Red Legs Day

Monday September 22

Cloudless blue sky, very little wind, schools back in session.... It must be September. And, an Indian Summer. Thought to be in modern usage in the UK but stemming from Indian races in the USA hoping for this weather in the Fall so as to ripen their crops before winter. Who really knows ?  

Indian summer is first recorded in Letters From an American Farmer, a 1778 work by the French-American soldier turned farmer J. H. St. John de Crèvecoeur (a.k.a. Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crèvecoeur):

"Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer."

 We drove west, cloud cover increasing as we did so. Very little hedgerow activity again to-day. The Phacelia has bloomed again in the wild strips along the field edges near Harpley. I needed some more practice with my macro lens.

A surprise hoverfly in this one.

Pam was inspecting flowering ivy for hoverflies etc when the regular red car which drives up the lane with an elderly dog trotting alongside, getting its daily walk, arrived . We had to move so that he could pass and turn round. It then became obvious why the dog needed exercising in this way, when the driver got out to move some dead branches. He walks very badly, it made me wince to see him move. The dog has a greying muzzle and a slight limp too.

A large flock of Linnets flew into a far tree. Could I ?

Count the birds.......

Driving on to Valley Farm Lane, which is usually good for small birds, we became aware of the vast numbers of Red-legged Partridges in the laneside fields. They then became a traffic hazard. Dozens of them legging it up the lane in front of us. The same on the return journey. We pulled in to the barn yard area to view some birds washing in the large puddle. A handsome male Yellowhammer caught my eye - but not my lens. As I was about to press the button, a car drew in beside us. It was Barry, our friendly gamekeeper cum estate worker. He and Pam had a chat whilst I continued taking a few pics.

Next thing I heard was 'Do you make damson jam'? Yes says Pam - mendaciously. Well, we make jam. Asking for a bag, he tipped in six pounds of damsons which he'd been gathering. Result. Now for the de-stoning. 

Barry said that the partridges had been released by the Insurance Company which owns the fields and the shooting rights so that their valued clients could have a day's sport. Pam turned up her nose at this,  stating that shooting these tame birds was hardly sport. Barry agreed.

Next stop, our beloved Snettisham and the Wash. A few Jays, which seem to be everywhere at the moment, along the approach road and then, the horrendous 'road' through the chalet park. The gate was open !! Great in that we could drive straight through but, it deprived me of my Autumn blackberry snack.

There was a birding party already scanning near the entrance track. We parked nearby, soon seening a Red Kite wheeling high above us. A low high tide to-day which, although  we were there at the optimum time, did not come as far as the shore below,

Plenty of waders, not much variety. Mainly Knot and Oystercatchers, a few Curlew, a very distant , big roost of Golden Plover, small numbers of Great Ringed Plover, more Redshank and, at the reserve end, good numbers of scattered Grey Plover in varying moults. Not many Godwits, of both varieties.

On an Autumn theme, I had another try with my macro lens with variable success. From the car and without sun now.

After buying lunch from Tesco, we found that Hunstanton was cordoned off, police on duty and crowds standing around. Why ?  We had to make a large detour. There must have been an event on.

We met Dot and Steve out at Holme, they hadn't visited the reserve for ten years. Whilst out birding, they'd heard that there was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Holme NWT. They'd already been to Titchwell and the car park bird had gone. 

About a hundred metres before the Tutchwell turn off, my pager croaked at me, the sign that the message was Norfolk. Pied Flycatcher at Titchwell. We were visiting anyway, Pam wanted to use the facilities. 

We parked roadside near the staff car park and Pam went off to investigate. Yes, a Spotted Fly catcher had been seen in the willows near the feeding station. Using Rolly.I walked to the area before seating myself with a group of other birders. Very quickly, Pam spotted a bird sally forth, fly-catching, from the very top of a willow on the left. We watched both a Spotted and a Pied Flycatcher stocking up on fuel before continuing their journey south. Lovely.

Our first Brent Geese of the winter at Brancaster Staithe, we usually see them before the Pinkfeet. Four birds flew in. Pam saw them and eventually, so did I.

North Pools, Wells were a contrast to Friday's visit. Far fewer Greylag - thank goodness - no Barnacles but a good number of Canada Geese with 20+ Ruff scattered amongst them. Thirty Black-tailed Godwits in two groups and careful scoping brought me views of a Green Sandpiper on the far shore. As it was near a large clump of Sedge, Pam could get on it too.

The moth trap awaited us when we got home. Nothing unusual for the season, we were hoping for a migrant brought in on the southerly wind. Andy had his third Beautiful Marbled in his garden. To-morrow maybe.

A lovely day marred by yet another dreadful, gutless, performance form Man U, losing 2-0 away at West Ham.

Another Fine Day

Friday September 20

We've just emptied the moth trap in bright, warm sunshine. A Buzzard calling over the garden, Long - tailed Tits and a marauding Nuthatch on the feeders.

