Black Tern at Cley in glorious sunshine!

BLACK TERN
From East Bank, Cley.

East Bank - Cley
A beautiful sunny day. Walked along the bank with Eddie M., John F. and Matthew. A beautiful walk with light winds. We walked east at the end of the bank and sat watching a juv Black Tern briefly on Arnold's Marsh. The tern then flew across the shingle and west along the beach. I walked down to the water's edge with John F. and had stupendous views of this beautiful Black Tern fishing along with Common, Sandwich and Little Terns in a feeding frenzie of fish. I took tons of pictures and was very pleased to find that I had several good flight shots when I looked through them all later. I was very lucky I didn't get soaked as I had to run quickly back from the surf several times, whilst photographing! I could have sat here all day. I love Cley beach so much. The scene this morning was so beautiful, the sea almost looked turquoise and rolling waves glittered in the rays of the sun - it could have been a scene in the caribbean! To add to the excitement a Guillemot was sitting on the sea only what seemed like a few yards from me!!! (see pics)

Common Tern from East Bank, Cley.


Guillemot from East Bank, Cley.

Back at the carpark (East Bank) there was an Emperor Dragonfly cruising back and forth in the Catcherwater Drain.


Walsey Hills NOA
The bottom public footpath has now been cut by the council, but the centre path from the information building that leads to join with the bottom public footpath, has still not been cleared - it needs a serious strimming now as you can't even see where the path was at the end! On the buddleia's by the building were two Painted Ladies, along with Red Admirals and Peacocks. Sand Wasps were scurring around on the bank. Sadly still no sign of Adders this year. Temperature had risen considerably and now much too hot for me!

NWT Visitor Centre for lunch - Jacket Potato with Cheese and confession time - half a piece of coffee and walnut cake with a stem-ginger ice-cream - yum yum! It was lovely sitting here out of the heat.

Afternoon spanish siesta to escape the heat!

Returned to Walsey Hills to photograph butterflies in early evening light. Two Wall butterflies were additional to this morning's list. The Painted Lady posed beautifully on the sandy bank. A juv. Cetti's Warbler was calling - highlighted to me.... I was not familiar with juv. call, but am now.


Dauke's Hide NWT
Family of Sedge and Reed Warblers in the bushes/reeds just before the hide. Pat's Pool is now is now full of water again - its looking good! On Simmond's Scrape: 3 Yellow Leg Gulls, 5 Green Sandpipers, 2 Greenshanks, 6 Spotted Redshanks, 8 Spoonbills, 1 Common Sandpiper and a juv. Med Gull on Pat's Pool. Usual avocets, redshanks, gulls etc. A good number of pied wags were flitting about the muddy banks of Pat's Pool at the furthest side. A couple of goldfinches landed briefly on the barbed wire fence just outside the hide. Nice to see Pete S. who popped in the hide for while. Waited until 9.15pm in hope of being incredibly lucky again - but no sign of the otter this evening!

MORE PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED

Holme, Titchwell and Cley and a wow moment at dusk!

After a manic, heavy day at work on Friday, I needed a lie in this morning and woke up around 8am. It was a good start to the day as had to go into town to buy a smaller pair of trousers!!! My 'larger' khaki trousers that I bought a few weeks are now far too big and make me look like an old tramp! My WW diet is successful this time round and have now lost 10lbs so far...... although still quite a way to go yet!!! Those typical words from other people 'you can't be what you used to be now you are older'......are absolute rubbish, of course you can - its just an excuse. Just because you are 'older' there is no reason if you are focussed, why you can't shed the pounds. I have not had a bar of chocolate for weeks now and to be honest, I have not really missed it. My diet has only been broken with a single cheese scone (honest), half a piece of coffee sandwich - two stem ginger ice-creams and well..... yes I did eat out twice last weekend, but think I have got away with it! Anyway I got out of town pretty quickly really, but then annoyingly hit the beach traffic heading towards Hunstanton, as I made my way to Holme to visit and deliver shopping to my parents. Mother mentioned that she has had humming bird hawkmoths almost daily again - although I never seem to be there at the right time! I photographed a Popular Hawkmoth that father had caught in the moth trap this morning.


