What to Do

Tuesday January 17

I woke to a heavily frosted lawn and frozen pond. First time this winter......maybe not, but the first for a couple of months. It stayed like it for the whole of the morning, the dyke bank didn't clear at all.

We should have been meeting friends for lunch but Pam has a sore throat and cough, my sinuses are better though. Didn't want to spread our germs to the vulnerable. By lunchtime, Pam decided that it was too lovely a sunny day to stay indoors and was well enough for a short drive . Via Stalham Tesco to pick up lunch, we drove to Horsey and Winterton. Lunch was eaten in the raptor layby at Horsey, watching two fields full of Golden Plover and Lapwings amongst the sheep. A lone male Marsh Harrier hunted in the distance, near a large flock of Pink-feet.

The reported Glaucous Gull had flown south shortly before we got to Winterton, a returning birder told us - he'd missed it too. I wasn't expecting to see it as it was a couple of hours since the pager message.

Red-throated Divers kept popping up everywhere we looked, on a seemingly empty sea. The highlight was a close-in Shag (!), our first of the year and a relatively good sighting for Norfolk.

Despite a good scan and a lot of hope, neither Short-eared Owl nor Cranes seen on the way home.

Not a Black Friday

Friday January 13

Would the Shrike still be there...? Yes it was. A Great Grey Shrike has been present near Fakenham Morrison's for some time now. Initially, it caused a bit of a commotion as it was thought to be an eastern  sub species, then a hybrid and now all that's gone quiet. Northern Great Grey Shrike it shall be.

Three returning birders  told us it had caught a mouse and flown off to eat it. It must have been a very small morsel or a hungry bird. As we arrived at the concrete pad, it appeared on top of an oak about half way back the way we'd come! Almost immediately it flew back towards us, hovered like a Kingfisher, posed in the hedge and disappeared again. Good enough for us but not photographable. Our first Skylark of the year too,

Sculthorpe on a sunny winter day is lovely.We decided to walk the loop track first, hearts descending when we saw that the 'Woodland School' area had a class in action. Apart from a few screams and yells later, all was relatively quiet though.  One bird from the Jarvis hide but then we saw Siskin, four Treecreepers, a couple of Marsh Tits ( a fleeting glimpse of one previously, looking for the non existent feeders in our garden), and the usual Goldfinches on the way to Whitley Hide.

What a pleasure to watch the regular and  frequent mixed flock feeding on the 'Grab and Go' bird table viewable near the hide. Some do perch in the shrubby tree nearby but, photographing the rapid visits is a challenge. A Water Rail darted out of the reeds, legged it across the ground under the feeding table and then fed well hidden. The unhusked black sunflowers dropped from the table, form a thick carpet, popular with the Rail, Bullfinches and a Short-tailed Field Vole which made short dashes from under the camera box.

Water Rails

A pair of Bullfinches. I never get tired of watching these beauties.



A Marsh Tit finally stayed long enough - but the sun had gone in.

There's always a chance of seeing a Little Owl from Felbrigg Hall main car park.  Unfortunately, heavy machinery was at work in our favoured bay. We snatched a quick peek whilst the driver was away, no sign of an Owl in the nesting hole nor nearby. As the driver returned, in a different machine, a flock of small finches rose into a nearby tree. We had to move rapidly, parking in another bay and I then scoped the top of the tall Oak which still held some of the birds. Beautiful Brambling. Most unexpected. I phoned it in to Birdline but the report did not appear - on my pager at any rate.

It was very difficult to ascertain an accurate number as the flock kept flying away, some returning, others dropping to the ground and back up etc. I did count 50 in the tree at once though.

Better Photos

These are James's Rough-Leg pics.

Phew...

Monday January 9

The fitters and electricians had finished by 2.45, still enough light to respond to this morning's phone tip-off.

We drove a narrow lane in our area, scanning carefully, until we reached the church. No sign. A bit much to expect the target bird to have stayed in the vicinity for 5 hours....

