Visit to Norfolk

Had a really busy time recently and one cat in the vets costing an arm and leg- whilst her teeth are cleaned and 3 extractions...poor liitle thing.

Interviews all day Tuesday for our new Deputy Head at my Primary School. Governors involved at that level. Really difficult in that we had 4 good candidates and finally two very close but different people after the final interviews. I think we made the right choice.

Sowhen Bob rang Tuesday night and we decided not to go for the London Dusky Warbler again but to Norfolk! (We got drenched on Sunday morning trying for it!_
On route on Wednesday there had been an accident on the M11 - so we changed our minds and went via Welney to see Whooper and Bewick Swans. Lovely! We also got bonus Tree Sparrows there.We didn't see the Bean Goose - looks like we will have to wait until the winter 2010 to see this bird!

Then it was on to Hunstanton for Fulmars - but little else after dipping Golden Pheasant at Wolferton Triangle!

Then on and by now the rain was raining so it was straight to Titchwell to see if the Mealy that Bob needed was still about it was and we saw it really well! Despite a Bang on the head from Bobs bins!

Then we had to go for petrol and decided as the Snow Goose had been seen up til 12 we might try for it at Holme NOA ....we did at 3!
My first really wild Snow Goose! I heard the familiar calling of pink feet and several thousand were in the sky. The skies were alive with their spectacular presence - thousands! I looked at the front as the birds neared and you just knew they were coming in to land and the 6th bird from the front -Snow Goose- adult and soooooooooooooooo white!I got Bob on it and we watched as it flew strongly with the other Geese and then landed in the field south of Broadwater -where they had been in the morning!

Now it was to Salthouse for Snow Buntings - well the flock was about a 100 strong with some well marked adult males.

We then went to Sheringham and had lovely sightings of a young Glaucous Gull - his head a deep dark shade with the back a contrasting colour and somewhat biscuity wings!
What a big gull they are - seeing it in the water alongside a bh gull was revealing!

Then we tried for a Purple Sandpiper at Cromer and dipped that but worth going as on our way back we saw a Tawny Owl in a tree - our 2nd owl of the year! Oh we had seen Barny today but after our 4 on sheppey.....and also a little later I spotted a Barn Owl on one of the sign posts of one of the villages!

Despite the grey wet day that was the opposite to the weather we were supposed to enjoy in Norfolk - it was a good birding day.