Tuesday July 14
Birding after only three hours sleep is not to be recommended - but I was fine until late afternoon. We'd arranged to meet Aileen and Bridget at 9.30 in Holme reserve's first car park. It was such a lovely summer morning, we set off early to breakfast in Abbey farm Hide. No Little Owl, one Kingfisher flew silently away and another perched on top of a post in the left hand pool. Five Turtle Doves, three this year's young, idled on top of the mid field telegraph pole and there were more Egyptian Geese than any other species. A lone Buzzard soared nearby as we left.
Two different parties of dog walkers preceded us along the board walk to Gore Point, not a good omen especially as I heard one woman say ' I don't let them off the lead until we get to the water's edge and he's had the squits all week' ! A flock of at least 300 dog-startled Knot flew off east before we settled to scan the sea and the shore. During the next forty five minutes, 3 Whimbrel, a small flock of Common Scoter, two Gannets, Little, Common and Sandwich Tern flew past. The beach held a small mixed flock of Ringed Plover and Sanderling, a single Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Oystercatchers.
Titchwell marsh Pool still had a GCG, no sign of the Red-crested Pochard though. The freshwater pool was full of water, the workmen still working on the Hide - slow progress. We spotted a Ruff, heard a Reed Warbler, saw a couple of Marsh Harriers and left to eat lunch at Brancaster Staithe at high tide.
As the Buff-breasted Sandpiper has departed from North Scrape, we parked at the Centre and walked to Pat's Pool.
Six Spoonbills fed at the back of the pool, too distant to photograph, a few Black-tailed Godwits perched one-legged among the Avocets and a still partially breeding plumaged Little Egret fed in front of the hide.
Birding after only three hours sleep is not to be recommended - but I was fine until late afternoon. We'd arranged to meet Aileen and Bridget at 9.30 in Holme reserve's first car park. It was such a lovely summer morning, we set off early to breakfast in Abbey farm Hide. No Little Owl, one Kingfisher flew silently away and another perched on top of a post in the left hand pool. Five Turtle Doves, three this year's young, idled on top of the mid field telegraph pole and there were more Egyptian Geese than any other species. A lone Buzzard soared nearby as we left.
Two different parties of dog walkers preceded us along the board walk to Gore Point, not a good omen especially as I heard one woman say ' I don't let them off the lead until we get to the water's edge and he's had the squits all week' ! A flock of at least 300 dog-startled Knot flew off east before we settled to scan the sea and the shore. During the next forty five minutes, 3 Whimbrel, a small flock of Common Scoter, two Gannets, Little, Common and Sandwich Tern flew past. The beach held a small mixed flock of Ringed Plover and Sanderling, a single Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Oystercatchers.
Titchwell marsh Pool still had a GCG, no sign of the Red-crested Pochard though. The freshwater pool was full of water, the workmen still working on the Hide - slow progress. We spotted a Ruff, heard a Reed Warbler, saw a couple of Marsh Harriers and left to eat lunch at Brancaster Staithe at high tide.
As the Buff-breasted Sandpiper has departed from North Scrape, we parked at the Centre and walked to Pat's Pool.
Six Spoonbills fed at the back of the pool, too distant to photograph, a few Black-tailed Godwits perched one-legged among the Avocets and a still partially breeding plumaged Little Egret fed in front of the hide.
One of the three juvenile Marsh Harriers in the area, perched on a leaning post in the middle of the reedbed and an adult Coot fed its bald young among the dyke reeds.
A thoroughly enjoyable series of birding cameos - once the garrulous and, unfortunately, lacking in knowledge about both birds and cameras (his chosen subject matter), stopped talking.
A very heavy tropical downpour, accompanied by lightning flashes, caught us up in Sheringham but it was dry at home.
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