DOWNHAM TOWN     V     WISBECH ST. MARY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH

Competition: Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League, Division One

Ticket price: £4

Programme: £1

Attendance: 81

Half time score: 2-0

Full time score: 4-0

Bird species: 71

Mileage: 278

Trip music: None, just witty and intelligent conversation and banter throughout the day!

 

 

BACKGROUND

Whenever I am planning a birdy/footy day out, there are usually several options for the area of the country to choose from involving occasional heart-wrenching choices. Today, there is really only one county on the menu (unless I want to hop on a charter to Barra for the American Redstart and ignore football altogether!): Norfolk.

 

Tottenham Tim is driving his Pochettino Polo today and there are a least four lifers for him in the county. Rather more importantly (and selfishly), there is a lifer for me too: Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, also known as a PG Tips courtesy of white outer tips to its tail feathers. One was found at the weekend and has continued to 'show' up until Monday evening. I say show, as PG Tips are notoriously skulking, but I have to give it a go for the sake of my stalling British List which is increasing as speedily as a bespectacled pensioner in the middle lane of a busy motorway.

 

Left: a typical view of said species - not the actual Norfolk bird - if you are very lucky and patient. Taken by By J.M.Garg - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

It's not much to look at, I know, but it is a highly sought-after, almost mythical, skulking little bastard of a bird and I need it on my British List! I was stuck at work when my mate phoned me to say he was watching the last twitchable Norfolk individual - on Blakeney Point in 2001 - and to add insult to humiliation I even came away empty handed from twelve days on Shetland in September at peak PG Tips time.

 

THE BIRDS

We leave the East Midlands at 4.15am, so we have plenty of time to look for our target birds throughout the day. On the journey, I explain to Tottenham Tim the likely events at the PG Tips twitch: flushing; flight views; long periods of hanging around, etc. Still being a relative beginner, he has likely never experienced a twitch like this but I thought it best to prepare him for the worst.

 

We arrive at Burnham Overy in time to nab the last parking spot in the tiny car park off the main A149 coastal road. I do not want to risk the car park at the Staithe being flooded like some birders found yesterday! A bonus of arriving first thing in the morning is that one sees flocks of Pink-footed Geese heading off he marsh to feed inland. What a wonderful, evocative sight and sound to start off the birding day. A Marsh Harrier lazily flaps over the marsh too.

 

A short walk down the muddy path sees us standing with about thirty or so other hopeful warbler watchers. There has been no sign of the target yet. Suddenly, a guy standing on the seawall sees the PG Tips fly out of a patch of reeds and along a dyke. He obtains good flight views, below his position on the bank, and is sure it is the Gropper.

 

I join him and see a bird fly low down the channel and dive into the reeds. As it banks to land, I get a view of its dark, broad tail but the light is poor and I do not see any white. It is certainly the Pallas's or another Locustella. The fact I see a dark tail would indicate that I have my lifer but I feel no satisfaction or elation, just frustration.

 

What happens next is predictable but unacceptable. Several twitchers cross the dykes at various points - into private fields - and attempt to flush the bird. It is seen in flight two or three more times but the flushing shows no signs of stopping. I finally make a plea for the bird to be allowed to feed in peace for an hour or so.

 

In the meantime, an elderly birdwatcher standing on the bank starts shouting at the ever-growing number of twitchers that the flushers are "a disgrace to birdwatching".  The exchange becomes confrontational and Tottenham Tim attempts to calm things down. One guy is a real idiot and tries to shout down the elderly man with this little gem: "You know nothing about birds mate! What's its Latin [sic] name?" This has to be one of the most ludicrous quotes from a twitch ever! Like you have to know what a bird's scientific name is before you know that trampling reeds for over an hour and trespassing onto private land is unacceptable or acceptable.

 

Before the situation becomes even more depressing, I suggest to TT that we leave and go and look for his Arctic Warbler in nearby Well Woods. At least people seem to be letting the Pallas's be for a while, apart from the Prize Idiot who confronted the birdwatcher with the Latin [sic] test, who single-handedly piles into the reeds again, large camera swinging wildly about his neck, behaving like a spoiled, sulking brat. What a complete tosser.

