December Already

Wednesday December 1 

Our planned day out birding was quickly amended when Pam saw the trees rocking madly during a heavy rain shower.

After a leisurely start, we drove to Winterton Beach via Happisburgh (how on earth does this become Haysboro), and Waxham. Almost the first bird we saw was a female Sparrowhawk, swooping across the road in front of us, before hugging the plough and away. Disappearing as fast as she appeared.

The favoured field, shortly before Boundary Farm, Sea Palling, held fifty plus swans. Many of them were Mute, a small flock of Bewick's and a larger number of Whoopers, all resting on the ground. The Mute were grazing whilst seated, the others asleep, many of the species-diagnostic beaks invisible for much of the time. We drove on.

No sign of the Great Grey Shrike during a cursory look around. I wouldn't be perched up in this weather either. I began to wish that someone would turn the light on - even though the rain had stopped, it was very dull.

The money collecting woman in the kiosk at the Winterton Beach car park had a hot water bottle on her lap. Highly necessary.

Even more of the car park and area has fallen onto the beach. 

 

 

The protecting soil mound and rope have both been moved further back,  making our favoured viewing mound inaccessible. We parked as best we could to view the goodly number of Atlantic Grey seals sprawled on the beach, and disporting in the surf. I couldn't see any pups amongst them. Maybe these are displaced from the large breeding colony further north at Horsey. The overflow. They look like lumps of vucanized rubber rather than  sleek sea torpedoes.

 

I enjoyed trying to capture the amorous advances and playful courtship of the pair on the beach below. From Here to Eternity, eat your heart out. A 1953 film starring Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Montgomery Clift, famous for its kissing in the surf scene - as well as being a very good film. At the age of 15, this was seen as decadent. Not by me!

 

Many of the swans had left by the return journey, Half a dozen Bewick's laboured into the air as we stopped, their call not one I've heard before. Too dark for really sharp images.

 

Not the anticipated day out, but a very enjoyable outing.