Weekly round up - Cley and Thorpe Marshes

 Ill start off with a trip to Cley with Matt last weekend .The main reason for me going there, other then some good views of waders, was to catch up with the large number of Spoonbills which have been present there for a while now, plus a quick sea watch.
 We decided to start off at the hide overlooking pats pool .We had large number of Black Tailed Godwits,Little Egrets, Shelducks ,Ruff and a nice adult Sandwich Tern with a very hungry Juvenile.

Sandwich Tern and juv.

Then we then had a Green Sandpiper in close to the reeds/vegetation. After a few moments Matt spotted a pair of Bearded Tits in the reeds in front of the hide. A cracking close view although brief as they soon took off.Also of note was the 2x Swallows which were sat on the fence wires outside the hide.I have never been so close to one and couldn't resist a picture !There beautiful colours of blue,white and red-chestnut really stood out in the sunlight.

Swallow

We made our way round to the North Scrape & as we approached we  saw the Spoonbills take to the air ,due to a huge glider went over the shore. Luckily they soon resettled on the scrape by the time we got in there.There were a total of 11x Spoonbills , all looking rather chilled out in the sun.We next heard a call coming from the air and soon realised it was from a flock of 11x Whimbrel flying over heading west.

Spoonbills

Back on the scrape we had 40+ Dunlin,4x Ringed Plovers,  1x Common Sandpiper, 1x Green Sandpiper , my first Wood Sandpiper  for the year and 2x Yellow Wagtails off down the channel.
 A quick sea watch gave us plenty of Terns: 3x Arctic, 7x  Little, loads of Common and  Sandwich Terns ,2x Little Gulls and a single Guillemot resting on the sea. Also 3 x flocks of Oystercatchers going west and 3x Curlew going east.
 While working south of Norwich on wednesday i came across a perched Little owl.Soon to be accompanied by a second.These birds always bring a smile to my face.

2x Little Owls- "U looking at me ?"

 That brings me up to today-Thorpe Marshes.
   Me and  Yorkie got down to our local patch around 3 pm. .As we walked  down it looked quiet.The weather was overcast and rained for about 10 minutes as we arrived but didnt stop 5x Greenshanks dropping in onto the scrape. A first for me on the patch and stayed  around for a good 10 minutes before flying off towards Whitlingham, showing there white wedge up the back as they went.

Greenshanks

 As we started to scan around the waters edge we both caught a Sandpiper fly in to shingle edge on the West side of the pool. It was a Green Sandpiper. Presumably one of the two that have been around here the last month.Soon after another wader dropped in .I first expected it to be the other Green Sandpiper id been seeing here but when we finally got on it, it was a Common Sandpiper.This was turning into a great afternoon! We watched as it made its way along the shingle and heard a Kingfisher go along the river behind us as we did. Then Yorkie picked up on a Sparrowhawk over the Marsh, sending up 20+ Stock Doves  . As we checked the pool we counted 13x Black Headed Gulls, 4x Lesser Black backed Gulls and a single Common Gull.Walking back we had 2x Grey Herons, Whitethroats and a single Reed Warbler.
 You never know what may turn up here, even when at first nothing seems to be about something drops in for you.
  Happy birding,
   Shaky