After a 'cardiac arrest' breakfast we were out at Cley-next-the-Sea by nine thirtyish and chalking up some expected species whilst walking down the east bank to try and locate the White-rumped Sandpiper that had been reported yesterday. Bearded Tits can be a bit hit and miss here but today was a definite hit day. Six or seven birds were pinging about just alongside the path and I managed to get just a single photograph.
The Sandpiper was a no show but during the day we did manage eighteen other species of wader. Geese numbers are beginning to build and we saw a few skiens of Pink-footed Geese but fewer numbers of Brent Geese. No Greater White-fronted Geese as yet. Little Egrets were to be seen most everywhere along the east bank and yet it does not seem that long ago that I twitched one of these in Lincolnshire!
Out on the beach there was a pair of Red-throated Divers feeding just two or three metres away from the shore line. They were happy enough concentrating on feeding and ignored the photographers on the beach.
A few gannets were feeding just offshore and as always their spectacular diving technique was thrilling to watch. This juvenile bird came particularly close to the shore.
At this point if there is anyone reading this blog who knows why the sharpness of photographs deteriorates when they are posted on a blog I would appreciate some advice on how to prevent it! All of these pictures are pin-sharp but as I look at them on the blog preview they all appear to be a little fuzzy. Also I can't change the size or position unless I mess around with the HTML code. Such a faff!
We saw over 90 species over the couple of days but Saturday will be remembered for the movement of Starlings. Throughout the day groups of birds were flying westwards along the coast. We estimated that between six and seven thousand birds flew by whilst we were out. There must have been thousands more earlier and after we stopped birding. Wither did they go?
Starlings heading west.
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