I have just returned from a few days in Norfolk where I spent most of the time decorating or gardening. Normally what I enjoy most is being on site at around 6.00am for some early morning birding on the coast near me or a 45 minute drive to Cley’s NWT Reserve, here I can have the hides almost entirely to myself. Yes there are a couple of locals who count the waders on the scrapes daily and maybe a photographer will pop in. As it is still fairly early in the season the chance of a rarity is slim. Birding is not just about rarities it is watching how birds behave. The problem I had this week was that nearly every morning there was a mist, this stayed until at least 9.00am by which time I was normally heading back to the paint brush. I did have one good morning at Cley, and most evenings were stunning. During the evenings I would drive the local lanes in search of Barn Owls. I saw at least 7 individuals but they were always to far for a photo.
The only migrants that I saw were;
12 Swallows, 4 Chiffchaffs and 16 Siskins
Below are the most interesting photos that I took, not always that close but interesting.
This little cracker popped out of a bramble patch next to the gate that I was leaning on.
Only one pair of Marsh Harriers are nest building on the reserve, last year there was another female present.
This pose is more like a shearwater or petrel, though with a flat calm sea I doubt there would be any shearing.
The 2 smallest non-native deer that are increasing rapidly; the Munjac and Chinese Water Deer
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