A Day Out

 Tuesday November 8

Heavy rain at the weekend led us to abort a planned day out. To-day's forecast was better. Indeed, we only had a few drops all day - although,  on the way home, we drove through two places which had evidence of a heavy shower, Fakenham and North Walsham. 

Very few birds en route, the flocks of Pink-feet have had to move inland in search of harvested beet fields. Very little beet is being grown in Norfolk compared with previous years. The fear is that the geese will gradually move away and will be lost to us as wintering birds. The geese are best seen leaving their coastal roosting sites in the early morning. The Brents haven't moved south in any big numbers either, the weather has been so mild.

We called in at Sculthirpe Moor Reserve to buy a cup each of the best hot chocolate in North Norfolk, now that Julian and his van no longer come to Salthouse. Pam asked after the beaver pair which has been re-introduced on the reserve. Apparently, they are doing very well. On the counter was a display of nibbled wood, evidence of their presence - and the size of their teeth.

These are Pam's photos


 


As is usual on Snettisham mornings, when the sun is out, viewing the pits from the north shore is blinding, even more so now that the sun is low. The first two pits along our entry road through the chalet park were empty apart from a few manky Mallard, none of them looked pure. The last pit was full of Greylag Geese and Wigeon. The shore was an expanse of creek and runlet crossed mud, the sheer size of it enabling the feeding bird masses to be spread far and wide. Apart from the large flock of Golden Plover, massed together in a line as always. I identified both Godwits, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Grey Plover and Oystercatchers. Wigeon, Shelduck, Teal and Mallard were present in numbers. We still loved it. Nowhere else can we, as largely carbound birders, view such a variety of waders and water birds.

For the first time in many months there was room to park on Hunstanton cliff top. We lingered long enough to month tick a cruising Fulmar. 

Holkham Park was not productive today, the cattle had moved far away, no egrets of any variety in sight. Pam counts the raptors that we see. Although we only saw one at Holkham, during the day we saw 16 Kestrel, 7 Buzzards - including one sitting on the roadside sign to Sculthorpe - 6 Red Kites and a Harrier sp far away across Thornham Marsh, probably a ringtail. 

During the evening, we watched a truly inspiring programme about an Oxfordshire farm which has been helping young people on the autism spectrum adjust to life. It's completely self funded, the woman who runs the farm having to raise a lot of money every year - and has done so for the last 30 years. Come on Elon Musk, this is where some of your funds should go.               

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