On the way back, Pam pulled in to the edge of a seeded field, just in time for a Rough-legged Buzzard, closely hassled by a Carrion Crow, to fly out and away from a nearby tree. Damn that crow! Great views of the pale barred tail as it flew, and then landed in a distant tree. I attempted a couple of pics before it flew again and we couldn't re-locate it.

Thanks again James, info much appreciated.

True distance through a 400mm lens.

Enlarged ! Could be anything.......

Another Wild Goose Chase

Saturday January 7

The morning was spent doing the laundry - beautiful sunny winter day. Rather late, we worked out that this was our last 'free from commitments ' day until next Friday. Slow roast pork joint in the oven, we drove to Buckenham Marshes via the railway crossing. Strumpshaw car park was packed, that visit will have to wait.

We drove far enough down the track to Fisherman's car park to enable viewing of the marsh immediately south of the railway line. I struck lucky this time in finding the flock of Taiga Bean geese immediately, their orange legs gleaming in the sun. An assiduous scan found a lying down Whitefront which turned its head so that it was looking at me straight on. The amount of white on its forehead extending up towards the head made it look like a Coot's shield. Excellent, the Lesser Whitefronted Goose. It then got up and grazed, giving further views.

The marsh was full of birds, at one point the Golden Plover, Starlings and Lapwing rose in a huge and dense cloud. Not far off 10,000 I reckon. That total does not include the thousands of Wigeon and fewer, Teal, White-fronted and Pink-footed Geese present. I saw about 30 Ruff in all, scattered amongst the Plovers, a single Dunlin and added Barnacle and Canada Geese to the year list.

Disappointingly, no sign of a Peregrine, a single male Marsh Harrier was the only raptor. Pam didn't want to drive to the mill to-day so we didn't check for any neck- ringed Scandinavian Greylag which have wintered here for the last three years or so.

The usual Werthers as a thank you to the crossing attendant, over the years we've been served by many and none have turned one down.

The pork looks great.......

Stir crazy

Thursday January 5

No birding for 3 days......Obviously Yodel were not going to come - again - and pick up the parcel for Amazon.

Still a tremendous wind but, less than last night and Scotland and the north's hurricane. It was gone 3 before we set off for Winterton, very dark to the east, apricot sky topped and bottomed by forest-like gun-metal cloud in the west and the setting sun. We went as directly as possible, arriving at the beach in time for a bit of sea watching before sunset.

The wind was gusting strongly from the north-west, hurling any passing birds at breakneck speed to the south. Any attempting to fly north were virtually stationary. An angry sea with deep troughs was great to look at, difficult to see any sitting birds. A few Red-throated Divers, several Kittiwakes and two Gannets were added to the list before the light faded completely.

Maybe the Horsey raptor roost would be worth a look. At least six Marsh Harriers and a single Kestrel. No sign of the hoped for Cranes or Short-eared Owls.

Good to be out.

Geese x n

Monday January 2

Such a lovely looking day but much colder. More like the usual conditions for goosing at Buckenham Marshes.

Approaching via Grimmer Lane, we parked in a gateway, then across to another gateway  to scope the marshes. Waw, I've never seen as many geese here, nor as distant. There were thousands of Pinks, Whitefronts and - eventually - at least 30 Taiga Bean Geese. The flocks were largely hidden behind the distant trees. Far more Whitefronts here than seen in previous years. We decided, after a lengthy scan, that there was little hope of finding the Lesser Whitefront amongst the numbers present,  at that distance with such restricted viewing. Not with any certainty anyway and, it was into the sun. It would have been stringy.

Rollesby Broad

Joining three birders on the road bridge, they excitedly pointed out a superb Kingfisher perched in fairly near reeds. Still too far for a decent pic though. They'd also seen a Bittern fly into the reedbed. Several Great Crested Grebes to add to the year list.The Great Northern Diver  was on the Great Broad against the far bank.

Gt Yarmouth

Our favourite Med spot is behind the Sealife Centre. Despite the presence of families, there were at least 30 Mediterranean Gulls sat on the beach. Several flew off as we arrived - man and child walking through.

I love early January......