Early morning rewards at Holkham

The weekend started with a slight disappointment of the Rufous Tailed Robin doing a bunk on Friday night, although had it of been there I would have been tense all day due to being stuck at work until 5.

I managed to get out this morning and enjoy some good ole Norfolk autumn birding. I arrived at Lady Annes Drive  at 7.30, it felt more like 5.30 due to the chill in the air and the fact that no one was about.
I had a very enjoyable mornings birding with a good overhead movement as well as a good number of crests in the bushes. A couple of crests sounded Fiery but alas I could not locate them in the high pines, there were a few blackcaps and Chiffys around, more so than I had earlier in the week at Waxham.
I made my way towards the 'tower' hide and stopped for a while watching a tit flock move through, the tsee tseeing was gratefully interrupted by a Yellow Browed Warbler, quite a way off but enough to prick the ears up. It eventually came closer and showed fairly well although into the sun..no photos. I'm glad to finally see one of these beauties this autumn, I was begining to wonder if I would. While the warbler was calling my ears suddenly latched onto another call, this time obviously a flyover. I called it as Yellow wagtail at first, looked up to see a large pipit, in the bright sunshine it even looked quite yellow but the call and flight pattern firmly idenified it as a Richards Pipit, great stuff! Then about a minute after that a very pale chiffchaff with a wing bar appeared, a clear contender for Tristis, but the thing wouldn't call so I'll let it go...five minutes of fantastic birding, made the early start worthwhile!

Totals;
Blackbird- lots in off early on
Skylark- light passage West 
Redpoll- 36
Crossbill- 57
Brambling- 25+
Siskin- 110+
Chaffinch- 300+
Goldcrest- 40+
Chiffchaff- 16
Y-B-Warbler- 1, a hint of a second individual further West, but was distant and only heard once.
RICHARDS PIPIT-1 over West at 09.20

Now for the National Hen Harrier roost count this evening, hopefully something will turn up to make it interesting, looks like it'l be a nice clear evening.