Thursday November 12
I've had a very busy day - with not a lot to show for it. The Sainsbury's online grocery order for next week, and the Christmas turkey ordered from Waitrose (they do a small one), also online. We still have last year's in the freezer, wrapped in clingfilm. Pam is very doubtful as to its viability as we froze it ourselves from fresh, and clingfilm is not ideal. Rather than spoil another Christmas, I've ordered another. Sam is the grateful receiver of the old one, it will be fine for curries etc.
Tina in Australia always sends us two magnificent calendars, one of Aus birds and the other of plants and flowers. Part of our reciprocal gift is a desk calendar using my photographs. One for me and one for Tina. That was also uploaded and ordered this morning.
In between, I lifted the plants I put in last week and added grit to the alpine bed before re-planting them plus some additional bulbs - mini petticoat narcissi - which arrived yesterday. I love Yodel delivery emails' 'where's my order', tracking facility. It tells you how many deliveries the driver has to make, which one he's on at that time, how many before it's your turn and a map showing his van's position. I keep re-loading it. Very entertaining - or sad.
Whilst Sam was here cleaning on Tuesday morning, we drove to Winterton. One Gannet and many Greater Black-backed Gulls passed by at sea. On the return journey, we found a small herd of wild swans in a flooded field west of Sea Palling. All were asleep, the occasional head raising identified at least 4 Whoopers and two Bewicks amongst them.One has to view through a hedge from a busy road, we didn't stop long.
Wednesday started off very misty and grey, with some rain. We decided to go out anyway. Very variable conditions as we drove west. Should we turn round? We drove on.
Why does this happen during the daytime? Shortly after Sheringham, we discovered why there was a stream of slow traffic in front of us. A whole railway carriage on a trailer behind an articulated lorry was excruciatingly slow. Watching it being manoevred around the roundabout entering Holt was painful. We gambled and turned left, hoping to beat it onto the main road further on. Success.
A sudden loss of power was startling. We stopped and revved the engine which sounded fine. On we went, the same thing happened. Fortunately I remembered a similar experience on North Uist a couple of years ago. The instruction book led me to the solution. There's a knob on the steering wheel which will set a speed above which the car will not go. Meant for speed limit areas I suppose. Very easy to hit it by mistake - only the second in eight years though. All was well.
From our favourite disused lane, I noticed some new buildings in the distance. Pigloos
Igloo shaped houses for pigs. That's new.
No-one else at Snettisham. Brilliant. I knew that a Little Stint was still present. I'd checked the map on Birdguides and - much to my amusement - it showed a large brown area with a flag in the middle indicationg the bird's position when seen. An otiose addition. I did manage to find the bird for Pam, as it's a new year bird for her.
The customary large flock of Golden Plover hunkered down on the mud with many more Grey Plover, very socially distanced from each other..I read recently that they rest up here before flying further west to spend the winter.
The sun came out, bad timing. Trying to scope the birds on the last pit from the causeway is difficult enough without having to do so directly into the sun. Blinding. Two Little Grebes were my reward.
We had flying views of the Twite around the Coal Barn at Thornham before making for Brancaster Staithe,.where the tide was coming in. I took some photographs of the Dunlin and Black--tailed Godwits here because I could! Awful light conditions.
A mussel man was unloading his boat, transferring the shellfish onto the shore using a large shovel. It looked very laborious.
It only took us an hour to drive home from Wells, traffic conditions very different from the outward journey.
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