North Norfolk

My previous post contains some of our Broadland photographs. This post has the area around the North Norfolk coast as its focus. It is always a joy and a thrill to see an Avocet, symbol (and success story) of the RSPB. We spent a fair amount of time at the wonderful Norfolk Wildlife Trust centre at Cley. Sadly we missed a book launch by Mark Cocker which had taken place there the day before our arrival. 

We love the reedy area around Arnold's Marsh: we have watched Bearded Tits and Reed Buntings here in the past.

I spent my teenage years in Norfolk, and this photo encapsulates those memories for me - long empty beaches of shingle, full of rugged beauty, perfect for wildlife but rather chilly!

The reedbed area on the landward side is equally compelling.

We paused for a while to watch this rather large Little Egret fishing.

Look at those feet...



There were various ducks on the saltmarsh, including this Shelduck.

The church below is in Brancaster and doubtless some of the masonry has been reworked from Brandodunum, the Saxon Shore fort built by the Romans.

We enjoyed watching the waders at Brancaster Staithe: the North Norfolk coast has so many hidden corners. 

Late afternoon: Brancaster Staithe

The photos below show Blakeney...

The sun came out after a dark cloud: I love the subtle saltmarsh colours. 

Another day began with quick visits to NT Blickling and Febrigg.

Part of the front of Felbrigg Hall

There were some very relaxed chickens in the walled garden at Felbrigg - and I loved their house!

The honey bees were certainly not in relaxed mode!

I love the hives, and what a beautiful flint wall behind. 

With blossom like this, I imagine the quality of the pollen must be superb! 

The photo below gives an impression of the vast beach at Holkham, a beach on the edge of The Wash, with sand, shells in profusion and estuarine mud.

You approach Holkham beach through a path between the pine trees. The hall and parkland estate, home of Thomas Coke of the Agrarian Revolution (as it was called in my school days), is just across the road.

I realise I have posted a rather random selection of photos. My next post will move inland again to the Yare valley (Mark Cocker's Crow Country), where I spent my teenage years - and where we spent a bit of time on this recent break.

Three Days in North Norfolk - 3

Sedge warbler in the Cley reedbed

This is really a post for our list of wildlife sightings over the three days - plus a few photos.

All sightings were made in North Norfolk during a short post-Easter break.

The places we visited (and saw wildlife) included:

[1] NWT Cley
[2] NT Morston Quay, Blakeney
[3] NWT Holme Dunes
[4] Snettisham (beach near RSPB reserve)
[5] Hunstanton
[6] Holkham estate
[7] Brancaster staithe
[8] Hawk and Owl Trust Reserve at Sculthorpe Moor
[9] (English Heritage) North Elmham Saxon Cathedral - in the Wensum Valley, where hedgerows removed by the 1980s have now been restored.
[10] (English Heritage) Creake Abbey

We are far from expert birders and sometimes get our identifications wrong. But it is always interesting to record what we have seen... and to enjoy the surprises along the way.

Birds...

[1] Avocet
[2] Bar-tailed Godwit
[3] Bearded tit
[4] Blackbird
[5] Black-backed gull
[6] Black-headed gull
[7] Blue tit
[8] Bullfinch
[9] Buzzard
[10] Carrion crow
[11] Chaffinch
[12] Collared dove
[13] Coot
[14] Cormorant
[15] Curlew
[16] Dunnock
[17] Goldfinch
[18] Greylag
[19] Great tit
[20] Grey Heron
[21] Herring gull
[22] House martin
[23] Kestrel
[24] Knot
[25] Lapwing
[26] Linnet
[27] Little egret
[28] Little Owl
[29] Little ringed plover
[30] Long-tailed tit
[31] Mallard
[32] Marsh harrier
[33] Moorhen
[34] Mute swan
[35] Nuthatch
[36] Oystercatcher
[37] Pheasant
[38] Pied wagtail
[39] Pinkfoot geese
[40] Red-legged partridge
[41] Redshank
[42] Reed bunting
[43] Ringed plover
[44 ] Robin
[45] Sedge warbler
[46] Shelduck
[47] Shoveler
[48] Skylark
[49] Song thrush
[50] Sparrow
[51] Starling
[52] Swallow
[53] Teal
[54] Wood Pigeon 
[55] Wren

Cley - the path to the sea via Arnold's Marsh

Mammals...

[1] Grey squirrel
[2] Hare
[3] Muntjac
[4] Rabbit
[5] Rat and one young
[6] ?Vole
[7] Weasel (seen by David and confirmed by wildlife ranger)


Amphibians...

[1] Tadpoles and frog spawn

Cley windmill and the tower of St Margaret's, Cley

Insects...

[1] Alderfly
[2] Black beetle (not sure which sort...)
[3] Brown-tail moth tents and caterpillars
[4] Eyed ladybird? (awaiting iRecord identification)
[5] Green-veined white butterfly
[6] Harlequin ladybird
[7] Kidney-spot ladybird
[8] Orange-tip butterfly
[9] Peacock butterfly
[10] Woodlouse

NWT Holme Dunes - Brown-tail moth tents and caterpillars

As above - shades of Miss Havisham and her wedding cake, perhaps...

Sea purslane - I think on the mudflats at Morston Quay

Water front at Wells-next-the-Sea

Looking back to St Nicholas church, Blakeney, with its distinctive pair of towers

Herring gull at Blakeney

Remains of St Edmund's Chapel, Hunstanton (Hunston)

North Elmham Chapel/Saxon Cathedral

North Elmham Chapel/Saxon Cathedral from the castle mound

North Elmham. Guess who is happy to have found a sign...

Oystercatcher in evening sunlight

Three Days in North Norfolk - 2

Bearded tit

I mentioned that I would add some more Cley photos in a second post, so here they are. We were thrilled to see Bearded tits in the deep reedbeds with the Sedge Warblers. We stood poised on the path, listening for the ping that often precedes their presence. These beautiful birds are extremely elusive!

But it was not just tits and warblers in among the reeds. It was lovely to see a few butterflies, including this Peacock in a sheltered spot below the raised path to Cley from Morston Quay. 

 

We were just about to enjoy our picnic lunch when I noticed what I took from a distance to be a female Orange Tip, but when I drew near I realised it was actually a Green-veined White, another seasonal first for me. We actually saw several flying about near a patch of dandelions. 

Unlike the Peacock butterfly, this black beetle was strolling along the top of the bank in the sunshine. 

David noticed a streak of red in the brambles at the edge of the raised path, and it turned out to be the chest of a Linnet. I think this is my best view to date of a Linnet's back. What lovely pied markings on the tail.

There are usually quite a few Avocets on the Cley reserve. I was so hoping to take a photo of one in flight, but this will have to wait for another occasion. I see it is the 70th birthday of RSPB Minsmere (down the coast, into Suffolk) this weekend and that there is a new Avocet mug to mark the occasion. 

These Bearded tit pictures below are definitely 'click-and-shoot' shots, but who could resist these magnificent little birds? And it seems to me that the 'beard' is definitely more of a moustache!

There were several ladybirds along the path to the sea at Cley. 

 I am puzzled by this one, though, as it looks very like an Eyed Ladybird, 

but I don't think the habitat is quite right 

as these insects are usually found on pine trees and other conifers. 

Another insect for the UK Ladybird Survey...

I love this landscape of mere, reedbed, sea and sky. Tides and migrant birds come and go, just like the light and the shadows. 

There was just time for a slice of malteaser cake on the terrace at NWT Cley before heading home to Suffolk.

Species list to follow, but do click on the yellow background and take a look at a wonderful post on North Norfolk from fellow blogger, Adam Tilt.