Sunday May 27
Bank Holidays are usually a cue for staying indoors, avoiding the masses. We haven't been birding in Norfolk since April, not much time left in this month to remedy that. We saw remarkably little traffic and even fewer people, apart from the Dersingham - Hunstanton nose to tail queue.
Pauline had tipped me off that the Flycatchers were back at Sculthorpe Moor but were being elusive. As soon as Pam entered the car park and stopped the car, a Spotted Flycatcher called from the top of a tree against the side wall of the house nearest the water. It was obviously a favoured perch as it kept returning - always against the light.
There was a big gap in the traffic so Pam took the opportunity to cross the solid yellow lines and dive down an unused side road towards Harpley Cottages, shortly before the Dogotel.
Scanning the fields here is often worth while. The farm owners are either wildlife conscious or have received a grant to plant a wide wild flower belt down the side of most of the fields.
It's good for raptors here too. A Buzzard and a beautiful, very distant, Red Kite to-day's reward.
The House Martins are back at the Cottages, as they are at home. Will they actually use our artificial boxes for nesting this year or, merely as a roosting place for the young before their departure. The latter is what happened last year.
Tree Sparrows and Pied Wagtails ticked off in valley Farm Lane, next stop Abbey Farm. Plenty of Little Owl sitings in the record book, none to be seen by us. A roadside perched Mistle Thrush was a surprise. We saw them regularly in Scotland, fewer and fewer at home.
Miles of mud, it must be Snettisham at low tide ! The chalet park was bustling with children, bicycles, dogs, cars and people. Snettisham.......... was empty. No birders and no birds either. A bit of intensive scoping added Avocet, Dunlin, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Sanderling and a myriad Shelduck. Both Sandwich and Common Terns were returning with sand eels firmly beaked, yet we couldn't see any nesting. They were probably carrying a hopeful bunch of flowers breeding incentive to a female.
We have yet to identify this patch of clear yellow flowers. Gardening necessary for a good photograph but it will have to do for ID.
Sedge Warbler at Holme whilst eating lunch in the NOA car park, two Pochards on the Broadwater, a few Tufted Duck and a hunting Marsh Harrier.
A few Early Marsh Orchids were showing roadside, nothing like as many as a couple of years ago. They have longish grass in that area now and the horses have been allowed to trample the ground.
A quick visit to Brancaster Staithe added the hoped for Little Tern, everything else scared away by bucket and spade wielding families.
Having negotiated Stiffkey, where a coach was creating havoc, we thankfully took the inland road to Cockthorpe, where a Little Owl was perched on poultry house 12A. It refused to look at me......
Home, missing out the entire Cley stretch of coast, for a welcome drink.
A total of 70+ as is becoming the norm, missing out to-day on such as Mute Swan, Kestrel, waders and ducks.
Garden feeders
Nuthatch, Marsh Tit and Siskin are visiting daily. So are many other species, eating us out of house and home. They're very welcome - apart from the Rooks and Jackdaws, which Pam chases away.
Moth Update
Still catching up to 40 every night, the species almost keeping up with the numbers until the last few days. Treble Lines, Silver Y and Heart and Dart are numerous. Poplar Hawk-moths every night, Elephant Hawk-moth becoming daily, Privet , Eyed and Lime every few days.
