Me and the 'fam' are off to North Norfolk!!!!

[PaulAshton]

I'm off to north Norfolk at the end of August/the first half of September with my family. We are staying in the Weybourne area.

Where should I go for beautiful scenery, good rambles, aswell as the chance of wildlife????

What wildlife can I expect to see? anything unusual to have a search for, Bitterns perhaps, Avocet maybe, Nightjars, or will I be too late in the season?

Marsh Harriers would be nice! Seals maybe!!!

waders massing against the tide!

Any unusual birds or rarities I'll find locally?

I'm raising the next generation of wildlife buffs.


Cheers in advance. B (:

[Tim Allwood]

you can see seals anywhere Paul but for a good experience and one the children will like, take a boat trip from Morston out to Blakeney Point.

Cley is good for Marsh Harriers and Avocets

Salthouse heath is good for Nightjars - 2nd crossroads up from Salthouse village. All these sites are close to Weybourne

Snettisham is good for large wader numbers but a bit of a drag round the coast and there's a GSand Plover there at the moment - may hang around..

[POP]

Paul North Norfolk is a pearl,a wildlife sweetshop,just tuck in anywhere and enjoy it all.

John

[Geoff Brown]

Marsh harriers guaranteed at Titchwell RSPB reserve

[Karl J]

Can't miss the harriers up around Horsey, nice scenery as well & a couple of good walks .... if you take the footpath opp. Horsey Mill NT across the fields (the warren) & do a loop along the dunes (i've seals along there this year, i was told they've been pushed away from their usual grounds on Scroby Sands by the new windfarm construction) as far as Waxham and back via Horsey Corner maybe ... it'll be worth getting hold of OS 134 i'd say. Or there's another walk on the info board, ask in the mill shop, which is about 3 or 4 miles. Might see Common Cranes anywhere around there, though they're not too easy this time of year.

Cockshoot & Alderfen Broads are ok, any of the broads are scenic really. Wheatfen Broad reserve is always worth taking the trouble to find. Harriers get around the broads as well, and Hobbies sometimes.

Not north Norfolk i know but a good ~12mile ramble is from Acle to Yarmouth along Weavers Way which takes you across the marshes including Berney marshes RSPB (i'm told there's a Glossy ibis over there at the mo, been Spoonbills recently as well) & along Breydon Water. Prob get some Avocets around there somewhere, and Little Egrets

As john said, just dip in somewhere, there's plenty of quiet spots.

[Karl J]

Hi again Paul, just re-read this and i see that you'll be here Aug /Sept (must've been half asleep on first reading, as i thought it was this weekend ... anyhow ...) ... that time of year i'd definitely make for the Horsey dune & warren circular walk for it's migrant potential. Head south along the sand dunes from the warren and you'll come to Winterton Dunes NR, it's all part of the same stretch though the name changes somewhere along the way.

Loads of waders (and others) on Breydon Water by then, and if last year is anything to go by that'll include a flock of c500 Avocets, a couple of Spoonbill, Wood / Curlew Sandpipers, a Black Tern.

A good time of year to visit ... i can't wait !

[Glenn McColl]

Holkham beach for scenery and a good walk;
Cley,Titchwell and Snettisham for birds; (Black-Winged Stilt is the special treat at Titch.)
Blakeney Point for seals.
Children will probably enjoy a trip on North Norfolk Steam railway and the clifftop walk from Weybourne to Sheringham is good for scenery and birds.
Small harbours at Blakeney,Wells,Overy and Brancaster are great for just pottering about;
As the others have said just relax and enjoy.
____________________________

Glenn

[Andrew]

If you see Ronaldo ice creams, then cave in to temptation and try the various flavours. Whilst they are not a patch on Devon's cream-wise their flavours are great as they use real fruit! Holkham ice creams are not bad either.