Norfolk

The North Norfolk coast is a beautiful place.  We arrived on Friday afternoon and had a brief walk around Snettisham Nature Reserve.  The first thing I noticed was the blackberries.  Acres and acres of bushes just waiting for a jam-maker but we weren't there for that.  The geese were shouting to be seen.  You can get amazing views of waders at this reserve as the tide comes in and pushes the feeding birds off the massive mud flats.  Unfortunately we missed the tide.  We got impressive views of the empty mudflats!

We saw about fifty species before the rain began and we headed in.

That night we ate at The King's Head in Great Bircham .... excellent food and service.  I would recommend it if you are in that area.

The next day we headed for Cley and got the best views of Bearded Tits.  Four even posed on a bush for a few seconds. I enjoyed looking at them too much to faff about with my camera but Andy managed to grab a shot.










This Little Egret was an easier subject.

Two Red Throated Divers came right up to the water's edge to feed. 





It was a lovely weekend in good company in a beautiful place.  We saw about 100 species of birds including Rough Legged Buzzard but it was the common old Starlings that were the most memorable aspect of the trip ... thousands of them.  Huge flocks on the move during Saturday.  Then we didn't see any on Sunday.

I love my house but I came home wanting to move to Norfolk ... no, wanting to move into the cottage we had rented in Norfolk.  It was a typical old property filled with pine furniture, beautiful pottery, books, odd cushions and patchwork quilts.  The walls were painted yellow or orange and the ceilings sloped. Outside it was covered in Virginia Creeper.  There are two bodies of thought about allowing plants to grow up walls.  On the positive side it acts as insultation but the negative view is it can destroy the bricks and motar. Our house has ivy growing up one side and every year we have to trim it back (that's the royal 'we' by the way ... no way will I climb a ladder to the top of the house!). We have never seen any damage to the wall when we pull it off but we are careful not to let it attach itself to the wooden window frames as it can leave sucker marks on the wood.