An away day!

Friday morning I started at the fishing the boats, Ian was already diligently staring out to sea. In the short time I was with him of note a Balearic Shearwater went down channel, 2 Arctic Skuas were chasing Terns and 9 Little Terns went down.

As GH had not seen a Roller in Britain but many abroad, news that one was still present at Horsey myself, DW and GH mad our way to Norfolk arriving about 15.30. We made our way down the track to where a small group of birders were gathered only to be told that the bird had been lost. We made our further down the track where DW quickly relocated the Roller albeit very distant. After a while the bird came a little closer but not much and then flew even closer but landed behind a bush. Shortly after it suddenly appeared in flight over the track and flew south for c800mts once again landing out of sight. We made our way to the sea wall and walked to where we thought the bird was and relocated it again but still distant hunting from posts out in the field.    

 Hearing that there were 40+ Seals on the beach we made there and were delighted to see a mixture of Grey and Common Seals rolling around in the surf and resting on the beach. Interstingly none of the Common Seals looked much like the unidentified one at Dungeness!

 While watching the Seals an adult Arctic Skua flew along the beach and landing on the beach. After a couple of minutes it suddenly shot off across the beach and out to sea and attacked a Tern that it must have spotted from at least 600 yards amazing!

 After a lay in this morning I visited the ARC where a good selection of waders were on show. 4 Greenshanks, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Snipe, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ruff, 2 Redshank, 3 Golden Plovers, 2 Ringed Plover, c10 Oystercatchers, 100+ Lapwing, the Black-necked Grebe, 3 Willow Warblers  and several each of Reed and sedge Warblers. From Dennei's Hide another Black-necked Grebe, a Wood Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

Greenshanks dropping into the ARC

 A quick visit to the fishing boats early afternoon saw the usual 1st summer Little gull and 2 strange guys throwing  porridge into the sea to feed the fish!
This evening at the ARC most the waders had disappeared but an eclipse Garganey was showing from the screen, also a male Marsh Harrier being repeatedly attacked by a Peregrine.

A spectacular show! A pity it was to distant for the camera.