Norfolk royalty - King Eider

It's a long drive to Norfolk.  A long way to the North Norfolk coast from here.  It took a massive three and a half hours and with daylight now a precious commodity, time was at a premium.

The first stop, Sheringham, for the eclipse drake King Eider seen distantly, drifting slowly west, on a calm sea.  Sheringham is a lovely place.

Then onto Salthouse, where the 'eastern' Stonechat of Eastern Russian descent was seen, again distantly, extremely twitchy, flighty, and at times atypically elusive.

The constrasting pale underparts and dark under-wing coverts were fortuitously captured, the possibility of Saxicola stejnegeri.

A quick trip to the Coastguards at Cley produced a single Little Auk flying west but the sea was generally quiet.  I headed back to Salthouse.

The sun was brilliant, the south-west breeze keen, the expanse of a blue Norfolk sky stretched out over the sea, folding back onto the horizon.  It is a fabulous place.  Laying on the beach, looking out to sea, where two more Little Auk flew through along with a couple of Red-throated Diver and Razorbill.

It was nice being still, listening to the breeze whip off the pebbles, lying prostrate, staring into the oblivious sky.

A Purple Sandpiper was a surprise on a small pool beyond the road.

A couple of Turnstone flew energetically along the rocky shoreline.

The late show involved an extremely late Swift, appearing to be a Pallid Swift.  It did look dark, but the light was beginning to fade, as was I.

A Merlin dashed low over the marsh.