Holme Bird Observatory

Saw a 'Wall' butterfly at the top of the steps to the main bank to obs. On the buddleia at the obs there was a good selection of butterflies including Red Admiral, Peacock and Gatekeeper.

David and Ray Roche were manning the Obs. for the day and David very kindly pointed out a Southern Hawker that also luckily landed on a pine branch to allow us to take some nice photographs! A crossbill was also calling.


Titchwell RSPB

Met up with Eddie at Titchwell and from Parrinder Hide saw a Greenshank, juv. Med Gull, several juv. little ringed plovers right in front of the hide, a Yellow Wagtail along with Pied Wags amongst the usual waders, oh and a couple of Common Sandpipers.


Wareham Greens

A phone call from John F. to Eddie took us to Wareham Greens to watch and photograph two large Hoverfly species on the brambles.


Cley - Dauke's Hide 7.30pm - a magical evening!

With Eddie M., M.G, R.M. and others. A good selection of birds this evening and a VERY, VERY exciting end to the evening! juv little gull, first sum. little gull, 3 greenshank, 1 Yellow leg Gull, 2 juv. Marsh Harriers, Arctic Tern, 3 green sandpipers. A Hobby sped through along the shingle at 7.45pm. An Arctic Skua also along the shingle west at 8.35pm. Several Ruff, black tailed godwits, avocets, redshanks, loads of gulls, cormorants, common and sandwich terns etc. Two herons were fishing in the dyke to the right hand side of the hide. Suddenly I spotted a dark furry blob in the water by the herons in the now semi dusk at 9.10pm - the 'blob' had an eye and my first thoughts were water vole.... then I realised there was a middle section and then a tail - OMG it was an OTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I said something like 'don't breathe........' and directed everyone's attention to where it was. Couldn't believe it - WOW!!! Obviously I didn't get a picture in this light, although I would have achieved some kind of image if I had put the focus onto manual - my attempted picture was on autofocus and is a selection of dark and mid blue lines!!! Didn't have time to think about what settings the camera was on. We realised the otter had more than probably swam around to Teal Hide - several of us tip toed at speed round to the hide and opened the flaps incredibly slowly, but our brief, but magical sighting was all we were going to see!

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED

The weekend!!!

After arriving home at 5pm after a manic day at work I spent three hours cutting my hedge with hand shears and clearing it all up. Absolutely shattered now, but looking forward to the weekend!

Evening Birding at Cley!

Water Vole, Cley NWT.

I had to work late on Monday night so was owed some time. Finished work at 3.30pm and was sitting on the shingle at Cley Coastguards by 6pm in glorious sunshine!!! A beautiful evening.

4 Gannets flew east, little terns, common terns, 16 Whimbrel flew west and swallows around the carpark.

Daukes Hide NWT - with Eddie M. and M. G.

On the footbridge I had fantastic views of two Water Voles looking extra cute (see pics). Just before the hide were a family of sedge warblers, 2 greenfinches, goldfinches and a few reed warblers. I could also hear some bearded tits. From the hide: 1 Spotted Redshank 5 Green Sandpipers, 1 juv. Med. Gull, Black tailed Godwits, 4 Spoonbills, possibly another 4 Green Sandpipers, 3 Marsh Harriers, 9 Snipe, 2 Herons and tons of gulls! Avocets, shelducks, redshanks, several Common Terns. Cormorants flew across the hide in setting sun. Mist came down over the marshes and made everything look romantic and beautiful! We could only just see the cows on the marsh as we walked back to the main road!

PICTURES TO BE ADDED

A busy week!

Bought a WD My Book Studio External Hard Drive 2TB from PC World this evening, for the same price as I paid for the 1TB a few months ago! On hindsight, I wish I had bought a 2TB initially rather than the 1TB, but hey ho!

