A Morning with the Birds

Well…I’ve had the cataract removal, plus one other procedure on my right eye.  All seems well so far.  They gave me some anti-inflammatory tablets to take for 3 days, the packet said ‘These tablets may make you feel sleepy’.  That was the understatement of the year!  Sadly, the procedure did give me a migraine (having bright lights shone in my eye also sets one off), so I was grateful to sleep through most of that but even so, this is the first day I’ve felt back to full strength and have my energy back.
 
I was going to do some ironing this morning, but the sun was shining (at least it was then!) so M and I decided to go out for morning coffee to Wiveton Hall (of ‘Normal for Norfolk’ TV fame).  And afterwards, once the unexpected downpour had stopped, we had a walk about the grounds and sat gazing out over the marshes for a while (despite the slight discomfort of a rather damp seat).
 
Then after buying some goodies for lunch from Cley Smokehouse and the delicatessen we went for a walk between Cley and Arnold’s Marshes for a spot of bird-watching.  We had a tranquil and peaceful half-hour and spotted a male and a female reed bunting, plus three bearded tits (although that was rather fleeting as they sped past).  We also had sand martins zooming past just above our heads, and saw a pair of marsh harriers gliding around, avocets, lapwings, redshank, shelduck, gadwall, and some graylag geese and goslings.
 
The air was filled with the sound of numerous skylarks, the call of the redshank, and the scratchy song of sedge warblers, the sun was in and out and casting moving pools of light and shade over the gently waving reeds as the wind blew the clouds this way and that.  I didn’t take my camera, just content to enjoy all the calm and beauty around us as we strolled along, M intercepting with nuggets of information about the various breeds as we passed them by…it was one of those perfect moments to save in the memory bank.
 
I did have my compact camera in my bag, and took this rural farm track in the grounds of Wiveton hall from the vantage point of our damp wooden bench.

PS: Thanks to all of you who sent me good wishes for my eye operation, it was most appreciated.  I'll be back to commenting soon.