Winterton

 Thursday February 1

Pam's early morning post-op visit to aconsultant proved that they are as happy as she is with the results of his work. 

After a cuppa and a long call from Sara, we set off for Winterton. Well. it is the first of the month. A Sea Palling sheep field also had a pair of Stock Doves. Very unusually, they didn't fly when we stopped. I was able to take a few photos for the year folder. I find them very attractive.

 

A field south of Horsey windmill held over a thousand Pinks. We scanned as well as was allowed by the restricted view through hedging but couldn't find any other goose.

Plnty of room to park sideways on in the car park at Winterton, I was able to scope the gently rolling sea. Time and patience resulted in two Red-throated Divers and one Great Northern Diver. Would last week's swans still be on the field puddle? This meant turning onto the road to Hickling after passing through Sea Palling village. This road also leads to a field having a herd of our beloved Galloway cattle, hardy enough to spend their winters outdoors. Less hardy breeds spend the cold season indoors, needing to ne fed hay, haylage and cattle nuts. The road is only just wide enough for two vehicles to pass one another, but we stopped to admire the cows. Feeding amongst them were five Cattle Egrets.

 

The nearest one a juvenile with its pale beak, doing what herons do, sitting hunched up, looking miserable, gazing at the grass.

 

One other was photographable through the trees, also being a heron.

 

Dragging ourselves away, we passed the field containing  a few, also hardy, English white cattle, with their typical long horns and black muzzles. Another Cattle Egret was hunched amongst these. Nowhere safe to stop here.

The large pool still had a good number of swans, a few Mute and Bewick's, mostly Whoopers.  We were looking directly into the sun, which cast a golden evening glow over the silhouetted swans. My photo does not do it justice, Pam's camera managed it better.