I was sat in the study yesterday when Mark up the road messaged he’d walked out onto Sheringham golf course and was looking West. I guess he could half see the reported White tailed Eagle in the distance circling over a heat haze ridden Cley. He thought it might come our way.
The morning was one of those semi-murky days where the sun never quite manages to break the clouds. A still day, full of promise of raptors circling upwards and moving along the North Norfolk ridge. I’d already been down to the sea earlier. There were things moving; long lines of Scoter, a few Gannet and Red throated Divers. A lone Sand Martin zipping its way West was the pick of the bunch and my first for the year; but after an hour or so I decided to go home and put a few final touches to the NNNS AGM that was taking place by way of a Zoom meeting in the evening.
There were four White tailed Eagles scattered around Norfolk yesterday. It was likely at least one would work its way over West Runton. When I got Mark’s message I decided to sit for a while at the lounge window and see what would fly over. I’ve seen quite a few White tailed eagles around Norfolk over the years. Two graced the airspace over the garden where I used to live in Northrepps and I’ve even seen one from the north end of Water Lane where I now live in West Runton … but they are always nice to see.
I didn’t have to wait long before a Red Kite circled above and it wasn’t long after it was joined by another, then another and finally a fourth. A Sparrowhawk also joined the throng. It would have been inconceivable 40 years ago to have a group of Red Kites hanging around the Norfolk coast but these days spring wanderings such as this are more or less expected. Still, they are brilliant to see.
What with Ospreys being introduced into coastal North Suffolk, and White-tailed Eagles into West Norfolk the county could turn into raptor central.
One of the Eagles did work it’s way along the ridge pasts Felbrigg and I probably would have picked it up from the window … if I hadn’t been back on the laptop! Even as I post this the following morning there’s another Kite outside my lounge window. Glorious birds.
Letter From Norfolk 