2nd Norfolk Day

My 2nd non birding day of the weekend break found me squeezing in a few early hours at Cley. A glorious barn owl greeted my arrival at the reserve, posing well, if a little distant before carrying on hunting. This was just before 8a.m.

Cley barn owl

barn owl

 

At the beach car park the purple sandpiper, present now for a fortnight, was still in situ at the large puddle on the Eye Field.

distant purple sandpiper

 

Other noteworthy birds from the morning were a splendid sparrow hawk from Daukes Hide, a marsh harrier, plenty of waders and gulls with 50+ avocets. A water rail scurried from a reedbed to another, too fast for the camera. A flight sequence of the sparrow hawk below, plus a wandering drake teal.

sparrow hawk

coming in to land

landing

teal

 

After this, we packed the car and popped to Salthouse beach car park so Wendy could see the confiding turnstones. Mingling with them were snow buntings. I was about to text fellow birders, Therese and Stuart that the buntings were on show when I realised that they were standing 3 yards away. They went off to successfully find the purple sandpiper, a lifer for them. Good stuff.

On the way home I added woodcock to the list, totalling 83 species for the whole 2 days non birding. This "non birding" phrase is a little misleading but basically it refers to the fact that I spend only a few hours maximum, birding and the rest of the time I am out enjoying a walk, meal, pint etc with Wendy. However, when out for a walk, I take binoculars and camera, but leave the scope, tripod etc at home. All photos are walk by shootings, with the only stop to get a photo was for the previous day's goldcrest.

snow bunting

turnstone at Salthouse beach car park

turnstones and snow bunting