Waw

 Friday February 25

A very unprepossessing backdrop. A supermarket car park, backed by industrial buildings, in a thriving Norfolk town, Fakenham. The Somerset Levels would have been better. Or a pier. 

We arrived shortly before 5 o'clock on a lovely sunny evening, parking near a pharmacy. Five minutes later, small groups of birds began to fly distantly into view, disappearing behind Lidl's looming bulk. 

 

Pam moved the car to the far end of the space. The groups became larger, still not merging.

By 5.20 the Starlings had amalgamated, flying high and wide-ranging, swooping, swirling, in a mad, totally unchoreographed maelstrom. As the sun set, the sky became suffused with streaks of apricot and yellow, a fitting background for the aerial theatre. 

 

The massed cloud gradually neared, until the birds were overhead. We heard their wings for the first time. And the spatter on the cars and concrete. We were under a Starling umbrella, blocking out the sky. 

Shortly before 5.45, the birds started to split again, into the dark spheres which morph into whirls and tails before streaking away. 

could not help exclaiming out loud  at this wondrous, raw, nature display. It was truly awesome.

One of the three other viewers said, ' I'm not religious, but that was heaven sent'.

We left in euphoria, I've never seen as many birds together in the air before, definitely not of a single species. One estimate is 40,000, I wouldn't be surprised if this was doubled.

Note

All these photos were taken by Pam, they are far better than mine.

 

Folder Fillers

Wednesday February 23 

Having reminded ourselves that about now is the best time to take photographs of woodland birds, we set off for a woodland feeding area. The trees are bare, and the birds are in superb plumage, ready for the breeding season. We have Blue Tits exploring our garden nesting boxes. 

The birds were waiting for us. A few scattered seed remains on the ground all that remained from the previous feeding. Blue, Coal, Great, and Marsh Tits all made an appearance, along with Nuthatches and Chaffinches. The latter had the foot deformities prevalent at the moment, having a problem in landing, wings fluttering madly in the attempt to balance. 

My challenge was to photograph the birds in the trees, rather than on the feeding post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easier said than done, especially Nuthatches.

 

 

 

 

The birds' whole attention is focussed on getting to the food, they do not stay still for long. Then, they return to eat the spoils, usually behind a twig or two.

As the sun moved around, backlighting the area, I turned my attention to the other side of the road. The resident Cob was busy seeing off last year's young, wings arched, neck and head thrust menacingly towards the fleeing target of his aggression. A Moorhen escaped the mayhem.

Blackbirds fed on top of the gate.

 

The whole time, two Grey Squirrels snatched what they could from ground and post. No sign of the half-tailed one this morning.

 

Just as well that we were about finished. A couple in an Austin A35 parked in front of the gate. Notable? It was Pam and Rex's first ever car when they were newly married. It didn't have a white roof though.

 

How on earth did it take four sizeable adults on a holiday to North Wales?

Rockland St Mary

 Monday February 21

Apart from visiting the Ted Ellis Fen, Surlingham, when we first arrived in Norfolk, we have never birded the Rockland area. The first day of sunshine after a week of storms, plus the news of a Glossy Ibis at Rockland,  was too good to deny. The bird has been here for several days. Would it stay? Birdguides reported its presence at lunchtime.The washing mashine was unloaded, the clothes hung to dry, and off we went.

After a 45 minutes drive, we arrived at the dropped pin field, parked in a muddy gateway,  and waited. The gate entrance straddled a wide dyke, a cattle field on both sids in front of us, several cows, loafing Gulls, Mute Swans and Pheasants. Birds kept appearing from the hidden dykes and large patches of sedge. 

A few birders turned up with tales of where it had been seen earlier. Typical. A friendly birder drew up behind us, walked over to say that he would move when we wanted and introduced himself as David. I wish I'd asked his surname. He is a Blog reader, having got the link from James Emerson's Blog. David then walked over to the gate , looking to the right-hand field, soon beckoning to say that he'd found it. Thank you David. The Glossy Ibis was feeding no more than 50 metres away, appearing from behind a giant hay bale feeder. On inspection, I decided that getting out into thick wet mud was too dodgy for dreadful knees. 

All these phoros were taken by Pam, using my camera and long lens. No mean feat considering her arthritic hands and fingers and the weight of the gear. 

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Muntjac Effect

Sunday February 20 

We have managed the Muntjac intrusion into our garden for the last six or so years. Even when we had to buy new netting and a frame to protect the Sweetcorn - and he ate a hole in the netting to get at it. We reached the bottom line when one started eating shrubs and flowers down to the ground.

John, next door neighbour, was having his garden fenced, we decided, very reluctantly, to fence the bottom of ours. Especially after the digger's work last week.

We hate it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I took the photo through driving rain, from the sun lounge doorway.

The fence foreshortens the garden, and cuts us off from the truly wild. Friend Kath, who spent years tracking and studying Muntjac in Essex, tells us that these introduced deer can get through very small spaces and jump very high.Steve, our building man, says that he's done the research and the height of ours is appropriate. I still have lingering doubts. 

