World watch; our weekend.

Saturday 29th saw us fundraising at the local town Christmas Lights switch-on event, we did really well raising a little over £100.00 with help from my son Martin and his girlfriend Fleur and my mother. We were glad we had some of the lovely hand knitted scarves left that our friend Annette Cunniffe had brought across for the bird fair from the USA. They were very popular as it was a bit nippy!

Martin Fleur and Mother early on before the crowds arrived.

Sunday morning started with mist and fog for our run up to Titchwell, delaying our already late start, once we arrived we wasted no time in getting to the first hide to have a look around. Just as we got there the whirring of many wings made us look up into the bright blue sky and twinkling overhead were hundreds of Eurasian Golden Plovers, our list was under way and what a spectacular start.

Pied Avocet, Northern Lapwing, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff were all quickly added before we headed on up the bank. The water level meant there were no waders close to the hide to photograph.

Pied Avocet with Black-tailed Godwits and a pair of Shovelers.

It was along the bank that we met fellow Trustee, Allan Archer with birding companion Jenny McLelland with whom we stayed for the rest of our visit and added Common Redshank to the list.

Common Redshank.

We headed next for the beach where we quickly saw Sanderlings thinly spread along the shoreline, a single Grey Plover a long way off and the same for Eurasian Oystercatcher we didn't see much else until we bumped into a Eurasian Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit on the way back and got cracking views of a Water Rail.

Water Rail. OK it's not a wader, but still a good thing to see this well.

Elis and I headed back to the new hide while Allan and Jenny did a bit of sea watching and there picked up Dunlin and Common Snipe.

Dunlin

Common Snipe

Try as we might though we could not find a Common Ringed Plover despite all four of us actively searching for one but we had some lovely views of the resting Golden Plovers.

Eurasian Golden Plovers

By now the clouds had set in and the wind was chilling us to the bone, so a hot drink and some food was called for. After this we headed for home while Allan and Jenny braved the newly arrived rain to go out again to look for those plovers.