Salthouse, Kelling, Cley & Beyond!

I didn't get home until 10pm, so will be brief, and maybe update this post tomorrow and maybe not, depending on time!!! I want to be out at dawn tomorrow, so pictures will also be added later on tomorrow.

Salthouse
No Ring Ouzels at the top of Cross Street, when I arrived, but then found 5!!! Lovely views in the sunshine and half decent pictures obtained. Met two more blog readers, nice to meet you both.

Ring Ouzels at Salthouse

Gramborough Hill
Wonderful sighting of Sand Martins, but nothing in the scrub at all. 2 Wheatears, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks in the field south of the hill, also 2 Swallows flew over. A Redshank was in the pool just west of the hill.

Kelling Water Meadows
It was very hot, can't believe I am saying this in April! Parked my car on the road in the usual place, opposite the track and sat and had my lunch on the bench in the shade, listening to the water trickling in the stream – very relaxing indeed, especially when it included my homemade courgette cake! Pete S. turned up and we walked down to Kelling Water Meadows together and also met up with Eddie M. Eddie had seen some Yellow Wagtails amongst the cattle, but none were on show whilst we were here – all the cattle were sat down in the long grass opposite the 5-bar gate, three quarters the way down the track, so any wagtails would have been hidden from view. Lots of birds on the pool though, including Ruff, Green Sandpipers x 3, Black-tailed Godwits x 2, Shelducks, Teal, Spotted Redshank – lots of Sand Martins skimming over the water, which was a joy to watch. Wheatears x 2 also seen in the field to the north by the shingle bank. We also watched two Weasel Cubs fighting and then one broke loose and ran towards us!

Weasel Cubs fighting at Kelling Water Meadows

 Weasel Cub airborne at Kelling Water Meadows!

Cley NWT
Purchased a take away tea in my bamboo cup! Parked up in the car park at East Bank and walked along the Attenborough Way trail to Babcock Hide, to try and see the Little Gull seen earlier by a NWT volunteer – not here now! Nobody else in the hide, so wonderfully peaceful. Birds seen here: Heron, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Shelducks, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Gadwall, Oystercatchers, Marsh Harriers, Redshanks and a Little Egret. Walked back to the East Bank car park via Walsey Hills.

Walsey Hills NOA
Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, little else. It was nice to see a Small Copper butterfly on the bank next to the reception centre. I was not impressed with the overgrown path at the eastern most end on the hill. I love to walk along this path, which follows around the small belt of pine trees. Someone needs to get the strimmer out!

Back at the East Bank car park, two ladies were walking back along the bank and one of them was seriously struggling to walk and looked completely exhausted and ill. By the time the lady started to descend the steps to the car park, she stopped part way down and looked awful. I called out 'do you need any help?'. The lady who was ok, said they were fine, but a short while later she came up to my car and thanked me for being so thoughtful and then explained that the lady struggling had ME and had wanted to walk to the sea from the East Bank and had been so pleased that she had achieved this – I had tears in my eyes when she told me this! Its a long walk normally, I don't know how she did it! She looked exhausted sitting in the car, obviously a strong and determined lady – I'm glad she reached her goal, well done to her.

Morston
Horse paddock opposite the church held 2 Song Thrushes, nothing else, but noted on the pager that 2 Ring Ouzels appeared later on!

North Point, Wells
Bumped into local birder 'Gem' here. Garganey x 2, Spoonbills x 3 (one feeding and two flew over east) in beautiful evening light. Lots of other birds here including Cuckoo calling, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Snipe, Cormorants, Shelducks, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Pied Wagtail's, Heron, Avocets, Brent Geese and Little Egrets x 3.

Spoonbill at North Point, Wells

Holkham – Lady Anne's Drive
Common Buzzard, 6 Spoonbill flew east, Egyptian Geese x 8. Cattle east of the drive, but no sign of any Yellow Wagtails.

Burnham Norton
Late evening and too late to be looking for the Purple Heron! Cuckoo calling and Sedge Warbler singing. Two massive motor homes parked up (presumably) for the night and taking up a good third of the parking area between them.

Holme
Watered plants in the garden and changed the bird water baths in the dark.

King's Lynn
Watered plants in my garden and changed the bird water baths in the dark at 10pm! Phew! Burnt two eggs again – VERY hard boiled and now in the bin! Good night!