Day 3 started off at a more leisurely pace than previous mornings, with my friend Jim having arrived and us catching over a few slices of toast and a coffee, having enjoyed a lie-in. We decided to head to Cley and so picked our way across the coast from village to village, with Jim regaling me with stories of birding in the 70’s DN (“down Norfolk”).
At Cley, we got confused by the parking and accidentally paid (it’s free if you’re paying to go on the reserve) but luckily the old dears at the desk sorted us out and we got our little stickers for the hides. I wasn’t expecting much photography but the photo gods were smiling on me as a very tame Kestrel flew in and perched in the car park, allowing some very close shots.
We headed out to the marsh, having clicked a lot of shots of Kes, and headed to the closest group of three hides. These provided views of, notably, Marsh Harrier, Black-tailed Godwit (one in its brick red summer plumage), Avocet, Snipe and what was likely a late Hobby chased through by a corvid. Ruff continued to confuse, they really are a bird I almost forget exists at times. They really are variable, with a white-headed bird offering a lot of confusion.
We moved between hides slowly, savouring the peace and quiet and chatting to a few other birders. The other hides didn’t offer too much more, especially in the way of photographable birds but I’ve added a few photos of what was really the only photos worth sharing – a “cream-crown” Marsh Harrier.
The other notable sighting was an Osprey, but not the bird, the V-22 Osprey is an American Twin Rotor aircraft with movable rotors. It’s a weird-looking thing and we watched it as it ran manoeuvres along the coast.
After these hides we popped back to the Visitor Centre for a pasty and then headed back out, spotting our friend Kes by the hide.
A distant Snipe was perhaps the only other bird worth photographing.
After the hides we headed to nearby Walsey Hills to try for a Yellow-Browed Warbler, a small warbler that sometimes drops into the UK in small numbers, but dipped out, failing to spot one in the trees by the observatory. Jim did spot a female Brambling on the feeders though which made up for it.
After returning to the car we visited North Point Pools, near Wells – spotting a Jack Snipe through the scope – before moving on to the beach car park at Wells to try again for Yellow-Browed Warblers. The day would end with frustration though, we were exhausted but a good walk around good habitat failed to find one.
There was still some daylight left and so we sat on the quay at Wells and ate Fish and Chips – protecting them from the gulls. We even managed to tick a Red Throated Diver in the harbour.
