New Year's Day Birding

On January 1st 2022, first stop was Carlton Marshes where I saw Chris M and he asked did I know about the GND by the Wherry at OB, I hadn't checked the phone and decided to drive straight there. I parked by the side road just north of the Commodore PH and walked over to the Wherry, immediately I saw the fantastic Great Northern Diver, fairly close but back on swimming towards the pleasure cruiser, I was hopeful of some good shots! Sadly, the Diver dived and then appeared by the water close in to the Ferry edge, I couldn't move until it dived which it soon did but it now resurfaced swimming further out. At this point Chris and Alison drove up and I put them onto the bird. The bird resurfaced by the farside by the builders yard, where I managed a distant shot, but not really the one I was hoping for! The bird was then swimming further west and towards the Maltings. At this point I walked over to Mutford Lock, where a newly arrived Dick W and I saw a very close 1st winter Shag seen, but always dived before I could get my camera onto it, it swam our side of the jetty and then in the chanel really close where the boats go through. Next stop was Leathes Ham, behind the Tennis courts initially no sign of the Sibe Chiff- Chaffs, until Dick played a recording of a Tristis Chiff- Chaff and immediately first one and then the second Siberian Chiff- Chaffs appeared from the reeds over to the right, they then were seen feeding in the bushes fairly high up but were always obscured by twigs and branches but showed well through the bins. I Whats App'd the news so that Alison and Chris who were further down the track were able to get onto the birds too. Next stop I drove to Filby Broad, where an almost full car park, meant I walked down to the end to view Ormesby Little Broad, the platform was packed but I viewed a little further back along the wooden boardwalk approaching the platform and viewed the fine Red- necked Grebe, over to the extereme far left where it kept swimming in and out of the far reeds, shame I couldn't get a pic with the sheer numbers of people but I didn't fancy crowding in with everybody with the chance of catching Covid. I soon walked back and the Alders were quiet but I did see 22 Goldeneye (7 males) over at Filby broad. I drove over to Martham and from Cess road at the end, I parked up by the boatyard paying the obligatory Norfolk Toll (why do charge for parking everywhere in Norfolk, at least it was only 50p!) In the field to the west around 22 fine Curlew seen, plus a female Marsh Harrier flew over Martham broad, initially no sign of the Cattle Egrets but I bumped into Phil H who said check the field with Cattle in (obviously! Problem was I didn't know where the field was But Phil kindly showed me and we saw 4 fine Cattle Egrets, 1 perched on a grassy hump and the others walking around the area where the Cattle where feeding on invertebrates disturbed by them and as I walked back I was bitterly disappointed to here, whilst we were watching the Egrets, a fine Male Hen Harrier had flown west in the field behind us, gutting, and sad to end on a dip but overall an excellent day.