Scotland Blog

No more posts on this Blog until after May 26 when we return from Scotland.

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https://highlandsandislands2019.blogspot.com

Another Itch Scratched

Sunday April 21

After a hectic day of pre holiday tasks - especially for Pam - the frequent pager reports of Ring Ouzel arrivals were frustrating. The 3.30 report of eight birds at the top of Cross Street Salthouse was too much  to resist. Off we went.

Despite driving from Sheringham to Salthouse duckpond behind a constantly braking, white line crossing and very slow driver we made reasonable time. The driver (male) also indicated left at the duckpond and then after virtually stopping, spotted the ice-cream van and indicated right and moved - simultaneously -  to park near the van. 

Our instructions were to turn right at the T junction at the top of Cross Street to view the field next to the horse paddock. Wrong. We turned and went left to find three cars, including warden George, taking up the parking pull off. Pam stopped in the road to view four Ring Ouzels down in the field. Lovely. 

We then drove until we reached a turning space, returning to find that George had left and another driver was leaving. That left just Pam and I seeing 7 Ring Ouzels at any one time - untl another car's arrival. It was Mike. Good to see him.

Straight home for a latish supper and an attempt to both follow and understand what is going on in Line of Duty. I failed !!

A totally dismal and very depressing performance by Man U to-day - 0-4 to Everton - relegated to the back of my mind by the great birds. We'll probably see Ouzels in Scotland but I like to see them here first.

Migrant Fret

Saturday April 20

Only four days before we leave for Scotland. So many jobs to do at home - and my pager is red hot with news of migrants along the north Norfolk coast. Trying to be dispassionate....mostly failing .....I tell myself that most of them will be possible in Scotland or when we come home. 

After a morning when I planted eleven tomato plants in the lean-to greenhouse and Pam did umpteen other jobs, she suggested that we visit Buckenham Marsh.  

Police  on duty at the junction where we join the Acle Straight heralded an earlier accident leading to a huge tailback. It did not affect us fortunately.

Strumpshaw car park was full, including the field overflow. It's a popular reserve and it is Bank Holiday weekend. The wood the other side of the level crossing was very quiet, one Blackcap treated us to a short song and a Wren shouted from the undergrowth. Stopping at the next station to get my scope ready, I found a very distant Peregrine perched on one of the gates. One of the Cantley birds? Needing this photo for my folder, I had a few shots. This one is mightily cropped but places the bird.

This one is ridiculously cropped. 

I spent ten minutes scanning the dyke where the Garganey bred last year, no luck. A handsome pair of Shoveller, Gadwall and Mallard kept us entertained. A warden was out on the marsh checking Lapwing nests, disturbance for us but a necessary chore.

Two Sedge Warblers whistled and chuntered, invisibly, from a thick Hawthorn clump.

Parking at the Fishermen's car park for a different angle view of the marsh, Pam heard a scope peering birder standing on the raised riverbank call, '' I think I've got the Garganey'' to his wife. We turned the car so that I could scope the main pool. Avocet, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveller. We moved on for a different view. By now, the two birders had descended to the road behind us. Pam left to talk to them just as I picked up a male Garganey splashing down on the near edge of the water. I called to her - she didn't hear - continuing to follow the bird's progress along the near edge, mostly shielded by clumps of thick sedge. Pam returned to move the car to what we hoped would be a less inhibited view. Peering through dead weeds and reeds, we saw the male stop on the edge and preen vigorously. Damn. I eventually took a few record shots as he then stopped preening, tucked his head under his wing and went to sleep.

Along with Pied Flycatcher, Garganey is the bird we are least likely to see in Scotland. I was delighted with the bird as I love them. A birder's bird, welcomed by all.

Weather Change

Friday April 19

The wind dropped, changed to a southerly, and the migrants came in. To the north of the County. We went to Barton Broad.

Instead of Ring Ouzels, Redstarts, Black Redstarts and Short-eared Owls, we walked the boardwalk through the Alder Carr of Barton Broad, enjoying the song of many Chiffchaff, Blackcaps, Wrens and our first confirmed Willow Warblers. It was warm enough to be coatless, even on the end platform. A beautiful, warm Spring day to warm the heart and soul. Willows sprouted their fluffy yellow catkins

Soft green leaves were making an appearance

and a madness of aimlessly dashing butterflies fleeing from an invisible enemy blossomed amongst the woodland. Mostly Brimstone and Orange-tips, a few Red Admirals and a lone Speckled Wood. Why do they never land for my camera? 

Sitting on the deserted platform enjoying the Broad - as were many boat enthusiasts -

we watched Common Terns, at least six pairs of Great Crested Grebes shaking their crazy head plumes at each other.

Two Arctic Terns made a brief appearance and, eventually, the female Long-tailed Duck  consorting with a Tufted Duck

and the female Scaup. Both long stayers. 