After a routine visit to the eye clinic at Cromer Hospital this morning, (yes, another injection next Tuesday afternoon), we set off west along the coast. The promised early cloud cover did not lift until mid afternoon,  which made for a cooler day than the previous two. 

The first punctuation was a visit to Cley Centre for morning sustenance - Eccles Cake for Pam, scone for me. We found a seat by the window from which we saw very few birds on the scrapes, compared with yesterday.

During a short visit to Coastguards, a single adult Gannet made its leisurely way east, hugging the water. There were six Curlew on a distant field.

Blakeney was a mistake. Blocked roads on the way in and worse on the way out. The harbour car park was jammed full. On a September Friday? After reversing with tucked in side mirrors, jockeying for position with on coming traffic - following a tentative driver was not helpful - we escaped and decided to give Morston a miss.

We'll call it the Drove. I've heard others name it but, it's not named on the local map. It's an unmade road to the north towards the sea marsh, east of Wells. The hedgerows are a haven for small migrants and there's a concrete sugar beet collection pad at the end. There is a track down to the marsh which we have driven in the past, but it now looks very overgrown. We have seen many 'good' birds from here. Pallid Harrier, Isabelline Shrike and Red Breasted Flycatcher to name three.  

As we approached the pad, a parked car came into view, its startled driver occupied with taking off his trousers. A slight fumble when he saw us, and he then continued to strip to his maroon boxers, before donning a pair of shorts. Perfectly respectable.

Despite the stench from two fields full of pigs, we parked for a quarter of an hour. A peregrine flew in from the marsh, a Sparrowhawk took off from a nearby tree and a flock of Pinkfeet flew inland. At last. Pam saw Pinkfeet from Cley last week and also had a flock fly over the house. I missed both. We also saw a Marsh Harrier fly past. Excellent.

Next stop North Pools, Wells.

I reckon most of North Norfolk's Greylags were congregated here. There were hundreds of them, interspersed with a few Barnacles, Canadas, Egyptian and another flock of Pinkfeet.  

Scoping from the car, I found a greater number of Ruff than last time, about a hundred Black-tailed Godwit and a few Lapwing. The Wigeon have now gained their warm chestnut flanks but the custard stripe on the head of the males is yet to come. A walking birder caused the birds to take off, many of the geese disappearing into the distance. Looking at the birds which re-settled, it was hard to believe that so many had gone.

We couldn't drive home inland via Stiffkey as the road was closed. We chose Wighton, Binham and then Holt.

No photos to-day. The car was emptied before its successful MOT on Tuesday and many things have not been returned - including my camera. My fault. Suffering from a UTI has made me dozier than usual.

Moth trapping is not very productive at the moment. Despite warm days, the nights are cold and often brightly moonlit. We did have our first Black Rustic of the year yesterday, always a delight, and our first 2019 Orange Sallow to-day.

Canary-shouldered Thorn is always admired.

I've been experimenting with my macro lens.

Last Tuesday, Natural Surroundings opened Longworth traps they had set the previous night as part of the 'Dark Skies' fortnight ( a natural history event celebrating Norfolk's lack of light pollution). We were in the cafe when Anne came in to tell us that they thought that they had a Weasel in one trap, a very unusual occurrence. There were also Harvest Mice.

Pam and several others went off to view and photograph. No. I didn't have my camera !! Pam's photos were requested by NS and will probably appear in their newsletter and Twitter feed. I also have permission to include them here.

Two Good Moths

Friday September 13

I'm still stunned at finding the first of the  'good moths' in our garden. We'd emptied the trap earlier on Sunday the 8th.  Late afternoon, Pam went out to put the Robinson MV trap in its usual position - in front of the sun lounge with a sheet hung behind it. On the sheet was a large Underwing type moth. Pam boxed it and brought it in for me to identify. One look and I said 'is it a Red Underwing'. to which she replied 'no, it's blue'  !! A Clifden Nonpareil. Not our first but, the best.  A friend of DN's had brought one from Sussex to show us at NS and NS had found a really tatty one whilst we were away in Kent last year. 

I'd been hoping that it wasn't too late for one to turn up in Dorset where we have a cottage booked for early October.Never in this lifetime did I expect one in our garden.

Norfolk status
Rare immigrant.
This is the Victorian collector's classic all-time favourite, the 'Blue Underwing'.
Former resident in the Norfolk Broads in the early 1930's.
Immigrants recorded mainly in Sept.

Please note records will not be accepted without confirmation. Photo showing the blue underwing required. 

My photos only show a small area of blue. It steadfastly refused to open its wings when coaxed to do so.

After it had been enjoyed by many others, on show at Cley Centre, we released it. Three days in a pot is too long for my conscience - and the moth. 
It was a beautiful specimen.

On Tuesday the 11th, Judy Whatsapp'd the group to tell us that they'd got a Cypress Carpet/Pug overnight. There was some confusion as to its identity at first - a senior moment.

