Christmas

Sunday December 30

Pam got a smart new bird feeder.......M thought that his five Grey Squirrels would love it. So far, we've only seen a Blackbird feeding from it - 'our' two Greys are sporadic visitors thank goodness. We both enjoy watching the squirrels' antics but not their effect on the feeders! 

Sara's Christmas fruit basket from M and S did not arrive until Thursday the 27th. It looked great and the large grapes are both seedless and sweet.

Friday the 28th's pager report of a Dipper at Ebridge, 2 miles towards North Walsham, sent us out to the car. Bob and friend were peering downstream past the mill as we approached. He immediately came over to point out the bird which was huddled on the muddy bank, its back to us, under a bramble.I took a couple of photos of the nominate race, Black-bellied Dipper from the car and through the rails of the bridge. Well done Bob, a good find.

Awful light. I'll have another go when there are fewer people and more light - if it stays. They often are long stayers if the habitat is suitable. I and S saw it at Briggate Mill yesterday. Not far as the bird flies. It's back at Ebridge this morning on another dull and damp day.

Not Raining !

Saturday December 22

I'm writing this on the 23rd whilst awaiting the allotted time slot for collecting the turkey. Then it will be the traditional present packing, stuffing making and other preparations in order to limit the  time spent standing/walking. How did I manage when there were nine of us for so many years? Fewer years and mobility is the answer.

After a very rainy Friday, yesterday's sun was too tempting to stay indoors. We splashed our way to St Benet's Abbey car park. The lane entrance is both concealed and usually has a deep and extensive puddle. Looks more like a ford than a road. Easily negotiated when familiar, a daunting sight when not. The road as far as the farm was also extremely muddy, adding to our matt finish car. 

Pam parks sideways  in the car park - only one other empty car - so that I can scope the distant marshes, stretching to Thurne. Unfortunately this is where the birds hang out. We've tried, unsuccessfully,  viewing from Thurne where there are no apparent vantage points.

Pam thought that she may have seen a grey blob.........

Eventually, I found four Common Cranes ranging the area in front of the left hand windmill. Turning my mag up to near maximum, I watched what I assumed were two adult pairs, actively feeding over a grassy area, often concealed by reeds and bushes. It's very likely that one could scope for some time and miss them totally. My 300mm lens and heavy cropping produced this as evidence.

About a dozen Whooper Swans were also sometimes visible in the maze of distant dykes.

A few flighty Fieldfare, the king of thrushes I believe, flew restlessly along the hedgerow, seldom allowing a good view, let alone a decent photo.

Stopping to view a movement along the concrete lane in front of us, I looked sideways and saw this

a male Chinese Water Deer. To my surprise, it stayed long enough for both of us to take a few photos. It seemed to be frozen to the spot - apart from a twitching ear. 

Home to watch Man U's first match PM (post Mourinho). We won 1-5 against Cardiff. It was like watching the old Man U. Attacking football, the ball being passed towards the opposition goal instead of sideways and backwards. And Pogba made accurate passes. Long may it last. 
On BT Sport channel too so both M and P could watch.
I later found that P had missed the match, not knowing that it was on BT. I should have checked.

Passing By

Thursday December 20

After another pleasant meeting with friends at Cley Centre, we drove towards Salthouse. Passing the large gated entrance to Babcock Hide, Pam exclaimed and stopped. ''I'll tell you if it's still there'',  was the response to my enquiry. 

Yes it was. A male Stonechat was perched on the gate. 

Not for long. He then proceeded to flit about searching for insects in nearby bramble, moving perch each time.  I managed a few unhampered shots.

 

Time Flies

Monday December 17

Thursday Dec 6

On our way to Cley Centre, we noticed a group of birders looking over the Walsey Hills area. Seeing a friend, we pulled over to ask what they were watching. A bemused look before saying ''Red-rumped Swallow'', present since the previous day. B. pager no signal at home ! (Now remedied, tried Bluetooth instructions again and a day later all was functional). 

I immediately saw it hurtling  at tree height above the pool and woods. Parking at East Bank car park, we had further views of this very fast twisting bird in flight. My photographs are rubbish. I caught the bird but none are in focus. A combination of very poor light, fast flying b and poor photography.

Ludham/Thorne Marshes

From St Benet's car park, whilst I was scoping towards the Thurne Windmills, hoping for Cranes, Pam saw what she suspected to be wild swans sticking their heads up from a dyke in front of the mills. I concentrated my scoping on this area and eventually saw two adult and one juvenile Bewick Swans. It must be a deep dyke, heavily fringed by reeds too.