 

 

A rare respite for the PG Tips at Burnham Overy

Now I am not one of those people who constantly put down twitchers. Nor am I about to become one of those dullards who delight in accessing twitching forums to inform everyone they don't go twitching anymore (NO ONE is interested! Really; NO ONE.). In fact, in my thirty years or so of twitching, I have an almost 100% record of positive experiences from these events and I feel I have benefitted mentally from a vast majority of twitches: I have come away from most with a definite feel-good factor.

Perhaps controversially, neither am I against the occasional flush of a skulking bird, no matter how that goes against 'the welfare of birds must always come first' mantra. Flushes will happen - rightly or wrongly - so better it be an occasional, controlled one than armies of birders continually trampling through the grass or reeds. In my opinion, the rare bird undoubtedly benefits from this controlled environment in the long run.

Later that afternoon, the situation at Burnham deteriorated further. A video emerges of a confrontation between Holkham Estate wardens - the landowners - and twitchers. Twitchers try and defend trespassing in the fields and when the video circulates on bird forums even more birders come forward and defend the undefendable twitchers. This proves how far removed from normality some of my fellow obsessives are when it comes to our hobby: some people really need to get a grip! 

 

Another, more prosaic dilemma is troubling me: can I tick the Pallas's on those flight views?! A mega-stonking lifer begging to be ticked off my list and I am prevaricating! What agony! Anyway, while I am pondering this completely inconsequential problem, we pull up in the huge car park at Wells and make our way through the plague of dogs- does everyone in this fecking country now own a dog? And it isn't just one per person: these people have four, five, six... shitting and barking nuisances -  to where the warbler had been showing up until yesterday evening. By the moping faces of birders on site, there is negative news.

 

TT and I go through the motions and check every tree and bush in the vicinity. It is obvious there has been a clear out of birds overnight: the woods are virtually silent. We manage to see a couple of Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and some Long-tailed Tits but very little else. As dog activity becomes unbearable, we head back to the car. This has not been a good day so far!

On the walk back, a dog-walker asks us what the 'little doocks' are on the pool. We are able to tell him they are Little Grebes. He thanks us and then proceeds to regale us with a tale of when he was shown a 'reet pretty little borrd' at Kessingland: a Wryneck. TT still needs Wryneck for his list, so this was a galling tale. 'Shoowin reet well, it wor' (you may or may not have gathered by now that he is from the north-east!). I think young folk call this being 'owned': TT has just been well and truly owned by a dog-walking non birder!

 

Arctic Warbler by Oliver Reville posing the day before I arrived. Little Bugger!

 

It is still only lunchtime and we have an afternoon to fill before the football this evening. There is no bird news filtering out of Norfolk at all, apart from negatives. Despite the Grey Phalarope having seemingly departed, I suggest we head for Salthouse anyway. We can have a quick look on the pools there just in case and there might be something passing offshore. Tottenham Tim still needs a skua - any skua! - for his lowly-list, so he might get lucky.

 

Of course, the Phal has done a flit: another lifer disappointment for TT! We, therefore, spend an hour scanning the sea. It is quiet but small flocks of Gannets and Common Scoters pass by and one or two Red-throated Divers head east at a distance with a couple of Brent Geese powering west. We cut our losses and scan Cley Marshes from the reserve's car park. Finally some birds to sift through!

 

 

Salthouse shingle beach

 

 

Grey Phalarope by Oliver Reville; another one that did a flit overnight!

 

 

From our raised vantage point we can see a few Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Shovelers, Teal, etc. This flurry of activity really whets our appetites and we decide to head back along the coast to Titchwell for a spot of 'proper' birdwatching. Titchwell never fails to produce good bird sightings, so it will be a nice end to a frustrating day.

Half an hour later, we are walking along the raised footpath through Titchwell marsh. The sun is out and we finally embark on some relaxed spotting. First up is a pair of displaying Marsh Harriers soaring in the air towards Thornham. After this promising start, we spend the next hour scanning the scrapes to see what we can find.

 

The monstrous 'new' Parrinder Hide at Titchwell. I have yet to meet anyone who likes it!

 

 

Wader scrapes and hides at Titchwell RSPB

 

 

As usual, some waders and ducks are showing brilliantly from the raised footpath. I don't think birdwatchers can approach waders as closely as they can at Titchwell anywhere else in Britain: it is almost as easy as American birding! Ruff, Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits, Teal and Shovelers are all busily feeding in the mud just below the path. Further out are many more godwits - both Bar and Black-tailed - Dunlin Snipe, Avocets, Shovelers, Teal, and a host of gulls. This is more like it!

