Jammy !

Tuesday, March 17

Although we have made some short local sorties e.g. Barton Broad, where the Great Crested Grebes were posturing in pairs 

and Winterton Beach, which added Gannet and Red-throated Divers to the month list, to-day was our first planned birding day.since the 1st. We are social isolating as we are over 80 and have some underlying health problems. In retrospect, the illness which resulted in my being hospitalized at the end of December  had identical symptoms to Covid19. I'll never know. 

Tuesday is our cleaner's day and having decided to miss moth-ing group meets, we needed to vacate the premises. Sam has two children of school age, works for other elderly people and contact with many others. It seemed prudent to keep contact to a minimum. Car isolating is much more acceptable.

The long-staying Great Grey Shrike found at Fincham, in the west of the county, was the most attractive destination. It's several years since we saw one. It seemed wrong not to go via Salthouse as there have been reports of a large arrival of Wheatears along the south and east coasts. Salthouse is our favoured site for this early migrant.

We were not disappointed. Pam found two cracking males to the east of Beach Road.

As we scanned the area, a Sand Martin swept past, driven by the blustery wind. Three Ruff stalked stiff-legged on the verges of the roadside pool behind the duckpond.

A good start to the day.

Seeing the Waxwings would have been the cherry on the top. They were not in the trees opposite the duck pond. We saw John G and a friend turn up the lane leading to the church. A later report on my pager said that the Waxwings were in someone's garden along this lane. If only we could have walked up......The distance was acceptable, but not if the birds hadn't been found - which was the case at that time.

The RBA instructions for finding the shrike were ' 1 mile SW of Fincham at Black Drove by track to Raven's Farm'. The track's name was not visible from the Fincham end but Pam noticed that it said Nature Reserve. We had to turn round, after consulting the local map book. Black Drove was obvious from this direction.

We drove up the gentle hill. As we reached the track branching off to the farm buildings, I saw a long-tailed bird hovering like a Skylark over the field to the right of the entry track. Great Grey Shrike. It's been reported as elusive and often distant for the whole of its stay. Truly jammy. One car and one birder present in the best parking spot on this narrow one-track road. We turned around before parking on the grass verge at the junction of the farm road. The Shrike had flown off across open ploughed fields to a distant line of bushes and trees. We had a coffee and a snack. Almost before the drink was ready, the bird returned, landing on overhead wires some distance away. This habit of perching on a wire, flying way off into the distance and then returning continued throughout our stay. Another birder, a woman, appeared, parked and stood out with the man. They continued to chat which would not have encouraged the bird to land any closer. They were still the best views I've had for years - in this country.

We did well for raptors too. Red Kite, Buzzards. Kestrels and a Marsh Harrier along the way and a Sparrowhawk in the garden at home.

Would Bintree have an early Garganey? Bintree MIll is very attractively positioned in a valley on the river Wensum. The near approach road is lined with shades of yellow daffodils which adds to the artistry. We parked to view the large pool where we saw a Garganey last year. Plenty of Coot, male Shovellers doing their head bobbing and tossing courtship display, pairs of Gadwall formation swimming, and little else. Still lovely.

On the way back to the main road, Pam parked so that she could photograph a large, well-shaped weeping willow in its spring glory. Sauntering along the road towards us was the unmistakeable figure of David N. He's also socially isolating but out for a breath of fresh air as he lives a mere twenty minutes away and this is his local patch.

Pam and David had a conversation whilst standing at a distance, content with blowing kisses at start and finish.
Another quick visit to Holt sewage works only to find locked gates. I peered through the increasingly small gaps in the hedge - leaves - admiring the Rooks having fun jumping on and off the moving arms of the nearest sprinkler, one of them actually drinking from the sprayed water jets ! Suddenly, a beautiful male Grey Wagtail appeared. I alerted Pam, and fortunately, she managed to see it before it flew away.

What a lovely day.

Soon after we got home, a near neighbour, Justine, phoned to ask if she could get us any shopping. How thoughtful. I'd tried to book an online delivery. Sainsbury's were full for three weeks and didn't offer any other dates. Waitrose's website was down. Pam gave her a list, the shopping was duly left in the porch. She'd visited three shops to get what we wanted and had had to replace several of the items e.g. Persil non-bio powder with Fairy non-bio tablets. What a chore, willingly achieved. 

This morning Viv phoned from Meale's to see if we needed any veg. Our postman, Barry, known as Petal because that's what he calls us, left a card containing his phone number and an offer to bring shopping etc. People are very kind and thoughtful.

A more sobering event was an email from our next door neighbours, who have been on an Antarctic cruise.

The very good trip was cut short by one day when Argentina closed its flights to risky areas which included the USA, on the 17th . As there were lots of Americans on board they needed to get flights by midnight 16th. When they arrived back in Ushuaia Coronavirus had struck and everywhere was in lockdown. Ruth and Pete are holed up in a hotel with food delivered to the door as the restaurant is closed and they can’t leave the hotel.

Things are changing  by the hour; they have just heard that their hotel tomorrow night in Buenos Aries is closed so have booked an airport hotel. All now depends on flights still happening and that they do not develop a cough. Good luck to them both.