8th June

With things fairly quiet in the park I thought you might be interested in some of the photos I took when I visited Norfolk for two and a half days. Not so much as a birding break, more a chance for my wife to see her family. We drove up early Friday morning and visited Dersingham Bog part of the Sandringham Estate and then moved on to Titchwell. It was quiet at the first stop, being so warm didn’t help. Titchwell was fairly lively once we had enjoyed a brunch break, with plenty of waders on the freshwater pool, 7 Little Gulls, Bittern, Beared Tit families could be heard but only briefly seen as it was fairly breezy. From here we travelled to Broadland stopping off at Great Rybrugh in case the Honey Buzzard was up, but no joy there.

The following morning I was at North Norfolk Naturalist Trust’s Reserve in Cley by 5.00am. Superb, at first I had the reserve to myself, a little later on two other birders were enjoying a beautiful dawn and no people just birds. I was back at my mother-in laws for breakfast and then off to the shops. After lunch a walk around another NNT reserve, this time Hickling Broad.

The following early morning saw me on the coast road by Horsey Broad, just seeing what would come my way. Plenty of Marsh Harriers and Skylarks but nothing out of the ordinary. Then it was back for breakfast and a few domestic jobs, before trying to beat the holiday crowds leaving the coast.

Little Gull (above), Little Tern (below) 

 

Lapwing with something wrapped around his leg  

Black-tailed Godwit (icelandica race)

Grasshopper Warbler 

Marsh Harrier; looking for nesting material over the reserve 

Bearded Tit (juveniles) 

Yellow Wagtail (male), Blue-headed Wagtail (female) possibly breeding in a wheat field at Happisburgh

Marsh Harrier just before a Hobby stoops at him

Common Cranes (leaving their roost just after dawn). Swallow-tailed Butterfly: Hickling Broad