Friday 2 January 2009

Horsey Gap & Stubbs Mill

Up early and a cross county drive to photograph the Grey Seal colony at Horsey Gap. Just before arriving at Horsey Gap I came across a flock of 24 Common Cranes in a roadside field.

I'd not been to look at the seal colony before and wasn't sure what to expect. The entrance to the car park itself isn't signed but once there arrows direct you on a one mile walk to the seal watch points. I arrived at about 10 am along with the first Seal Warden and two other punters, we were the first visitors of the day to the colony and I had over an hour and a half pretty much to myself, photographing the seals from the top of the dunes. Not the ideal photographic position [I'd have liked to have got down on the beach at eye level with them] but still pretty good. A bonus were two pups now independent of their mothers which lay across the path through the dunes.


From Horsey Gap I headed for the raptor roost watch point at Stubbs Mill. The car park at Hickling Broad was full and there were probably 40 - 50 birdwatchers on the viewing mound. Up to 60 Marsh Harriers have been counted here this winter and I had twenty in one binocular field of view. Also two ringtail and a male Hen Harrier. From here I saw twelve cranes flying around in small groups but didn't wait until the very last light when there would have been a chance of seeing more Cranes on their way to roost as it was starting to get very cold.


Still a lovely sunset sillhouetting the bare winter trees.

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