The Hare's of Norfolk

This post is a dedication to all the Hare's that have given us so much entertainment and fun over the last fortnight, the most viewed in one morning was 15 plus in just three fields, they have been a joy to watch and photograph and we have found ourselves drawn back to them almost daily.

Best Shots of The First Four Days of Norfolk

I know I am a little behind, as the O H is always telling me I should get my shot's on a lot quicker, but hey "a woman's work is never done", and that's my excuse, by the time we get back from a days birding and I have cooked dinner, done the washing up, made the bed etc etc... Ladies you know the rest!! I am usually knackered and it's all I can manage to actually go through my photo's of the day, today has been a lot better as we had the best of the weather this morning and got back a few hours earlier than usual, still had to do dinner etc etc, but it has enabled me to post the best shots of the first four days of week one down here. Black-Tailed Godwit

Black-Tailed Godwit

Black Redstart

Black Redstart

Egret

Egret

Hare

Turnstone

Greetings From Norfolk

We are away at the moment in Norfolk, a lot later in the year than we normally visit, but having two weeks here makes it a little more relaxed than normal, thought I would just wet your whistle with a few scenic shots to start off with, weather is changeable but we have had some sunny spells and yesterday was indeed the best for weather but not for health and temper as the O H missed a Shore Lark by a matter of seconds on Titchwell Beach and I thought for a moment his camera equipment may well be slung in the sea never to be seen again, especially when a lady said she had been watching the bird very close but did not know what she was looking at !!!!

Glossy Ibis Hunt!!

SHOULD WE GO OR SHOULD WE STAY!! The morning started with a quick trip to Tittesworth, to see if the Ibis was about, as we arrived a little late yesterday and missed close up shots, but no luck, so we decided to head off to Bolton to find the four that have been showing really well, in a field there, but the lack of cars in the lane told us that we had made the trip for no reason, and our fears were correct as they were no longer present having gone the afternoon before, disappointed we headed off home, only to have news of them to come through at 2.30 pm in the afternoon, so SHOULD WE GO OR SHOULD WE STAY!! we decided we had to try, so off we went again with Steve silently praying they would be there this time, but again an empty lane, not good news and a couple of birders who had travelled from Wales said they had again been flushed, and could be over the other side of the wood, I made the decision that all my driving was not going to waste and we should try further round and this time Bingo Birders were seen, and although we had no sunshine I got my first decent shots.

Our Last Full Day On Mull

I had been after the Stonechat all week but he was always too quick for me, but nailed him on my last morning, the weather was again kind to us and enabled more scenery shots.

Have to include some of my favourite shots of Herons because they were ten to the penny, there was a guarantee of seeing half a dozen plus every day, no matter what part of the Island you were on.

Finally as we said goodbye to this magical place it finally gave us a sunset to remember.

Thursday On Mull

I don't like mentioning health problems on my blog, as its not the place for them, but to understand the disappointment of missing the Boat Trip planned for Thursdays Morning, to see the Eagles, you do need a little back ground to my back problem, I have suffered for over 12 yrs. with a leaking disk that every now and then traps the nerves in my lower back, as long as I am careful in what I do, I am usually okay, but when it goes I am in agony and unable to walk, stand or sit properly, this time it was my own fault I had a project I wanted finished before we set off for Mull and truly it was the very last shovel full of gravel that was my undoing. I knew I would be in agony within the hour but could not tell Steve as I knew he would be livid to say the least and as we were leaving the next morning would probably have called off the trip, so I said nothing, endured the pain even when asked to take out the luggage to the car, (that was nearly the end of me, I can tell you!), the first half of the journey was mine to drive and you can only imagine how glad I was to swop over, by the time we arrived in Oban I could not move and was no longer able to keep it to myself, (still at this point not telling how I had actually incurred the injury). But I digress back to Mull and I wasn't doing too badly and hopeful to be mobile enough for Thursday's boat trip, but I got up in the middle of the night and twisted the wrong way and bang it went again, I could not even get my socks on by the morning and was back to square one again, add to this Steve had been up all night with a bad stomach and Pete and Allen had to go on the boat trip without us, we managed to get a little more mobile by lunch time and met up with them later.

The morning eventually started with the Swallow's lining up on the wires outside our cottage, then it was round to the Eagles were we encountered the juvenile again, on our way back we spotted this Red Deer in a real panic trying to find a way out of the farmers field, in the end it escaped along the shore line and disappeared. This large bull was just wondering along the road without a care in the world and when I stopped to take it's picture it decided to follow us home and I think it would have managed it, if it could have speeded up a little, as it kept catching us up every time we stopped to take in the scenery, every time we looked back there he was just ambling along behind us.

Isle Of Mull Cont:

Wednesday was for me the most productive day so far, subject wise, while Steve and Pete were out searching for Hen Harriers and Eagles (Almost at first light), and playing "Rubber Duck" Rubber Duck", with their Walki Talki's, (the main reason I think they always went out in separate vehicles, although they said it enabled them to cover more ground) Allen and I were watching for Otters outside the cottage, when a very obliging Buzzard dropped in, when Steve came back we went a quick drive to see if we could find any Red Deer in a spot that Allen had seen them in before, always keeping an eye on the shore line in case of any Otter activity, finding this one just on the edge of the loch, we were able to use the car as a hide and he took no notice of us at all, just kept right on crunching away. further down the road and we found these two young Deer Stags and the female Stonechat on the road side wire fence, all this and it was barely 10 am in the morning and we had barely travelled a mile if that!! It was then back to the Cottage to meet up with Pete and Allen and off we went for another visit to Loch No Keal to watch for the White Tailed Eagles, we spent a good few hours watching two Adults and a Juvenile, who was practicing his flying skills but most of the time he seemed not to know quite what to do with his under carriage and looked very comical flying round with his great legs dangling down underneath him, (his thigh's would have rivalled any Christmas Turkey for size), goes without saying that we were grabbing scenery shots galore as we went. If any one visits the Island and you find you have forgotten your maps, don't panic there is a great free give away map that is found in the Local Shop and Information Centre in Craignure and also the Craignure Inn has them by the door as you leave in a rack, (Which by the way you must sample their bar meals, fantastic) and the beer wasn't bad either!! It's the left hand side door you need as you look at the picture, not the main Restaurant.