New Month

 Friday August 1

Our usual late start - I had a better night - we drove directly to the only place we can see waders. It was almost an hour past high tide, but the water was still well in. Having ascertained that the mud had very few birds, just a few Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover, we drove as far as Rotary Hide before reversing down the causeway. The pit's banks and islands were crammed full of birds. There seems to be a ghetto instinct. One island held Golden Plover, another, Knot. The Black-tailed Godwit were clustered on the far bank near the Shore Hide, twenty plus Spoonbills on the shingle bank next to the newest hide. 

All the islands held other birds, but it was too far for me to idientify them with certainty. Dunlin were packed tightly on another rocky isle. Further scanning saw Egyptian Goose, Moorhens, thirty Cormorants, Little Egrets, and Common Terns. A roosting flock of birds suddenly sprang into the air, making their morphing cloud way back out to the feeding grounds exposed by the falling tide.We followed them.

We'd heard terns making their less than musical noise, sure to be heard on stormy seas, on the drive out. On the return journey, Pam found them. I needed to look through my binoculars before I could see the packed ribbon way out on the mud. This is the well cropped view taken with my 500 lens.

 Most of them were Sandwich Terns, the next highest in number were Common Terns. A few Arctic Terns were scattered throughout the flock. All of them either preening, or asleep with beaks tucked away.

 

THE bird for me was the handful of Little Terns amongst them. We've managed to miss them, both in the Highlands and in Norfolk.. So many birds that we could almost guarantee in the Outer Hebrides and are missing this year. I shall have to get used to it - like so many other birding experiences.

This photo is a great tribute to the Canon R5 100-500 lens. The Little Tern is at the back of the group. Hugely enlarged.

 

Apart from the entertainment of watching an older gentleman make his way through mud and into the fast outward flowing creek water - whilst we were eating an icecream, Brancaster Staithe offered one bird, and that was a new for the day list Curlew.

The man was holding a large net, shrimping I expect.

North Point Pools do not offer easy viewing from the parking area. We did manage, Ruff, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwits. Grey Heron and both Black-backed Gulls. Two Greenshanks called regularly throughout - we never saw them.

Not home until soon after five o'clock, we were pleased that we hadn't got moth traps to open - whilst a little converned that we might be missing something !

Saturday August 2

During her usual gaze out of her bedroom wndow, Pam tried to find the Green Woodpecker which was calling. The unknown blob at the top of the telegraph pole in the side hedge, a Grey Squirrel, decided to run down ro raid the hazel tree below. In doing so It disturnbed two birds. The Green Wood and a Great Spotted. The nuts aren't ripe yet but edible if they can be winkled out.