Catch-up

Thursday November 15

Coastguards, Cley, after a moth group session at Cley Centre.

A short and fruitful sea watch produced a group of Common Scoters, a Great Northern Diver, a scattering of Guillemots, fly through Gannets and then, a Short-eared Owl on Blakeney Marsh. We didn't see the reason for our visit, a Black Redstart. Eventually, the wanted group of six Velvet Scoters flew in from the west and splash landed in my scope view. We'd managed to miss these in Scotland this year. 

Friday November 30

Time for a winter geese visit to Buckenham Marshes. The first drainage ditch to the east after leaving the station, (Garganey breeding area),  was full of handsome Wigeon, now in full breeding plumage. A favourite Buckenham winter sight.

A small knot of birders were watching the favourite area for Taiga Bean Geese, the far corner. in front of the distant Cantley Beet Factory, it's chimney producing a horizontal line of grey smoke. As we stopped, a large flock of Pinkfeet leapt into the air before disappearing towards Cantley. Oh dear. Careful scanning found a small group of Taiga Bean Geese huddled in the sedge and rough grass. I wasn't able to enjoy this for long as a car came along, forcing a move to a wider part of the track. 

It's amazing how much a relatively short move here changes the view so drastically. The geese were now out of sight, fifty + Canada Geese the only grazing flock. A very pale and extremely distant Buzzard occupied our attention for some time. Firstly hunched on one of the many gates/fences and then, perched on a raised piece of rough pasture.

Excessively cropped.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls stood out on the main pool in front of the Hide which no-one seems to use. Maybe in a rain storm ? It's pretty useless - except as a shelter. 

In front of the hide

A lone Marsh Harrier and a hovering Kestrel were the only other raptors, we haven't seen a Peregrine here for some time.