Will HAVE to spend some time at the weekend moving/sorting and copying photographs. Apologies to my blog readers for being a little behind with photos and ramblings of late!

Thanks to everyone that has emailed and contacted me re: advice on my Mac/photo storage problem!

Not long to the Rutland Birdfair now - can't wait!!!

A sunny day at Cley!

Coastguards

Stopped here briefly and saw Little Terns and Gannets.

North Scrape

12 Spoonbills, 3 Little ringed Plovers, 1 Whimbrel, a massive count of 178 Dunlin! Little Egret, 22 Cormorants, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 juv. Yellow Wagtail.

East Bank

With John F., Eddie M., and Andy J. Half way along the bank we heard news of both a Cory's Shearwater and Storm Petrol seen going west from Sheringham!!! We marched quickly to the shingle bank and sat/stood here for ages, but neither sadly were seen. A tired kittiwake was resting on the shingle a few yards west of the end of the East Bank (see pic). On the way back, along the path between Bishop's Hide and the Visitor Centre we saw a 'Wall Butterfly' (see pic).

A wonderful lunch was enjoyed at the Wiveton Farm Cafe. I can't believe I havn't been here before - a beautiful setting with views of the sea beyond and a first class service. See the website here: http://www.wivetonhall.co.uk/cafe.htm

Kelling Water Meadows

Very little was seen here, but a lovely sunny walk. Also heard news that the bottom path at Walsey Hills NOA has at last been cut by the council - don't know if the NOA have cut the centre path yet though.

Daukes Hide NWT

Yellow leg gull, avocets, black tailed godwits, shelducks, gulls etc.

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED

Cley all day

East Bank, Cley - 8.20am

Walked along the East Bank with Eddie M. Lots of looming clouds overhead! An Arctic Tern sat on Arnold's Marsh along with Common and Sandwich Terns. On the way back, I had to shelter under an overhang of reeds below the bank, as the rain fell down heavily!

Coastguards - 9.50am.

10 Common Scoter, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Fulmar, lots of Little Terns, Gannets, 2 Arctic Terns, 12 Whimbrel. Went to the visitor centre at 11am and broke diet with cheese scone, whilst chatting with Andy J. and Eddie M. Back to Coastguards again produced 4 more Arctic Terns, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Common Scoter, Gannets, Little Terns and 2 Manx Shearwaters by 12.20pm. After lunch

Stiffkey Fen

With Eddie M., M.G. and Steve B. A good number of Med. Gulls, a Green Sandpiper and usual avocets, greylags, shelduck, redshanks, LRP etc etc.

Coastguards - late afternoon.

Stood on the shingle in wind and cold conditions with Pete S., Andy J. and Eddie M. to look for a Storm Petrol that had been seen going west at Sheringham, but sadly no luck! A Whimbrel was seen going west, 2 more Arctic Terns and more little terns and gannets, but not much else.

A wonderful vegetarian meal in "The Three Swallows" in Cley with a friend. I had never been in this pub before - really nice atmosphere and lots of fascinating old pictures of Cley on display.

North Scrape - until sunset

15 Whimbrel flew over. An excellent count of 92 Dunlin. 5 Spoonbills, 1 Yellow leg Gull, 2 Little Ringed Plovers. The spoonbill count increased to 16 in flight! Lots of avocets and usual waders.

The sun setting was the sunniest and most beautiful part of the day!

No Memory left!!!

I bought my MacBook Pro in May 2010 and just presumed I could keep downloading pictures for ever! BUT last night when trying to copy across my latest pictures. It would not allow me to do so "...... no free space available"!!!!!!! So will either have to nip into PC World in King's Lynn or the Mac Store in Norwich to see if I can add some more memory to my laptop!!!!!! If not then HELP!!!!!

Sorry - will answer people's emails etc this weekend - have not turned the computer on since Tuesday!

Help with ID please?

Pictures have now been added to 2nd & 3rd of July.

