Using purple Roly to carry both my scope and my camera, We made our way along the boardwalk to the viewing platform. Blackcaps sang loudly from all directions, an occasional Chiffchaff syncopated from the canopy, a Wren shouted from the low Alder Carr. Since our last visit, the Willow catkins have enlarged and yellowed and this 4-5 inches across lump has appeared on a trunk.
Is it another Slime Mould?
There were several clusters of Bracket Fungus, mostly pretty fresh.
Two shivering birders were already standing on the platform. In to-day's bitter easterly wind, it's one of the coldest inland places in Norfolk. They too had been hoping to see the reported Garganey, no sign of them to-day. They had heard a Willow Warbler - which did not sing for us. All the birds, apart from the cormorants drying their wings on the breeding platforms, were very distant, seemingly unperturbed by the many sailing yachts and a few large cruisers making their way through the resting gulls, displaying Great Crested Grebes and feeding Little Gulls. There were three of the latter, all adults. A small flock of Sand Martins hawked low over the water before flying off high and north.
The female Long-tailed Duck made a brief appearance as we arrived.
One of the two female Scaup present put in a late cameo.
Two more iffy photos for my folder.............
At the car park end of the boardwalk, Pam noticed some fleece caught on a thorn waving madly. It was a MarshTit stuffing its beak so full that it could hardly see round its load to fly off. We both thought that it was a Willow Tit from its bull-necked appearance but couldn't see the diagnostic pale wing bar nor did it call/sing. We are very familiar with Marsh Tit as they frequent our feeders and this bird looked different - not very scientific.If only one of us had managed a photo.
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