21 July 12 - Cley area

A good afternoon & evening tour today starting on the reserve seeing, male Bearded Tit, lots of Marsh Harriers, 10+ Ruff, 5+ Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, c10 Common Scoter, 4 Gannets, Little Terns, Red-throated Diver in summer plumage, 12 SPOONBILLS sleeping, feeding & preening, a very smart first summer Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, Spotted Redshank, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls all in near adult plumage & Whimbrel over calling.

juvenile Spoonbill

After fish & chips in Holt we headed off for the night birds. On one of the heaths we had excellent views of 2 NIGHTJARS both males, with lots of fly-bys, several perched views and 2 more churring birds heard but not seen. We then tracked down an almost fully grown juvenile Tawny Owl which along with 2 others were squeaking away begging for food.

And to top it all off Bradley Wiggins secured the first ever British win in the tour de france ! Hurrah