrape" (it seemed a rather optimistic name to me, but it's clearly justified now!) First birds are 6 Oystercatchers, then 2 Redshank (102) (& about time these were added!). Then whats the small wader back on?? Plover has to be, turns side on - great a Little Ringed Plover!! (103).

Full of food & birds I headed on to Sennowe the sun still shining, 2 Brambling flew overhead, still in the same place as last week! An hours raptor scanning produced 10 Buzzard, several performing beautifully, plus 1 pr Sparrowhawk, Kestrel & then through the bins first, yep looks good, dropped the scope on to it confirmation a Peregrine (104) at long bloody last..........a cracking blue backed, beautifully clean male.

Arrived home at 4PM with 44 miles clocked, good one!