What have you seen

We’re at Fakenham Racecourse site. 
Amazing to see lots of Chinese water deer, grazing around the site, assume they must have moved in during the months of lockdown when the site would be empty.

But, not too happy, we’ve been allocated the most awful “pitch”, not a pitch at all, just a small parking space, parallel to a brick wall, at the side of one of the site roads. Next to some broken plastic barriers and a very large satellite dish thing.

Had a word with the lady at reception, she said that pitches are allocated by unit size. So our 2 berth Swift 480 pays the same £25 / night as something twice the size, that has a “ proper “ pitch. 🤔

Won’t be staying here again, would have left already but payment is now in full, in advance.

Rant over 🙂, we spend very little time on site anyway, planning to go to Cley tomorrow, should be good 🙂🙂🙂

We noticed a new CL at Blakeney, Villeroche, that we thought we might try next time we're down that way. It sounds from the blurb that we may well have stayed on their Mothers cL site, an Orchard, in the middle of Blakeney quite some time ago. 

Did you use the CAMC site at the Broads for your Strumpshaw and Ranworth visits?

Sympathy for your present predicament. Hope the birding makes up for it.

I just had to post this.  Our eldest daughter and her husband made the move to the Isle of Lewis & Harris (Outer Hebrides) a couple of years ago.  They have been renovating a cottage.  They were sitting looking out of their large window/ french doors and were greeted by the following looking back at them......

David

Our native bird life is flourishing with some already feeding chicks. However I have not seen a Flycatcher, any of the Swallow family or heard a Cuckoo yet. Where are the migrants?

Heard a Cuckoo, down here in Gwent, in the last few days. Not seen any swallows or swift yet maybe the weather has been to cold so far, or they don't want to pay for covid tests or quarantine stays, 😂😂😂😂

No cuckoo here sadly, we seem to have lost them in recent years. The swallows are coming in slowly, apparently individual males arrive first, I love to hear their chatter. 

First night without a frost, we have a lot of plant damage. Finally some rain! 

Heard the cuckoo a lot yesterday whilst out on my usual walk and have had them flying over here.

The nightingales are singing and the different sounds they have is incredible at present we  have two singing either side of us also heard some more on my walk.

Have seen swifts swallows and house martins flying around but not as many so worrying as numbers are getting lower each year not seen any crag martins yet so will have to wait until we go to friends after the 3rd May as they have more cliffs where they live, we have got a cherry tree for her 60th which was two weeks ago and not been able to see them hence the trip next week.

No frost here just rain but the ground needs it, at least the local frogs will enjoy the rain and they certainly busy croaking at night time.

Good view of Jack Snipe this morning at RSPB Titchwell reserve, quite surprised to see lots of Brent Geese still about, thought they would be long gone by now 🤔.

Wherenext, thanks, we will certainly check out CLs for our next visit to Norfolk, we like Barleywood, but so do many other people so they get booked up quickly.

I suggested to OH that  we stay at Cley Windmill next time, seems it’s OK as long as I’m paying 😱.

🙂

Pliers you could also try The Sheiling at Cley. Bit of a slope but you can walk down "Old Woman Lane" (real name) to the reserve. About a mile from the CL. A while since we've stayed there but it used to be fine.

Sat in the complex that is Arkwright Mill today having a cuppa when I saw 2 Swifts flying high overhead. Dippers and Grey Wagtails on the River Derwent.

Fish - We've seen Swallows, Redstarts and heard a Pied Flycatcher all in our local area in Flintshire. They do seem a tad delayed but heard plenty of Redstarts yesterday along the River Dove.

Having a walk around some woods today and we came across a Hawfinch "singing" away, typically in a Yew tree.