Mainly Norfolk Birding with Gary White

I called the tour August 09 just for the simple fact we might do another in 2009.

Sunday 30th August, The task was simple, the idea was fantastic (I think it was mine) the line up was your host Gary 'Birder' White (right), supporting cast Adam 'Misty Wheatear' Pointer (middle) and James 'Birds and not so much Beer' Emerson (left), also in tow was Claire 'thanks for the lift' White (behind the camera).

The outlines - see as many species as possible, and hopefully many from Pub Gardens, and drink as many different beverages.

The day started well as I cooked myself a nice breakfast, I got Adam and James and we then set off in Claire's car to Titchwell, she joined us on the sober part of the day. Titchwell was quiet, really quiet, the highlight being a small group of Eider on the sea leaves nothing else in the limelight.

We left Titchwell with 60 birds on the list it was now coming up to Midday so the Pubs where starting to open Claire dropped us off at Wells so from here on in public transport was our only means of getting around.

I knew it would be a good day filled with lifers as I don't have 'Birds from a Pub' list every bird would be a new one. Our rules to claim a 'Bird from a Pub' are simple you have to buy a drink.

The first Pub was the Globe at Wells.

This Pub brought me 4 lifers which were amazing; they were Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw and Starling. This is also where the drinking began, Adam had - Spindrift and Adnams, James - Wherry and Guinness, myself Aspall and Carlsberg. We sat and scanned the skies James claimed a Swift which went behind the trees when we both looked up. We then thought a Pub by the harbour would be a good idea before we get the bus so we went to the Golden Fleece.

Here the birds got interesting as we had our quick halves as the bus was due in minutes James a Bombardier, Adam a John Smiths and me a Stella. We added a new species for the day a Lesser Black Backed Gull also a new from the Pub. We also had additional Pub birds including Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Little Egret and Curlew.

With these super birds added we headed to our next destination at Stifkey. We arrived at the Red Lion and already we could see that there were Swallows and House Martins cruising round. So we went to get our drinks and a light lunch of Chips, this time Adam had a Nelson, I had a Sundew and James an Abbots. We sat outside scanning down the Valley a Kestrel hovered in the distance and a Collard Dove landed on the wires just up the road. Whilst buying my next drink a Bulmer's Pear Cider James and Adam had a Greenfinch which I missed. A little while later a Goldfinch flew over and Adam got himself and I another drink he had Bells with Lemonade and I had a Budweiser. Just before we left I spotted a very distant Pheasant.

After the Red Lion bus delays in the Village meant that we had to make a whistle stop tour of Blakeney, a quick look in the not so 'Wild'foul collection was maybe not so constructive to the list as we added nothing but never mind. We then had a very quick drink in the White Horse, me a Becks, James had a Broadside and Adam a Yetmans. Here a clawed back Greenfinch but this was the only bird we saw, nice view down the road from the pub though.

Working out the times we felt it would be best to have a very brief stop at Cley and with a bus running late again it left us with only 8 minutes on the reserve before the next one was due. It was a well worked 8 minutes though adding Green and Common Sandpiper and a Yellow-legged Gull. With that we went to our final Birding Pub location the apple in my eye, the rose amongst the thorns, the Dun Cow at Salthouse. Although the birding was not helped by the cast of Emmerdale playing some quiet good Rock 'N' Roll we still managed a few mores birds and of course a few more drinks.

The new birds seen from the Dun Cow were Greylag in the field, a flyover Cormorant, some fly over Teal a very distant Meadow Pipit , a Stock Dove, an even further away Wheatear a few House Sparrows and a Moorhen. The Moorhen was indeed the last new Bird from Pub that I saw and that meant a total of 25 for the day. Drinks added at the Dun Cow by James was a Theakston's Best, by Adam a Theakston's Mild and a Timothy Taylor. I on the other hand went to town starting with a Fosters was ok but I then spotted a few bird related drinks that I had Black Grouse, Woodpecker Cider and Famous (Red) Grouse. With the drinks done we headed to the bus stop where a horse and a Black Swan kept us entertained.

We then went to the Lobster in Sheringham to have a drink and reflect on the days event's Adam and James had Bangers and Mash I had a small portion of chips as I would be having tea later. But for lucky us there was a beer festival but unlucky for us they had pretty much ran out of beer. Drinks at the Lobster were, James a Straw Dog, Adam a Regatta Adnams and a Kingfisher Crows Cider, I had a Kronenburg, Kingfihser Medium Cider and by mistake another Sundew (the mistake being I had one at the Red Lion earlier).

James had finished his drink in time to catch the early train so Adam and I stayed on and went to the Robin Hood here we notched up a few more drinks Adam had Old Speckled Hen, Greenking IPA and a Jameson, I had a Carling, a Bacardi Breezer, Pernod with Lemonade and a Dalwinne.

That was the end of our tour for August 2009, 66 Species of Bird for the day, 25 from the Pub, and 37 different drinks between us.

Here is a Black Swan just to show we saw more than just empty glasses.

14th October 2009 - A unique Pub the Scillonian III from which we saw a Gannet

Turk's Head - St Agnes, A number of quality species inclueding, Robin, Common Gull, Guillemot, Kestrel, Shag and Peregrine.

A pint of Turk's Ale and Shag and Peregrine added to the list.