After breakfast on Saturday morning I paid the bill (Ouch !!!!) and set off down the A 149 to Titchwell.Got there just after 9.00 AM and was not very surprised to find the car park almost empty.
It was another cracking morning weather wise as I headed down the main path.Just where the view opens up on the left I had a Grasshopper Warbler reeling away from the top of a distant bramble,a Cetti's Warbler calling out at the bottom of a nearby bush and 3 Bearded Tits pinging out in some reeds.Not a bad start to the morning.
That's where the good news ended because the very bright weather made it almost impossible to get any shots if the sun was in your face and as luck would have it it nearly always was.The Island hide was particularly bad and the only shot I got there was of a Little Egret.
From along the main path I found a Spotted Redshank, a Little Gull and a group of birds including another six Spotted Redshanks and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits.As you can see from the shots the light was horrendous and disappointing.Next time I go to Titchwell and it's very bright I will wait till the afternoon/evening.
The morning was saved by the presence of a Spoonbill that could be seen from the first section of the Parrinder hide.The light here also was not good but manageable.
The Spoonbill was at the back of an island that was dominated by a 100+ Avocets.These chaps are taking over the place and were very aggressive with any birds that came near their island.The Spoonbill was a real pain it never moved for over an hour and a half as it was sleeping.It was on it's knees which I'd never seen before.
Getting a bit bored I was about to give up when a couple of friends ( Ian and Beth) from my local patch entered the hide and I stopped to chat.This was a good move because it began to wake up but remained on it's knees.
Quite soon it stood up and did a few exercises.A good sign it was going to fly off.
As anticipated it then flew off luckily not into the sun.
After a quick bite of lunch I headed a bit further down the main road to call in at Thornham harbour.This is a place I've done well at over the years but not this time.In fact I did very badly indeed.
I parked up by one of the creeks and headed off for a look round but it only took me 20 minutes to see that it was very quiet.When I got back to the car a very sick Gull had left "deposits" all over my windscreen and bonnet.The hot sunshine had baked it into a compound harder than titanium.I spent the next 30 minutes using an ice scraper and a nearby puddle to get the damned stuff off.
I then set off home.A great break with good weather but as expected except for the Spoonbill not good on the birding front.
No comments:
Post a Comment