Rough-legged Buzzard+Whooper+Golden Pheasant

Brian missed out last week on a big trip because of work, so he phones us early to meet early in the morning.
We decide to head to Norfolk as the weather looks to be better in that area, also we will see much more there.
As we drive up the A10 at almost the same place as we saw our first bird of the year that was a Barn Owl,

The said Barn Owl

we see a nice Barn Owl sitting on a post at the side of the road, a quick spin round of the car to get a better look at it.
A good start to the day gets better when we see  loads of Swans in a field, at Hale Fen a quick scan reveals them to be Whooper Swans 30 or more are seen, that's another year tick for all of us.I must say  it is a big highlight for me to see these Swans.
Off now to the triangle & we get lucky straight away & see 2 male Golden Pheasant, what a nice looking & colourful bird, well worth the effort to see them.
At Holme now a walk along the beach looking for the Shore Larks, but we are out of luck today, a flock of twenty Linnets fly past us, a few of the birders think they are Twite,so a bit of a debate there.
Not to worry as we soon see 5 Twite on a small island in the pool in front of us, no debate this time.
There are Skylark all over the place, that's another 2 year ticks so going well today.
As I stand up on a high mound of sand a beautiful Peregrine flies very slow at eye level & gives a really good display.
As we head off to the car a Short-eared Owl is flushed up by some golfers, it circles round for a while then drops out of sight, it never came up again while we are looking.
Next up Tichwell, a nice cuppa & a sausage roll to warm us all up before we set off on the search for more birds.

At the feeders lots of Bramling flying on &off the feeders, also Greenfinch, Chaffinch,on the ground we see 2 Water rail heading back to the ditch.
Down the path towards the beach now, we just start to walk when a bittern flies up in front of us, I think this is the best view in flight that I have had.

On the beach  scanning the sea a pair of Eider Duck swim past, a pair of Red-breasted Merganser look good through the scope. the shore is full of Gulls.
Then the Long-tailed Duck shows.Brian then picks out a Black-throated Diver, another tick for the year.                                                                      

Spotted Redshank

                                                                                    On the walk back a quick scan over the water & we see Knot, Ruff, upto 5 Snipe, Avocet, a single Spotted Redshank ,very close in so photo taken.

Down to Salthouse beach for the Snow Bunting.
As soon as we get there they are on the grass hill in front of us, about 10 or more.
Starting to get really cold now, so a quick cup of tea from the small van on the beach, as we drink a group of Turnstone are feeding down by our feet.

 today's Snow Bunting

Turnstone                

                                 Last port of call Burnham Overy as we always look here for a Rough-legged Buzzard when we are up this way, some times we see one sometimes not, but today we get lucky as Brian calls out for us to see the best view of a Rough-legged that we have had up to now, it stays around for a good 10 minutes.A really good end to a very good day.
12 hours out in the open air watching birds with the boys, 7 year ticks for the day.