On safari!

Linda's son Simon invited us to join him and his delightful partner Jo on a 90-minute Red Deer safari around the heathland at the back of Minsmere RSPB reserve.

We started the visit with lunch, followed by a walk out to Island Mere, where three female Goldeneye and a couple of Great Egrets were noteworthy. Back at the VC we met our driver / guide Steve, climbing into a Toyota Hilux for a bumpy ride around the heath. Despite the threat of rain and the gloom, we enjoyed terrific views of several groups of hinds with calves as well as a magnificent 16-pointer stag. (Lots of Muntjacs too!)

Comet Lemmon - finally!

I had to crawl out of bed at 04.00 and drive to the top of the Heath to finally see - and get some dodgy photos - of Comet Lemmon. It really is green: the most colourful of the twenty-something comets I've seen, but close to the northern horizon. There were plenty of meteors during the hour I spent before dawn, as well as lots of satellites.

Norwich Antiques Fair

Today, Linda and I visited the biannual indoor-outdoor Antiques Fair at the Norfolk Showground. It's under new management, and there were lots of dealers, many of whom were new to us. There were plenty of tempting items and we were able to buy each other a few early anniversary gifts (and the chips were good too!)

Churchyard survey: a real raptor-fest!

Today Linda, Sue, Peter and I carried out this month's survey of the wildlife around Hemblington Church. It was an overcast, moist morning, with no wind: we weren't expecting much, but were pleasantly surprised! Highlights were the numerous Red Kites and Common Buzzards, including a group of three of each feeding on a carcass in an adjacent field. A covey of thirty four Grey Partridges was noteworthy.

Trail camera surprises!

From time to time Linda positions a trail camera in a secluded region of the churchyard that we monitor. Usual visitors are pheasants, partridges (Red-legged and Grey!) Blackbirds and so on. When Linda processed the images from the most recent deployment, she was delighted to discover that several new species have been coming to drink. These included Fox, Tawny Owl, Stoat and several Muntjacs.

Bayfield Lake Egret

Linda, Sue, Peter and I spent the morning exploring the sculpture trail in the grounds of Bayfield Hall (just a few miles inland of Cley. Always a 'curate's egg' with some amazing pieces of work (my favourite was the 'Pylonosaurus' made from twisted wire) and some frankly naff items! Lots of distant raptors and a couple of Ravens, as well as the usual woodland birds while we were enjoying lunch at Natural Surroundings. The Great Egret on the lake was, though, the star of the show!