Spoonbills and sherpas

The sun finally came out today - we've been enjoying cooler, cloudier weather than the rest of you thus far this week but today the mist has lifted, the fret has departed, the haar has hight-tailed it. With a gentle breeze taking the real fire out of the heat we went birdwatching.

I enjoyed it greatly while I think Calum simply tolerated it but I was pleased to see how much further I can get with so much bulky gear when I have a sherpa to shift it. We went to Titchwell Marsh which is about 2 miles from here and it is tremendous. I have never been in such well-appointed hides and it's all wheelchair friendly which means that it's also old-bloke-walking friendly too.

Saw lots of birds including some which don't play out where we live. Spoonbills are uncommon in this country and we saw a dozen across the lagoon from where we were sitting. There was also a marsh harrier stalking the fields in the distance and the usual suspects all in attendance; avocets, godwits, herons, wagtails, ringed plovers, lapwings, red shanks and so on. And this solo Goldie called by for a quick drink. Look in large and you'll see that his right leg is ringed.

Then we headed into Hunstanton to hit the supermarket for supplies. Along the coast here there are lots of posh spots including a glamping site, complete with yurt, and a Marco Pierre White branded pub. In fact all the pubs are tarted up like posh nosheries rather than a place one might visit for a bowl of cheesey-chips with gravy to go with a pint of best. I was pleased to see that one spot advertises "Casual dining" because in my world that's a bacon sandwich on a Sunday morning wearing nowt but me pants. They weren't open when we went past or I might have stopped in to check the menu.