An early start found us having a bacon sandwich in the car at Wolferton Triangle at 7:45. After a few drives round the triangle, my birder's wife was about to give up all hope of seeing a Golden Pheasant, when one popped out the uindergrowth in front of us - she was very happy and has almost forgiven me for dropping by there the previous 40 times!
We then drove cross country and had our second bacon sandwich and a coffee at Salthouse beach carpark. Surprisingly there were no Snow Buntings around at that time (although there were 3 there later apparently). A quick very cold and windy walk gave us Turnstone, Red Throated Diver, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and a seal making its way down the beach to the sea.
We then drove to Cley Beach Car Park for some seawatching which produced Guillemot, Greater Black Backed Gull and loads more Red Throated Diver. We then went to the Cley visitor centre to decide whether or not to go into the reserve and decided not as there did not seem to be much around. They do have a good collection of books for sale there, which are always worth browsing.
A flock of Brent Geese were nearby, so we drove the short distance and settled down to try and find the 2 Pale Bellied and a Black Brant Juvenile that were in the flock. We were just about to give up when a friendly cycling birder came by and we asked him for some guidance. He very kindly showed us the Black Brant - he had started from the left and it was the third bird in - and then my birder's wife found the Pale Bellied. Not as easy for those two compared to the Golden Pheasant but just as satifying.
We then made our way gradually to Titchwell, en route missing the Rough Legged Buzzard at Burnham Overy but gaining Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Chaffinch and Brambling at Choseley Barns.
Titchwell itself was quite hard work with poor light but spectacular sights on the beach with thousands of Black Headed Gulls and Common Gulls feeding on a recently washed up crop of (we presume) razorfish. The beach also had Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Curlew and Linnet. The sea held a huge flock of very distant Common Scoter and the marshes had Redshank, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Golden Plover, Ruff and Lapwing. It was my turn to spot and chanced upon a Water Pipit among some Pied Wagtails. The reedbeds attracted Hen Harrier and Marsh Harriers coming into roost as well as Bearded Tits and Bittern (the latter two which we missed) - can't have everything.
Today was as hard it can get birding wise, the rewards were out there but it took a lot of effort and time to achieve the results we did, and it was cold, especially for a tired birder's wife. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit easier.....
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