Avocet Feeding

Another day with our birding tour in Norfolk, heading further east along the coast than yesterday. Near the end of the day we returned briefly to Titchwell Marsh, where yesterday we had seen perhaps as many as three dozen  Pied Avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta)--usually just called avocets.  Today they were generally a bit closer, with a handful feeding in relatively calm water with decent reflections. I thought this would be a good counterpart to my blip of  American Avosets (Recurvirostra americana) from California just two weeks ago.  They are obviously closely related.

We had started the day at Kelling Quags  and then continued at Cley Marshes--two rather similar nature reserves on the coast. Lunch was at Cley.  Then we returned to Titchwell, and finished the day at Holme, with a wide view of grassland and higher vegetation, where we hoped to see owls hunting before sundown:  We were not disappointed: Immediately we picked up a short-eared owl, which we followed nearly continuously for perhaps half an hour.  Then a barn owl appeared, harassed briefly by a marsh harrier. All were 100 to 200 meters away, but we saw them well in our binoculars and even in our guide's scope.  A wonderful show!