Monday 2nd June and I headed north to the Norfolk coast, hoping that the area was relatively free of holiday-makers.

First stop, as usual was Hunstanton cliffs where a westerly breeze was pushing the Fulmars above the cliffs. One of my favourite birds and I could not resist a few more shots.

My usual next stop would have been Thornham harbour but it was just an hour before high tide and the tide levels were too high for anything meaningful so I moved on to Titchwell RSPB. Over the past couple of years, Titchwell has never failed to disappoint and this visit was no exception. The best hide for photography is Island Hide and, again, the water levels on this part of the freshmarsh were too high - in fact lapping up to the front of the hide so the only birds on show were Avocets and Black-headed Gulls, virtually to the exclusion of anything else. Usual story.

However, a Chinese Water Deer was grazing on one of the islands so worth a shot although distant.

I walked up to the beach but the tide was too high for any birds to show. On the way back, a Common Tern was fishing in the brackish marsh and right next to the path.

Moving on, Burham Overy Staithe was awash with visitors as the sun came out - nothing of interest so back to Brancaster Staithe where the tide was ebbing so I stayed for a while. First up was a fishing Sandwich Tern,

and, for a short time, a Little Tern although rather distant.

So this ended up being a Tern day but I called in at Thornham harbour on the way home with a Little Egret showing well.

So a reasonable day after all but I still fail to understand the thinking behind the high water levels on the Titchwell freshmarsh. The mud used to be magnet for waders but not now. I may still visit in a couple of months time when the wader season begins but I have no confidence that the situation will change as it has been the same for a couple of years at least.

On my recent visits to the area, Brancaster Staithe harbour has been the star as it was on this day.