Enforced Hiatus

Saturday January 19

A respiratory infection has hindered the usual January list additions. We've still managed the odd one from the car such as Greenshank at Morston and Reed Bunting along Beach Road at Cley. 

We'd planned a visit to Welney or Snettisham yesterday but common sense won. I'm not noted for that where birds are concerned. Instead, we made a leisurely start, beginning with a look for the Cranes in the Clippesby/Thurne area. A parked car in a muddy lay-by attracted the eye to three adult Common Cranes at the edge of a maize stand. 

 One disappeared into the stalks, two set off, striding purposefully east. Where were they going?

A parked tractor partly obscured our view of more Cranes in the next field. Turning the car, we parked in the next field entrance where we had this view.

When the two walking Cranes joined th group, we counted a maximum of 13 in sight at one time. There may have been more. Not our record number but great to see. Such beautiful birds.

Cropped even more and with a 1.4 converter on my 300mm lens.

 We spent the rest of our time out at Buckenham, adding photographs of any 'new' birds to our 2019 folder. That's a new listing aim. I set the tentative target as 100 different species having no idea what was possible. I've already got 40 in my folder adding Wood Pigeon, Canada Goose, Teal and a truly awful Barnacle Goose. I look forward to adding Blue Tit, Great Tit and Robin !!
The hoped for White-fronted Geese were not present. A small flock of Pink-feet, rather more of the butch Canada Geese and a few Barnacles gave me plenty to scan. A couple of Ruff, handsome whistling Wigeon, Lapwing, Rooks, Starlings and at least three Chinese Water Deer on the marsh. Two Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Marsh Harrier completed the picture.