Diversions

Wednesday September 14 

During the last few days, we have tried various routes around North Walsham, as our usual through road was closed off for utilities work. Other closures keep popping up to surprise us. We'd planned a last possible trip to Snettisham, before our two weeks in Scotland a week today. Leaving home as early as we could (not early), to get there for a high tide of over 7 metres. The highest tide was two days ago, when the car parks at Blakeney and other coastal villages were under water, with the usual EDP photos of stranded cars..

The road we normally use to get to Snettisham via Dersingham, was closed. What now. Unfamiliar with the area's byways, we had to use the satnav to retrace our journey a few miles, arriving at the chalet park later than planned. 

The gate was propped open, hurrah - but no blackberry picking -  the sea wall thronged by birders and parked heavy vehicles. More works. 

The Wash was.......awash, empty of birds, apart from a shoreline necklace of Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling. Mainly Ringed Plover. 

 


Over-keen photographers, left the walkway, creeping ever nearer to the resting birds, startling them into flight. Field craft? Consideration for the birds? My photos were all taken from the shelter of the car, of necessity, true.


 

As the tide fell, thousands of birds swarmed out from the pits, giving the birders standing on the distant saltmarsh, a fantastic view. We admired the fluid, almost liquid, patterns of wings and rumps disappearing out to await the remaining time before exposed mud, rich in new food sources.

Twenty five Spoonbills have been counted here, I saw seventeen. It has been a very successful breeding year at Holkham. Not our favourite visit here, far too many people littering the shore, it looked like the detritus after a pop concert, people instead of litter. The Ranger had to ask someone not to walk on the edge of the water, so that the birds were not disturbed. I sound like a grumpy old woman.........still enjoyed it though. 

Plenty of food for the birds this year. Snettisham was resplendent in its display of hips and blackberries.

 

One of our way home stops was at Holkham, just in case we could see the juvenile Pallid Harrier found yesterday. Said to be usually found in the Wells/Lady Anne's Drive area, not frequently seen. We spent about half an hour scanning, to no avail. Later news was that it spent this period resting on the ground, not visible from the road. My first Pallid was in Kent, the first time I'd ever seen someone hold a point and shoot camera to a scope eyepiece for a photo. He also put his hood over his head and the camera so that he could see the viewing screen in its shade. That was Richard Porter, our guide on a Biscay crossing/Picos trip. My favourite Harrier is the male Pied Harrier which we saw in China.The male Hen Harriers we see on the Uists take a bit of beating.

I've had an armchair tick his week too.  A South Polar Skua I saw on Scilly in October 2001 has been accepted onto the British list. A tick marred by seeing the bird in a cardboard box. It was found on Gugh and taken into care.

Autumn moths continue to appear in the traps, low numbers continue during cool moonlit nights. Vestals used to be a rarity species, we've had five already this year.


 

Black Rustic


 

Orange Sallow 



Beautiful Plume - not an Autumn species, strictly speaking.

 



 

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