Ebbing

Saturday January 22 

January is ebbing away with few new birds to go for. Plenty of additions around, at Holkham for example, We are unable to walk the distances required. Another visit to Buckenham this morning when we saw five Taiga Bean Geese in the back corner near the railway line.They usually go by the end of the month so that was lucky. Hundreds of Pinkfeet, Lapwings, Starlings, Rooks and Wigeon around the marsh. More Shelduck than usual, a few Shoveller, Canada, White-fronted and Greylag Geese and a plethora of Chinese Water Deer. I counted a dozen whilst scanning for birds in a limited area. One female Marsh Harrier fed on carrion, hassled by corvids.

Yesterday evening we drove as far as Somerton and back, hoping for owls. No luck, but we did see feeding Red Deer and Muntjac in the warm, golden, evening light. 

 

In common with next door neighbour John, we have , reluctantly, commissioned Steve to put a deer fence at the bottom of the garden. Muntjacs have already caused us to protect all our vegetable crops. They are now eating shrubs and perennials down to the ground. The deer protection sound deterrent hasn't worked. We tried.

Not uncommonly in rural Norfolk, we are not on mains drainage. We have a cess pit rather than a sewage tank which means that a high water table prevents liquid from seeping out. The dyke is high at the moment after recent heavy rain. We were recommended a new man who sucks through the connecting pipes as well as emptying the pit. Most will not do that - a nonsense. We have a long stretch between the kitchen and the centre bed where the tank lies. We were amused by the slogan on his tank, 'Yesterday's Meals on Wheels''.

Mothing is slow too. Either blanks or one or two moths. Yesterday we had a lovely Spring Usher.