Pectoral Sandpiper at Cley and Ruddy Shelduck at Kelling Quags

Some days (particularly when the Norfolk roads are jammed with tourist traffic) it makes sense to pick a promising location and stick with it!

Today Norman, Brian and I started off at Cley Centre Hides, where Green, Wood and Common Sandpipers were everywhere: a juvenile Green was particularly confiding. A Spoonbill flew in and a Great White Egret flew backwards and forwards. The Centre was closed due to a power failure, so we walked round to Bishop's Hide. Still no sign of the recently present Pectoral Sandpiper, but we added a fine adult Yellow-legged Gull and more Sandpipers.

We decided on a move to Kelling, but I managed to persuade Norman and Brian to visit the centre hides once more: this time we were lucky: the Pec Sand was visible (somewhat distantly!) from Dauke's Hide.

After coffee at Kelling, we walked down to the Quags: almost immediately we realised that every Darter was a Red-veined! We saw literally dozens, including numerous pairs. Several Southern Hawkers and Emperors were tazzing up and down the path, too.

Almost the first bird we found on the pool was a fine orangey-brown Ruddy Shelduck, lounging around with a flock of Egyptian Geese. This striking bird is a hybrid (with Egyptian Goose), but I don't see why that precludes a European origin..