We Always Hope

 Monday September 1

Driving past Holt, I had two bird species on my day list. Wood Pigeon and Kestrel. Pam saw ten in the garden  whilst eating her breakfast.

We met Pauline at Morrions car park in Fakenham, somewhere where she could leave her car for the day and was convenient to both her and us.Harpley Cottages are dependable for Swallow and House Martin, Sculthorpe Mill  gave us the only Robins of the day. A lane of newly released, scurrying Red-legged Partridges and a couple of Pheasants at Valley Farm Lane. Nothing else of note until we had survived the potholes and unmade cement/ gravel/ dirt road through the chalet park to Snettisham RSPB. Seeing that the tide was way out, Pam checked the tide timetable, we were only an hour or so away from hight tide. But, they are neap tides at the moment so don't cover the mud at all. Very distantly were the usual enormous masses of Oystercatchers, a few Grey Plover, Ringed Ploover, Curlew and Knot well spread across the brown landscape, appearing from and disappearing into the many creeks. 

The largest creek, known to us as The Cut had about a hundred Redshank roosting on its banks.

 

I scoped the reserve pool finding Cormorants, Knot, two Spoonbills and a lot of eclipse ducks, mainly Mallard with a few Teal. Small flocks of Knot flew in from the Wash as the tide slowly approached. Common Terns heralded their presence with their less than tunefull call, many of them carrying small fish for the nestlings still on the far islands.

There were no Fulmars on the cliffs viewed from Hunstanton Sailing Club. The Wash Monster went by, carrying a fair number of tourists. 

 One of the most popular and unusual attractions in Hunstanton in Norfolk, in the East of the UK is “Wiley, the Wash Monster” This incredible machine is an ex. military vehicle manufactured in 1967 for use as a landing craft by American forces in Vietnam. This 60 seater amphibious craft now transports tourists from the sandy beach at Hunstanton straight into the sea on any one of five coastal tours. The craft cruises at 8 knots in the water and 13 knots on land. It has become a regular sight, cruising up and down the Norfolk Coast, taking tourists on trips along this beautiful stretch of coastline, consisting of wide open sandy beaches.  

Pam found us a Marsh Harrier down on the meadow at Holkham before we drove on to our last stop, North Point Pools, Wells. Difficult viewing from the car park but Pauline found us a Green Sandpiper working its way along the edge of the sedges on the far shore. Ruff, Avocet, Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits swelled the day and month list.

I always write that it was an enjoyable day. It still is and will probably always be so. There had obviously been a cloud burst  over much of our route home. We only experienced a few drops and it was dry at home.