Welney 2

 Friday January 28

The large buggy at WWT's Welney Reserve was available for my use today, I couldn't bend my legs back sufficiently for the smaller one. We arrived at a similar time to last Monday, and thoroughly appreciated the improved staff we met. Not that the others were bad, to-day's were just better.  The welcoming volunteer on the ground floor gave us better information, the ranger who did the 12 o'clock talk whilst the birds were fed  (yes, we sat through that again), wasn't a patch on Monday's. No-one would have complained - if they hadn't heard both.

One of the Whoopers with a broken wing was right in front of us.

 

It is possible to stand below the hide so that photos can be taken at eye level. All of mine are from a higher viewpoint. The water often floods up to the observatory windows in the winter, not to-day, many islands were viewable. Our ultimate targets were here to-day. Nine Tundra Bean Geese, asleep on an island, behind some Greylag, offering an interesting comparison. They were virtually identical. None of the Beans showed their beaks for the first forty minutes, all fast asleep in classic roosting position. A Greylag had the timerity to walk through them, causing bedlam. I took some quick photos before they settled down again.

 

Snipe is a bogey bird for us car birders. In scoping the islands I found two birds, which Pam managed to see through her bins. She finds using a scope very difficult, turning down most offers of sharing - having sold her own.

There was nowhere to sit in the cafe, we took a few photos from downstairs windows. The usual skittish groups of House and Tree Sparrows and Reed Buntings..I prefer to take the birds in their natural habitat, no chance here.

 

At Ten Mile Bank, we diverted to Denver Sluice, taking the narrow road along the canal. Six Great Crested Grebes in varying plumage and a few Tufted Duck the only birds in the sluice area. We were hoping for Goosander.

Some time after Dereham, I snoozed, having had very little sleep for the last few nights.  I came to, saying 'we'll be passing the Wild Bean shop (+ M and S) in Aylsham'. ' Not any more',  was the response. Why not? We were going to Wells !! 

Holkham first for the eagle. At Lady Anne's Drive, there was no recent news of the young White-tailed Eagle, since it flew back to Holkham from Cley this morning. We sat at Stiffkey Marsh for an hour, me scoping the distant East Hills and all I could see, Pam looking right towards Morston. I found a Peregrine sat on the ground, where it stayed for about fifteen minutes, then a Barn Owl appeared distantly in the fast disappearing light. 

Another enjoyable day's birding. Win some, lose some.