Holkham

A cold Spring day along the Holkham fresh marsh, and there was plenty to be seen. Brent geese were in good numbers, and there were plenty of waterfowl. Ruff seemed to appear out of thin air, as every time I turned round there were more. Egyptian Geese were making one hell of a racket, and one pair seemed to be nest building high up in the pines. 

On the beach and shoreline, a handful of Sanderling were scuttling about whilst being ably supported in numbers by the loud calling Oystercatchers. Although the sun was out, like many walks at Holkham, it was very much on the cold side.

Brent Goose (dark-bellied)

Egyptian Goose, and a few Ruff.

The lovely Sanderling at the waters edge.

 A pair of Wigeon on the marsh.

Brent Goose

Of the many wintering geese that visit these shores I think the Brent (or Brant) Goose is my favourite.
There is something I find a little different about these particular geese. They are a smallish bird and therefore maybe not quite as intimidating as some of the others. Not that you can get close to any of them. They're certainly not like the Canada geese you get at your local park.
They look dainty and I just like everything about them. So it's sad to see that they'll be gone now until the Autumn time. I look forward to welcoming them back.

In flight above Titchwell.

Quite dainty for a goose.

Titchwell

The beach at Titchwell is often just too far away for my little legs to muster the energy. When I do bite the bullet though and follow the path the whole way from the car park it is quite often well worth it. My problem is that I stop (a lot) on the way and look for other things, and it can take me a good while to get there. Then I'm thinking about heading back.
Anyway, on this particular day I was pleased to see some Bar-tailed Godwits on the shore line. A year tick for me.

The bird in flight showing its barred rather than black tail feathers.

One of the obvious differences from the Black-tailed Godwit is the upturned bill. Slight curvature can be seen on this bird.

Brent Geese in flight. Always a safe bet at Titchwell.

A Cormorant taking a breather.

And in flight shortly afterwards.

A Lapwing enjoying the mud in the sunshine.