After the usual moth-ing session at NS (1 moth, a November agg !) we returned along the coast road and Cley. A flock of Brent Geese in the fields approaching the Eye Field had flown further away by the return journey so I couldn't scope them for hitch-hikers.
A Brown Hare hunkered down in the rough grass near the far fence in the overflow car park, quietly munching from its prone position.
From there, we went on to Felbrigg grounds looking for fungi. We found several on old logs and tree trunks, all past their best condition.
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| White Spindles |
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| Candlesnuff (the small white ones) |
Wednesday November 13
Another sleepless night led to a lie-in this morning. It was 1.00 p,m, on a sunny afternoon before we set off for Winterton, via the back lanes to Sea Palling from Happisburgh. Three Buzzards were the only notable birds to add to the dozens of corvids seen en route.
The car park at Winterton Beach was unmanned, honesty buckets and a polite notice asking for donations to the Coastguard Services - which keep the car park open in the winter - propped against the entry kiosk.
We park on a raised area in front of the fishing sheds at the far end of the space. Hampered by a car parked in the worst possible place. This later turned out to be that of a volunteer seal warden, who told Pam that there were over 30 pregnant females who should give birth this coming weekend.
The sea looked empty.Then, a Red-throated Diver flew through, followed by single Gannets. Pam, looking through the front screen, called a flock of Scoter. At first, I couldn't scope them as the side mirror obscured the area. The flock of at least 80 birds gradually drifted west, coming into view for me. Not Scoter, Long-tailed Duck. Excellent. Extremely distant and not identifiable through binoculars.
Their constant diving and changing of position made an accurate count difficult. Definitely the biggest flock of these ducks I have ever seen in Norfolk. A relatively common sight in Scotland though.
Trying to take photographs of birds which are not viewable through the camera viewfinder is idiocy. Pam called out 'now' and, when enlarged on the PC screen, this is the result !
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| Long-tailed Ducks |
I had earlier seen a single Velvet Scoter, which Pam also saw when it flew. One of my empty sea photographs, when enlarged, brought it into view. An accidental click.
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| Velvet Scoter |
An hour and more of try hard optimism.
On an area of sand exposed by a low tide, about a hundred Greater Black-backed Gulls stood around, the biggest flock I've ever seen.
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