Venus Pool - Going for Gold

After all my recent travels, a localish weekend was called for and having seen a sizeable (c300 strong) flock of Golden Plover flying around the Venus Pool area during midweek - I wondered if they would drop in??

My early start ended up at an 8.00 arrival and even from the car park it was clear something spectacular was going down - the original flock had now trebled (at least) in size (easily c1,000), together with a few 100 lapwing and it was quite a spectacle!

Trouble was the gloomy start coupled with being into the light, made photography pretty almost a non-starter but I tried to capture the atmosphere......

The Plover seemed to favour the right hand muddy island and once that was 'full' the rest stayed airborne with an 'all change' every now and then!

Take off and landing at a deliberately slow shutter speed for arts sake.....















A quick morning wash and preen.....








Eventually the sun threatened to shine, so I changed the angle of view to the new Memorial Hide.....








Finally, reflections in the early morning sun...








What's next?

Venus Pool - Snipe reflections

This was what came next, and to think it was only mintues after the gloom of the Golden Plover display! I'd been keeping my eye on three Common Snipe which had been feeding in the water not far away. As the sun came out and they started to preen - it looked like a good opportunity......

One of the classic bird poses is the Owl peeking around an object theme - not often you get a Snipe in this pose eh?






There's no trickery in the above - just a very unusual reflection! But on the subject of reflections......






Common Snipe viewed from almost every angle....






My favourite - I just love this image! The pose, reflection, ripples, light - worth all the hours of trying.....






Which is yours?

Stubbers Green - Yellow Legs

Yes folks it's that time of year again - GULLS! After the Snipe encounter, I decided to give Stubbers Green a go - a couple of Caspian Gulls have been dropping in recently.

They weren't seen yesterday and they weren't going to be seen today! Never mind, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls were present, here's one individual.....








The usual selection of 'commoner' Gulls including 1st and 2nd Winter Common Gulls....








A real bruiser of an Adult Great black-backed Gull making the nearby Lesser look pretty puny in comparison!






Oh well, no Caspian today but I'll get one before long.....

Cley - Pectoral Sandpiper

A gloomy start to Saturday at Cley and I wouldn't really call the distant Green-winged Teal on the North scrape a highlight but they all count!

A Pectoral Sandpiper at least had the courtesy to stay close to the hide on Simmonds
scrape.










Often keeping company with a Common Snipe.....








I didn't realise it at the time but these were to be the last bird images from the weekend! The heavens opened and after being lured out for the Owls, got a bit of a soaking during the evening - never mind - a dramatic landscape at Salthouse!






Sunday at least produced a couple of year ticks when a mobile skulking Yellow-browed Warbler (how do you get a shot of one of these?) decided to show at Holme. This bird brought the 250 up for the yearlist too!! I'm indebted to the local who put me on it with a Tit flock - by the standing caravan! Three Common Cranes later at Welney - as far away as they could manage!

Salthouse - Shortie sunset

The morning session was a strictly local (and imageless) affair which started at Salthouse with a 30 strong flock of mobile Snow Buntings! Large numbers of finches, including a huge flock of Goldfinch feeding on the shingle ridge. Cley didn't produce anything of note, so it was off to Holkham....

More Snow Buntings here at the 'gap' and this flock had a single Lapland Bunting in tow... A quest for YBW in the woods failed to produce but a Firecrest made the walk worthwhile?

The afternoon took in the Brancaster / Docking area checking out the Pink feet - there were 1,000s and 1,000s! Quite an amazing sight.....






Deafening at take off!!






Hello, hello, hello what did we also have here? A genuine Snow Goose? (The one pictured was present at Salthouse). I can sense the list police looming but who can say - notebook out and pencil being sharpened.....






I finished the day with a stroll down the iron road at Salthouse! A Short-eared Owl had been reported the previous evening - would it show again?






An unusual capture of two juv Mute Swans on the way - flying united!






With at least an hour of daylight the Shortie showed!! Never close enough for feather detail.








But providing some atmospheric shots as the sun set....










A bonus Barn Owl too!






A mere 6 miles or so to travel back to the B&B this evening plus a relaxing pint or two.....

PS - I never did list that Goose, currently awaiting results of DNA / genetic tests and it's flight recorder.....

Felixstowe Ferry - Birdies on the 15th and 16th!

My route to Norfolk was led into temptation by the thought of a Red-flanked Bluetail at Minsmere! One classic diversion later, it was Suffolk here I come - spirits dampened firstly by a horrendous journey along the A14 (nearly 5 hours) followed by - yes you've guessed it - dip time!!

I gave the Bluetail a decent chance though (at least two Firecrest were a little compensation) but when I emerged from the sluice bushes into the daylight, eyes blinking, a couple of hours later, I definitely needed a change of scenery!

There was a plan B finale and by late afternoon, I was 30 odd miles further south at Felixstowe Ferry! I arrived at the golf course.....






..... made my was along the sea wall between the Martello towers and bumped into a fellow birder with a gut wrenching update on the Shore Lark - "its's just flown"!!

What is going on??? Please no, not a double dip!

At least there was an obliging Snow Bunting on the fairway (I've been waiting to say this) - a birdie on the 16th then!

In between obliging and then not so obliging golfers, a few shots were taken, digital that is. This is where No 1 driver would come in handy I suppose (if only to avoid the unwanted attention we were now attracting or take on the Neanderthals!) Reactions varied from "sure, take a picture!" to "this is private land - get ORF". It isn't /wasn't private land at all - just a plain dangerous place to wander!












I don't know what made me glance up the 15th fairway but so glad I did - I was just about to have a birdie on the 15th as well - playing the course backwards!!

Brilliant - the Shore Lark was back! By now the golfers were disappearing as fast as the light so I settled myself in the nearby rough and waited - sure enough - thye Shore Lark moved closer to join the Snow Bunting!










Finally, the two little stunners feeding happily together in the gathering gloom






Satnav time and with Sheringham 80 odd miles away, the drive wasn't quite finished yet - it was well worth the extra little bit though......

Shropshire - quick catch up

One or two pictures whilst out and about in Shropshire over the past week or two.....

The Bittern has landed at Venus Pool(9th)! Lucky enough to be sitting in the hide as it flew in - for the first time this Autumn? - roosting record shot in near darkness!!






Shropshire Red Kite at Crudgington on the 10th being mobbed by Corvids.






A Black-tailed Godwit dropped into VP on the 14th - present all afternoon.








Grey Wagtail at Chelmarsh on 17th - no sign of the Jack Snipe!








A Little Egret still in (and out) at Venus Pool on 18th






plus a local Sparrowhawk.....






seen off by a Jackdaw!






I'm off to Norfolk this week - hopes of something special??