A pre-breakfast look at Cley produced three Spoonbills in excess of 100 Avocet, numerous Black-tailed Godwits and other common waders, including this obliging Redshank!
The whole of Saturday morning was spent at Swanton Nover and Great Ryburgh - eventually provided distant views of one Honey Buzzard - a not so distant but record quality shot of Barn Owl carrying a vole was the only time the shutter got into action!
The afternoon and evening was spent at Titchwell - due to heavy storms I never made it to the beach - but most of the Knot and Barwits were to the left of the second hide!
After a season of clinging on to reed stems, Bearded Tits are starting to look in need of a fresh set of tail feathers!!
Sunday morning got underway with a bang - a Firecrest near Sheringham. Hopes were high for Kelling Heath to produce? No Woodlark or Dartford Warbler, plenty of common birds posing well though including this Whitethroat and female Yellowhammer.....
The highlight of Sunday came whilst on the road with a chance encounter with a male Marsh Harrier working a roadside field - I pulled in off the road to check it out and to my surprise, it came closer - within 50m or so - before dropping on prey unseen.....
Unbelievably, the field opposite the road also yielded brief but distant views of a male Montagu's Harrier!!
Now that is one classy raptor!! I stayed a while hoping for a repeat performance (which never came). Eventually the effects of the local grasses took their toll as I started to scratch my eyes out! It was decision time, the beach at Titchwell where nothing new was likely to turn up or an early return - via a minor detour to Upton Warren where a Red necked Phalarope currently showing......
