Rutland Water 15th May 2012 On the last day of our holiday we had intended to go back to Cley Marshes but it was so wet when we were packed and ready to go that we decided to go straight to Rutland Water where we were due to stay at the Barnsdale Lodge Hotel (which…

Holmes Dunes NWT 13th May 2012 We still wanted to do some birding after Titchwell Marsh but it had just been too frantic and full of people there so Holmes Dunes seemed like a quieter place. For a start it is a long drive down an incredibly potholed track to get there and there is…

Titchwell Marsh RSPB 13th May 2012 On our last day at Cley we decided that instead of going to Cley Marshes again we we would go to the RSPB reserve at Titchwell Marshes to check that out. As it turned out it was much better and it was dry throughout our visit if fairly windy….

Wiveton Church 12th May 2012 Before we left the Cley Marshes visitor centre this afternoon we enquired of a chap behind the desk where we might be likely to see any Owls and he suggested a couple of places for Barn Owls, the closest of which was over the fields by Wiveton Church so we…

Cley Marshes NWT 12th May 2012 Our first full day in Cley meant a chance to have a good walk round the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s reserve there. Our starting point was the visitor centre and, of course, I asked where we were likely to see any Spoonbill. The chap at the counter simply said “over…

Hickling Broad NWT 11th May 2012 On the 11th we left from Halesworth headed for Cley where we were to stay three days at the George Hotel. Cley is, of course, a sort of birding Mecca and we had been there briefly once before when we saw a small flock of Spoonbills but this time…

Walberswick to Dunwich 10th May 2012 On the 10th May we decided to do a walk from Walberswick to Dunwich which is a common walk of about four and a half miles each way. We were recommended the walk as good for Bitterns and Water Rails were a sure-fire bet. The path is part dirt…

Minsmere RSPB 9th May, 2012 One of Suffolk’s main attractions is Minsmere RSPB reserve. Again we had not been to this site before so wee looked forward to this greatly. There seems to have been nowhere unaffected by the heavy rainfall of recent weeks and Minsmere was no exception. The footpath to Minsmere Levels and…

Weeting Heath NWT 8th May, 2012 Most of the 7th and 8th May were spent visiting friends for a 60th birthday party in Bury St Edmunds. We stayed at The Angel which was a fantastic, if a little pricey, hotel and definitely the place to stay if we go there again. While we were in…

Lakenheath Fen RSPB 6th May 2012 On the second day of holiday we were heading for Bury St Edmunds where we were due to attend a birthday party. It was our plan to go to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserve at Welney – another site we have been meaning to go to for ages….