Norfolk photography advice please.

[RJL2005]

Hi and a Happy New Year to all,

I have a four day trip to Norfolk at the start of Feb staying in Blakeney. Can people offer advice on good locations for bird photography. I'll be taking the 30D, 100-400, 17-85 and a 1.4x extender.

Thanks

Rhod

[postcardcv]

The snow buntings (and hopefully the Laplands) should still be around at Salthouse - park in the beach car park and walk ~100 yards east, this is the area that is being seeded. Take some seed (millet is a favourite) and you should be able to bring them in where you want them. You'll also get linnet and turnstone coming in for your seed.

The hides at Cley are always worth a bit of time, try Bishops hide early morning and Dawkes around lunchtime. You should get numerous ducks in close and may get other stuff. The path out to Dawkes hide is often a good spot for stonechat. The harbours at both Thornham and Brancaster give you good chances to photograph waders from the car so are worth popping into if you are passing.

Titchwell is definitely worth a punt, it can be hit and miss on the reserve for photography but may come up trumps. The feeding station can be good for finches and at the moment there is a water rail hanging around the area too. Titchwell beach can be excellent for wader shots, often best on a falling tide. Wells harbour currently has a few very easy shags but who knows if they'll still be there. It's also a good place for photographing brent geese, also the gulls and starlings there can be fun.

Do you have any specific target species? If you drop me a PM a few days before you're coming over I can let you know of any goodies that are around.

[RJL2005]

Thanks for the reply. No real target species just looking forward to a few days it what to me is a birders paradise.

[Vectis Birder]

Wells harbour currently has a few very easy shags


:'D

Sorry but that was so tempting!

[rezMole]

The snow buntings (and hopefully the Laplands) should still be around at Salthouse - park in the beach car park and walk ~100 yards east, this is the area that is being seeded. Take some seed (millet is a favourite) and you should be able to bring them in where you want them. You'll also get linnet and turnstone coming in for your seed.

Do you have any specific target species? If you drop me a PM a few days before you're coming over I can let you know of any goodies that are around.

Cheers for the advice. Sue and I are coming down for a few days then too (Jan 29 to Feb 1), so if you can send any tips to me too! (Such as best places to try for Rough-legged Buzzard - Sue says, please). Are the Hawfinch around at Lynford, or anywhere else? Snow Goose? I will have my BirdGuides texting on, but a few tips before we get there might be useful.

I have just got myself a Sigma 500mm f4.5 that I'm itching to try out!

[I4ani]

Hi,
I have been to some of the places mentioned only twice, but I seem to remember that some of the hides were better either in the morning or afternoon, ie SUN (occasional yellow thing in sky) rises in East and sets in West, and cards full of images taken against the light is not conducive to having a good day if you are a photographerand arrive at the hide at the wrong time of day, maybe Postcardcv or any other locals can advise.
I seem to remember that the Titchwell main hides faced east? and that the Cley hide ( the one on its own, on the right as you leave the center) was good in the afternoon for Harriers?
Hope this is of some use, and can be verified by someone
regards i4ani.