The cooler weather had encouraged them to come across from the Netherlands.

On the homeward track, we met the P's and were able to give them some hints as to where to look. PW later reported that PC had persevered, seeing a total of 11 birds. 

Sunday December 16

Another Swan hunt. A friend's son had posted photos of snow  in their Netherlands garden.

We eventually located a group of 25+ Whooper Swans on and near a puddle opposite Cook's farm Shop west of Sea Palling on the Stalham road. Good to see so many youngsters amongst them. Much too distant for reasonable photos. Just these iffy ones !

Heavily cropped

 

VERY heavily cropped !

Early December Birding (2)

Sunday December 2

Was it Michael Fish? Pam's forecaster that is. We set off at 7.40 when it was still dark - and raining. The sky started to lighten at about 10.00  and the sun was out as we started the track through the chalets to Snettisham Pits. 

We'd had trouble reaching double figure bird species, the hedges and sky very empty. One Red Kite shortly before Valley Farm was the highlight. Even the farm lane was empty. Barry the gamekeeper appeared for a chat,  largely centred on the lack of Yellowhammers and the rats in his garden. His Jack Russell, Molly, disposes of the latter. Tales of his 12 bore sawn-off shotgun had us making  a hasty farewell.

We heard Tree Sparrows, their distinctive choop call well recognised by now. They were keeping low to-day.

Yes. The tide was at its lowest. We could have walked to Lincolnshire I reckon - in previous years. We did see our first, winter,  male Goldeneye on the far pit but couldn't find the redhead Smew reported yesterday. Viewing the pit into the sun is not good.

A highlight for me was the large flock of Golden Plover gleaming gold in the low sun. They frequently took off - for no apparent reason - before settling again on the same area of mud.

We lunched on Hunstanton cliffs, my drink soon gone so I amused myself trying to photograph the Fulmars enjoying the thermals along the cliff edge. Jack in the Box strikes me as a suitable definition of their appearance and disappearance. It brought back memories of trying to forecast which fruit bat would drop into flight from their tree hanging roost in Thailand.

The tide was rushing in at Thornham. We found ourselves parked very near to JG and SB, also on the muddy area in front of the car park. Pam noticed them of course, I'm hopeless. John came over for a chat, asking about the Smew at Snettisham. They'd walked to the sea at Titchwell which had finished S off as she is recovering from a bad virus infection. He told Pam that the Twite were on the marsh, she set off to look for them - unsuccessfully. No sooner was she back than a mixed flock of Twite and Godfinches bounced along over the sluice pool, landing in the car park puddles. Unfortunately they took off again before I could take any sort of photo. It needs a quieter day than a Sunday and some patience. The puddles are often used by them. 

Our favourite Brancaster Staithe  was bathed in low evening sun - at 1.30 ! This cast a golden tinge to the Little Egret fishing the inrushing water. One of these days I will be truly happy with a shot of these very photogenic birds.

Who can resist Black-tailed Godwit? I can't. 

Slowing down to turn into the Gun Hill layby, Pam saw the P's waiting to cross the road. Their car was in the car park. The marsh was largely devoid of birds,  when there are usually geese flocks. A Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier added to the day list. On the third scan, I found the Barnacle Geese flock. By the time I'd managed to get Pam onto them - and then the P's - they'd virtually disappeared again. There are no real points one can use as markers for directions. One metal gate/ group of pines/dunes/bramble bushes can easily be mistaken for another. At least everyone was successful.

A little early for Stiffkey raptor roost but hey, worth trying. Yes it was. A distantly hunting Barn Owl, nearer to Wells than it was to us. An agonising wait until Pam saw it, as it dropped and was successful, staying on the ground until spooked by a Marsh Harrier. Stopping for an eye rest, I lifted the scope again in time for a superb adult male Hen Harrier to fly through before disappearing out of sight. Fortunately it re-appeared, giving lengthy views flying the full extent of the marsh at dune level. 

Only 50+ species to-day with some delightful experiences.

Early December Birding

Saturday December 1

The North Coast long day out was deferred until to-morrow. My weather forecaster (Pam on her IPad mini) said that to-day's forecast predicted a lot of rain.

We set off in the dry , low cloud cover looked forbidding. The sort of day when one needs better spectacles or someone to turn the lights on. 

Nearing Horsey, the drizzle started and didn't end.

