Arrived at Holme at 9am and went straight up to dunes for seawatch. It was extremely high this morning - an 8.3 tide, lapping the dunes, spectacular and it was colder than I expected this morning. Had 8 gannets, 8 teal, 1 dark phase arctic skua, 1 bonxie, several sandwich terns, 2 swallows, 1 great crested grebe and 6 sanderlings made their way along the tide mark. Went back to observatory to hear something dreadful, Ray R. had watched an Osprey fly past along the sea edge (sea lapping dunes, imagine the scene under your nose!!!) going west at 8.45am, 15 minutes before I stood there:-C absolutely gutted!!!! Anyway less said about the better, there seemed to be a flurry of birds for a while, watched at least 4 common whitethroats, a few long tailed tits, a great spotted woodpecker flew from pines and flew over to Thornham sluice. I walked back to coastal path and walking to Thornham chanel where I counted 28 ringed plover, 17 beautiful grey plovers all standing in a row huddled against the wind, 38 sanderlings, 5 turnstones and lots of gulls that I could not be bothered to count! Walked back and then decided after chin wag to go and have early lunch at 12.30pm. Ambled up to carpark, got picnic rug out, sat and had lunch and cup of tea and then decided to have 40 winks, which turned into a glorious couple of hours (still shattered from Blakeney Point yesterday, see previous post). Whilst sitting here 11 curlew went over and had 6 goldfinches. Left and went to In Focus to look at bins again (still have not decided) and went to mother's and father's for cup of tea and photographed a Palpita Unionalis moth that father had caught this morning in moth trap and then went home.
(last day of holiday tomorrow:-C )
High tide tomorrow at Holme is 9.34am and is 8.2 metres
Best Wishes Penny:girl: