Maybe a Better Day

 Monday August 4

All mornings are leisurely starts these days, unless we have a specific timed activity planned. We set out under an overcast  sky, it even rained a little as the car was packed.  Few birds around, it took us until Sculthorpe before we hit double figures. 

Glorious mud at Snettisham, but....... my first Turtle Dove of the year flew from the bushes beside us, across the front of the car to the pits below. Pam had seen one a couple of weeks ago. As we reached the parking area, our friendly reserve volunteer strolled across. He kept watch for the warden last time we were here so that we could back down the causeway to view the pit. His choice. It's really good to meet someone who is not officious and understands different needs. He said that the Turtle Doves had only been seen in the singular. Wouldn't they have moved on if a mate hadn't been found?

The whole time we were chatting, there was a regular incoming of screeching Common Terns carrying fish. They are still feeding young here, whilst the vast majority of terns have fledged and gathered for migration. 

We ate our Greggs bacon roll lunch in a field entrance on Roydon Common, having decided to give the coast a swerve today. Next stop was Holkham gateway. At first scan, there wasn't a bird - nor any cattle - in sight. Pam then noticed two black cattle appear from the left, near of the Joe Jordan hide. The hide, although very distant, has a walled field in front of it, enabling a short clear view. Swinging my scope round, more and more cattle appeared, as did small white birds. The cattle walked purposefully right and out of sight, accompanied by thirty or more Cattle Egrets, walking and flying with them. The number is that counted of ones in view at the same time. There were more. Over fifty had been counted coming in to roost at the weekend. A good breeding year.

That left Wells North Pools. Shortly before we got there, news of a Red-necked Phalarope had come out in our WhatsApp group. Oh dear, the parking is limited. It looked full but we managed to squeeze in along the hedgerow from which we could see some of the pool through gaps in the hedge.I found a Glossy Ibis, Wood Sandpiper , a Ruff and a few Dunlin. It soon became obvious that the Phalarope was only visible by walking back to the road and along the inside of the field hedge into the far distance.Not for us then. We admired the fields of huge sunflower heads on either side before setting off for home. It wasn't possible for me to take a photo of the sunflowers, I had a photo-less day.

 

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