At Waxham, Pam decided to take the road loop around the farm and church, past Shangri-La lane and back to the main road. As we got to the junction, I called a female Hen Harrier quartering the field opposite. With good bin views, we turned towards Sea Palling and chased the bird.  Which flew further and further away..........apparently slowly until I tried to photograph it. My camera and lens now reside in a bag at my feet as I was very aware of how vulnerable it was just casually placed beside my feet. The disadvantage is......not instantly ready for use. Another excuse for less than good photos.

Exhilarated, we turned south again. Pam stopped near Borough Farm to view two Chinese Water Deer at the far end of the field.

Remembering that this used to be, some years ago now, a favourite haunt of Cranes, I binned the field behind the farm through a convenient gap in the hedge. Eureka. Two Common Cranes feeding.

Struggling to adjust the camera's programme for one more suitable to the appalling light and drizzle, I missed the take-off. Two became six. A flight of another four Cranes joined the general exodus. 
Always looking for 'wild' swans at this time of year, we stopped to inspect the geese and swans at the back of the western fields south of Horsey Mill. Not good through drizzle so we drove nearer, Pam parking so that I could use my scope. Twenty plus Mute Swans, a handful of Russian White-fronted Geese and........ about five Taiga Bean Geese. Great.
The sea at Winterton beach was empty apart from a lone Common Seal. Neither did the public loos have any moths.
Hoping for better views, leaving West Somerton, we stopped to view the geese again from a field entrance. Apart from a few Greylag, everything had gone. Such is birding.
A very successful short trip in the rain.
The football match wasn't... Southampton 2 Man U 2. We came back from 2-0 down.

Catch-up

Thursday November 15

Coastguards, Cley, after a moth group session at Cley Centre.

A short and fruitful sea watch produced a group of Common Scoters, a Great Northern Diver, a scattering of Guillemots, fly through Gannets and then, a Short-eared Owl on Blakeney Marsh. We didn't see the reason for our visit, a Black Redstart. Eventually, the wanted group of six Velvet Scoters flew in from the west and splash landed in my scope view. We'd managed to miss these in Scotland this year. 

Friday November 30

Time for a winter geese visit to Buckenham Marshes. The first drainage ditch to the east after leaving the station, (Garganey breeding area),  was full of handsome Wigeon, now in full breeding plumage. A favourite Buckenham winter sight.

A small knot of birders were watching the favourite area for Taiga Bean Geese, the far corner. in front of the distant Cantley Beet Factory, it's chimney producing a horizontal line of grey smoke. As we stopped, a large flock of Pinkfeet leapt into the air before disappearing towards Cantley. Oh dear. Careful scanning found a small group of Taiga Bean Geese huddled in the sedge and rough grass. I wasn't able to enjoy this for long as a car came along, forcing a move to a wider part of the track. 

It's amazing how much a relatively short move here changes the view so drastically. The geese were now out of sight, fifty + Canada Geese the only grazing flock. A very pale and extremely distant Buzzard occupied our attention for some time. Firstly hunched on one of the many gates/fences and then, perched on a raised piece of rough pasture.

Excessively cropped.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls stood out on the main pool in front of the Hide which no-one seems to use. Maybe in a rain storm ? It's pretty useless - except as a shelter. 

In front of the hide

A lone Marsh Harrier and a hovering Kestrel were the only other raptors, we haven't seen a Peregrine here for some time.

Let's Go Birding

Sunday November 11

Why are we out to-day, I asked myself. Heavy, dark grey cloud cover regularly hurling heavy, wind assisted showers at us. 

Deviating from our usual route, to find that there were no Waxwings at Kelling was a disappointment. I was hoping for a better photo opportunity. In this light ?

Pam had planned a visit to Morston as it was high tide. I've never before seen the tide as high. It was Waw factor. The creeks were not only full but overflowing into the car park. Temple's ferry was floating above the landing stages.

Upstream was also an unfamiliar sight. 

Still dark and louring, still raining. Pam had to position the car so that a window could be opened - in turn - which allowed photographs to be taken without drowning lenses and cameras .......... and us.

