Jan 13 2011

Cley
Perhaps the best record was early on as I left the house when an almost certain Marsh Tit was calling up the road, my second probable recent record of this now major local rarity. It would be good to pin one down.

In clearing weather first stop was Salthouse but no sign of the Snow Bunts, just a Marsh Harrier and a Red breasted Merganser in the drain, plus the inevitable Turnstones on the shingle to photograph. Then East Bank where 10 Bewicks flew high east before I saw the American Wigeon again, plus a Whooper Swan on Popes which took affront at the hunting Marsh Harrier overhead.

Turnstone Salthouse

Then Cley where I was leading a Birds for Beginners walk. Happily there was plenty to see with several thousand Pinkfeet in the area plus hundreds of Golden Plover, 40 or so Ruff and a decent variety of dabbling ducks making a pleasant change from recent walks with frozen lagoons. There was also the novel experience of having a reporter from Anglia Afloat along!

After a fruitless visit to the coast a final visit to West Runton found the regular Med Gull alive and well if looking a little stir-crazy on its post, then back home for a spot of pond cleaning.



Adult Med Gull, West Runton



10th Jan 2011

Spent a couple of hours in the company of the U3A digital photography club at Wells East Quay doing some non-nature photography, which makes a change.  The lunchtime sunshine helped to brighten otherwise flat light and mopst of us got shots which were worth it, just!



Curlew, Wells Quay

 I couldn't resist taking an opportune snap of this Curlew though, even it does prove the point that bird photography requires more patience than I've got.  Bring on the orchids, butterflies and other  insects of summer.

9th Jan 2011

A beautiful, sunny if b****y cold day saw me setting off west for a full day birding the coast.  First stop Wells where a redhead Smew had been joined by a redhead Goosander, while a flock of blobs on the football pitch along the entrance road turned into Grey Partridge, an unexpected bonus!

 





Curlew, Wells

 



Smew in sunshine

   Stopping at various sites along the main road produced Buzzard and Brambling but no Rough legs.  Burnham Overy Staithe was quiet but Brancaster Staithe was much livelier with a few year tick waders such as Barwit and Ringed Plover as well a a bevy of photographers with lon lenses.  Having decided not to get a 500mm lens last year I am happy with my Sigma 150-500, accepting that the results won't really compare, but then I only photograph birds when there's nothing better about so that's OK.




Young Ringed Plover

 



Bar-tailed Godwit

  An Iceland Gull at Thornham proved irresistable but ultimately elusive but the Northern Harrier flew through as did a flock of Twite while Blackwit and Spot Red showed well in the creek.

 


Black-tailed Godwit

 
 


Spotted Redshank

 After a couple of hours the prospect of hot soup at Titchwell got the better of me, so stopping only to admire the adult Whooper Swan near the entrance track I managed to find both a parking space and a seat for long enough to finsih before news of the Iceland came through again, this time at Brancaster.  Still no sign though but a distant Rough-leg over Scolt Head was a bonus, even if views were brief through bins, as was a fly-through ringtail Hen Harrier for sub specific comparison.  After that, back home in the fading light with stacks of Pinkfeet over the road at Holkkham.  Not a bad day especially with 71/2 species of raptor under the belt!

7th Jan 2011

Good day to head west!  Having started in reasonable conditions, by the time I reached Wells Harbour (3 R B Mergs, 4 Lt Grebes and not much else) it was bucketing down.  Happily I could dive out the car at the boating pool (Abrahams bosom!?) straight under a tree to see the 2 smew



Redhead in the rain

 An hour at Holkham failed to produce any Rough-legs, so I came home, just in time for the rain to stop.

Maybe tomorrow!

Of Bugs birds and the New Year

Just my luck.  Having not had any real illness since we retired here 4 years ago, 2 come along at once!
A walk round Cley on 30th Dec to shake off a virus from over Xmas was interesting with Water Rail, Purple Sand and Lap Bunt (west over Arnolds) while Arnolds itself had healthy numbers of waders - would have been superb in the autumn like that!
New Year came with a potter up the coast to Cley followed by fireworks at Cromer and a gathering of friends at home.  The next day started well with 8 waxwings dropping in at Sidestrand but went downhill rapidly with the sudden onset of winter vomiting virus, followed by several days confined to in front of the TV when not asleep.  I did manage to get to see the American Wigeon courtesy of my wife today so now I've got one on my county list I don't have to fret too much again.
Hopefully more fully out and about tomorrow and I may even find the camera to take with me