Forecast to be the only dry day of the weekend. We set off soon after 7 a.m in dreech, the excellent Scottish name for low grey overcast and misty rain. At one time the mist was so thick that the visibility was down to about 50 metres. Fortunately, conditions .improved as we drove west.
It's said that the Brits are obsessed with the weather..... no wonder when it's so changeable and apparently difficult to forecast. Weather watching is important for birders too, especially at migration times. So slow and late this year, as are frog spawn and flowers. Lee reckons that there are fewer species in the UK so far this year than for the last 30 years or so. Since he's been counting anyway.
Definitely not optimistic at any time to-day, we ended up with 75 species seen, which only included one spring migrant, a Chiffchaff at Glandford, beyond sewage works lane in Cley. A late spurt there included a Goldcrest. There were no real highlights - except that Tree Sparrow and Grey Wagtail are always a joy for us. We missed Grey Partridge, Grey Heron, Barn and Little Owls and all the thrushes apart from Mistle - adding House Sparrow at Bacton when nearly home. Each long day trip in a similar area is different.
Pam was delighted to locate the Grey Wagtail nest site at Sculthorpe Mill. She happened to see the female, carrying food, enter the gap in the ivy above the mill door. Couldn't be much more public. Another huge amount of boiling, swirling, maelstrom water spewing forth from under the bridge. I could watch water, fresh and salt, for hours.
I think that Flitcham was having a hooly day. The road was lined with cars, the car park full, families milling about everywhere, with many houses having tables outside, covered in goods for sale. We drove through as quickly as we could......
We'd missed high tide at Snettisham by a couple of hours. There was still enough water and wet mud mid distance for good scope viewing. Many more birds on the real shore of course.The Golden Plover have gone, plenty of Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Avocets, Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Black-tailed Godwit. We were alone until reaching the slope to the exit gate. It still makes me cross when people with dogs off the lead walk a nature reserve. Futile really.
Lunching at Holme NOA car park, we decided to walk to the Broadwater Hide. Very little on the water but our first Pochard of the year slept, peacefully bobbing, heads under wing, otherwise undisturbed by the cacophany of two Canada Geese seeing off a Greylag, honking and wing waving threateningly.
For the first time that I can remember, the battery in my DSLR was flat and I hadn't got the spare. I used a point and shoot, experimenting with the zoom, ending up with one OK photo of a Greylag. Whoopee.
A kettle of 6 spiralling Buzzards was far too distant.. We saw at least a dozen of them to-day, yet only one Marsh Harrier. I love having so many of them around, especially at home. We saw plenty of the later remaining Brent Geese and no Pink-feet despite scoping Holkham marsh. One Spoonbill was the highlight here, sitting in the same tree as before, near to the Cormorant nesting sites.
Pam will insist on driving through Wells harbour yet swears that she hates the smell of chips. The low harbour wall along the road was - as always - crowded with polystyrene box clutching families tucking into their greasy delights. It seems to be so at all times of day.
It was only when we drove into home that I realised that the habit of a lifetime had been broken. It was the first time in my life that I hadn't 'April fooled' anyone. I always catch Pam and had decided to make it more of a challenge this year by not making it bird or garden orientated. Then I forgot ! My Downs brother always caught my mother out by telling her that there were sheep in the garden - always a possibility in our welsh village and a catastrophe, In retrospect, she was either very gullible or a good actor, as he loved catching her out and she enjoyed giving him the pleasure.
Another day of rain here - Easter Monday - we actually had a puddle in the lawn for the first time ever. Let's hope it's dry for moth-ing in the morning.
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