There are a few pictures that I have not have time to ID yet, so any help would be much appreciated please?

http://pennyshotbirdingandlife.blogspot.com/2011/07/att-sculthorpe-saw-massive-looked.html

http://pennyshotbirdingandlife.blogspot.com/2011/07/fiery-dragons.html

Latest news and on-line poll on the incinerator!!!

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/should_secretary_of_state_decide_king_s_lynn_incinerator_plan_asks_new_report_1_965873

Titchwell RSPB this evening!

Been at work all day until 4.30pm, but went to Titchwell RSPB this evening briefly after visiting parents and watched 7 Spoonbills from Parrinder Hide at 8.30pm and an adult and a 1st sum. Med. Gull. Tons of waders including hundreds of Knot. Terrible rain and awful light, not like Cley was last night!

Will sort through some photos tomorrow night!

The Big Year - Movie to be released!!!!

In Cinemas - 11th November.

Three avid bird watchers compete to spot the rarest birds in North America at a prestigious annual event.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1053810/

A near perfect day!!!

Spoonbills, Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

Cley – birds, people, memories and beautiful skies!
Well after going to bed at 1pm last night I decided not to bother getting up silly early. Also the predicted heavy rain didn't entice me to set the alarm early either!

As predicted - it was raining hard when I left Lynn and continued throughout most of the day. Arrived Cley Visitor Centre at 10am and joined Eddie M. for a pot of tea whilst watching the rain falling heavily. Whilst sitting there, we noticed the flock of Spoonbills land in front of Daukes' Hide!!! I departed and parked the car at the bottom of Old Women's Lane.

Green Sandpiper, Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

Daukes' Hide - 11am-4am
I got just as wet, putting on waterproof trousers and coats, than if I had just walked straight to the hides! There was only one lady in the hide - so it was nice and peaceful. I made the effort to set up the camera on the hide clamp and made a video of the 11 Spoonbills looking sorry for themselves in the rain including a juvenile who was calling - how sweet! My video was ruined though by a lady coming in the hide who sat next to me and talked in a raised tone! John F. joined me in the hide and was cracking spoonbill one-liners, one after the other - I won't state them all on here! A bit later on, a 12th Spoonbill joined the others. A single Snipe sat on the island furthest away on Simmonds - incidently the last snipe I saw from here was a 'Great Snipe'!!! Suddenly the hide filled with people, Ashley Saunders and Adrian Riley with a tour group - nice to see you both. Birds seen besides the majestic spoonbills: Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 1 Whimbrel, 4 Common Terns and a Sandwich Tern on the island, avocets, redshanks, gulls etc. A lone Swallow sat burbling away on the barbed wire and 2 Sand Martins including an interesting juv, with a whitish throat which I took pictures of. Most people left the hide a bit later. I watched an adult Med Gull drop in on Simmonds and then relocate to the nearest island which was quite handy for the camera at 1.45pm! On my own I had the closest views ever of a green sandpiper right below the hide by the barbed wire fence and got some frame filling pictures. Took more pictures of the swallow in now torrential rain, but beautiful light and also some pictures of a rain drenched reed warbler on a short fence post in the ditch just below the hide. Mike (as in Mike and Jacky - don't know their surname!) sat in the hide for a while and then went (Happy Birthday for yesterday Jacky!). Eddie M. joined me a bit later on. Little ringed plover at the back of the islands along with a Little Gull. My only regret was that I wished I had bought my lunch into the hide as I did not want to leave! I was getting very hungry - hungry and on a diet is not ideal! Eddie pointed out a fly through Stock Dove.

Eddie and I were talking about a particular rare bird years ago and about 'Big Jake' a very well known twitcher - I remember him turning up at Holme for rare birds many times - his image of a long black trench coat, long hair and a beard are etched in my mind! I met him for the first time in about 30 years, two years ago at the Lesser Kestrel in Suffolk.

At 4pm I couldn't stand it any longer - I had to eat! Only lightly spitting with rain now. Ate my Philadelphia cheese and stem-ginger sandwich much too quickly back at the car!


