Another Year Begins

Monday January 1 2018

I still have the child-like awe, excitement and admiration of fireworks. Staying up for the London midnight display is obligatory. All based on and around the Eye now - I used to love the little tug boats chugging arouind the Thames emitting sparks and showers of coloured rain. They did add a lot of smoke though.

Dad always brought a box of fireworks home from the October Brass Band competition at the Albert Hall. Ystradgynlais Silver Band were in the top division with Black Dyke Mills, Foden Motors, Manchester CWS etc. Our best players were regularly poached for other bands via the offer of non coal mining jobs with more pay.

So........ we didn't set off in the morning until after 8 a.m., the sun was well up. Different from other years when we have breakfasted in west Norfolk field gateways, in the dark, waiting for a bird to be heard or seen. It turned out to be a good weather, non SAD day until the afternoon. Avoiding all the New Year's Day coastal crowds does not bump up the list. 68 from the car to-day, including two Red Kite sightings, 

Tree Sparrows, Grey Partridge and a perched Buzzard in a roadside tree. 

Just as many Starlings amongst the pigs as before, a nearer feeder this time, almost too close for my long lens from the car window.

 

Thoroughly enjoyable and soul lightening - especially Snettisham of course.

A flock of 600+ Golden Plovers a burnished ribbon of birds gleaming in the sunlight. So handsome Pintails, newly plumaged white parts lighting the way. A few Goldeneye, Redshank, Grey Plover, Curlew, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit, dumpy Red Knot busily feeding at the tide's edge, Dunlin scurrying busily amongst the flocks. Lovely.

A very slow Hunstanton approach, horrendous traffic, the cliff top road chokka with parked cars, walking revellers, dogs and children. Nowhere to stop and, we didn't want to anyway. I managed to see a couple of Fulmars gliding lazily along the cliff edge, looking as though they were crowd watching. Pam missed them as she was actually watching the road ! I then missed the Ruff she saw flying away when we stopped on the Holme approach 'road' (horrible track, gets worse by the week). 

On the return journey whilst I was scoping in hope of the Ruff, a Barn Owl flew through. Distant and flying very fast left, Pam managed to pick it up from my hurried description just before it dived headlong into a bush, when a Marsh Harrier shot out from the undergrowth .Having negotiated the Snettisham chalet park potholes there and back this track is the final straw. Adding appalling road humps to the deep potholes and aching bones really shakes us up. Not to mention the road to Morston car park where we ended. Pam loves it there even though it was virtually dark. As it was at Stiffkey Fen, where we spent half an hour in the gloom, scanning for raptors. Marsh Harriers were the only reward. Birders returning from the East Hills end reported a male Hen Harrier and a Merlin. Not from where we were looking. I did find two perched Marshies, one in the dunes and another on a stunted tree near the beach.

Cley Beach was very optimistic decision. The sun was setting hehind the Mill, Blakeney marsh a dark expanse. I photographed a boat against the sky which pleased me, until I have somehow managed to make both unopenable by Windows. Another computer mystery doing the same actions as always and the outcome so inexplicable. 

Home in time for the Man U match away at Southampton. A dreary first half with Pam shouting her frustration at her latest target - Martial. The second half was much better football with guess who... Martial .......scoring a good first goal followed by another cracker from the ever exuberant and cheerful Jesse LIngard. Phew.