Despite the summer months being quiet for coastal waders the weather looked promising on Sunday for a visit to Cley. Then a return home via Titchwell Marshes. This would enable me try to work on the techniques I picked up on the Norfolk Birding photography course.

NWT Cley Marshes

The Cley Reserve was very busy due to it being the summer holidays.Therefore many of the resident waders and wildfowl moved well away from the hides. However I did manage to get a few shots of an Avocet and one or two drake Mallards in the eclipse phase. This was our  first visit to Cley. The central hides looked promising for getting some good shots later in the year. Birders from all over the country were attracted to one of the other hides where 8 spoonbills were feeding in the nearby pool. This hide was far too crowded for setting up the camera.

RSPB Titchwell Marshes 

We moved on to Titchwell arriving in the late afternoon, when most of the tourists had left. A walk along the east path took us to the island hide, which is normally a good spot for water fowl. But where had the water gone! 

It seems the Coastal Change Project work was reaching  completion and it had been necessary to lower the water levels. The reserve could then start to get back to its’ normal top condition in time for the arrival of autumn migratory birds.In fact the brackish pool was due to be flooded in early October, hence much of the bird population was too far away to get good images. Hopefully the next few months will bring the birds back closer to the hides.