Ospreys and Shore Larks!

After a series of dips it was good to see some birds today starting off at Thorpeness Meare where typically as I arrived the Osprey I had come to see had been flushed off its tree by boaters on Meare and it had flown off! But it came around again and I joined Paul & Jane F and others here and hunted over the Meare really low right in front of us, frequently flapping and 'hovering' performing beautifully, the only problem was the light was really hideous and it was near silhouette shots only. I dialled in a plus 1 and a quarter exposure setting rating but could have pushed it to over +2 really. The bird then settled on. large bare branched tree on the island at the back. It was disturbed once again when rowers approached it and it flew out the back. It flew back from hunting/ fishing at the back and perched up again feeding on fish. As we watched I haerd the wonderful distintive call of an Osprey close by (the first time I have heard this call in England!) and looked up and saw a wonderful second Osprey flying in from the right (north) I called it immediately and everyone was pleased to see the 2 Ospreys. They both then flew up and flew round island and the back and were both seen gaining hide and going south? Were they leaving, but it was our queue to leave and I followed Paul & Jane F to Kessingland where we parked up and after a short walk we were on the Kessingland Dunes/ beach opposite the southern most carvan by the caravan park. We could see at least 3 birders/ photographers (including Gavin) and we slowly crawled up and joined them to view the fine quartet of 4 Shore Larks busy feeding. They were reasonably confiding but they became even more so when a local lady made a bee-line for them and fortuitously for me pushed them in my direction where I managed a few shots. Otherwise, they held a respectful distance until again a dog walker heading for the beach pushed one even closer to us where I got a shot of the bird stretching its neck up. Otherwise the protective cordon of birders/ photographers kept the dog walkers away and most had their dogs on leads, great to see such responsible behaviour from both the dog walkers and birders/ photographers waiting for the birds to come to them whichj they did with a little patience. Around 8 Linnet also seen that flew north. Good to see Steve A. too and I even managed a brief chat with him as I drove through the beach village.