A lovely place to be, especially when it's warm and the crowds are missing.

Titchwell

Tuesday April 16

Reaching the sanctuary of the car, Arctic blasted and freeze-dried, was such a relief.  An outing not possible before Roly and the furthest I've walked for some time. And, only as far as Island Hide. Once past the protective belt of willows, the easterly blowing directly into us was horrendous. Any walking was a penance. The birds were much more sensible than us. The odd Swallow was one of the few flying although the pool was crammed with Black-headed Gulls inside the protected Tern and Wader nesting area ! We did hear and have fleeting views of Bearded Tit (no. 148) before reaching the hide area. 

Keeping very low on a distant sand spit, over 150 Sandwich Terns (149) were hunkered down, their far reaching Screeks alerting us to their presence. 

Only an afternoon visit after moth-ing at Bayfield. It was a penance. So satisfying though to have achieved this walking mile stone. Tell my knees.........

My first Weasel of the year flowed across the path - do they have legs? 

I was hoping for bird number 150 of the year at Holkham.  Tilted at a difficult angle in our roadside pull off, I scanned the marsh in front of the Joe Jordan hide for views of the reported Cattle Egrets. I found Great Egrets and a flying Spoonbill but not the target. Another time.

Egyptian Geese already have young, I wonder what happened to the rest of the brood.

Turning inland at Stiffkey we found a Little Owl sitting openly on the roof of a chicken shed, our best views so far. 

Barton Broad

Wednesday April 10

Using purple Roly to carry both my scope and my camera, We made our way along the boardwalk to the viewing platform. Blackcaps sang loudly from all directions, an occasional Chiffchaff syncopated from the canopy, a  Wren shouted from the low Alder Carr. Since our last visit, the Willow catkins have enlarged and yellowed and this 4-5 inches across lump has appeared on a trunk.

Is it another Slime Mould? 

There were several clusters of Bracket Fungus, mostly pretty fresh. 

Two shivering birders were already standing on the platform. In to-day's bitter easterly wind, it's one of the coldest inland places in Norfolk. They too had been hoping to see the reported Garganey, no sign of them to-day. They had heard a Willow Warbler - which did not sing for us. All the birds, apart from the cormorants drying their wings on the breeding platforms, were very distant, seemingly unperturbed by the many sailing yachts and a few  large  cruisers making their way through the resting gulls, displaying Great Crested Grebes and feeding Little Gulls. There were three of the latter, all adults. A small flock of Sand Martins hawked low over the water before flying off high and north.

The female Long-tailed Duck made a brief appearance as we arrived.

One of the two female Scaup present  put in a late cameo.

Two more iffy photos for my folder............. 

At the car park end of the boardwalk, Pam noticed some fleece caught on a thorn waving madly. It was a MarshTit stuffing its beak so full that it could hardly see round its load to fly off. We both thought that it was a Willow Tit from its bull-necked appearance but couldn't see the diagnostic pale wing bar nor did it call/sing. We are very familiar with Marsh Tit as they frequent our feeders and this bird looked different - not very scientific.If only one of us had managed a photo.

Brecks-it

Monday April 9

Earlier than usual, our spring visit is usually in May when Hobbies are back. An early April visit also means that the Stone Curlew are newly nesting and even more difficult to see. 

On a lovely, warm, spring morning even the A11 was worth driving. Roadside trees softly green with fresh leaves emerging, occasional Primroses - and clumps of blinding yellow, escaped, Oilseed Rape.

Weeting Heath Nature Reserve car park was rather full. Oh dear. We'd forgotten that it's school Easter holidays. A volunteer warden directed us to the East Hide, we've walked to the West Hide for years. I used my new Rollator (Roly) for the first time, delighted to find that my camera and long lens + lenshood fitted easily into the provided bag. I balanced my scope along the seat but will have to revise that. The constant jiggling along a tree rooted and bumpy track made regular re-adjustment necessary. I'm thinking of bungee straps at the moment. Roly is a good zimmer frame with a seat !

Four birders left the hide as we approached, there was plenty of room for us to sit in the middle. As soon as we were settled, a helpful woman gave instructions for viewing. 'Go along the path to the edge of the grass and look along the edge'.Path ? What path. Fairly quickly, I found a flattened area of grass and the first Stone Curlew rising from its nest so that it was visible.

We saw three in total before all the birds vanished into ..........somewhere. Still involved in a year photo record, I took this truly 'record' shot.

Lakenheath RSPB is a favourite site of ours - except that it's not in Norfolk so birds don't count for our County year list. Apart from those seen the other side of the river and we did not go there.

Obtaining a permit from the centre, we drove through the trees as far as is allowed, a 100 metres before a hide on a rise overlooking a reed fringed pool. The extensive open hide was full. We sat on an outside bench, vacated as we arrived, fortunately. We sat in the warm sun for more than an hour, enjoying the bird activity on the water in front of us, the song of Blackcaps and Wrens ringing forth.  
More folder birds.

