Round Norfolk Walk Day 13 - Wayford Bridge to Acle

Distance: 20.6 miles
Ascent: 20m
Weather: cloudy start, warm and sunny
Solid looking grey bird that we decided was a cuckoo
Little grebe
Bearded tit?? No :(

We were away before 9am, it is cooler today, cloudy with blue sky in the east.
Looking at the map, today promised to be more interesting with quite a few points of interest, but we had to get there first.

There was road, and then road. A dilapidated windmill and a tree tunnel through a hedge full of spiders' webs that was quite horrible, then some road. The biggest, pinkest thatched cottage I've ever seen, then some more road. We walked by the entrance to the nature reserve but there are no paths through it so we didn't go in and we saw the edge of Hickling Broad. From the road I saw brief glimpses of a kestrel, a buzzard, a squirrel, a small mammal scurrying across the road and a flat bunny that hadn't scurried fast enough.

After nearly 8 miles, we came on to a lane that was at least signed as a no through road so there was less traffic to worry about and I started to relax.  Nearly got squished by a tractor.

Very soon after we were on to the nature reserve,  welcomed enthusiastically by Mr Squirrel.

There were some creamy yellow and black big butterflies that were possibly swallowtails (tbc). Lots of sedge warblers, reed buntings, a cuckoo, great crested grebe and a goosander. Tufty ducks, avocets, a grey heron, little egrets and a sparrowhawk with its dinner.

We got caught up in some birding excitement, while watching a crow on a post being flapped at ineffectually by an avocet,  a very enthusiastic lady (who was talking rapidly on the phone) asked us if we were looking for the black winged stilts. We hadn't been,  but we were now. I didn't even know there were birds called stilts. They are rare and we've seen them.
We also saw a crane.

The Thurne Riverside is a strange rivery suburb with chalets, huts and a pretend windmill,  where people paint fences and sit and read the paper.

Higham Bridge is an old medieval stone bridge, still used by normal traffic,  bunches boatyard, where we had lunch and an ice cream,  watching the swans, greylag and Egyptian geese and ducks.

There were lots of boats going up and down the river of various shapes and sizes, from tiny dayboats to bigger yachts driven by a groups of loud, can swilling gents.

The sailing boats in sail glided quietly and elegantly by, compared to the chugging of the engines, however it probably takes more skill. We ended our day in Acle,  trying to cross a busy roundabout at rush hour,  then went for a fantastic tapas dinner.