First of the Month

 Tuesday September 1

This year seems to have flown by. I haven't been out birding for a while as I had a cataract removal operation on my left eye. I am now able to see much better than before, thank goodness - there are no guarantees.

We didn't set off too early as Sam and Adrian arrived before we'd left . They have very recently returned from a holiday on Crete so had a lot to tell us. Both of them are walnut coloured, and found the humid, unrelenting 34C + heat, difficult. It was after a trip to Crete in August that we vowed to only go to the Mediterranean countries at Easter from then onwards. We left them to their garden chores/house cleaning duties - always a pleasure!.

There were even fewer birds than usual en route, not in double figures until after Abbey Farm. Seeing Swallows lining up on wires in preparation for migrating, is a pleasure, with a hint of sadness. We saw the occasional House Martin but few in comparison.

 




Driving up the slope towards Snettisham, hopes rose,  we could see a group of birders peering through their scopes. This is what we saw.

 


Until Pam got my scope for me, when I saw rather a lot of birds, well scattered and mostly distant, a challenge. Gradually I ticked off, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Little Egret. It was good to see a small flock of Golden Plover - until I found the flock of a thousand plus. Distant white blobs became about twenty Spoonbills, and two Great Egrets. Best for me were ten Spotted Redshanks and two Curlew Sandpipers, the latter a year tick. A quick look at the reserve pool added Common Terns, Cormorants, 30+ Spoonbills and an island heaving with Black-tailed Godwits. Most of the islands were covered in roosting birds, the light making it difficult to identify individual species, as always. Knot Island was very Knotty.

The Hunstanton fulmars have left their nesting ledges, none visible on the sea in their rafts either. We didn't see any Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Pipits, Skylarks or Linnets, to name a few, all day. Red Kites, Buzzards, Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel  are always pleasing. Negatives are as interesting as 'seens'. Holkham was devoid of birds, neither was there any cattle in sight. 

No birders at Wells North Point Pools, the Red-necked Phalarope must have gone. The field of multi variety Sunflowers had their heads turned to us today. One of them particularly big.

 

 

We drove back up the track to the field entrance, from which we have a better view of the water. Three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, eclipse Wigeon and Shoveller, added to the list. A small herd of cattle was feeding amongst the very tall, shoulder high, grass, weeds and small shrubs at the edge of the pool. Pam thought she'd seen some white birds fly up. We returned to the car park, from which we had a view of the animals. Occasionally, Cattle Egrets showed amongst the legs of the cattle. Then, one appeared on a bullock's back, others made a short flight. 

 

 

 I saw ten Egrets at one time, Pam reckons there could have been twenty.

A very enjoyable day, ending with a whizz home to be there in time for the Sainsbury's delivery scheduled from 4.30 - 5.30. They are usually near to the start time.

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