Monday 12 June 2017

Round Norfolk Walk Day 9 - Burnham Market to Cley Next The Sea

Distance: 20 miles
Ascent: 100m
Weather: sunny
Jellyfish trodden on: 1
Squirrel, green dragonfly, bunnies, hares
Fish, skylarks, marsh harriers, cormorant, redshank, ringed plover and babies, tern (little or sandwich?) Lesser black-backed gull, common gull, shelduck, avocet, sparrowhawk, kestrel,  buzzard, lots of pigeons, yellowhammer
Contests:
Egret vs plover (plover won)
Sparrow vs pied wagtail (sparrow won on points)

Crows vs buzzard (match drawn)

We walked along the sea barrier until we reached the sand dunes at Holkham Bay. The path goes through the dunes but the tide was starting to go out so we were able to walk along the beach. At Burrow Gap we turned inland slightly,  into pine woods, crunchy underfoot with pinecones.

The beach cafe provided coffee and rocky road (very late) elevenses, and tables for a welcome sit down. Lunch was soon after in Wells Next The Sea at the harbour, we found a free bench near to the tugboat yard. I got looked at by a herring gull but thankfully there was no repeat of the Llandudno mugging incident. Lots of people were sitting on the harbour wall crabbing, including a little girl who was very excited to have caught one and also bemused about what to do with it now.

Then we were back out on the sea defences and marshes with the birds, and the occasional tooting of the miniature railway. There were clear views over the marshes of Blakeney Island far off in the distance, with little boats dotted about here and there in the channels.

Cley Next The Sea's windmill guides you in along the river Glaven,  passing fields of  bunnies and a place called Cow Hole. There was a debate about how many buzzards we could see, and a sign about bearded reedlings, I'm hoping to see one of these.

We are staying at The George and our room is on the second floor, which is probably the highest we've been for days.

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