The approach of Spring is apparent, despite two bad storms, another on its way, which has affected the rest of the country, especially the south west and north, much more than us.The Acacia/Mimosa/Wattle tree is in golden tight bloom, swathes of Snowdrops in the beds, Alpine Irises in the raised bed, miniature Narcissi and Winter Aconites in the front border. 

And Man U have beaten Leeds 4-2.

Late Run

 Sunday February 13

I did look at the weather forecast to-day. The rest of the week looks pretty dire, with yet another storm predicted for Friday. Late afternoon, as we walked to the car, it started to rain. Fortunately, it stopped by the time we reached St Benet's Abbey car park, where we were the only car. One Thurne Mill still sail-less, encircled by scaffolding, the other a glowing white. We use them as sight marks. An hour later, a few Carrion Crows, small groups of Cormorants flying to roost, Wood Pigeons scatting about, nothing of note.Then, two Marsh Harriers flew along the river bank, passing a fast flying Kestrel being hurled the other way by a following wind.

Pam saw them first, her eyes are now much better than mine. Eight Cranes flying over distant Thurne village, peeling off over the houses in the direction of Clippesby.

We stayed a little longer before returning to the comfort of home.

We continue to trap Pale Brindled Beauty, this one rather dark,

 

March Moth and Chestnut in very small numbers. 

The traps have been put away for the rest of this week - after that forecast. The Robinson MV stopped working last week. Pam put in a new bulb, no change. Then she unscrewed the Choke, dry inside, it's always covered anyway. Friend Rainer, who started out as an electrician, had a look at it. The neck of the bulb and the holder was full of what he called gunge. Dead insects etc., he had to use a wire brush to clean them. The light then worked perfectly. I'd forgotten that I usually clean that area at the end of the main season, so it hasn't been done for at least two years.

Two species of micro too, one new for the year Emmelina Monodactyla. Common Plume. It was the first moth scientific name I learned, I much prefer it to the 'Common' prefix.

 

The other, an Acleris ferrugana/notana. They can only be identified separately by dissection.

 

Environment

Saturday February 12 

We seem to have no control at all over our environment. 

When we moved into our home, in 1974, beyond the dyke at the bottom of the garden, was a grazing marsh, crisscrossed by more dykes. At the far end was a deciduous woodland. The local Barn Owls hunted the fields. Snipe and Green Sandpipers were regular. In the Summer, Woodcocks roded around the wood. in the early nineties, I came home from work to find that the whole marsh had been planted with saplings.Goodbye Owls. The trees had been planted very close to the bank of our dyke.

By 2000, the trees were rather large and encroaching, their branches reaching out over the dyke. When a digger arrived to dredge the hundred stream into which the dyke runs, the driver was persuaded to do ours too. Not by us, we did not complain as in order to get the digger along the channel, he had to uproot the nearest row of trees.

The wood is now very well grown, encroaching again, yet good for moths. We also have Nuthatches visiting our feeders for the first time. 

At the beginning of the week, we heard machinery along the hundred stream. Digger at work. On Wednesday, after a day's birding, we came home to find a digger at the bottom of our garden, at the other side of the overgrown (deliberate) dyke.

 

Pam investigated as all we could see was tree destruction.

 

 Neighbours further along in the street had complained that water containing sewage was running into their gardens, his job was to dredge the dyke. In order to do this, he had to 'trim back' the trees to allow his machine to travel. Tree butcher, not tree surgeon. 

 

 

He also took out an Elderberry growing at the bottom of our hawthorn hedge as it 'got in the way'. The man was doing his job. A fait accompli. Maybe it will deter the Muntjac for a while.

At the same time, a neighbour has complained to the council about uncut roadside hedges endangering motorists. One feels helpless.

All photographs were taken by Pam.

Read the Forecast First

 Wednesday February 9

Not too bad when we set off, steadily becoming pretty dreadful as we drove west. The weather that is. Another grey mizzly day.  

Persevering, directly to Snettisham, arriving an hour before high tide. It was also very cold. An icy wind sweeping across the bird polka dotted mud. More than thirty Avocets huddled on the shoreline, maybe fifty Pintail dabbled in the water filled gully, mostly handsome drakes with their DA hairdos. I may have caught a short glimpse of the wintering Little Stint - before it disappeared down a mud crevice. It wasn't long before we left for Hunstanton clifftop, from which I  scoped the Wash. Four Goldeneye, followed by four Red-breasted Mergansers, two pairs, on an otherwise empty sea. 

Greg had told us of a mixed finch flock along the road to Choseley Barns. As we arrived, a flock of over a hundred small finches swooshed their erratic way across the sky before many of them landing in a roadside tree. We stopped a distance away, seeing that many of them were Brambling. Two minutes later, they erupted into the air, split into three groups and disappeared. We didn't see them again. Nor did we see the reported Spoonbills at Holkham.

