Kippers for breakfast, then spent the day at Minsmere. Lots of birds: Cuckoo, Bitterns, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers, Garden Warblers, Hobbys, etc. Checked into the Eel’s Foot Inn. After dinner we walked down the lane. Bitterns booming, midges, bats.

We bought some food for lunch in Aldeburgh and then drove to Orford Quay and caught the 10am ferry, which we’d pre-booked, to Orford Ness. Orford Ness is an approximately 7-mile by 1-mile shingle spit, one of the largest in the world. It’s now owned by the National Trust, but for many years was used … Read more “Saturday: Orford Ness”

We went back to Weeting Heath nature reserve first thing and watched the Stone Curlews and chicks again. Lapwings, normal Curlews, lots of Rabbits and Hares. A couple came into the hide with a telescope (“Birdwatching for 50 years, been coming here every year since before they built the hide, there’s a Cuckoo likes to … Read more “Friday: Stone Curlews 2”

We set off at 1pm and drove for 4 hours to Weeting Heath nature reserve in Norfolk, near the Suffolk border. We watched a distant pair of Stone Curlews with two chicks. We walked through the woods for a bit, then checked in to the Crown and Mundford, a few miles down the road. Nice … Read more “Thursday: Stone Curlews 1”

We did a similar walk to the walk we did when we last stayed here four years ago almost to the day. Up Gallox hill behind Dunster, but by a different route this time, through mixed woodland with birdsong, Squirrels, Roe Deer, Exmoor Ponies. On the top of the hill was Bat’s Castle, the remnants … Read more “Walk to Blue Anchor”

We stopped at Steart Marshes WWT reserve on the way to Dunster. Lots of birds, including Spoonbills. At Dunster we checked into the Luttrell Arms hotel (our third visit). Dinner was nice.

At Cley we parked at the visitor centre and went over the boardwalks to the hides. Lots of ducks, waders, Avocets, Marsh Harriers. It was cold and bright and windy. On the beach, breakers were crashing into the shore. We had corn chouder for lunch in the busy visitor centre cafe. After lunch we went … Read more “Monday, Boxing Day, Cley Marshes”

After breakfast we went to Titchwell RSPB reserve. Lots of Marsh Harriers, most of the Plovers (Green, Grey, Golden, Ringed), waders, ducks (Teal, Wigeon, Goldeneye, Pintail, Shoveler, Shelduck, etc), Avocets. 40+ bird species seen. Lunch at the hotel at 2:45. In the evening we played scrabble.

On Friday we went to Romsey and went for lunch at the Olive Tree with Vera. Wendy came round in the afternoon. We left at 3:30 and drove to the Fox and Hounds at Whittlebury, near Towcester. Nice meal in the pub. Just down the road the house where J’s uncle and aunt had lived, … Read more “Fri-Sat: Romsey, Ely, Roydon, Titchwell”

We went to Lydford gorge, a few minutes down the road from the hotel. Paid our National Trust entrance fees and had a coffee in the cafe then went down the gorge to the Devil’s Cauldron. Steep paths and steps down to the river. We stopped to watch a Dipper and a Grey Wagtail on … Read more “Saturday: down in the gorge”