Cley is a world away from the hustle and bustle of twenty-first century life. With reeds shimmering in the wind, cattle grazing the rich, lush marshes, flocks of ducks loafing on the scrapes, it could be a place from any time in history. It is also one of the best bird watching sites in the country. So its really as good a place as any to start my holiday in North Norfolk.
The central hides were knocked out due to the virus, which was a shame as they overlooked the freshwater scrapes, the centrepiece of the reserve, and great for migrating waders. Bishop's and Babcock's hides were open, overlooking some of the scrapes.
The area was full of DUCKS. The scrapes and wet grassland attracted thousands of WIGEON and TEAL. There were smaller numbers of SHOVELLER and GADWALL, as well as a few EGYPTIAN GEESE. Numbers of birds are building up nicely now, to gradually peak over winter.
A large chunk of the reserve is dedicated to reedbed, where small flocks of BEARDED TIT were erupting. This time of year is best for seeing this lovely bird, as they move away from their breeding grounds, often bursting out from the reed fronds in little flocks. Attention is brought to them by their call, a metallic 'pinging' sound which is very distinctive in the quiet marsh air. There was also a few MARSH HARRIER quartering the reeds.
Some time after walking round the reserve you get to the sea. Just behind the shingle beach is Arnold's Marsh, a large salt water lake. This place is great for estuarine WADERS which feed on the muddy fringes present. Today there were decent numbers of REDSHANK and DUNLIN, with smaller numbers of CURLEW, GREY PLOVER and a single BARWIT, which is fairly usual. At the back of the pool was a female SCAUP, similar to a tufted duck, but with a large white ring behind the bill, and a much more chunky body. From here it is a short climb over the shingle stack to get to the sea.
Out on the sea small numbers of birds were on the move, flying beneath the wind turbines on the horizon. Most of the time it was just the odd GULL wandering the coast. However there were several SKUAS seen, including one close to shore. Unfortunately I am no good at sea watching, so they could be any skua species, so I just count them as the most common species, arctic skua, because that is what they are most likely to be. Other species seen in small numbers included GUILLEMOT, RED THROATED DIVER, COMMON SCOTER and GANNET. There was also a GREY SEAL present, often lifting itself onto its shoulders, craning to gawp at those strange people walking along the beach.
Walking along the shingle beach, a small flock of birds flew in ahead of me. Training my bins on them, I discovered that it was a little flock of six SNOW BUNTING that formed the flock. Perfectly camouflaged, to blend in with the shingle, I wouldn't have noticed them if I hadn't seen them fly in. They are a lovely bird which breeds in the sub arctic and winter on the beaches of the UK.
Along the beach there is a viewpoint overlooking North Pool, a large brackish lake, the most northerly pool on the reserve. With a strangely high number of SHOVELLER, there were also around eight PINTAIL present. Around this area a WATER PIPIT was present, heard in flight it's call is monosyllabic, which separates them from other pipits.
As the beach heads off to Blakeney Point my path melded with Beach Road and a walk away from the coast along the river wall, back to the marshes and which passes a small hill, called Cley Eye. Present here was a large flock of GOLDEN PLOVER, as well as some grazing BRENT GOOSE, on this drier are of grass.
The walk along the river wall was fairly quiet, just a male STONECHAT of any interest. The path met with the main road which pretty much ended the reserve walk.
So as usual with Cley Marshes there were lots of birds present. The reserve is justifiably counted as one of the best in the country. Its a place, where you can guarantee something unusual in the biding world. But above all else, its a wild corner of the world, a place away from the hectic world we live in, a place to slow down, to breathe in all that nature we miss in our lives. If we can just see nature as an important commodity, as essential for our world, then just maybe we can protect it better than we do at the moment.
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