No Fireworks

 Sunday November 5th

What happened to 'Penny for the Guy?'. Not that I regret its passing. The American sourced celebration of Halloween has left remains of grinning, hollow-eyed, orange pumpkins on walls and fences. A particular display in North Walsham was worthy of a photograph, artistry at work. 

Maybe Selbrigg would be worth a visit today. It was. Someone had left the birds some seed. The hollow topped gatepost has gone, as has the sloping gate post prop beloved of Nuthatches. In the few minutes that we lingered, Blue, Great, and Coal Tits appeared for a snatch and fly breakfast, soon followed by a Nuthatch. The pond was overflowing, its unusually muddy brown colour a tribute to recent heavy rain. This is the source of the river Glaveney, the start of its ten mile journey to the sea at Blakeney. Will that be silt filled too?

With a brisk wind and in low, blinding, sunshine, we arrived at Snettisham exactly on high tide time. Hardly believable as the shore was distant. The Wash looked like a slice of a three layer cake. The near, dryer mud, with its pools and creeks, scattered with Dunlin, Grey Plover, Curlew, Redshank and Ringed Plover. The centre, wetter, filling had a rich layer of Oystercatchers, Knot, Shelduck, Golden Plover, and wildfowl. The frosted icing curls of the sea rested on a shoreline of thousands of Knot, and a mixture of the usual waders and ducks. It was only a 4.3 metre tide.

 


The first reserve pit looked empty, then I happened to catch a glimpse of a tail disappearing under the water. The bird eventully re-appeared much further along - and further away. It was keeping a wary eye on the two sets of people walking at the pit's edge instead of on the road. I managed to snatch a few shots as it continued with this behaviour. A juvenile Red-throated Diver. I saw it catch one fish so it will not go hungry. I've never seen a diver on the pits before.

 

Reminiscent of Scilly, the patch of vivid pink Nerine, near the Snettisham Yacht Club, has increased greatly over the years. It looked splendid today. We always had a bunch of them on the table in our Scilly flat, bought on the first day and lasting a fortnight.

Burnham Ovary Staithe still had plenty of water. Two juvenile Brent Geese fossicked at the water's edge.


A Curlew and a few Turnstones were exploring the mud.

 



We meandered home along the north coast, having had a lovely day out. 



 



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