With bad weather forecast for after lunch, Brian, Norman and I decided to keep it local with a walk around Hickling NWT Reserve. First stop was the 'Mound' at the west end of Brandon's Marsh: nothing much on the open water, but the first of seven Great White Egrets flew low overhead.
We carried on eastward towards Stubb Mill, picking up Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Dunlin, Greenshank and six more GWEs on the way. From the raised area at the other end of the marsh I tried to photograph some Spoonbills on their nest: they were impossibly far away! A smallish pale raptor glided in and perched in the next tree: if last week's rare visitor hadn't decamped south I would wonder if this might have been bird of the day! It's hard to think what it could have been...
Returning to the mound, I noticed a large raptor over towards Hickling Broad: an Osprey! Although it never came close, we enjoyed watching it being harrassed by a Marsh Harrier before it finally found some peace and quiet.
The rest of the circuit added Hooded Crow, Crane and Hobby to the day's tally, before we moved to Latham's for coffee.
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