Coastguards - North Scrape
Was just eating my cold tea of new potatoes, carrot and bulgar wheat something or other and salad when a red estate car pulled up next to me - the occupants.... a sleepy looking Pete and Graham who had obviously partied hard last night, as they hadn't surfaced until well after lunch!!!! Lucky they didn't miss anything good! Then John F. turned up and Eddie M.! The rain had now finally stopped. It was an unexpectedly beautiful, sunny evening. We all walked down to the North Hide to see more Spoonbills, 2 Common Sandpipers, cormorants, common and sandwich terns, black tailed godwits, avocets etc. The light was absolutely beautiful now and there was a mass of avocets all resting on the end of one island - it was a lovely scene. Juv. Marsh harriers floated around, scattering birds left, right and centre. Pete, Graham and John left. 2nd Summer Yellow leg Gull (ID'd by Eddie), 3 Spotted Redshanks on Billy's Wash, but I could only see 2. Bumped into M.G. on the way back to Coastguards who later saw some good birds from North Hide.

Arctic Skua, Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT

Daukes' Hide - 7.30pm
I am so glad I went back into this hide! Lovely to see Irene and Tim Loseby in the hide too - nice to see you! and hear all about the recent FIBO grand opening! A Yellow leg Gull sat on the scrape. A good number of gulls, but nowhere near as many as yesterday. Highlight of the day was most definately two Arctic Skuas chasing terns right in front of us (see pics) Awesome!!!! Eddie picked up a Hobby going west past North Hide at 7.50pm (supposed to call this Swarovski Hide - sorry!) Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper sat together on the nearest island! Some people in the hide spotted a fox on the edge of Pat's Pool! Several marsh harriers gliding round in the now beautiful sunlight. The clouds mirrored into the water just in front of the hide to make a perfect picture - a little egret landed in the clouds! Cormorants flew across us in the setting sun and martins skimmed over the water. Everyone left the hide simultaneously at 9.15pm. Glimpses of the sun edged against dramatic dark clouds set my camera off again walking back along the path! No sign of the water vole over the footbridge (again) - surprise, surprise!

It seemed to take forever to reach home - probably because I didn't want to go back!

One of the best day's photography I have had - tons of pictures to sort through!

MORE PICTURES TO BE ADDED

Wonderful, sunny day at Cley and round about!

Gatekeeper, North Scrape Hide, Cley NWT.

Parked at Coastguards and walked to North Scrape Hide. A stunningly beautiful morning. On route I watched and photographed sand martins on the wires in the sunshine! Lots of yellow-horned poppies and thistles in flower. From the hide: several ruff, 10 Spoonbills, black tailed godwits, avocets, redshanks, gulls, little ringed plovers, 1 marsh harriers and usual gulls etc. The light is awful from the hide in the morning, so didn't stay long. I spent much longer photographing dozens of Gatekeepers on the ox-eye daisy clump along the path to the hide! A burnet moth, red admirals and bees were on the purple thistle heads on the way back to the carpark.

Sand Martins near Cley Coastguards NWT.

Gatekeepers, North Scrape Hide, Cley NWT.

Yellow Horned Poppies, Cley Beach.

Burnet Moth, Cley Beach.

Daukes Hide - 11am. Met up with Pete S. and Graham at Old Woman's Lane and walked down to the hides. Adult Med Gull, Adult Yellow leg Gull, green sandpiper, lesser blacked backed gulls, great b.b. gulls, little egret, avocets etc etc. Pete heard a whimbrel calling. Met John F. in the hide aswell!

Yellow leg Gull, Daukes Hide NWT.


Little Egret, Avocet Hide NWT.

Med Gull, Daukes Hide NWT.

Wiveton Downs - 1.10pm 23 Crossbills flew overhead calling. More gatekeepers and a purple hairstreak for a nano of a second! Family of coal tits.

M.G. informed us of a hummingbird hawk moth in Church Lane, which we couldn't find. Photographed some of the stained glass windows in Cley Church including R.M's brilliant White Crowned Sparrow drawing! We noticed a poster advertising the 'St Margaret's Church Summer Fair', Church Field, Cley tomorrow (Saturday) 2-5pm see here

Stained Glass, Cley Church.

