A combination of dull, overcast, drizzly, cold, misty and miserable weather. At least 4 of the above adjectives must apply before the weather is truly dreich.
To-day was truly dreich. Not much drizzle until the afternoon, all else was pertinent. Yet, still enjoyable because we were out looking for birds.
An early start, soon after daybreak, with only a few stops before Thornham Harbour. Still plenty of people about despite the weather. As soon as we parked, six Twite zipped by in their close-flying, tight flock, not stopping until out of sight. The Glossy Ibis was distant in a field west of the harbour, best viewed from the footpath to Holme.
Stopping on a muddy verge to view the almost empty tidal channel, better views of a loose flock of small birds identified Rock Pipits. They kept landing where the mud met the marsh, restlessly feeding along the sueda and heather stems. More blob photographs.
We then spent an hour or more parked in a disabled parking slot in Titchwell car park, from which we could view the sycamore trees favoured by the Yellow-browed Warbler, present for about a week.
My patience was rewarded by a brief view of a warbler amongst the tit flock which passed through the near trees. Out of view for Pam unfortunately, as she had, unselfishly, parked where I had the best view. I'm pretty certain that it was the Yellow-browed but would have loved better views.
Parking on the boat launch mound at Brancaster Staithe gives excellent views of, a largely empty of boats, expanse of mud and a serpentine, low tide channel. The boats have been taken elsewhere for the winter. Enjoying a coffee whilst watching Redshank,
Turnstone, Oystercatchers, a lone Grey Plover,
a few Dunlin and a Bar-tailed Godwit
go about their daily lives.
Three middle teenage girls passed us by and stood right in front of us - until the gull flock thought that they had food and swooped above their heads. Much consternation, one girl even removed her jacket to cover her head, before they beat a genuinely frightened, squealing retreat. Hitchcock has much to answer for. So do the press and TV programmes which publicize seaside gulls swooping to steal chips etc from children and adults and killing small pets.
The favoured lay-by west of Wells was again full of cars, parked on the churned mud. The Rough-legged Buzzard was perched in a tree nearer to Wells harbour than the parking area but, not viewable from the road out to the woods and campsite.
Time to drive home for warmth, comfort and Man U v Sheffield United away.
What a dreadful performance. We were so fed up by the appalling first half betrayal of all our club stands for that we switched over to Countryfile. Wanting to know the score - it was 0-2 when we left - we were in time to see Rashford make it 3-2 to us. Three goals in 7 minutes. Not deserved. Then Sheffield equalized in the final minutes. It looked like a handball and could have been declared void. It wasn't - but that was a fair result.
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