Needing a visit to Julian Graves to buy some prunes, we set off for Sherigham, leaving via the sea front car park in case the Purple Sands were viewable. The return journey, due to the closed road , takes us past Gunton Park. Pam saw a GCG twice through a tangle of trees and bushes but it eluded me. I took the opportunity to photograph a pristine male Egyptian Goose.
Wednesday February 9
Most of our shopping trips manage to include birding - not by accident. To-day's target was the shop at Titchwell to buy something for our Australian birder friend, Tina. A dull misty day with poor visiblity until the sun broke through at our first stop, Thornham, where we added Rock Pipit to the year list and two male Reed Buntings to the month list. The marsh looked comparatively empty until a sonic boom, which felt as though someone had run into the back of the car, lifted clouds of birds out of the vegetation. Still no Knot..... A Spotted Redshank fed avidly in the fast out-flowing creek but no sign of the Northern Harrier.
We'd hoped to park in the fishermans car park at Titchwell, less walking. Yet again there was a pick-up across the entrance. I reckon it's the RSPB although it's public land. It's always the same vehicle and ever present these days.
Walking to the shop made my calf ache. I decided not to walk to the Island Hide, obeying the 'rest it' instruction (out of character !). Two men were cutting down a very large tree off the main car park, cordoming off part of the area. It left a still large tree with chopped off main trunks about a third of the way up. Ugly. I don't think they ever look good again, despite new growth. I wonder why they did it?
Brancaster Staithe so that Pam could eat her lunch with a great view. The mussel men were washing and carting away their booty, as always, a big group of Turnstones in attendance. After they'd left, a Herring Gull collected a large mussell, flying nearby before rising and dropping it onto some stones. Lucky first time, it usually takes several attempts to crack it. When it had finished, an opportunistic Turnstone moved in to clean up the shell.
This Bar-tailed Godwit and dabbling male Teal were near enough to photograph from the car.
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