Five Year Ticks

Sunday and Monday January 19/20 

Sunday

We had a good look at the Martham goose site as we drove past, still no obvious place to park on this very busy - and fast - road. A Black Redstart had been reported from the power station/docks area, we haven't seen one for a year or so - nor did we today. The large beachside compound full of piles of metal looked ideal habitat, one Herring Gull its sole inhabitant. 

The beach behind the Sea Life Centre and the delapidated giant Victorian glasshouse is a favoured spot of ours. The old Winter Gardens is the last surviving example of this architecture in the UK. The council has received a £19 million grant to renovate it, when I wonder. We'd hoped that the beach would be empty on a cold and very dull overcast day. No such luck, one large family were playing and another couple were throwing a ball for their dogs. Well away from this activity, six Mediterranean Gulls, lined up on the water's edge. A Pied Wagtail, hanging about near the icecream van was also a year tick for me.

Driving home along the coast road, north of West Somerton, a glostly, very pale, Barn Owl hunted the dykes. A lovely end to the day. 

Monday

Third time lucky? Pam found a verge wide enough on which to park the car so that we could scan the large field where the Martham road joins the A149. Almost as far away as they could get and in a dip to boot, a line of mixed grey geese and Egyptians fed and rested. I could just about manage to make out the salient features identifying Tundra Bean Geese on seven of the birds.

 

Home via Winterton again. The beach car park was open, manned by the Coastguard volunteers who get to keep all the moneys they collect for their charity. No birds on the sea, no seals on the beach. Onwards to Boundary Farm between Sea Palling and Stalham. Wild swans are very transient here, our luck was in. A mixed flock of 36 Whooper Swans, 6 Bewick Swans and 6 Mute Swans fed at the back of the field (of course). It does mean that they are not disturbed by our presence, scoping from the car.



Four Bewicks in this photo

These birds were displaying



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