It is ABC Wednesday and C is for Cley Next The Sea - I am having trouble with blogger - so I am hoping that my pictures have uploaded in the right place - I have put a caption under each one just in case - I hope this works ! A 4 day winter break - fantastic - we managed to squeese in a few days away to Norfolk - allbeit we had to be back for Saturday because the boys were sleeping over (grandsons) We started out late (4pm) due to family commitments - it was raining and the M6 was heaving - but still we made quite good time - arriving pretty much on schedule - the Sat Nav took us to within range and then went haywire - so we asked at the local pub and all was saved. The holiday cottage was in a little village called Holme Next The Sea - the cottage was superb! Norfolk is amazing - the white beaches stretch to the horizon and the peace and tranquility is broken only by the cry of the birds. On day one we started out walking at 10amand returned at dusk approx 4.30pm - A barn owl was out hunting on the Holme Nature Reserve as we passed through - what an elegant bird - no pic - couldn't get it - but hoped to get it later in the week - but unfortunately we never saw the bird again - we passed a group of birders with their scopes focussed on the far distance - so out with our bins - to no avail - but we were offered a viewing through the scope and there was this gracefuk bird - a Short Eared Owl from Scandinavia - I have included a pic of the bird out of my book - on the blog - somewhere where ever Blogger has placed it !!! We followed the trail down onto the beach- so many shells and pebbles - the Holme Nature Reserve - has its own observatory for monitoring migrants has they arrive and depart and has an extensive ringing programme Oh yes must mention Leek and Potato Soup at the Lifeboat Inn at Thornham - I must search out a recipe for this when I get homw - delicious! Day 2 - and a visit to Cley - miles of salt lagoons - reeds and hundreds of birds - Brent Geese - lapwings - golden plovers and curlew to name but a few. Thw wind was cold but the rain kept away and blue skies fought dark grey clouds to make an entrance. The RSPB observatory is set back on the hillside overlooking the reserve and choice viewing can be had on life on the lagooms with a pair of binoculars or use of the RSPB scopes. We stayed until late afternoon and then drove back through Wells on Sea - a magical place for me - the light changes very quickly - changing the whole dimension of a camera shot Final day - a brilliant blue sky - but an icy cold wind - so away we went across the dunes towards Thornham - lunch at the Orange Tree - look at the Specials Board - is this the next foodie gimmick Bluey was carrying her own packed lunch of doggie biscuits! Next move onto RSPB Titchwell Marsh - a brisk walk around the reserve - birds seen - Herons - Redshanks - Curlew - Brent Geese - Oystercatchers - and more - the reserve stretches all the way down to the dunes and mud flats stretch for as far as the eye can see - there is always something special to see - I am hoping to link up with ABC Wednesday and Nature Notes - why not pop over to these sites

Setting out to walk the pathways of Cley

Look at this elegant little bird = lots of them here in Cley = but more scarce in the Midlands where we live.

Wells on Sea - the light here changes in a moment

The sky changed from pink to mauve as we atched the sun set - magical

This was the canine menu in the local restaurant - definitely a foodie gimmick

Titchwell

This was the bureau in Chapel Cottage- I just could not wait to turn the leaves of those books!

The beach at Holme - just look at those white sands

This is a picture out of my book - Short Eared Owl

Shells on the beach at Holme - I love the delicate colours

Each grain of sand could tell a story I am sure1

Geese at Cley - the noise was unbelievable