Brancaster Staithe is always a favourite. Especially with a full tide filling the inlet, floating the boats, hiding the mud islands, with only two other cars to impede the view. A Cormorant posed onshore before sliding into the water, fishing his way downstream. 

 

Black-tailed Godwits probed the mud, most of their colour bleached by the backlit, no sun, day. It contributed for an interesting composition. Not sure whether -or not - I like the effect.

 

We were home before three o'clock, pleased to have been out, even if the weather was poor and the birds not forthcoming.

 

 

 

Star Bird

Tuesday February 8

Our first ever was seen in Norfolk, at Brancaster in the late 80s I believe (may be wrong date). I was the first to report another, in the east Wells area in the 90s. Two adult birds in Wells Harbour delighted us all. Although often needing to be proved not to be escapes from wildfowl collections, the designer looks, film star bird which is Red-breasted Goose not infrequently turns up in flocks of Dark-bellied Brent Geese, swept up and gathered into their migration flights.

An adult bird arrived in Cley on Thursday February 3, subsumed into a large flock of Brent Geese. The Eye Field at Cley was a sure winner for the birder fans. We were at home, deciding not to go for it as it would probably be gone by the time we got there. As, indeed it had. It spent the next few days either on Blakeney fresh marsh, North Pool Cley, or the Eye Field. The only possible place for us was the Eye Field.

Yesterday, Monday, armed with a book to read and lunch, we parked at Coastguards at about 10.40.a.m. By 1.45, we had seen it (well, the flock)  make  WhatsApped flights from Blakeney to North Scrape and back again to Blakeney.We all agreed that picking out this colourful bird against the light in a flock of Brent was nigh on impossible. No-one managed it. The doughty walked to North Scrape.

Shortly before 2 p.m. we left. As we got home, the dreaded message appeared. The goose had landed in the field at the start of Beach Road at 2.20. Bother.

As usual, we went to Natural Surroundings this morning, to meet the moth-ing group. We left before mid-day, driving to Cley - again - where the bird had been reported back in the field at the start of Beach Road. We squeezed the car in near the gateway, everywhere was full. I peered through the gate and past the birders leaning on the gate, scanning until the Red-breasted Goose came into brief view at the back of a large flock of Brent. Pam got out to take some photos, including a few with my camera.  

Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the whole flock burst upwards into flight, wheeling away in a shoosh of wings, towards Blakeney. The flock split, many of them seeming to turn round, flying back east over west bank. We drove to the beach. There was a sizeable flock on the Eye Field. We parked roadside and found the RBG amongst the group., way back and rather distant, obscured much of the time.After a few hopeful shots, ever obliging Pam drove to the car park, turning round to park roadside, so that I could rest my camera on the car door. The goose played hide and seek in the flock but I managed some satisfactory shots. 

 

 

 

There have been some excellent photos published on Facebook and Twitter.

Pam loves wildfowl, Red-breasted Goose is her number 1 favourite. In 1994, DS Farrow was a UEA student, earning a little extra painting birds onto baseball caps. Barn Owl masks were his trade mark. I have one, very worn now, with a flying Barn Owl on the front, looking as fresh as the day it arrived - the cap is faded and threadbare. Pam's cap has not been worn very much at all.

 

Rain Almost Stopped Play

Wednesday February 2 

Mizzle as we left home, or Scottish mist if you prefer. Heavy grey overcast producing a dampness over everything. As we drove west, it gradually became steady rain, the large vehicle in front throwing up dirty spray which necessitated using the windscreen washers frequently. Should we continue? The decision was made. We'd take the short diversion to Selbrigg pond and see what happened. 

Three very active Grey Squirrels immediately showed, the one with half a tail included.The usual birds soon arrived - during Pam putting the food out. So did Greg, driver of the only other car present. He asked us whether we had seen the Goosander. One had been reported as present on the pond behind us. Sue and Ian, on their way to shop, also appeared. I'd missed the WhatsApp posting.

We soon turned the car, looking through the gap into the far left tree and reed edged perimeter. The handsome drake Goosander, escorted by a Black-headed Gull, soon appeared. 

 

The Goosander spent his time swimming across the pond, returning with a bow wave as he sped away from irascible juvenile Mute Swans, resenting his presence.

 

On of them was more persistently aggressive, but lost the race.

The weather was clearing, we continued west. The rest of the day was unremarkable bird-wise, we love looking for them, however 'common' they are. Who'd have thought that Little Egret, let alone Great Egret and Red Kite, would be expected viewing every time we bird the north coast. Six Red Kites, four Buzzards, four Marsh Harriers, six Kestrels and one female Hen Harrier was the raptor total. Probably hungry after yesterday's rain and stormy wind.

I'm writing this on Thursday - too tired last night to edit photographs etc. The warmth of the night plus cloud cover, encouraged six species of moth into and around our traps this morning. The only moths new for the year were two Micro moths, Agonopterix heracliana and Acleris ferrugana/notana. Two Spring Ushers, one Chestnut, Pale Brindled Beauty and a March Moth.