13th September (Cley and Stiffkey Fen)

Had a pre-breakfast seawatch at Cley coastguards which resulted in the following:

Lots of Gannets
A few Common Scoter
2 diver sp. east
2 Bonxies (one in the company of a Gannet)
1 Manx Shearwater
1 Arctic Skua

After breakfast met up with the NE Hants RSPB group at Cley. A walk around the reserve produced a couple of Curlew Sandpipers, a Little Stint, Green Sandpiper, distant Hobby. One the sea were are fair number of Gannets and lots of Common Scoter (c150). One Manx Shearwater flew distantly east, 1 Bonxie, 2 Arctic Skuas and 2 Kittiwakes. A Guillemot was close inshore.

After Cley went over to Stiffkey Fen where saw the juv. Red-necked Phalarope. The gold and brown striped back and needle sharp bill were noted. One of the local Greylag Geese didn't like the bird very much and kept swimming after it.

Also at the fen was a Snow Goose and 3 Greenshank.

I then returned to Cley east bank where the weather was amazingly calm - the sea was like a mill pond (I've never seen North Norfolk like this!). Managed a Red-throated Diver flying west and the two drake Scaup were still on Arnold's Marsh. Also one Common Seal offshore. A Water Rail was loudly squealling in the ditch on the reserver side of the bank but it didn't show.