 



Black-tailed Godwit

 

Ruff positively glowing in the afternoon sun.

It suddenly strikes me that we can end the day with a lifer for Tottenham Tim. Bless him, the Lowlister has yet to see a Little Owl and I know just the place. We stroll back to the car and head inland to Flitcham Abbey Farm. This 'hidden gem' hardly ever fails to produce a Little Owl or two, so I am fairly positive TT will end the day on a high. I was wrong!

 

 

I rarely fail to find an owl sat in its favourite tree on the reserve but this is one of those days. I momentarily cause excitement when I find what I think is a bird partially hidden in 'The Owl Tree' but it turns out to be a rather convincing piece of branch. We find perching Kestrel and Buzzard and the Egyptian Geese are being very noisy but there is no sign of the target species. We could have stayed longer but time is pressing and we have a football match to get to, so the birding ends on a disappointing dip. Little Owl will have to wait to get onto TT's Life List a little longer!

 

 

THE FOOTBALL

Downham Market lies 18 miles south of Flitcham. The route takes us past Fordham where I have happy memories of watching Golden Orioles every May; their wonderful flutey, exotic calls ringing out from the lines of Poplar trees lining the canal on fine dawn mornings. Sadly, this is a species lost as a breeder from Britain and sadly missed they are too.

 

We arrive at Friends Meadow, home of Downham Town, which looks more like a community park than a sports stadium. A matter-of-fact lady informs me there will be no substantial hot food tonight, just sausage rolls, so we drive into town and seek out a chippie instead. Suitably refreshed, we return to the ground and settle in for the match.

Downham play in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League, a competition I like but is spoilt by too many reserve sides taking part. Tonight they host Wisbech St. Mary, a relatively new club to the league. The last time I saw St. Mary, they provided great entertainment with a 3-7 home defeat by Woodbridge Town. I am hoping for a similar goalfest tonight to boost my sagging Goal Average tally.

 

Despite looking like a community playing field, Fields Meadow does have a small stand. There's a clubhouse too, with a large conservatory-type tearoom-looking feel to it. This is where teas and snacks are served.

Outside, there's a definite autumn feel to the air. A club official is busily clearing away fallen branches from the pitch, no doubt a legacy from the recent storm. There's a couple of fence panels down as well and the surrounds are covered with fallen leaves. I love this time of year.

 

 

 

Downham Town 'clubhouse'

 

 

Entrance to the ground is down a short pathway leading from the clubhouse. A guy is sat in a shed collecting £4 from spectators and selling programmes for £1. The whole feel of this place is more akin to the Hellenic League and its notoriously facility-weak grounds. Still, I like it and it's a new tick for me!

 

 

 

The programme is a typical East Anglian Barnes Print issue. For those unfamiliar with Barnes Print, they produce programmes for free in return for advertising revenue. They then give these programmes to individual clubs who sell them for £1: as far as I can see, it's a win-win situation, so I don't know why more clubs don't take up the offer. The layout has a nice, traditional feel to it as well.

 

 

 

Unlike most matches, this one kicks off on time. It is a real bug-bear with me that teams and officials are at a ground up to 120 minutes before kick off but still cannot manage to get their shit together to start on time. The FA should be much stricter on this issue: there's no excuse for it!

 

 

 

The first half is very fast-paced. Downham came into tonight's fixture without a win to their name this season but look determined to put that right against Wisbech. Quite how a team this good has such a poor record is puzzling because they are two goals up at half time. Both are well-worked efforts belying a team that has a goal average of minus eleven!

 

After I partake of a warming drink at the break, Downham continue the second half where they left off the first and rattle in another two goals. It is an easy win for them and they could have had many more goals. Wisbech St. Mary aren't that bad, just outclassed tonight. Maybe I should follow the visitors more often being as my last two matches involving them have produced fourteen goals!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A skilful mole cuts in from the left wing but his shot whizzes inches over he bar.

  

An uneventful drive home ends a decent, if a tad frustrating day out. Writing this several weeks later, I have come to the decision that I cannot tick the PG Tips on those views even though I am sure it was the bird. Well I say I have made the decision but on certain days I feel the urge to add the little blighter to my list but at the moment I am resisting temptation!

 

When I return home, I wash my Lucky T. Shirt and Lucky Socks pretty damned quickly in case another Mega turns up in the next few days. I don't know, birdwatching is supposed to be a relaxing hobby...