Dreich

 Wednesday March 2

 Dull grey overcast, drizzle, sometimes heavy, and a paucity of avian activity. A ploughing on regardless day - which we did. Happy as Larry. Who was Larry? 

The Yellowhammers are back in the hedges on our main road to North Walsham. Harbingers of Spring.

Selbrigg seemed like a good place to bump up the numbers as we seldom see woodland birds elsewhere. The list increased by 12 species, the second column of 10 species started in my notebook, the drive to Valley Farm Lane produced a Red Kite and Red-legged Partridges. Where have the Tree Sparrows gone? Their habit of moving territory is thought to have contributed to their decline in the UK. Once good territory has been found, they should stay there - unless it changes. Valley Farm has not changed at all. Unlike Choseley Barns, where an unsympathetic son has ceased the seed scattering for example, and positively disencourages birders as well as birds.

The hedgerows leading to Abbey Farm were birdless. As was the Little Owl tree. As we were approaching the main road to Sandringham, a group of over a hundred Bramblings fled the hedges in front of us, many alighting in a tall tree, enabling us to identify them positively. What a wonderful sight.

The 'For Sale' sign on the £1.2 million house cum small caravan park at the end of Snettisham road, has disappeared. Sold or withdrawn?

Leading up to tomorrow's very high spring tides, we witnessed the very low neap tide  which accompanies it. Shelduck, two Curlew, a few Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Redshank and Teal were the only birds in sight. Not even the usual long streak of Oystercatchers. The rest of the hordes probably scattered as far as Lincolnshire. A displaying Goldeneye brings joy to the day. His mate was very unimpressed, she was constantly diving. The male's head thrown back and call display was very infrequent as he spent most of the time looking for her. I caught part of one.One display I hadn't seen before involved a semi-diving porpoise-like swim across the surface

The male is very beautiful,

 

The subtly marked female, less so.

From the gateway down to Meals House at Holkham, we saw our first Spoonbill of the year, in residence near the breeding trees. Four Grey Herons hunched nearby. Searching for the White-fronted Geese (I found two), we saw two Buzzards, several Marsh Harriers, Red Kites and a Kestrel. One of the Great White Egrets flew into view.

Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwits, Brent Geese, Little Egret, and Turnstone at Brancaster Staithe. Golden Plover, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Avocet, and Gadwall at North Point Pools. 

Which way home? Pam gambled on the slightly longer Cockthorpe chicken sheds route. Bingo. The gates were open, two vehicles at the far end. Nothing hiding in the eaves. Change of position. A Little Owl standing in the open on top of the left-hand shed. There it stayed, always with its back to us, its eye showing sometimes as it kept a careful watch on the men

 As soon as they'd driven away and shut the gate, the owl flew back into the dark overhang of the other shed.

Adding yesterday's Red-breasted Goose made it 77 species for March. 

Two more moth species this week too. We resurrected the portable trap in order to give the battery a work out before Scotland at the end of next month. The weather has been less cold and windy too.

Hebrew Character (should be Valentine's Day) 

 

 Oak Beauty