Temminck's Stints at Cley

Despite the terrible weather forecast, Norman, Brian and I headed north to Cley, arriving in a fine drizzle that soon faded away. We started the day in the Centre Hides, enjoying close views of a Spoonbill - the first of four we encountered during the day. Several Little Egrets fed in front of Avocet Hide, including one with beautiful lilac-coloured lores. We decided to drive round to the Iron Road car park and walk back to Babcock Hide: a great decision!

On the way I enjoyed my best-ever views of a singing Lesser Whitethroat, while as soon as we entered the hide I picked out a pair of Temminck's Stints. These scuttled nearer and nearer, allowing really great photo-ops for us and for Steve G, who had been alerted by my CBC Whatsapp post. Two more Spoonbills fed out on the shallow scrape, while the hide was continually visited by Swallows!

After coffee and scones we decided on a visit to Hickling NWT Reserve: as we drove past Walsey Hills a Hobby flew right in front of the car! Despite the drizzle we walked half way around the reserve, seeing another Spoonbill, two Cuckoos and a Great White Egret.

David and Bob 'meet on the ledge'...

One of my oldest friends, Bob, drove up from Essex to spend a day with Linda and me. Bob and I met at college in 1970, quickly discovering a common interest in folk music, lunchtime drinking and herbal tobacco! Together with a couple of fellow students, Anneka and John, we formed a folk group which we called 'Culverin'. We played at pubs, clubs and even an open air concert, and, it's fair to say, acquired a reasonable following. (We even made a reunion CD a few years ago!)

Bob and I were members of the 'Greate Rebellion Society', an English Civil War re-enactment group that traveled all over the country fighting battles and staging scripted events such as 'the Trial of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford'. All good fun!

As happens, despite being incredibly close mates, we rarely met after I moved to Norfolk, but have remained in touch: it was wonderful to spend time together yesterday.

Meet on the Ledge? It's the title of a song by Fairport Convention that meant a lot to us in the seventies and, probably, even more now...

We used to say, that come the day
We'd all be making songs
Or finding better words
These ideas never lasted long
The way is up, along the road
The air is growing thin
Too many friends who tried
Were blown off this mountain by the wind...
Meet on the ledge, we're gonna meet on the ledge
When my time is up
I'm gonna see all my friends
Meet on the ledge, we're gonna meet on the ledge
If you really mean it, it all comes round again...

A new experience: lecturing in a tent!

Dodging the showers yesterday, Linda and I drove out to Northrepps to give a ninety-minute talk about the Moon: its origin, formation of its surface features and mankind's exploration of our nearest neighbour.

Our hosts were the charming couple Sue and Jerry who run 'Soulcraft', a delightful events group based at their private 'Hungry Hill' campsite. The open-minded audience showed real interest and asked some incisive questions: a great afternoon spent with a really pleasant group. (The only slight problem was that the interior of the tent was too bright for my pre-prepared Powerpoint: I just had to do a lot more talking!)

Never far from a Red Kite...

Amazing to reflect that back in the eighties I drove all the way to mid-Wales to see my first Red Kite: now, even with the current inclement weather, there's always one or two lurking over the Heath...

Ah! Summer weather!

I have never seen a sky the colour of today's, just before a heavy hale-storm. The contrast between the leaden clouds and brightly lit trees and shrubs was very striking. Of course, this weather (added to my current back problems) make it unlikely I'll be adding any new birds - or photos - to the blog for a while!

My eighth book!

Nearly ready for the printers: my eighth book should be available on Amazon and elsewhere very soon.
Well-known author, TV personality and broadcaster Malcolm Robinson has written a wonderfully flattering foreword, for which I am extremely grateful!

Stints! Some decent birds at Cley

Despite having an absolutely terrible bad back, I recklessly visited the North Coast with Brian, starting with a grind through the shingle to the North Screen and Gillmor Hide. A lot of squinting and cropping eventually located a Little Stint, doing its best to stay concealed in the dry grass: a Whimbrel provided much better views!

Moving to the Centre Hides, we soon discovered that high water levels (and the NWT's Land Rover) meant that just a few waders were on show, best of which were a Little Ringed Plover and a couple of fly-through Greenshanks. Time for coffee!

A trudge along to the Babcock Hide was much more productive: Temminck's Stint, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear were most welcome, as was an enjoyable chat with Sue & Steve G.
(The final two Temminck's photos are by Brian)

We drove home via Hempstead, 'enjoying' fleeting and distant views of the Black-winged Kite...

Jupiter and Venus

These two planets are a beautiful spectacle in the western sky just after sunset: even using just a 300mm lens, two of Jupiter's moons are plainly visible.

Dawn Moonrise

The last quarter waning Moon rose just before dawn this morning: a beautiful sight before the clouds began to roll over, with a delightful apricot tinge...