Holkham mostly

My friends Stuart and Rebecca were kind enough to accompany me to scatter Dad's ashes at the same place he and I had scattered Mum's. I will admit to being a little bit emotional when I picked him up this morning but when the time came I just did it. They are together at somewhere they had many happy memories and that is how it should be.

With that done we went for a breakfast in Cley at a place called Artemis Coffee shop I had Two Poached eggs on Sourdough Toast with Salmon and a Latte. Very nice it was.

So on to Holkham Hall which was also appropriate as I have many happy memories of holidays in North Norfolk with Mum and Dad. Curiously Rebecca and Stuart have never been.

One of the things I like about Holkham is the wildlife, there were lots of broods of various geese and ducks. The Barnacle Geese population has exploded I can remember seeing two there some years back now they are all over the place. Bizarrely we never saw a Canada goose!

The walled garden is being restored... and it really is coming on well! 

Still work to do!

On my last visit I saw a Hummingbird Hawk Moth and today? :)

When I was a lad you get into the area around the fountain.... now you take a picture through the balustrade :)

OOH nice area to bring up the youngster!

Into the house, the interior belies the exterior.

And there was cricket in front of the house... how English!!

Birding in Norfolk

My friend Trevor and I went to Norfolk today...

We started with breakfast at the Burnham Deepdale cafe, I had Eggs Benedict with Ham then on to Titchwell which was both very bird light and photographically lacking hey ho but we did get to see some quality.

We  wandered to the beach.... there were Greylags with chicks!

Avocet against the light

As we wandered along we got to see a flying Spoonbill!! There were also quite a few Marsh Harrier overhead.

The beach....

bird wise? there were mostly Oystercatchers, a few Bar-Tailed Godwit and a fly through Sandwich Tern.

A posy Wood Pigeon.... when we looked back 10 minutes or so later a Marsh Harrier was flying over the path at this point!! GGRRR

Avocets....

There were also Black-Tailed Godwit, there were Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warbler. No sign of the Purple Heron however this was a lovely to see in the car park. A turtle dove!!

We went to Flitcham Abbey farm and watched the Oystercatchers chasing each other and had lunch at Sculthorpe Mill.... nice view!

Nice food (I had sea bass) and good birding! There were Greenfinches and Pied Wagtails nesting in the honeysuckle and they were feeding the young.

So off to Sculthorpe Moor which was quiet but we saw Reed Buntings, Red Kite, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Bullfinch

Odd to be sitting in a hide with these chaps underneath!

A good day with good company.. thanks Trev.