Smokie to Snowy Owl

As usual when visiting North Norfolk we took the van and stayed at the fantastic Barleywood CL at South Creake just a couple of miles outside the market town of Fakenham. 

We left home just gone 9am and arrived at Barleywood just before 11am.  Started to unhitch and set up when the wintry showers commenced, the temperature plummeted and the wind howled.

After lunch, the weather improved, so made our way to the community wildlife centre at Sculthorpe.  This is an ideal reserve for all levels of birdwatchers and is particularly user friendly for wheelchair users.  The reserve is relatively small, is accessed by board walks and has wheelchair friendly hides with sliding doors.  You don’t really need telescopes, bino’s or long lenses as birds are very often close to the hides on feeders.  What a variety of birds there are to view from Barn Owls to Water Rails and Bull Finches.  At this time of the year it’s easy to Bramblings, Red polls and Siskins.

Thursday night is what we are waiting for, off to the Corn Exchange in Kings Lynn to see the fantastic band Smokie and they didn’t disappoint.  Quality of photos I took were very poor so haven’t posted..  We both thoroughly enjoyed the show and left Kings Lynn buzzing.

Friday morning dawned bright and frosty.  After a traditional caravan breakfast it was off to RSPB Titchwell.  After checking out the bird feeders it was off down the path toward the beach, passing the Island hide but stopping off at the Parrinder hide to view some of the hundreds of Brent Geese but also spotting a Greenshank, Avocets, Godwits, Curlew etc.  Down at the beach there were a dozen or so sea watchers.  On talking to them the number & breed of birds either resting on the sea, fishing or moving North was astonishing. Our walk took us along the beach toward Thornham Point.  It was evident that the ‘beast from the East’ had caused substantial damage to the sea life which had been washed up on the beach.  Thousands of razor clams and shell fish, star fish, sea urchins and numerous others.

Saturday dawned bright but cold when a message came in to tell us that a female Snowy Owl had been spotted at Scolt Island on the previous evening.  We shot off to Burnham Deepdale and started along the path only to receive a message that Snowy owl had moved to Thornham Harbour so back to the car and sped (within permitted speed limits|) up to Thornham only to be told it was at Titchwell, RSPB car parks were full so shot down to Blankney and walked up the beach towards Titchwell.  There were a multitude of people trying to spot it so we decided to have lunch at Holme nest Sea and return later (starting to sound like keystone cops!) Nice lunch and just about to leave when one of the young Norfolk Wildlife Trust wardens told us the closest view was from Holme beach just before the Thornham estuary.  Finally after 5 hours, 15 miles driving and 5 mile walk managed to see the bird, albite very distant even with my travel telescope.  Never mind at last seen one in the wild in the UK so really made up.  Think the last one spotted in England was 2009 but in the East Anglia I believe it was as far back as the 1950’s. 

Sunday we decided to walk from Burnham Deepdale along the Norfolk Costal path to Burnham Overy Staithe a total distance of about 6 miles return.  Lovely walk but some of the paths were really muddy.  Cold wind coming off the sea seemed to keep a lot of people indoors.  Got back to the car just as it started to throw it down so returned to the van.  During our late lunch I got a text to say the Snowy Owl was at RSPB Snettisham.  Decided not to bother going out but after an hour or so couldn’t help it just had to make the effort.  Arrived at Snettisham and the place was mobbed.  Found somewhere to park and made the 2.5k trek to where the bird was and believe me it was worth it.  The Snowy Owl was sat on a fence post not more than 125 yards away.  Although she sat with her back to us she did on occasions swivel her head 180degrees to look at us admirers.  I imagine there must have been over a hundred people viewing the bird.  Anyway, hardly containing my excitement started to photograph it taking over 125 photos.  With the light failing even further, but both of us elated we started to make our way back to the car.

Monday dawned wet and windy.  Packed up between the showers for our journey home.  Van in storage and home by 11 am.  Another wonderful weekend at Barleywood, see you again in November 2018