Sensational Sandpipers!

So many birds, so little time to post anything about them.

A very quick round-up of a successful trip to North Norfolk should really include the Sandpipers at Cley - White-rumped and Pectoral (presumably brought across from North America by the weather system that made for such a warm and windy week at the campsite) , plus a rusty coloured summer Curlew Sandpiper. The girlfriend spoke, in a hide packed full of genuine birders, of how all the small waders looked a like. "A variation of a theme", one chap replied. She was a little more impressed when I suggested at least one of those tiny birds hatched not long ago in the Arctic barrens of Northern Canada.

Spoonbills have been a regular feature at Cley and five were present for our visit, at least one of them a definite juvenile. Well done to any birdwatchers who saw those birds doing anything other than sleep!

Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Little Gull, Knot and a single Brent Goose were the best of the rest at Cley.

Over at Titchwell later in the week Bearded Tits were the clear winner. Superb views of a family group and then a lone male, just a little patience along the path and they popped up hardly five metres away. Don't be too quick to get to the hides, is my advice there.
As per usual it was a great site for close views of Avocet and Marsh Harrier, and unexpectedly out on the beach a raft of eclipse Eiders drifted just offshore.

Elsewhere, family groups of Little Terns fishing in the channels around Wells harbour will remain memorable, a Hobby at Dersingham Bog, Med Gulls made a visit to Snettisham worthwhile even if the tide was well out, and the girlfriend enjoy stalking the Oystercatchers in the PYO strawberry fields.

Invertebrate life was pretty tops too, but I'll post about that another time. For now, what are you waiting for? Pack up, get Norfolk bound, it's brilliant!

Little Gull @ Titchwell

The Eider


The Spoonbills, surprisingly active!