A visit to Titchwell Creek with the kids for picnic and play in the sand was a lovely family outing. On the walk down from the Brancaster Beach car park we had a Wheatear on the golf course practice green and a singing Reed Warbler. At the creek I saw my first Little Terns of the year and a couple of Sandwich Terns and was able to watch a couple of Marsh Harriers over Titchwell Marsh. When we arrived I counted 19 Common Seals hauled out on the saltmarsh and as the tide dropped these swam down the creek right past as much to the kids excitement. The only downside was that as I attempted to get a nice low angle shot of no2 son he threw sand all over my Panasonic Lumix which now needs to go to the menders.
 |
| Titchwell Creek |
Tuesday 6th May
Saw my first Swifts of the day a couple of birds out of a meeting room window in Norwich and more over Hunstanton in the evening.
 |
| Swift |
Wednesday 7th May
Spent a day in the Ouse valley in Cambridgeshire and popped into Little Paxton Pits where I had great fun watching some Great Crested Newts in a pool by the Visitor Centre and hearing some Nightingales in the scrub. Moved on from here fro a brief visit to the RSPBs Ouse Fen reserve near Needingworth and enjoyed watching two Hobby's hunting over the new Marsh surrounded by tens of Swifts and listening to a booming bittern and calling Cuckoo, also had great views of a singing Garden Warbler here.
 |
| RSPB Ouse Fen |
A walk round Ken Hill Woods was enlivened by a singing Turtle Dove a rare sight and sound these days.
Monday 12th May
Driving through Sedgeford in the morning it was nice to see my first House Martins of the year. In the afternoon I took a brief diversion off the A140 in Titchwell and up the Choseley Road here I was treated to great scope views of a 'trip' of ten Dotterels feeding in a roadside field. A Corn Bunting singing just up the road from the Dotterel was a nice find as they have been scarce around Choseley this year.
