Winter Wildlife

We moved back to Norfolk just over a year ago, now living about 6 miles from Oak Tree Cottage. Now we’re properly settled we’re finding time to enjoy more of what make North Norfolk such a special place to visit (or live in!).

Last weekend on a gorgeous sunny winter’s day we took a walk from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust visitors centre at Cley for a circular route around the hides and along the coast.

Immediately after crossing the road we caught a bright blue flash of a kingfisher as it changed fishing spots. After a couple of minutes it perched on the reeds no more than 10 meters away (which we just stood and enjoyed without reaching for a camera), before it retreated to a branch about 20 meter away, at which point I did take a few snaps. A few minutes later it must have seen something tasty in the water as it struck straight down to the dike below…

We carried on to Bishop’s hide, but before we got to the door we heard a familiar sound of bearded tits, usually heard but not seen as they live amongst the dense reeds. On this occasion though they were just across a narrow lagoon, right on edge, busily snacking on the seeds in the reed heads – two males and one female.

Both the bearded tits and the kingfisher were clearly visible without binoculars.

Bearded Tits at Cley marshesNorfolk Bearded Tit

We carried on to East Bank, which is an elevated track running from the road to the sea, and provides extensive views across the marshes to both sides.

Walking back along the beach towards the car park at Cley we had the sea to our right, and more lagoons on the shore side. For anyone into birds, the day’s list along here included curlew, grey and golden plover, ruff, pintails, avocets, black-tailed godwit, and little egret along with the usual gulls, lapwings, teal and widgeon.

Teal at Cley

Out to sea was a raft of about 600 common scoter – probably about 100m out to sea. This is one where you do need binoculars to watch the slightly surreal sight of 600 birds all vanishing at the same as they dive together, before bobbing up one by one until the raft is full again.

A seal which had been bobbing along the edge of the sea hauled itself onto the beach as we watched the scoter.

By the time we finished watching the birds and seal the sun was setting over the shingle bank, so we took the elevated path back to the coast road watching the developing sunset as we went. A couple of weeks back we’d seen a barn own here hunting over the reeds at dusk, but today it was the sunset which stole the show, so much so that it was almost a visual cliché as we approached the coast the road, with the windmill silhouetted by the setting sun.

Sunset behind Cley Mill

It was only a short walk back to the visitors centre and the car, but just on the off-chance we took another look over the gate where we’d seen the kingfisher, and caught one last flash of blue and orange as flew between perches in the gloom.

If you’re enjoy watching birds, then this is a fantastic time of year to see some of the winter migrants. If you just enjoy the outdoors and glorious scenery, then you won’t go far wrong either!

Check our availability if you like the sound of it!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *