Saturday and Day 3, the plan was to stop at Cley Marshes for the day, a place I hadn’t been to since September 2011, so long overdue a visit. A good start on arrival, I was buzzed by a Sparrowhawk as it went thru the car park. Five pound for a permit, purchased at the visitor centre, this includes the car park fee, centre opens at 10am, all a bit completed to me.
Anyway out on the reserve, my first port of call was to bishop’s hide, where there was a splendid Grey Wagtail along with a couple of Pied Wagtails. A few Ruff about, with no shortage of Avocet’s, and a couple of Redshanks in and amongst. Wildfowl included Mallard, Teal, a lot of Shovelers, Shelducks, Wigeon and a pair of Pintail, to finish off with Coots, Crows and Marsh Harriers.
After Bishops it was on to the East Bank, in the hope of seeing the star birds at Cley at the moment. The first bird was a no show on Arnolds Marsh , I walked down the bank to the call of Cetti’s Warblers, Redshanks and Curlews bubbling away, soon down on the shingle beach looking for quarry number two, they were soon located, with the help of other birders, always a pleasure in seeing Snow Buntings, Along with the SNOBS as some people like to cal them were, Meadow Pipits, who blended in nicely with the surrounding fauna.
The first of the rain moved in so I took refuge in the shelter at the bottom of East Bank, where I could look over the marsh, watching Brent Geese, Black tailed Godwits, and Ringed Plovers. After the rain ahd moved thru it was back onto the bank, looking for and finally finding the Long billed Dowitcher, very close as well. This is an American wader, a Snipe sized bird, with plumage and shape looking like a cross between a snipe and a Bar tailed Godwit. I’d managed to get some video footage just before the rain moved back in, press HERE but by the time I’d got back to the car for dinner I was cold and wet.
After a dry out, it was back over to Bishops Hide, mainly to avoid another down pour, I just made it into the hide before the heavens opened, we even had to shut the hide windows, as rain was coming in. When the rain eventually stopped I moved over to the Avocet, Daukes and Teal hides, I ended stopping here for the rest of my time at Cley, watching and photographing Redshanks, Black tailed Godwits, Ruff, Dunlin, Meadow Pipits, Avocets, Wigeon, Mute Swans, Teal, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing and Marsh Harriers and finally for the day a pair of Egyptian Geese, 41 species for the day.
Bird List :- Avocet, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Black backed Gull, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Little Egret, Long billed Dowitcher, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied wagtail, Pintail, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Rook, Ruff, Shelduck, Snipe, Snow Bunting, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal Wigeon, Woodpigeon (41)
Huddsbirder 