Pleasure

 Monday September 16

Blue Sky, warmth, birds and a chance for photography. What could be better.  I can immediately think of a few other enhancements - but I have to be realistic. As planned, we made our way directly to Snettisham after an early start, for us. We left soon after eight a.m., encountering school run traffic in North Walsham with nothing much elsewhere. We knew that it was well past high tide so expected the vast stretch of brown, rippled, muddy sand, interspersed with small pools, which greeted us. A flock of 150 Golden Plover in a long straggle-line, very well camouflaged, just one with a black belly. Curlew, one well ringed, two on each leg, one flag a bright yellow. Pam photographed it using my camera, but only one set of numbers was discernible. Ringed Plover, Redshank, Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit. To our delight, a young Stonechat flew in, landing on a trackside twiggy branch. 

The end pit held dozens of Greylag, Cormorants, eight Spoonbills and several Lapwing. All dozing in the sun. A Great Egret was near enough to tempt my camera into use. Unfortunately, the resulting silhouettes do not do it justice. Such a strong sun and I was looking directly at it.

After the ordeal of the traffic calming bumps along the Holme reserves' entry road, the gravel track out to The Firs is excellent. Recently surfaced and rolled, it was a pleasure to travel. No horses grazing today, instead, there were four young heifers, British Whites I believe, doing the controlled grazing necessary to keep grass conditions right for wildlife. White with black noses, tongue and feet, they are naturally horn-free. Very few birds around but always worth a look. 

Holkham did not detain us long, it was bird free apart from one Marsh Harrier. On to Wells North Point Pools where, from a distance, the water looked quite empty. The surrounding fields however, were full of geese. Mainly Pink-footed, our first of the winter, a few Canada, Egyptian and a lot of Greylag.

Careful scanning of the eastern waters showed half a dozen Ruff, with a few Black-tailed Godwits amongst the Lapwing. One Great Black-backed Gull among the Black-headed.

A horse appeared, its rider guiding it past without disturbance. Suddenly, all the Pink-feet took off, flying east and away from us, calling loudly as they did so. Maybe the horse had spooked them after all. 

It had now clouded over and time to make our way home, we had two moth traps to open. Pam had not put the portable out as she knew we'd have a long day.

Two more Delicates, our sixth so far this month, good numbers of this frail looking immigrant. Large Yellow Underwings fill the September traps, good bat and bird food.