Having driven to Abbey Farm on Saturday for a moth event, we thought it best to leave another drive west until after a day's rest for Pam. As luck would have it, Monday was also the highest tide of the three days' highs. 7.6 metres.
We knew that we wouldn't be at Snettisham for the incoming tide and flooding flight waders. Not leaving very early and making, as it turned out, several abortive birding stops on the way, put paid to that.
Abbey Farm was waterless. Owing to lack of rain last year, the spring dried up in June and awaits a deluge. So does our garden.
The lanes were birdless. Valley Farm had a large flock of House Sparrows, they must have had a good breeding year, but, no Tree Sparrows. We went all day without seeing Goldfinches (plenty on our feeders) and Mute Swan, amongst others.
Yet another new fastening on the entry gate to the Snettisham reserve, having survived the dreadful track in. This time, enough sturdy chain to tether several shire horses, was wound around the gate post. Having untangled it and peeled myself off the Buckthorn, I then had to clank my way across, pushing the gate, until cuddling the bramble bushes.
Cresting the brow of the track, an hour past high tide, the Wash was still..... awash. The samphire beds rimming the shore were covered. On to the first hide where seven cars were already parked.
First look was from the top of the path between the first and second pits. Against the sun and through bramble but, giving a view of the whole pit. Getting ones eye in, all the islands were a mass of shuffling, swaying, waders, the water heavily dotted with geese and eclipse plumage ducks.
We parked where we could and waited for the birds to leave the pools. Pam spotted Sue, Ian and Mike amongst the fifty or so birders standing on the shore near the centre hide. Ian turned his scope onto our car, they waved, and so did we. I'd never have found them.
The Oystercatchers left first, streaming low over the water before landing on the western shore, the first to be uncovered by the ebbing tide. Distinguishing the others is very difficult. As there were reputed to be 58 thousand Knot, that was the majority species. Knot, Godwits of both species, Dunlin, Redshank and Turnstone appeared from the pits in long amorphous streams, almost evanescent in their transitory formations. Breathtaking.
A few Common Terns squawked through and a lone Spoonbill stood out amongst the dark wader masses.
I couldn't photograph through the front windscreen and, there was no sign of our friends, so we drove back to the eastern end of the track. Samphire was beginning to appear as were a few Sanderling, Turnstone and Great Ringed Plovers, many first year birds amongst them. I spent a happy twenty minutes trying to photograph the birds below me at the edge of the water.
The mud started to appear.
I also had a go at a mud-footed Little Egret flying past my window.
Still no sign of our group, so we left for Hunstanton and Holme.
For the first time in months, there was room to pull in on the road along the Hunstanton cliffs. A single Fulmar and a small group of Rock Doves appeared as we ate our lunch.
Holme was back to 'normal' too. We were only the second vehicle in the NOA car park. Pam reccied the hide first and I followed as there were several day ticks. Another example of how transient birds can be. When I arrived and hoisted the extremely heavy and solid wooden flap into place, (a single small clip seems rather flimsy for this job), all I saw were a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Greylags. Within five minutes, six Avocet flew in, a Little Grebe, Shovellers and a Coot appeared. A few minutes later the waders had all flown away.
No raptors in view, we only saw Kestrel and Buzzard all day.
We had a quick look at Thornham harbour, toured Titchwell car parks (Chiffchaff) and drove to Wells North Pools.
Previous visits have seen many Spoonbills at rest here. They were replaced by about eighty Barnacle Geese, a couple of dodgy looking hybrids amongst them. Probably the Holkham Park feral flock we were seeing on the marshes earlier in the year.
Dodging the tractor and grass cutter mowing the interim field, I used my scope from the car to find several Ruff, one Wood Sandpiper and one Green Sandpiper scurrying in between the Greylags and eclipse plumaged ducks decorating the water. Some of the ducks were Wigeon, discernible by their chestnut underparts. White speculums identified the occasional Gadwall.
Although the day started with occasional showers and grey overcast, it was blue sky and sun until mid afternoon when cloud cover rolled in once more. As always, a very enjoyable day.
PS
Our friends tell us that they saw us drive off from the hide area and watched us go through the gate !!
I'm not surprised that I didn't see them but astonished that Pam didn't. We'd even discussed how we could get them - and their gear - into the back seat so that they could have a ride back to the car park.
Addition
Pam found a Migrant Hawker - dead - on the utility room floor. What a beauty. Sad but inevitable. It showed up better on kitchen paper than it did on a leaf.
We parked where we could and waited for the birds to leave the pools. Pam spotted Sue, Ian and Mike amongst the fifty or so birders standing on the shore near the centre hide. Ian turned his scope onto our car, they waved, and so did we. I'd never have found them.
The Oystercatchers left first, streaming low over the water before landing on the western shore, the first to be uncovered by the ebbing tide. Distinguishing the others is very difficult. As there were reputed to be 58 thousand Knot, that was the majority species. Knot, Godwits of both species, Dunlin, Redshank and Turnstone appeared from the pits in long amorphous streams, almost evanescent in their transitory formations. Breathtaking.
A few Common Terns squawked through and a lone Spoonbill stood out amongst the dark wader masses.
I couldn't photograph through the front windscreen and, there was no sign of our friends, so we drove back to the eastern end of the track. Samphire was beginning to appear as were a few Sanderling, Turnstone and Great Ringed Plovers, many first year birds amongst them. I spent a happy twenty minutes trying to photograph the birds below me at the edge of the water.
 |
| Knot and Sanderling |
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Turnstone |
 |
| One Sanderling and two Knot. Samphire in the foreground. |
 |
| Sanderling |
 |
| Mainly Sanderling |
Still no sign of our group, so we left for Hunstanton and Holme.
For the first time in months, there was room to pull in on the road along the Hunstanton cliffs. A single Fulmar and a small group of Rock Doves appeared as we ate our lunch.
Holme was back to 'normal' too. We were only the second vehicle in the NOA car park. Pam reccied the hide first and I followed as there were several day ticks. Another example of how transient birds can be. When I arrived and hoisted the extremely heavy and solid wooden flap into place, (a single small clip seems rather flimsy for this job), all I saw were a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Greylags. Within five minutes, six Avocet flew in, a Little Grebe, Shovellers and a Coot appeared. A few minutes later the waders had all flown away.
No raptors in view, we only saw Kestrel and Buzzard all day.
We had a quick look at Thornham harbour, toured Titchwell car parks (Chiffchaff) and drove to Wells North Pools.
Previous visits have seen many Spoonbills at rest here. They were replaced by about eighty Barnacle Geese, a couple of dodgy looking hybrids amongst them. Probably the Holkham Park feral flock we were seeing on the marshes earlier in the year.
Dodging the tractor and grass cutter mowing the interim field, I used my scope from the car to find several Ruff, one Wood Sandpiper and one Green Sandpiper scurrying in between the Greylags and eclipse plumaged ducks decorating the water. Some of the ducks were Wigeon, discernible by their chestnut underparts. White speculums identified the occasional Gadwall.
Although the day started with occasional showers and grey overcast, it was blue sky and sun until mid afternoon when cloud cover rolled in once more. As always, a very enjoyable day.
PS
Our friends tell us that they saw us drive off from the hide area and watched us go through the gate !!
I'm not surprised that I didn't see them but astonished that Pam didn't. We'd even discussed how we could get them - and their gear - into the back seat so that they could have a ride back to the car park.
Addition
Pam found a Migrant Hawker - dead - on the utility room floor. What a beauty. Sad but inevitable. It showed up better on kitchen paper than it did on a leaf.
No comments:
Post a Comment