Early breakfast then we hit the trail, heading straight out to the sea past the abbey ruins. We had a good look rounnd the sluice bushes but not much to see. As we headed towards the hide someone pointed out out single turnstone on the end of the groyne, and informed us that there was a snow bunting further down the beach, we could see lots of peiople looking at it.
As we headed toward the twitch Helen spotted a shore lark. The snow bunting was very trusting, one photographer was within 3m of the bird. We got really good views. After that we had a look at a distant king eider, but we had to take other peoples word for it.
The coast guard cottages were a welcome break for a coffee. So far the weather had been clear skies, and warm sun. The wind was light, but if you spent too long in the shade it was cold.
We headed off round the heath after dartford warblers but had no luck, the consolation was that Helen M found a fly agaric to photograph with her new camera. There were quite a lot of mushrooms about but a lot of them had seen better days. We paused for lunch on a bench set back off the path and dedicated to Billy and Betty. The pies we bought yesterday were lovely Helen S and I had a Heidi pie which was made from vegetables and squash, and Nik and Helen M had the asparagus and mushroom pien which they gave the thumbs up to. At the north end corner of the heath, we almost trod on a slow worm, which probably die to the cold was not moving while it obliged us by posing from our cameras, Helen H then moved it off the path and in to the undergrowth at the side and in the sun, it moved more then perhaps because of the warmth. From the heath we headed towards Greyfriars. Nik spotted a hare in the field and we saw two green wood peckers on a telegraph pole.
Through Greyfriars and past the abbey ruins we arrived at the Dunwich cafe and chip shop, out intended point for a break before we turned back towards Eels Foot.
After a welcome and very sweet hot chocolate we headed back up up the hill out of Dunwich retracing our tracks back to Mount Pleasant farm where we picked up the bridleway which is a straight line route back to the pub touching on the edges of the Minsmere reserve.
On the way we came across a herd of deer with a stag. Whilst looking at the deer I spotted a little owl on a distant fence post, it sat around as they do for some time before flying off. Further on we spotted a mouse in the undergrowth that did not hang around for long. When we got almost back to the pub when you can see across the fields in land we were treated to vies of 2 barn owls hunting across the fields in the setting sun which was just idyllic.
After relaxing in our rooms and a quick shower it was back into the bar for some more food and beer. What a great way to spend a Saturday.
If you want to know who ate all the pies well the prize goes to Helen S and Nik who topped off the lunchtime pies with Mean Bean pie at the pub for dinner, and Nik believe it not ate half of Helen M’s at lunch time.