A Productive Afternoon

 Wednesday November 2

On arrival at Selbrigg, we discovered that we didn't have any bird food. We haven't been here since the Spring, pre car change. The bag of bird food didn't make the changeover, probably because we went to Scotland and needed the boot space. Some food remained in the posts and on the ground, it wasn't long before we'd checked off Blue, Coal, Great and Marsh Tits, Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Robin and Mute Swan for the month list. 

Although rather late to be travelling that far, it was a lovely day when we set off for Brancaster Staithe. This soon deteriorated as we drove west, but the Staithe is one of our favourite places in Norfolk.Only five minutes before high tide, the creek was flooded, water reaching as high as the landing stage platform. We had a late lunch enjoying the view. Turnstones, a lone Oystercatcher, one Black-tailed Godwit and three Dunlin fossicked the shoreline, A few Brent Geese rose from the marsh and a juvenile Marsh Harrier flew along the golf course, across the water. The mussel man came back with a fully laden boat, it was up to its gunwales in the water. He then shovelled the shellfish into the water beside his sorting machine where the outgoing tide soon exposed the massed heap. Hard and cold work. 

A group of scoping birders in the layby overlooking Gun Hill, gave us pause for thought - but there was nowhere for us to park. We had the gateway overlooking Bone's Drift and part of Holkham marsh all to ourselves - until Marcus and his tour guests arrived. The herd of Belted Galloways was much further away today, but they had all six Cattle Egrets feeding amongst them, several landing on the cows' backs whilst we were there.



Hugely cropped photos


Half a dozen Red Kites, a Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier scouted the marsh. Marcus then alerted us to a Rough-legged Buzzard flying distantly over the dunes before reaching the pine belt. It dipped in and out of view above the trees but I saw it well enough through my scope. Thank you Marcus. The bird was not on the news lines nor apps, he had been alerted by a fellow leader's phone call ,he'd had seen it further west, heading in an eastery direction. A lucky sighting. 

Apart from a flotilla of Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Greylag, North Point Pools had little of interest.

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