Dydd Gwyl Dewi

 Wednesday March 1

St David's Day

 


Pam had seen  sixteen species of birds in the garden before we left home, I had to wait until Selbrigg before starting to catch up. It's worth a short detour on the first of the month as it adds a group of birds we do not see elsewhere on the route, such as Marsh and Coal Tits and Nuthatch. The route varies from month to month, some destinations are constant. Apart from a quick look at Sculthorpe Mill, it was straight to Snettisham today. Although it was only an hour until high tide, it was still way out, it must have been a low tide. The mass of birds were at the Yacht Club end, a thick pencil streak of carbon Oystercatchers, clouds of Knot, at least sixty Avocets in their own commune, a tenement of Black-tailed Godwit, scattered Dunlin, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew. No haze of Golden Plover today, their plaintive calls bringing Grey Plover to  our attention.

Lovely.

I said it would....... Having had mizzle, a few heavy showers and grey overcast all day, as we started to view the reserve pits, the sun came out. Without fail, this is what happens. Does it matter? Yes, it makes the glare so intense that the features of the birds present disappear into shimmering silhouette. The Cormorants, Greylag and Teal were identifiable.As were the Coot and Moorhen. We left, through the stll open gateway, broken gate still unmended. Deep tracks showed the passing of heavy plant onto the reserve, maybe something will be done when they have finished.

Cliff prospecting Fulmar at Hunstanton, cruising easily along the top edge. I took swift advantage of a scavenging Jackdaw to take a folder photo.

 


Brancaster Staithe is a 'must' visit. Not infrequently, we see gulls filch a mussell from the dump, then, flying high into the air, drop it onto the stony foreshore until the shell breaks. It's always been a Herring Gull, to-day it was a Common Gull. It never chose to fly up where I could use my camera to show it in action. I could see it well on the ground though. 

 


Constantly hassled by three Turnstones, it had a problem keeping its hard won lunch. One even tried to pinch a bite from the mussell whilst it was in  the gull's beak. Entertaining.

 


Bones Drift was not productive. A lorry parked on the marsh, two spade-wielding men  working on the ditches probably the reason. It did not deter four adult Spoobills on top of a nesting tree, their splendid breeding plumes and bright spoons showing well through my scope. Dozens of male Shovellers on the western pools along wiith Teal, Wigeon and lapwing. No egrets of either species.

Our umpteenth temporary roadworks sign, this time a diversion inland via Binham and Holt, meant that we missed Stiffkey. I'd planned a visit to catch up on possible owls and harriers. 

Home in time for some relaxation before tonight's FA Cup match against West Ham which we duly won 3-1. Flattered by the result, one of our goals scored by a Hammer, the other two in injury time after Erik had brought on the cavalry to bolster our 'B' team defense and midfield. Keep the Faith.



 

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