Shore Larks and Snow Buntings brings festive cheer

On Sunday 21st December, the shortest day, a grey and murky start meant I wasn't out until mid- morning where I drove to Kessingland (my destination Kessingland North Beach) by the Cottages parked up and walked past Heathlands and checking Heathlands copse, I heard a Lapwing call, first I spotted a lone individual which was soon joined by a further 9 and then 10 flew south- eastwards. There was no route through to the Hollies safer steps so I risked the Heathlands steps, a couple of steps were out near the bottom, but they could be safely navigated with care. My trusty wellies meant I could make a beeline straight for the beach traversing the myriad pools, with typically a foot depth of water. I saw a birder intently staring at something, it proved to be the quartet of Shore Larks feeding intently 20 metres in front of us. I respected their distance and managed a few pics albeit in very poor light. The birder stated that he had seen 40 Snow Buntings were to the north and a further 30 to the south. He departed, no sooner had he done so then a magical flock or a flutter of c40 Snow Bunting flew around in a circle, where I was, with the lovely twinkling calls before they flew south. Always a wondrous sound conjuring up the very essence of Christmas! I watched the Shore Larks for a further 10 minutes before they flew north. I decided to amble south to see if I could relocate the Snow Buntings, I couldn't sadly, but I did see 2 very low flying Brent Geese over the beach and they carried on flying south, perhaps Benacre bound. The marshy pool failed to reveal anything other than 3 Magpie and 3 Blackbirds.