Our first destination this morning was Blakeney Point. This is a long peninsula of land which runs parallel to the coast connecting at its eastern end. At the western end, it has a shingle bank which is a favoured resting spot for Common and Grey Seals. The only way to see them is from the water and so we head out on a boat from Morston Quay. We pass the old lifeboat station, now an information centre and the farthest you can get along the point on foot. When it was built in 1898 it was at the end of the point, but in the years since the point has continued to build further out into the harbour and the station now stands a good distance from the end.
Morston Quay (top left), Blackney Head (top right) and Old Lifeboat Station (bottom)
Arriving at the end of the point there are about 40 Common seals, many with pups, and a couple of female Grey seals hauled up on the beach.
Also on the beach are 6 Ruddy Turnstones and a single Sanderling. Other birds seen include Little Egret, 6 Curlew. 5 Red Knot and around 60 Oystercatchers.
Ruddy Turnstone
Returning to Morston, we drive round to the beach at Cley for a late lunch. Sitting on the beach, in the face of the wind, we can see that a number of birds have been blown into the coast. In the space of a little over an hour, we saw Great Skua, Northern Gannet, Common Tern, Common Scoter and a Fulmar.
After an hour or so we feel wind-blown and so retreat to the visitor centre at Cley Marshes for a warming cup of tea. Then its time to visit a couple of Arts centre at Glandford and Walsingham on the way back to the cottage.
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Northern Fulmar [sp] (Fulmarus glacialis)
Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus)
Red Kite [sp] (Milvus milvus)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
Eurasian Curlew [sp] (Numenius arquata)
Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres)
Red Knot [sp] (Calidris canutus)
Sanderling [sp] (Calidris alba)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus)
Common Tern [sp] (Sterna hirundo)
Great Skua (Stercorarius skua)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
Pete's Favourite Things 