Fascinating Fulmars

 Fulmars are one of the British birds that have steadily increased in recent years and Hunstanton cliffs certainly support this with many more birds there this visit than previous. Adults spend a large portion of their lives at sea, returning in November  to set up territories.  Eggs are laid in May. In July, the parents depart to resume their oceanic wandering, leaving the chick to fend for itself.  By early September, the youngster will be ready to follow in the wake of its parents.  Young birds spend the first four or five years of their lives at sea, and do not reach maturity until they are eight or nine years old but they may live for up to forty years.  Here a few shots from Saturday's visit.

Titchwell RSPB Reserve Before the Rain

 Yesterday the RPS Nature Group managed a shortish morning's bird photography before the rain set in which was fine as most people were journeying considerable distances back home. There were very large flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover settling on the scrapes in beautiful light showing off their colourful but very good camouflage plumage in with Teal, Dunlin, Wigeon etc. Down on the beach there weren't the expected numbers of waders, certainly compared with the huge flocks at Hunstanton, but most of the species were there in small numbers. Here a couple of Bar-Tailed Godwits and an Oystercatcher with mussel. A lone Black-winged Stilt with a ring (?escapee) posed beautifully. 

Hunstanton Birds

There were impressive numbers of birds on the beach at Hunstanton yesterday, probably more than usual as it was a spring tide so the mussel beds were exposed at the very low tide. Curlews remain my top wader both in flight and camouflaged feeding on the ground but Bar and Black-tailed Godwits are near contenders. The cameos between the Egrets and other waders were amusing and showed their relative size against the Herring gull and Redshank

Hunstanton Taster

The RPS Nature group spent a very enjpyable day photographing on the beach at Hunstanton as the tide dropped and then in the afternoon started to come ie. We followed the tide line watching the waders etc feed on the mussel beds. A lot of photos to download and sort but here two - Black-tailed Godwit and Curlew, together with some night shots taken yesterday evening. More birds to follow when sorted!!

Welney Norfolk

I called in at Welney today en route for Hunstanton and were rewarded with some beautiful light for the various Raptor(Kestrels, Buzzards and Marsh Harriers, Herons, Cattle Egrets,Geese, Swans and even the Sparrows at the feeders looked interesting