Cley Visitor Centre - a pot of tea for three and 3 ice-creams - mine was stem-ginger of course! This is the first time I have broken my diet in two weeks!

Pete and Graham left mid afternoon to prepare early for Graham's birthday celebrations tonight! Happy Birthday Graham! They won't be out and about early in the morning!

A very nice person took me to an undisclosed site in Norfolk, to have fabulous views of two Silver-washed Fritillaries, a White Admiral, Red Admiral and Commas. Unfortunately due to circumstances I can not reveal, I cannot release the whereabouts of this place to anyone else, which is very frustrating not to be able to share this with others, but nothing I can do about it I am afraid, sorry!

Shield Bug.

Cricket.

Silver washed Fritillary.

Red Admiral.

Rosebay Willowherb.

Coastguards, Cley - a beautiful sight of dozens of Sand Martins all lined up on the fence wires by the path to the pill box. Steve G. here taking pictures and obviously I took a few too!

Sand Martins, Pill Box, Cley Coastguards.

North Scrape Hide - 7.15pm to 9.15pm. Spent the rest of the evening here in beautiful light. 10 Spoonbills, 43 Cormorants, two Sandwich Terns and two juvs. 7 Common Terns, 1 Little Tern, 2 Little Gulls, 11 Dunlin, 2 juv. Marsh Harriers, 69 Black-tailed Godwits including one with blue and white rings on left leg, white ring on right leg along with an orange flag (found out from MG that it was rung in a French project). A birder in the hide a bit later on said he had counted 161 black tailed godwits on the Eye Field this evening. Two children were messing about round the hide and suddenly one of them decided to walk in front of the hide and was going to carry on until I pointed out that they shouldn't be in front of the hide and explain why! Unbelievable! On the way back to the car I saw a Curlew Sandpiper on Billy's Wash.

Waders from North Scrape Hide NWT.

Beautiful sunset to end a wonderful day.

Sunset, Cley next Sea.

Spotted Sandpiper!

Spotted Sandpiper at Rutland Water on Thursday 14th July- see: http://www.lros.org.uk/News.htm

New Assistant Warden at Holme announced!!!

Congratulations to Gary Elton!!!

See announcement on: http://www.noa.org.uk/

Caspian Tern published in local newspaper

My Caspian Tern picture was published in Reader's Pictures yesterday in the Lynn News Tuesday (12th July) my parent's told me this evening. It was so long ago, I almost had forgotten I had sent it them!


HOT NEWS TODAY: a Greater Yellowlegs was misidentified as a Greenshank!!!! See here.

World's first Spoon-billed Sandpiper is born in captivity!

http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/spoon-billed_sandpiper_born_in_captivity.asp

A race for land is destroying the Guatemalan rainforest

In the Guardian today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/12/guatemala-rainforest-deforestation-farming-foucart

Is ocean garbage killing whales? | COSMOS magazine

Is ocean garbage killing whales? | COSMOS magazine

Save the Orangutan - STOP Palm Oil!

I don't normally add things like this to my blog, but felt I had to. I had no idea that Palm Oil which is in a vast majority of products that we consume on a daily basis was so massively destructive! Lets be realistic here - WE DON'T EVEN NEED IT! I will be studying the ingredients on future products that I buy.

Craig Jones, British Wildlife Photographer linked this on facebook:

Tuesday 12th - update: The video below has now been blocked on youtube!!!!!! Because of 'copyright' - hmmm....... I wonder if thats really why?



Please take the time to watch this film aswell on: http://www.almathefilm.com/

Also see: http://www.orangutans-sos.org/news/382_clear-labels-not-forests-europe-wide-campaign-helps-to-secure-vital-victory-for-forests

Cley All Day!

Water Vole, from the footbridge leading to Cley NWT Hides.

Beautiful sunny day, but a heavy shower just before lunch!

