Rai said that it was going to rain all day. So did Adrian. What is it with the British and the weather forecast? As it was the 1st - we have rarely been able to bird all day on other 1sts of the month - and we had an appointment less day, we still went birding.
Because we set off in persistent rain, we only made one birding stop on the way west. Valley Farm lane, where we picked up some passerines but no sparrows of either species. Still plenty of Red-legged Partridges wandering about in large groups, like shooting fish in a barrel.....
We reached Snettisham pits at 7.45, dead on high tide time, which was due to be 6.2 metres. What's happening ? No birds on the shoreline, a few Shelduck on the water. We drove on to view the far pit where we saw only one island in view, the nearest one with large rocks, where several Cormorants were drying their wings. A few birds on the bank and a gaggle of Greylags. I've never before.seen the roosting islands submerged.
Coffee and breakfast helped waiting for the tide to recede. Almost imperceptibly, mud appeared, as did a myriad waders. First a few Knot and Dunlin, then, more and more plus Redshank, a few Curlew and masses of Shelduck. A small flight of Meadow Pipits moved restlessly along the shore. Oystercatchers appeared as a black mass far out in the Wash, legs still submerged.
Still raining, my scope and my left arm rather wet. We left.
Tesco's petrol is most competitively priced, 121.9 per litre to-day. We also filled up at the store, including bacon rolls, most of my bread feeding the gulls on Hunstanton cliff top.
As it actually virtually stopped raining between 11.30 and 12.30, we drove out to Holme, where we saw a Mistle Thrush in a tree and one Redwing and one Fieldfare in a road puddle.
Still optimistic, Thornham was the next stop, adding Brent Geese and Grey Plover to the meagre list.
The food van at Brancaster Harbour was free from customers the whole of the time we spent there. Not a good decision for them. As soon as we parked on our favourite mound, Pam saw a female Goosander in the distance, fishing avidly. My scope brought a graceful, darting Greenshank into view, in the same small pool, along with a Little Egret and a gull. It's hiding behind the boat in this photo. So distant that I couldn't see what was in the picture until I got home and enlarged it.
I finished my coffee and the Goosander came a little nearer. No real hope of it coming closer on a dropping tide.
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| Photo - bombed |
Grey Plover, Redshank and Great Ringed Plover, dripping viscous mud from beaks and sinking legs as they hunted for a meal.
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| Great Ringed Plover |
A black and white day......
The final visit was to a North Pools devoid of any birds apart from Mallard and Wigeon and two Mute Swans.
We ended up with a total of 57 species with many 'bankers' missing. Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, Grey Heron, Pink-feet. Only a few Brent. Maybe we should have planned a different route, we left out too many possible stops because of the rain.
We still enjoyed it though ..........
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