A Snettisham Spectacular

Sunday, August 1 

Holt was definitely far too late to consult the Met. Office for to-day's weather. Then, maybe if we had, we'd still be at home. The first heavy shower damped us down as we walked out to the car. The rain continued for the next two hours, accompanying our ongoing discussion re whether we should abort. We were promised only a 10% risk of showers by 10 a.m. 

Nearing Harpley,  a tatty Red Kite was the first flying bird as the rain eased. 

What! For the first time ever, there was a car parked in the gateway from which we view the Abbey Farm Oak. Pam drew up alongside the empty vehicle so that I could have a quick look. Yes, the Little Owl was showing above the cavernous roots. And..... an elderly man appeared from the overgrown hedge at the side of the gate. Sunhat pulled well down, camera in hand, he must have wondered what we were doing. After showing me a photo of the owl on the back of his camera, he then told us a tale of seeing a male Sparrowhawk in the road. Unable to stop because of traffic, he turned round as soon as possible, to find the bird still straddling its partially plucked Collared Dove. Despite passing traffic, it allowed him to take several photos and a video. A lifetime experience. He loved it.

House Sparrows have taken over the Tree Sparrow nesting boxes in Valley Farm lane. No sign of Barry, Pam went on to the barn as the Red Kite was showing. A shout from behind. Barry. He'd been waiting for us and we hadn't seen him. It was a tale of someone who'd  had his ankle bone removed under local anaesthetic and clay put in its place (sic). A four hour job. Somehow, I doubt that it was clay.

The rain had stopped and the roads were dry. Still a low cloud cover, with poor light in which to view the Snettisham part of the Wash. The chalet park was very busy, and heavily occupied. School holidays have begun. Just us to survey the apparently empty mud. Scoping brought hundreds of birds into definition.  High tide was almost two and a half hours away - not a high one either. Only 5.4 metres, the shore would not be covered - but the birds would be nearer. The expected enormous flock of Knot, many still the red of their full name, tortoiseshell Turnstones, black-bellied Dunlin, Sanderling, hundreds of Redshank, one Grey Plover, a line of Golden Plover, one Greenshank called as it flew in, a mere half a dozen Curlew, hundreds of Brick-red Black-tailed Godwit.

Mainly Knot

 

A guesstimate of the loafing flock of terns in front of the sailing club house, was three hundred. I spent a long time working my way through them, finding Little, Common and Sandwich Terns. The reported Roseate Tern(s) eluded me for what seemed like a frustrating lifetime. The flock was very mobile. Frequently spooked by dinghy launching, passing canoes, dogs, walkers and large gulls. Always returning to a similar spot. Eventually, my patience paid off and I found one Roseate Tern on the near side of the flock - quickly obscured by a preening Black-headed Gull. Paler than the Common Terns, very similar in size, with a black bill. It looked shorter legged to me, the jizz was different. 

We usually see hundreds of Shelduck here, Today, fewer than ten. Of course, the penny dropped. It's moulting time, when huge numbers congregate off the Netherlands coast, to moult in the comparative safety of numbers.

After two hours of intensive telescope use, I needed a respite. We drove on up the track to the far pit. Unselfish Pam, who had spent all that time peering across me,  had the first look at the pit, driving part of the way down the causeway. She then turned and reversed down the same area so that I could use my scope. It's a big pit, and the islands are mostly distant.

 

Common Terns are still nesting on one of the islands.

 

Greylag and Cormorants are numerous. One Moorhen and an Egyptian Goose for the day list. 

Pam saw a Painted Lady on the Buddleja (Garden News' preferred spelling) bush near the entry gate - as I was opening it.

Too many people about to visit many of our preferred stops, Holkham gateway next. At least five Spoonbills visible, little else, a combination of lush vegetation and a lack of water. 

North Point pools were the final destination for the day. Again, not much visible water, and tall growth, inhibited viewing. More scope wrork, finding a white male Ruff, a dozen Black-tailed Godwits - and more noisy, smelly Greylags. A male Marsh Harrier idled through, causing a disturbance. Maybe that is why Pam spotted a hitherto invisible, Common Crane, which appeared amongst the geese at the back of the east pool.

 

Hugely cropped. 

A satisfying end to our birding day.

Home to catch up on the Olympics news and to watch another 100 cricket match. Some of the qualirty has gone, with the departure of the England players to prepare for the first test against India, which begins on Wednesday.