Overcast, mild, wind whipped up as the day progressed. From 11:50am.
From the car-park & the snazzy visitors' centre:
Woodpigeon, Lapwing, Starling, Marsh Harrier.
Into the first set of three hides in the middle of the reserve: Coot, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Black-Tailed Godwit close to the hide for good views; good numbers of Shelduck & Dunlin; Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Ringed Plover, Gadwall, Teal; a single Green Sandpiper on the far-side of the scrape, it flew away towards to road; Ruff, Snipe, Avocet, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Moorhen, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Shoveler, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Curlew.
Heading back to the car-park an adult Little Grebe with a youngster in the reeds of the creek that runs along the path, as was a water vole a few metres.
On entering the car-park a distinctive falcon sped along behind the visitors' centre, 'another' Hobby (surely not from Wells?!) which spooked the lapwing in the field next to the centre. Most people in the car-park were understandably looking out onto the reserve rather than looking over the visitors' centre but one other birder spotted what I had seen & watched the hobby swiftly fly out over the reserve spooking more other birds as it went.
After a car-park pitstop heading out onto the East Bank: Egyptian Goose, Redshank.
Finally reaching the single beach: Sandwich Tern, Common Tern flying along the shore & overhead.
From the hide at the far end of the reserve adjacent to the beach: Linnet, Wigeon, Golden Plover.
Returning along the shore & a quick look out to sea: Gannet, my first in Norfolk; Great Black-Backed Gull.
I also visited the remaining hide on the reserve for some close-up views of dunlin but otherwise nothing addition.
Finally, leaving the car-park: Kestrel.
A reasonably successful first visit to one of Norfolk's birding Meccas though such is its reputation I expected to see a couple of new species without trying! I'll be back, I even joined the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
40 species, none new.
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