Tufted Duck - male

Great Crested Grebe

Little Grebe

Coot

Gadwall

Another couple had a short view of a Crane through a distant gap.

A male Marsh Harrier oerformed a pretty desultory mating dance display, presumably his female circled away, unimpressed. Buzzard made lazy circles in the sky and...... sudden animation. A Bittern rose from the reedbed, making a short 8 second flight before dropping out of sight. I snatched up my camera and took two apparently unfocussed shots. When I downloaded them onto my PC, the lack of focus was because I was viewing the bird through a Willow bush. 

Bittern

Dare I even keep this one in my record folder? I know the answer to that.

All Fools Day

Monday April 1

Pam usually gets in first with 'pinch and a punch, 1st of the month'. I  always succeed with the April Fool set-up. I got in early to-day, as we walked out to the car at 6.40 I acted listening and then hearing a non existent Tawny Owl. Not my best but it worked. 

Very childish..............a lifelong habit which we both enjoy. Second childhood?

Such a beautiful morning - from the comfort of the car's heated seats. The biting north easterly was but a mention on the weather forecast. The thermometer stayed on 4C until late morning, whilst the spring sunshine from a cloudless sky, streaming through the windows and roof panel,  warmed the soul. 

An apparently slow start. No Tree Sparrow obvious at Valley Farm, the House Sparrows seem to have gazumped their nesting boxes. Pied Wagtails have done the same thing to the Grey Wagtails at Sculthorpe Mill, carrying nesting material into the very same ivy that the Greys were using last month. 

Plenty of water at Abbey Farm for a change, all ponds and streams full. Tell the birds someone. It IS difficult to see into the distant Little Owl nestbox oak tree on sunny mornings, Pam looked hard. Even more galling to read 'excellent views of a pair near the nest box' on two separate occasions in the sightings record log for the previous two days. We've yet to see them there this year. 

Our first Blackcap of the year sang its bright notes from the car park copse, lovely to hear them again. We heard another at Selbrigg - none at Titchwell where we expected at least one.
Around Flitcham is a good area for Grey Partridge. What were these two doing? A constant six metres apart, two males, black belly patch thrust to the fore, were performing an unrehearsed formation dance. Dashing firstly ten metres to the west before doing the same to the east for at least five minutes. We watched with fascination. How did they know when to change direction in unison at such speed, keeping to the same distance apart? Amazing. Eventually they met and squared up to each other, there was some wing fluttering and beak na na na nana and they walked off. A pacifist show of .........what? Damp squib thank goodness.
P had generously shared information regarding the location of breeding Ravens in Sandringham Park. Following the map on my phone, we found the Scenic Drive and enjoyed the winding one track and one way road through the woods. No sign of the wanted birds though. Thanks for the location  P.
We saw many Jays to-day and I managed to photograph one for the year folder.

 I don't think that a lower tide would be possible. The water's edge was so far away that only dark blobby shadows were visible in the extreme heat haze - magnified by the scope at 30x. Snettisham's fabled winter flocks were either missing or invisible. No Dunlin nor Golden /Grey Plover, a few Curlew, Ringed Plover and Oystercatchers with the expected hordes of well spread Shelduck. A short visit.

Mexican stand-off

 Holme was almost worth the rutted, pot-holed drive out. Wigeon, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard and a surprise Wheatear on the way out. Surprise? It was perched on top of a tree, most unusual.

A slight improvement on the photo in my year photo file.
Avocet, Pochard, Black-tailed Godwit and Little Grebe on the Broadwater. Our first Little Grebe was at Ebridge Mill, a good addition to the local list.
Somewhere we heard our first Cetti's Warbler of the year. We're told that the Cley birds have been in good voice for a week or so.
Burnham Norton had an actively fishing Cormorant, Its blue eye a startling contrast to the black head. All it caught was tiddlers which is why it had to keep diving.

 Whilst parked at Stiffkey Marsh, a superbly plumaged Red Kite swirled overhead. Would it fly so that it could be photographed from a passenger window? No ! 
I managed a shot through the dusty rain spotted roof panel but not one that did it justice.

Holkham added Ruff, Egyptian Geese and Spoonbill. 

Hoping to add to what we thought was a depleted list of birds seen - all we could think about was the 'misses' - we called in at Selbrigg near Holt.  Typical of the human race, the negatives are amplified and outweigh in the brain the much more numerous positives. I used to do an exercise with students which always proved this theory to be accurate. I read them a story where one student dropped marbles into a tin for bad things and another pieces of paper into a box for each positive. The whole class, without exception, always voted that the negative happenings were greater in number. They never were.
No additions at Selbrigg, just an entertaining  fifteen minutes with three Grey Squirrels which kept the birds away.

Counting  the day's list later, we'd totted up 80 species. So much for negative thinking.