Last day and I finally get a Spoonbill shot.

It's my last day in Sunny Norfolk (and it has been save a couple of hours this week).

Up early, packed breakfast cooked and eaten and we're walking Tia to the beach and back along the footpath at Titchwell.
As we near the end we see Spoonbills flying in from the west and I manage to grab a couple of quick shots. Well pleased as all week they've been so distant it's hardly been worth trying to get a picture save the close encounter one morning with eight birds in near darkness.

Anyway here's a couple of those I grabbed from today.

Spoonbill Titchwell

A quick sea watch gave good numbers of Gannet, a passing auk, Common Scoter and Eider along with lot's of wader activity.

As I walk back I see a Sparrow Hawk take a young LRP and it carries it off behind Island hide and doesn't seem to come out so I hurry into the hide to find the Sprawk sitting in front of the hide on the poor prey bird and manage to grab a quick picture before somebody opens the hide door with a bang the bird takes flight carrying it's victim. Nice site but still you can't help feel for the young bird that has tasted just a couple of weeks of life before falling prey to the hawk.

A sad end for a young Little Ringed Plover

On the journey home I nearly ran over these two RL Partridge so thought it work a quick pic.

Red Legged Partridge

and then we stopped at Alby's Craft Centre for Suzanne to buy some much needed supplies ( I jest..she could open a shop with the gear she has). While she shops....and shops......and shops I take Tia for a walk around the private gardens (at a cost of £2.50 which for a walk round someones garden seems a little extreme but it killed time). The flowers are in good colour, Red Admirals are everywhere and a Sparrowhawk hunts over head too (always birding!)

A fresh Red Admiral

One last stop in the Brecks to count Stone Curlew (We counted 22 birds) and then we're off home.
A really nice break with plenty of birding, lot's of eating..a bit of drinking and some real chilling.
(I didn't even take a mobile phone with me!)

I counted 122 different species of bird to include Baird's, White Rumped and Pectoral Sandpipers and the highlight for me with the Barred Warbler especially with the good views on day two.
I saw Chinese Water Deer, Natterjack Toads, Water Shrew and some great moths and beetles.

I talked to some nice like minded people who where enjoying the same relaxing hobby as me.
We saw some lovely coastal towns and I think the wife's actually moved a step closer to the idea we might move there one day so the plan worked.

As they say in the movies.....I'll be back!

Now....where's that Baillon's Crake?