Friday May 29 Birds, Picnic, Ice-cream and Friend = one of our days out. We met up with Pauline at Fakenham Morrisons car park. Not as hot as the previous few days the temperature had risen to 28C, much too hot for us. Today we had a mostly overcast sky with an occasional sharp shower. The latter never lasted long nor were they frequent. We had to work hard for our birds today, there's a lot less song as they are nesting, many are sitting on eggs and migration is temporarily halted. Apart from the occasional anomaly, like the Gull-billed Tern which turned (accidental pun) up at Cley in the afternoon. One could have walked to Lincolnshire from Snettisham, the water was so far out that it could not be seen through my scope. Without sun, it was possible to scope the reserve pit from the causeway. Again, a megalopolis of Black-headed Gulls, but much quieter than last time. There were some brown youngsters amongst the sitting birds. Pauline thought she'd seen a tern species...
Friday May 1 I had a routine blood test at midday which prevented a whole day's birding. As soon as the test was over, we set off for north Norfolk, staying in the Cley area. Midday on a hot early summer day, is not good for bird activity. We saw very little at first, heard a lot more, but gradually accumulated a reasonable list for the first of the month. I can't remember a wholly cloudless day in Norfolk in the past. That's what we had today, with thr temperature rising to 23C. Where have the North Norfolk Nightingale's gone? Just being on Salthouse heath at the right time was bound to find at least one on territory. We even had one in a Hawthorn at the bottom of our garden one year. We added two year birds, a male Bullfinch and a Whinchat. The Whinchat was at the end of Salthouse Beach Road. I managed a couple of poor snatched photos through the gap between the side mirror and the car body before pedestrians frightened it away. One of them was John Furze who warn...
Sunday May 3 Armed with our valid and hard-won, RSPB permit to drive to Snettisham Reserve, we did. It used to be simple. We drove in to the offices at Dersingham, waited a few minutes and were issued with a laminated annual permit. This changed two years ago. We now have to call in at Titchwell. Eventually, I was sent an email with a permit attached which I then printed onto A4 size paper. Not easy to display in the car window if there's a breeze - opening a window or door. First visit to Titchwell this year, the person dealing with this matter was not present. Second visit, a man would not understand Pam's request, then offered her a lifetime or an annual permit. Lifetime? That was new and a good option. Yes to that said Pam. We don't do them any more was the reply. We gave up and left. I wrote an email to the reserve asking for a permit. No reply. A week later, I wrote a second email. Back came a polite letter and the attached permit ready for printing ??? I'l...
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