A visit to the reserve at Holme.

Friday morning I headed west along the A149 to the reserve at Holme to try for the Arctic Warbler that had been around for a few days.

Two things make Holme not one of my favourite spots the first being I very rarely see anything there and the second one being the appalling state of the access road.Anyone who has been there will agree that the access must be the bumpiest road in England and with my car having "sports suspension" (in other words hard suspension) I suffer more than most.I subscribe to the rumour that the army bring tanks there for testing new models to destruction.

Things started well with a lot of Meadow Pipits near the car park.

I spent 3 hours in the pines looking for the Arctic Warbler with another 20 birders and none of us had a glimpse.To make matters worse there was absolutely nothing else in the pines.That morning the pines were a dead area.

Feeling very depressed I tried to cheer myself up by going on the beach.The sea was very rough and chilly wind was blowing from the North.There were a few Sanderlings scurrying along the foreshore which are always good to see.

I then tried to get some arty atmospheric shots of a Bar-tailed Godwit with the rough sea in the background.You can see how desperate I was!!!!!

Escaping from Holme I had a bite of lunch and then moved a bit down the coast to Thornham Harbour.By this time it had gone dull and very windy but I was soon cheered up when I spotted 9 Spoonbills way off on the estuary.I'm certain in the second shot one is a juvenile and could be one of the "Holkham babes"

Other decent birds seen whilst there were a juvenile Willow Warbler,a Little Egret having trouble with the wind and a Bar-tailed Godwit in one of the channels.