Norfolk

It's been a while since my last post so I've got a lot of catching up to do. At the beginning of June I spent a few days on the North Norfolk coast based at Salthouse. Norfolk is the premier mainland county for birdwatching, but as with recent months the weather was not conducive to birdwatching or photography. Nevertheless I managed to see or hear 94 species of bird and 8 species of mammal; not bad considering the rain (it was the Silver Jubilee weekend for those of you that braved the weather in the early part of June).
Unusually for Norfolk at that time of year rare birds were thin on the ground, the only rarity of note during my stay was an elusive Black-winged Stilt at Cley. Even the Nightjars on Salthouse Heath failed to show on 3 different nights. But I did manage a view of a Cetti's Warbler, a bird definitely more often heard than seen. The one day that the sun shone I drove to Strumpshaw Fen but no Swallowtails or Norfolk Hawkers were on the wing.
I'm sure my next trip to Norfolk will be more productive; it's a fabulous county even in the rain!

This Red-legged Partridge was in the car-park at Cley.

The rain forced this Swift to feed low

over the lake at Holkham Hall.

The rain eventually did stop allowing birds such as this Barn

Owl to hunt.

A beautiful example of mimicry; this Wasp Beetle was

photographed at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB.

Summer-plumaged Sanderling at Titchwell RSPB.

Summer-plumaged Sanderling.

Avocet feeding at Titchwell RSPB.

Avocet, Titchwell.

Breeding-plumaged Little Egret at Cley,

it was being mobbed by a Lapwing.

Juvenile Robin at Titchwell waiting to be

fed by its parent.

A flock of Spoonbills at Cley. They were easier to see than the

Black-winged Stilt.

A female Broad-bodied Chaser basking in some rare sunshine.

I tempted the Jackdaws at Blickling Hall with some fruit cake.

Jackdaw at Blickling Hall.

A soggy Little Egret manages to catch some lunch at Cley.