We'd been worried about Barry, our Valley Farm gamekeeper friend, as we hadn't seen him for months. His garden feeders have looked neglected too. Returning from a less than satisfactory heard only Tree Sparrow addition, he stepped out in front of us, asking after our health before saying '' I told the wife that I hadn't seen them two little old ladies for a good while and I think it's them what went up the road''.
State of health established, he asked about birds seen. Five Red Kites appear regularly over his house and earlier this week one was perched on the barn eating a rabbit. This morning, his wife reckoned that one was so low she could have touched it. 
Other news was that he'd only had a few walnuts off the very large gnarled tree in his hedge. We'd noticed that the normally heavily clustered branches weren't. Hot dry spell ?
Shortly after saying our goodbyes, two Red Kites appeared over a distant hedge.
My weather app had promised sunshine by mid-day. Still raining with a hand numbing wind chill at Snettisham. The tide was receding as rapidly as it comes in here. Many more birds to-day, including smoke-like wraiths of spooked Knot at the tideline. The number of Pintail had doubled. All the expected waders apart from Golden Plover. The Goldeneye have yet to make an appearance on the pits, late this year.
As we left, the sun made an appearance, even more welcome, the rain stopped - for the rest of the day as it turned out.
For the first time in a couple of months, there was room to park on Hunstanton cliffs and a lone Fulmar appeared. It played hide and seek with me for quite a while, appearing unexpectedly and briefly above the shrub edged cliff before dropping again. I managed one reasonably sharp image and discarded many.

Enduring another bumpy, lurching drive out to Holme NOA and back was both unnecessary and frustratingly  unrewarding. 

Brancaster Staithe's tide was fast receding too. Plenty of freshly exposed gloopy mud for the Black-tailed Godwits to probe for food. What a messy boy.

Washing it off - by accident

Less messy now

Gun Hill marsh still had the flock of Barnacle Geese we'd seen a week or so ago, with only a smattering of the winter flocks of Pink-footed Geese often present.
We still hadn't seen the new visitor's centre at the end of Lady Anne's Drive. Taking a risk, we drove down as far as the empty 'mobility impaired' parking spaces to turn. I can't see anyone who hasn't got a wheelchair or buggy being able to get as far as the centre even, let alone the beach. Unless the boardwalk has been improved since our last visit. We passed the parking attendant but he didn't stop us. We used to have a season ticket to park here and at Wells, until the charge became exorbitant and  parking permitted either for Wells or here, not both.
Happy and contented we drove home in time for the Manchester Derby.
Our state of mind changed........ enough said.

After Natural Surroundings

Tuesday November 8

It was cold at Natural Surroundings this morning, it does seem to be a generally cold place. Difficult to understand why as it's in a sheltered valley. Maybe what little warmth the sun has at this time of year doesn't filter through that early.

Nineteen species of moth in November is exceptional - especially as a bird had been in the trap, the bottom was littered with moth parts.  The Skinner trap's opening is protected by wire mesh but the holes look nesting box sized to me. Two lovely Sprawlers were the highlight for me, we never trap them at home.
After coffee, a quick visit to Morston brought.........nothing. Not even Redshank, usually present in numbers.
On to Blakeney Harbour

Having recently read David B's Blog where he wrote of the number of bird species he'd photographed, I remembered my vow to photograph common birds.

I have photographed these before but either not in this plumage

or not very well. I find Jackdaws and Wagtails difficult as they are easily disturbed and/or constantly on the move.

Thursday November 10 

Still plenty of Large Wainscots on Cley Marsh. 

After moth-ing, we were meeting Pauline for coffee . Part of our group departed early to go and see the Waxwings at Kelling, opposite the tearoom. As it's on our way home, we called in later. We saw four birds perched at the top of a tall tree and at the back to boot. No chance of a clear picture. 

One of them flew back to a heavily berried tree in someone's garden, stopping long enough to grab a berry before leaving. 

Always delighted to see such beautiful and iconic birds.

YES

Sunday November 4

Not raining, out by 7.30 a.m. and Man U and Wales won yesterday. Wales with rather more style than Man U.

The hedgerows were quite busy this morning, we'd added 20 species before reaching Sculthorpe Mill. I missed the Tawny Owls calling from the wood at the bottom of the garden at home as I wasn't wearing my aids. November is the hot month for territorial usurping of the year's young and re-establishing territory. I should hear them again.

We haven't seen the Grey Wagtails at the Mill for a few months, they usually hang around in the winter. Not this year. 

Winter Thrushes, mainly Fieldfare with a few Redwings, are still arriving and moving inland, one Mistle Thrush to-day plus a number of wildly skittering Blackbirds.

