Friday 16th May 2025 - Sand Martins, All Change, Car Boot Sale and Cattle on the Salt Marshes

Still hoping to see sand martins, on Tuesday we walked the opposite way from Trimmingham, towards Cromer.  The storm surge in December 2013 destroyed the sand martin’s nests along this section of the cliffs but last year they were back (they may have returned before this but this was the first year I saw them).  Yes, they are here again this year, although I should add we only spotted four which I presume are two mating pairs.

As for the swifts, due to the weather, we think they may have moved inland.  It’s definitely been all change here in Overstrand weatherwise, with a strong easterly wind which has now swung and is coming down from the north.  Other parts of the county have been enjoying temperatures in the twenties centigrade but we have been lucky if the thermometer has touched fourteen, with the wind chill making it feel even cooler.  I’ve been back wearing my winter jacket, a scarf and at times gloves too.  It feels as though we have taken a step back into winter.  The outlook for the coming week and over the Bank Holiday weekend, doesn’t look to be much improved.  Our youngest son is camping in Dorset this week.  He sent us photos of glorious blue skies and sea.  The strength of the sun resulted in him seeking shade in a pub garden!  Our whole family are due to visit us over the Bank Holiday – I am keeping my fingers crossed the forecast changes and the weather bucks up.  At the moment I am not planning on us being able to have a BBQ.

The cold wind most certainly didn’t put off stall holders coming to the first car boot sale of the season.  There was a good assortment of items and being a bit of a plantaholic, it greatly pleased me to see four plant stalls.  Not just a good turnout of stallholders but plenty of potential buyers too, perusing the items on sale.  We came away with four bags of plants and a jigsaw, the latter for a lady living in a residential home who loves doing jigsaws.

Today’s photo was taken on our visit to the nature reserve at Cley, earlier this month.  You may wonder why, I took a shot of cattle when we went to look at the birds.  I have taken the following from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s website, which explains why grazing is beneficial to the reserve.  ‘At Cley & Salthouse Marshes we work with several local farmers who each turn out around 30 cattle in April. These cattle graze the fresh marshes, removing some of the annual growth and creating a mosaic of different length swards and providing the perfect conditions for waders such as lapwing, redshank and avocet to breed and rear their young.  The dunging from the cattle adds to the ecosystem, attracting in a wide range of insects that, in turn, provide food for birds and their growing chicks. The cattle are moved off the site in October, before it gets too wet.’