Arrived at Cley at just before 8am and stood on the foot bridge that leads to the NWT hides waiting for the Water Vole to appear - it did, but only briefly and only achieved a record shot. Walked down to the hides and from Daukes' Hide saw 10 Spoonbills flying west, 1 Green Sandpiper and a Lesser black-backed Gull, Little Gulls, avocets, lapwings, LRP's, marsh harriers etc etc.

Gatekeeper on the way to Cley NWT Hides.


Juv. Black headed Gull, Salthouse.

After having a cup of tea in the visitor centre with Eddie M. and Andy J. we walked along the East Bank and was joined by John F. as well. There was a grasshopper 'treading water' in a very precarious situation, in the sluice/pool by the start of the East bank and John went to great lengths to save it - reaching a reed stem down to the water for the grasshopper to climb onto, which it did and thus saved! The walk along the bank was fabulous with full entertainment and laughter from all three along with several nice birds including a Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Little Gull, 4 juv. Bearded Tits and marsh harriers. Andy advised me not to smile/laugh at John's jokes, because it made him worse - I noticed both Andy and Eddie smiling at ALL John's jokes - you just can't help it! In fact all three of them make me laugh alot. How we got on to the subject of 'Steptoe and Son' (sitcom) I really can't remember, but I was recalling the one where Harold invites his girlfriend back to 'experience' his new water bed etc etc- remember? it was hilarious - here is a link to remind you. Anyone aged 40 or under, won't have a clue what I am going on about, sorry! Anyway, we just all made it back to the carpark before it poured with rain - just about!

Sat in the NWT Visitor Centre carpark having my diet lunch - yep I am deadly serious now about shedding the pounds! A new Penny will be emerging in coming months! Went back to Daukes' Hide with John. The sun was out and again and the light was absolutely beautiful now. A massive type of horse fly was sitting on the ledge out of the hide window (possibly ' Tabanus sulcifrons') that was so big, at first I thought it was a big moth!!! Took a photograph, but not very good as it was sitting head on, to the hide. A greylag goose with a green neck ring and white writing Y64 appeared with juv greylags - not seen this before, but found it later from M.G. and E.M that it has been around for a couple of years and originates from Holland. There were at least 7 juv. little ringed plovers, *2 Yellow Leg Gulls (*after John went), several little gulls, kestrel, and same waders that I saw earlier. John left to go to Stiffkey Fen and I said I would probably go later, but needed a short snooze first. Left the hide, not long after John did and went back to the car. It was wonderfully warm in my car - seat back - pillow and snooze.......

Massive Horsefly on ledge outside Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

Two hours later.....!!!!!!! Felt too sleepy to be bothered to go to Stiffkey Fen now. Re-located to Coastguards and had my tea.

Daukes' Hide for the fourth time today! I felt quite lazy today, couldn't be bothered to go anywhere else. Sitting in the hide with Eddie M. Andy J., R.M., M.G., and others saw: 8 Little Gulls, a Greenshank, 3 Wood Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, several Spoonbills back and forth, a Sparrowhawk sitting on a fence for quite a while, which disturbed a few birds, several Marsh Harriers including juv's and again same waders as I saw earlier. Left about 8pm to go and stand on the footbridge to look for 'ratty' again. Waited and waited, no water vole. Went back to car and poured a cup of tea. Andy and Eddie then joined me to tell me they had just been watching the water vole!!!! How annoying! A Barn Owl appeared, hunting over the marshes.

Black-tailed Godwits, Daukes Hide, Cley NWT.

Little Ringed Plovers, Daukes Hide, Cley NWT.

Yellow-leg Gulls, Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

Black-tailed Godwits, Daukes Hide, Cley NWT.

Greylag Goose with young, Daukes Hide, Cley NWT.

Cruised home listening to N-Dubz 'Love, Live, Life'.

Bother - its Monday again already! But short week this week - our team has been asked to work Sunday every week, so that we provide a 6-day service which means that I have to work on a rota system every 10/11 weeks - cutting a long story short, when I work on the Sunday every 10 weeks I will be having the Friday off, resulting in a a 3-day weekend - magic! So have this Friday off!