Maybe, if we'd consulted the tide timetable, we'd have given Snettisham a miss. Or maybe not ! The water was at its utmost nadir during a high tide period. I had to work hard to find any waders scattered on the miles of mud, Lincolnshire within reach. Again, no Knot flocks, where have they gone. Forty Golden Plovers and a large group of 40+ Pintail were the highlights. The latter showing very few males in proportion to the females, their white markings gleaming brightly in the dull light.

Our time at Thornham, was productive. A large flock of Linnets was accompanied by half a dozen Twite - which conveniently peeled off before landing. Our first Marsh Harriers of the day, a single Spoonbill out on the marsh - we'd missed one at Snettisham. Another birder said that one had flown low over the pits whilst we were scanning for waders. One Grey Plover and a few Curlew and Skylarks.

No Moths on the walls of Titchwell toilets.....rumour hath it that the lights are turned off at night these days. Spoil sports.

Brancaster Staithe, always a favourite, added Ringed Plover. Black-tailed Godwits sewing-machined the mud in the approach creek, retaining some of their summer plumage and quite a few leg ornaments.

A get out of my way squawk

Little Egrets are very photogenic and irresistible to me. I hadn't been able to take any photos to-day due to distance and poor light. It still wasn't good but, the subjects were larger.

Very suddenly the rescue boat in front of me swung sharply, at a right angle, on its anchor chain, until its bows were downstream, before rushing upstream backwards to the limit of its chain. All in a few seconds. The tide had turned. We've never seen such a dramatic inrush here before.The mussell bags and the mud islands were covered in no time. It was tempting to stay and watch, the current was actually visible as a narrow stream in the middle of the creek. We forced ourselves away.

A quick look at Holkham freshmarsh from the Gun Hill layby found a surprise flock of at least 30 Barnacle Geese. Such handsome birds and the first we've seen here.
Another look from the A149 gateway - mainly so that Pam could see her beloved Belted Galloway Cattle. I love them too. A pair of Egyptian Geese and a Grey Heron photo-bombed the scene.

Mid afternoon in fading light. The hoped-for 7 Waxwings at Kelling tea-rooms had been 'flushed', according to the pager, and hadn't returned. No hurry to get there then. Pam suggested Stiffkey Marsh. Unfortunately, many others had had the same idea, we had to shoehorn in at the eastern end of the parking area, views to our left hampered by mainly empty cars.

The first bird I scoped was a female Hen Harrier. Brilliant. She was followed by three Marsh Harriers and a lull. We left so that we could drive home in reasonable light, happy and contented with our day. I'm planning the next one.........

In Addition

A gunmetal grey, obviously military, vessel moored off Stiffkey was reported to be HMS Tyne, a British waters fishery protection vessel. One of two remaining ships. She had been partially decommissioned before Brexit forced a change of plan. Back in action, her latest job was ''escorting'' a Russian frigate through the English Channel.

Round-up

Wednesday October 31

The news about a King Eider off Sheringham didn't come through until mid afternoon when I saw a photo on Facebook. Still no messages on my pager at home.

Disgruntled, we drove to Ludham/Thurne Marshes. Scoping the far distant area around the two windmills and the river, I found ten Common Cranes in total. They kept me busy for a while as I was having to peer through several banks of phragmites and dodge a herd of nomadic black cows. I didn't know where they were going and they didn't seem to either. Finally, the Cranes flew a short distance at reed height and the number was confirmed.

Late afternoon, the groups of flying to roost Cormorants started coming over. Small groups whilst we were there but we've seen flights of 50+ .

A couple of Egyptian Geese not yet in full plumage were the only other birds seen.

Thursday November 1 

Such a dreadful dark and rainy morning, we didn't even take our bins up to Cley Centre and moth-ing. We'd also forgotten that it was the 1st and paid little attention to the birds outside the window,

Part of the way through coffee and after Pauline arrived, most of the group disappeared to see the King Eider, reported off the sea watching shelter in Sheringham again.

At the end of our pleasurable chat, we drove to Sheringham west car park, parked at the boating pool and walked to a bench. PL gave us the general direction in which the bird had last been seen, I began scoping. The eclipse drake King Eider appeared at 12 o'clock from us, showing very well on a flat calm sea. The many flags marking crab and lobster pots here don't help. 

Friday November 2

Would the Cranes be there again? No. But there was a mobile and very flighty flock of 500+ Fieldfare. 

Lovely to watch as they decorated the trees before flying on to others, some feeding on the ground, others drinking at puddles in the darkest part of the track. Very wary birds but, we were patient and a few eventually returned for some less than good shots.