Birthday Outing

 Saturday October 14

 

 

 A date famous for : the Battle of Hastings, and the birthdays of Steve Cramm, Cliff Richard and Pam. It was Pam's 86th. Many of her previous birthdays were spent on the Isles of Scilly, when the expectation was for a 'good' bird to mark the occasion. She was not often disappointed. I remember Blue Rock Thrush, Common Nighthawk, Blackburnian Warbler and Black-eared Wheatear. We did make at least twenty five October visits during a time when Scilly was THE place to be in October. The western Isles have since taken that title.

Our intention has been to visit Framton Marsh. We haven't been since it became such a well developed reserve with a Visitors Centre. A conversation where it was said that the walk from the Disabled car park was still quite a way and a poor weather forecast changed Pam's mind. Snettisham it was.

As it turned out, despite a strong wind, it was a lovely day. The sun shone from an almost cloudless sky, it was a pleasure to be out and about. The hedgerows were resplendent with their thickly clumped masses of scarlet hips and haws, newly rain-washed, so glistening in the sunshine. 

2023 is what is known as a mast or acorn year, when Oak and Beech produce a heavy crop of acorns and mast, as do fruiting trees and shrubs such as Hawthorn and Hazel.  Conkers, winged seeds and an array of fruits, berries, nuts  and cones are abundant. Unusually, this is the second year in succession when this has happened. It is weather dependent. This year's summer rain has enabled the trees and shrubs to hold on to their leaves for a longer period - we had an early leaf drop last year from drought affected trees. The prickly cases of Horse Chestnuts already lie thickly on the ground below.

No lovely new bird today, we enjoyed those we saw. A white huddle beneath a bramble bush on Snettisham's banks, was the white Oystercatcher. On its own, has it been abandoned? It's usual for young birds to be left to their own devices by the parents, has this one been ousted by its peers? It seemed lively enough when, disturbed from its slumber by a walker, it ran, then flew away. 

The tide was at its lowest. One adult Spoonbill was near enough to identify as were all the usual waders, a line of large white birds along the shore line, shimmering in the heat haze, were probably also Spoonbills. Eight Little Egrets popped their heads and necks up from a deep creek like targets in a fair shooting gallery. After a picnic lunch, cheap petrol at Tesco and a hasty drive through a packed Hunstanton, another equally hasty call at Thornham, we were pleased to find room to park at Burnham Ovary Staithe. One Brent goose, a Knot, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank and Ringed Plover, near enough to photograph - until a camera holding man walked down the slope in front of us. I hesitate to call him a photographer but could use several other nouns.

Andrew B put out a lengthy message on the Norfolk Whatsapp group this week re-iterating that it is forbidden to park in the Holkham Park gateway, it must be kept clear for estate and farm traffic at all times. I could say that we stop not park, but that's pure sematics. A Blue Badge holder exception would be nice.

Home for an easily prepared supper of Waitrose Chinese food. Too full up for cake. We had that to-day, Sunday.