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Wednesday 21 September 2011

Cley Marshes

 Our latest RSPB trip was billed as Cley and Salthouse, but as Cley turned out so well we never did get to Salthouse.
 From the moment we left the Visitor Centre the birds seemed to keep coming.
A couple of newly arrived Pinkfeet took off from one of the pools as  we headed through the reedbeds towards the centre hides and a gang of 8 Bearded Tits flew around, while Cettis Warblers called and occasionally showed themselves near the hides.
 From the first hide Black-tailed Godwits, Curlews and Lapwings were numerous along with a couple of Ruff and a single Greenshank. A lone Little Egret hunted the reeds just outside.


Pat's Pool was absolutely heaving with birds - Black-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Ruff, Dunlin, Golden Plovers, Lapwings, 2 Little Stints, several Curlew Sandpipers and 2 Barnacle Geese walked amongst the Greylags and Canadas

 Our walk down the East Bank was accompanied by the 'pinging' of more Bearded Tits and calling Cettis Warblers. Out on the meadows, yet more Blackwits and Curlews kept the company of a dozen Egyptian Geese.
 A large bird flying over the marsh looked to be a Heron, but a glance through the bins showed it was in fact a Bittern and for a couple of minutes it put on a show for everyone to see. A Marsh Harrier quartered the area and a second Bittern was seen.
 On Arnold's Marsh a couple of Avocet remained, several Redshank, a few Shelduck and a group of Sandwich Tern loitered.

 We ate our lunch on the beach, while looking out to sea and were rewarded with sightings of several Gannets, a Red-throated Diver and 2 unidentified Skuas.

 Next stop was North Hide where again there were masses of waders, including several Curlew Sandpipers and bird of the day a Pectoral Sandpiper.
Wildfowl here included  Pintail, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler.

 A look into the Eye Field as well as yet more Curlews and Black-tail Godwits turned up a migrant Wheatear and just offshore a couple of Red-throated Divers swam around close to a Common Seal.

 Back at the Visitor Centre, there was time for just one more treat in the shape of a Black Tern feeding over the front pool

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