Random Wanderings

 Tuesday December 14

Yet another unheralded road closure delayed our drive to Natural Surroundings. 'Road Closed' notices appeared a hundred metres before the entrance to Bayfield Hall where NS is found. We reversed to the Hall's back entrance, where we had to give way to Anne Harrop, also reversing - she's co-leasee of NS. Then Richard appeared. We all returned to Holt, then Wiveton and the coast road. The pretty way.

After a convivial chat and a drink at NS, we drove to Morston, a favourite of Pam's. Back to its winter best. No cars, no crowds, no dogs. The creek was a trickle, it must have been  a very low tide. More water in the upper reaches. There is a Greenshank in this photo.

 

 

 Not many birds about. A  Rock Pipit kept watch from a broken jetty post.

A Herring Gull dabbled its feet in the mud whilst calling loudly. A sound which is reminiscent of stormy days in Swansea, when gulls followed the Tawe, and then our village river, the Giedd, looking for food. 

 

 

The always looked for Greenshank was too far for photography, good in the scope. I love this elegant wader, Marsh Sandpiper even more. Curlew being on the red list now is an uncomfortable truth. Helpless to do anything about it personally, hoping that those who can, will.

An abortive search through the Brent Goose flock in Cley Eye Field for a Black Brant, completed the day's birding.

December 13

We paid a mid afternoon visit to Winterton on Monday. A few Pinkfeet, Greylag and Lapwings in the Horsey area. Hundreds of Starlings polka dotted the fields, busy digging for their supper.

The dunes car park has been handed over to the Friends of Horsey Seals. One of their members was on collection bucket duty at the kiosk. There to explain, and to warn against going anywhere near the edge, which is even more eroded.

The only birds we saw, apart from a single fly past Scoter,  were Cormorants and gulls, in attendance to the pupping Seals. The whiter the pups, the younger they are. Mothers were ever vigilant, keeping the testosterone aggressive, and clumsy,  males away from their young. Whilst, at the same time, accepting their advances and leading the males away to a safe distance.

 The gulls are there to feed on the protein rich afterbirths, which sees them through the winter, strengthening them for the next breeding season.

The latter was one of the facts told to us on the way out, by the bucket man . There are now 2, 800 seals from here to Horsey, they're spreading south as numbers rise. There is a 5% death rate amongst the young. Deserted by their mothers, injured by bull seals rolling on them, bitten by dogs, some of the reasons. The sanctuary at East Winch has a special rescue ambulance to take the sick and injured in for treatment.

Best of all, a quarter of a mile before home, a male Hen Harrier flew across in front of us, hard to see at first against the orange fireball of the low, setting sun. Beautiful birds.