East coast migrants and a cracking Kingfisher at Hickling!

Just a morning free, so Norman, Brian and I decided to spend it at Horsey, in the hope of a few migrants. This was definitely a triumph of hope over experience, the wind having been in the west for two days, but it was a pleasant morning and we actually found a few bits and pieces.

We took the Nelson's Head track to the blue container, where almost immediately we began to see Wheatears, Stonechats and (always distantly along fence-lines) Whinchats. Some large flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches needed sorting through, but nothing special turned up.

We stopped off at Hickling on the way home, where a long, largely birdless walk found us at the Bittern Hide. We were just about to leave when an obliging male Kingfisher flew in to feed: maybe my best-ever shots of the species were the result!