Some members thought that one had been brought in by DN a year or two ago. It wasn't until I checked my list later that night that I found that we'd seen a Carpet but not a Cypress Pug. I emailed Judy as it was so late. Yes, they still had the moth. We went to their home on Beeston Bump to see it on Wednesday afternoon. 

What a lovely Pug. In that it was easy to identify as well as fresh. Pugs are notoriously difficult as a family.

High Tide Spectacular

Monday September 2

Having driven to Abbey Farm on Saturday for a moth event, we thought it best to leave another drive west until after a day's rest for Pam. As luck would have it, Monday was also the highest tide of the three days' highs. 7.6 metres.

We knew that we wouldn't be at Snettisham for the incoming tide and flooding flight waders. Not leaving very early and making, as it turned out, several abortive birding stops on the way, put paid to that. 

Abbey Farm was waterless. Owing to lack of rain last year, the spring dried up in June and awaits a deluge. So does our garden.

The lanes were birdless. Valley Farm had a large flock of House Sparrows, they must have had a good breeding year, but, no Tree Sparrows. We went all day without seeing Goldfinches (plenty on our feeders) and Mute Swan, amongst others.

Yet another new fastening on the entry gate to the Snettisham reserve, having survived the dreadful track in. This time, enough sturdy chain to tether several shire horses, was wound around the gate post. Having untangled it and peeled myself off the Buckthorn, I then had to clank my way across, pushing the gate, until cuddling the bramble bushes. 

Cresting the brow of the track, an hour past high tide, the Wash was still..... awash. The samphire beds rimming the shore were covered. On to the first hide where seven cars were already parked.

First look was from the top of the path between the first and second pits. Against the sun and through bramble but, giving a view of the whole pit. Getting ones eye in, all the islands were a mass of shuffling, swaying, waders, the water heavily dotted with geese and eclipse plumage ducks.

We parked where we could and waited for the birds to leave the pools. Pam spotted Sue, Ian and Mike amongst the fifty or so birders standing on the shore near the centre hide. Ian turned his scope onto our car, they waved, and so did we. I'd never have found them.
The Oystercatchers left first, streaming low over the water before landing on the western shore, the first to be uncovered by the ebbing tide. Distinguishing the others is very difficult. As there were reputed to be 58 thousand Knot, that was the majority species. Knot, Godwits of both species, Dunlin, Redshank and Turnstone appeared from the pits in long amorphous streams, almost evanescent in their transitory formations. Breathtaking. 
A few Common Terns squawked through and a lone Spoonbill stood out amongst the dark wader masses.
I couldn't photograph through the front windscreen and, there was no sign of our friends, so we drove back to the eastern end of the track. Samphire was beginning to appear as were a few Sanderling, Turnstone and Great Ringed Plovers, many first year birds amongst them. I spent a happy twenty minutes trying to photograph the birds below me at the edge of the water.

Knot and Sanderling

Ringed Plover

Turnstone

One Sanderling and two Knot. Samphire in the foreground.

Sanderling

The mud started to appear.

Mainly Sanderling

I also had a go at a mud-footed Little Egret flying past my window.

Still no sign of our group, so we left for Hunstanton and Holme.
For the first time in months, there was room to pull in on the road along the Hunstanton cliffs. A single Fulmar and a small group of Rock Doves appeared as we ate our lunch.
Holme was back to 'normal' too. We were only the second vehicle in the NOA car park. Pam reccied the hide first and I followed as there were several day ticks. Another example of how transient birds can be. When I arrived and hoisted the extremely heavy and solid wooden flap into place, (a single small clip seems rather flimsy for this job), all I saw were a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Greylags. Within five minutes, six Avocet flew in, a Little Grebe, Shovellers and a Coot appeared. A few minutes later the waders had all flown away.
No raptors in view, we only saw Kestrel and Buzzard all day.
We had a quick look at Thornham harbour, toured Titchwell car parks (Chiffchaff) and drove to Wells North Pools.
Previous visits have seen many Spoonbills at rest here. They were replaced by about eighty Barnacle Geese, a couple of dodgy looking hybrids amongst them. Probably the Holkham Park feral flock we were seeing on the marshes earlier in the year.

Dodging the tractor and grass cutter mowing the interim field, I used my scope from the car to find several Ruff, one Wood Sandpiper and one Green Sandpiper scurrying in between the Greylags and eclipse plumaged ducks decorating the water. Some of the ducks were Wigeon, discernible by their chestnut underparts. White speculums identified the occasional Gadwall.
Although the day started with occasional showers and grey overcast, it was blue sky and sun until mid afternoon when cloud cover rolled in once more. As always, a very enjoyable day.

PS

Our friends tell us that they saw us drive off from the hide area and watched us go through the gate !! 
I'm not surprised that I didn't see them but astonished that Pam didn't. We'd even discussed how we could get them - and their gear - into the back seat so that they could have a ride back to the car park.

Addition

Pam found a Migrant Hawker - dead - on the utility room floor. What a beauty. Sad but inevitable. It showed up better on kitchen paper than it did on a leaf.