Unexpected End

 Sunday March 3

With  better weather forecast than for yesterday, we set off for west Norfolk. It was my turn to decide on where to stop - a mixture of what I wanted and what I knew pleased Pam. We hadn't driven Valley Farm lane yet this year, we were rewarded with views of two Mistle Thrushes and our first Yellowhammer. Yes, our farmworker friend was waiting, along with his now grey-muzzled terrier. I think that he was getting out of the house as they were expecting nine people to lunch, a regular Sunday event. His wife also cooks meals a couple of times a week for the gatehouse owner whose wife died during Covid - the 'he know when his dinner is ready cos the microwave go ping',  couple. He was amazed to find that we had driven through the deep water on the back lane to Abbey Farm and advised us not to do so today. We didn't, taking the main road as far as the turning to Flitcham. Still no Little Owl sitting.

It's always a pleasure to drive through the immaculately kept Sandringham estate. The gates are magnificent as is the avenue of trees. Unlike the increasingly potholed and uneven road through the chalet park, driven to get to Snettisham RSPB reserve. The chalets are a mixture of well kept wooden and brick dwellings, a mixed blend of old and new static caravans and rundown shacks. No Goldeneye, a few Tufted Ducks and two Great crested Grebes on the centre pit.

The adult grebe kept diving and coming up with what I thought was weed in its beak. On processing my photos, it was obviously a small fish. This was never offered to the youngster nor eaten by the grebe, it just kept diving and swimming about with it. Some sun would have added colour to today's photos.

The tide was a long way out, clouds of Knot and Black-tailed Godwits occasionally rising to fly about before landing again. Redshanks, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Curlew investigating the small gullies and creeks, appearing into and disappearing from view. Always interesting Snettisham. A large flock of Brent Geese made their way inland, their soft gargling in-flight contact calls a feature of our winter north coast.

 

I have been bewailing the fact that there are no longer Red-breasted Merganser at Brancaster Staithe, where they used to be a fairly regular winter sight. After scanning the mussell beds area and the far mud, I turned to look upstream. Carried fast towards, and past, me by the falling tide, two Red-breasted Mergansers were a joy.

A Great Egret and three Marsh Harriers fom the Holkham gateway, two Barnacle Geese amongst the Greylags on the roadside field nearer Lady Anne's Drive. Wells North Point Pools, our last scheduled stop. So much water, no room for waders. It was worth the visit for the Barn Owl which flew across both pools. It was on a mission but I caught it in my scope.

We turn inland at Blakeney, taking the road which passes through Wiveton, and past Natural Surroundings, to Holt. Passing the Wiveton Bell Inn, two cars stopped in front of us near where two people with binoculars were stood in a gateway.  A birder joined them calling across to us that there was a White-tailed Eagle perched. I peered past him and saw a large blob on top of a distant tree - at the back of the field. I managed one shot before my view was blocked completely by excited birders. Blob of the year competitor.

 

This is a young ringed bird, originating from Holland, where it was taken into care.It has spent the winter in north Suffolk. Pam turned round and we took a side road, hoping for a better view. I had two short views of the bird flying, before it disappeared into a distant wood. 

 In the meantime, a Red Kite landed on top of the hedge at the far end of where we were looking.

 

What a lovely ending to the day, all the better for being so unexpected.