Some more pics from our October week in Norfolk...
Titchwell was a bit quiet, perhaps because there is some serious earth-moving work going on around the fresh and salt-marsh areas. It was extremely nice to see this family group of Bearded Tits, albeit briefly. Actually, that's a pretty unconventional family if it is one - that's... four adult males there? Or maybe the youngsters get their adult plumage super-early.
The beach was ace. Great Crested Grebes being all macho out on the waves, Red-breasted Merganser briskly flying west, dead Gannet among the razor-shells on the tideline... And lots of waders - Knots, Barwits, Curlews, Dunlins, Grey Plovers, Oystercatchers, Turnstones and everyone's favourite - Sanderlings. Show me a birder who doesn't love Sanderlings and I'll show you a heartless and soulless shell of a birder.
We took the seal boat out to Blakeney Point on the last morning to ogle some seals. There were about 10 of us on the boat, plus boat driver and two small, lugubrious dogs. One of the dogs hopped off the boat just as we were about to go - obviously not the plan because the boatman hollered at her to come back immediately. She returned, lugubriously, and off we went. En route our boatman did some more hollering, first at a couple in a motorised dinghy thing who were apparently going too fast, and then at a different couple who were enjoying a picnic on the Point, way beyond the 'no access' point. Naughty humans. The seals were relaxing on a sandy beach on the far side - a couple of Commons but mostly Greys. We drifted in slow circles in front of them while everyone took lots of photos. Some of the seals seemed rather suspicous about this...
... while others had a more phlegmatic attitude.
On the way home from Norfolk we called in at Minsmere to twitch the Great White Egret, which was far too distant for a decent shot. The weather was dire by this time. Nevertheless, Rob took some acceptable photos, including some very close female Teals...
... and a flyby Bewick's Swan.
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