After the Storm

 Sunday, September 27

Still windy, but venturing out looked like a reasonable option.I was longing to seawatch over the weekend, one of my most loved birding experiences. Age and the memory of a sand blasting of optics and car at Walcott kept us at home. A wise decision. I hope that David B didn't damage his optics on Saturday. Walcott is always our first port of call for sea watching although, almost invariably, they are too far out for comfortable viewing. After THE hurricane, we did see a Sabine's Gull on the beach  and a Pomarine Skua flew over our heads. The Manx Shearwaters were close in too.

This is what Walcott looked like to-day.

 I wouldn't want to be the owner of this car.

 

East of Happisburgh, a flooded field was full of birds. Mainly Black-headed Gulls and Pheasants, at least 50 of the latter sheltering in a corner. A few Herring, Common and Mediterranean Gulls too.

 

The pale scar of a large branch blown off an Oak tree at the very back of the field, drew our attention. One of the seven Buzzards sat in the field was perched in the centre, Pheasants clustered around.

An hour parked at Winterton Beach car park was not overly productive, we'd missed the best. Two Scoter and a Cormorant, and a few juvenile gulls braved the big seas. The best was our first returning  Brent Geese of the Autumn. First a single, silhouetted agains towering waves.

 

Then two groups of about thirty birds hugging the shoreline. 

 

 I could spend hours watching the sea, whatever the weather.