Second Coming...second miss!

Eight years ago, to the week actually, there were unprecidented number of Honey Buzzards that had been drifted across the North Sea from Scandinavia and onto the east cost of England. I remember the day well, 'cause I was at work and was watching the excitment unfold via my pager! By the time I got home the excitment was over ofcourse, and the birds had drifted off inland by mid-afternoon. So you can image the look of joy across my face when it soon became apparent that something of a similar situation was beginning to unfold again this morning... when I was at work!!! Honey Buzzards? Honey Bastards more like! I was stuck in and around Norwich, with the pager constantly reporting more and more of these summer migrants being seen all along the North Norfolk coast, knowing that if at home, it would be a nailed on cert for the garden list! Heading back to my office in Aylsham, I decided to take my lunch at Abel Heath, just west of Aylsham, maybe I could get to see one as part of the movement. Picking up a raptor to the east after about twenty minutes, it soon became apparent that this was NOT a Honey Bastard, but an Osprey! And it had obviously just enjoyed some fishing success at Blickling Lake by the look of its lunch it was carrying!

Osprey ..anyone got any chips!

On the way home (now around 1630) I had a straw-clutching watch from some high ground near Roughton for the off chance of a stray Honey, but unsurprisingly drew a blank. I concluded that all Honey Buzzards seen today were A) Immature gulls (accounting for light phase birds) B) At best, Marsh Harriers for dark phase birds! There, now that feels better!

At least the Barn Owl bothered to show up!