Yesterday we had a day away from The Point, doing pretty much what we usually do, but in slightly different surroundings.
Here we are, looking none too pleased to be leaving our home for the day.
The purpose of our 'end-of-season jolly', alongside our dedicated volunteer Little Tern warden Al Davies, was to take a look at the collection of stuffed birds down the road at our fellow National Trust property Blickling Hall. These birds were originally part of the information display in the Lifeboat House at Blakeney Point, and were suspected to have been obtained here 100 odd years ago. As they are currently mouldering in a dark store shed at Blickling we are considering returning them to The Point, where they can at least be viewed by the public. Stuffed birds aren't to everyone's taste for obvious reasons, birds are much better admired alive than dead, but they are a poignant reminder of how birding and conservation has progressed. The Point first rose to fame as a birding hotspot after rarity hunters procured specimens of rare birds here with the aid of their shotguns, but following advances in optical equipment, fieldcraft and morals, avian visitors are thankfully now recorded and allowed to continue their journeys un-harmed.
One of the stuffed birds, a drake Goldeneye, looking rather surpised.
A label on the bottom of one of the displays. We'll be using the information available to try and find the history of these stuffed birds.
After Blickling, we journeyed a short while inland to a well known Norfolk public house and brewery, partly for lunch, and partly to pay homage to an establishment whose wares have been sampled conclusively this season.
Eddie finds his Shangri-la.
After lunch we went for a walk around the nearby Bure Marshes, where the best bird seen was this Crane.
What a great post! Combining love of birds with beer & food made for an extremely well-deserved day out. Next time maybe visit Horsey windpump, you can see proper cranes from the top!
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