Another South Easterly Day

Sunday March 30

The clocks went forward last night so rising at nine was not as late as it sounds. It's Mothers Day so I had a Facetime session with Sara and Josh until my IPad ran out of charge. She called early,  as I was about to see to the moth trap. She was anxious to know how her gift of a Mulberry tree, bottle of syrup and pot of conserve had been packed and received, I was delighted with it, novel and much appreciated. Pam was pleased with the packaging - wood wool and wooden slats for the bug house.  I WAS told off for taking the juice.

Emptying the overnight moth trap - at least 326 in number and of 17 species - took a while. Most of them were 'brown' !! 46 Common Quakers and 97 Small Quakers. We gave up counting in the end, there were even more of each. 

Four first hatching Early Thorn were the best looking,  plus our first Double-striped Pug and, a yet to be identified, large and greyish moth. Watch this space.

The yet to be photographed, and or identified, potted and in  the fridge, we drove to Cley Centre for a late cheese scone brunch. Very quiet on the reserve migrant wise, there was a sight-blurring sea fret which we hadn't had at home. After a look around, we gave up and drove home.

Pulling in at Ebridge Mill for the umpteenth time, at last, a Grey Wagtail perched on overhead wires. It then flew to the apex of the mill roof before  dropping out of sight.

A few of the moths we trapped and potted. The ones taken on or in the pot are too flighty to pose on vegetation or wood.  The Early Thorn in particular.

Early Thorn in pot

Oak Beauty

Front view of Oak Beauty

Barton Broad

Saturday March 28

The first day of S Easterlies, what would they bring? Barton Broad is our nearest 'look and hope'. It being the weekend, we were not alone on the platform, Baz and his driver of the day, plus three others, had been there two hours already.

Apart from the three Little Gulls and three Common Goldeneye we saw, they had added Kingfisher earlier. The sky was hazy, but we'd hoped for Sand Martins and or Common Tern. It's a good place in favourable conditions to see both species late March, we saw a Swallow here that early too, last year.

A fly-catching female Reed Bunting, calling Water Rail, Chiffchaff and Cetti's kept us occupied. A male Sparrowhawk flapped and glided its way across the Broad.

As I reached the car park, the partial song of my first Blackcap rang forth.

This is positively the last photo of the Slime Mould. RIP.

To put it in perspective.....

Phew

Tuesday March 25

Shattered when I had to get up before Sue arrived for a day's birding. It was my presentation on Colombia at last night's Bird Club, we didn't get in until after 11 p.m. and Daile had returned my PC before we left. So......I didn't resist re-installing two programmes, including AOL and Firefox and testing them out. I'm always hyper, mentally,  after such an evening anyway and, need to wind down before bed. 

I eventually got to bed and had Robbie the cat needing attention on and off into the small hours. I may have had nearly 4 hours sleep after several similar nights.

The forecast had promised rain in the afternoon, we reversed our usual route and started at Cley.  Beach Road Salthouse only had a couple of cars parked at the end, Pam decided to drive it for the first time since the storm surge. We've only made it part way before due to the volume of cars and nowhere to turn comfortable.The 'car park' no longer exists, flat shingle extends to the sea, Gramborough Hill and Little Eye standing out at either end. It paid off though as we had our only two Wheatears of the day perched on roadside posts.

A lovely sunny morning, we called in at all our usual  waterside spots on the way to Titchwell. 

Brancaster had some comparatively close Black-tailed Godwits changing into summer plumage, probing the glutinous mud on the western shore.

A couple of Turnstone were also going through a plumage change

Pam's virus makes her very listless but she wanted to walk a bit so we went as far as the Island Hide at Titchwell.

I carried my camera this time so was able to photograph the complete Long-tailed Tit nest with no birds nor entrance visible. Two birds were flitting in the willows on the left of the path, maybe they haven't laid yet or built another nest in a less public place.

An enormous amount of water on the Freshmarsh, with few birds apart from ducks and a flock of Black-tailed Godwit. The latter were spooked by a Marsh Harrier, leaving two Knot in view. Far fewer Avocet than before and no other waders. On the return trudge, I saw a Red Kite approaching from the west and then found a group of birders watching a pair of very distant Red-crested Pochard. They were at the far end of the pool to the east of the path near the Centre.

The SatNav - Cressida 'cos she's very posh-voiced - took us to Flitcham and Abbey Farm. Three Buzzards and  a Barn Owl sitting in a hole of its nesting tree at the far right of the pasture.

The sun had disappeared behind cloud cover and it was getting rather cold, we didn't stay long.

Valley Farm Lane produced a single Tree Sparrow sitting on top of the hedge. I took one hasty photo before Pam - inadvertantly - turned on the windscreen wipers. Goodbye bird.
A second Red Kite for the day, in the Harpley area, was the last bird of note before arriving home for a much needed cuppa.

Lethargy

Saturday March 22

We sorted  last night's moth catch first - 74 of them, our biggest of the year but of only 7 species, Clouded Drab the only new one - then drove to Cley Centre via Gunton. Still no hirundine over the lake.

We both love the view over the marshes from Cley Cafe, we barely beat the coach party rush and got window seats. Nothing to do with the scones............

After a chat with Pat, we drove to Beach Road car park . 13 Wheatears had been reported in the Eye Field. They usually start off at the North Hide ( washed away) hide and make their way west. We saw four from the car park at the west end. Always a delight. I had no intention of walking as Pam has a stubborn upper respiratory infection - again - or should it be still?

I intended going to Minsmere  on Sunday for the digiscoping display and talk, until I found that it was Viking Optics based. I have none of their products and Pam should be resting more. I shall probably finish sorting my talk for Monday's Gt Yarmouth Bird Club instead of leaving it until Monday.

I do have some gardening to do too.

Manchester United won again, West Ham this time, Roo scored a wonder Beckhamesque goal from halfway, lobbing the keeper. What was amazing was that Becks was in the crowd to witness it. The cameras panned straight to him and youngest son Cruz.

My younger grandson's Futsal team won their league this week too. He's an Arsenal supporter !!!

Mind Change

Thursday March 20

We'd intended birding at Sculthorpe to-day. Somehow, the early morning drifted away and the very strong wind added to the reluctance to drive that far. Eventually we went to Barton Broad where there would be some shelter from a south south -westerly.

The wind didn't deter and the sun encouraged, a carr full of bird song, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch, Cetti's and several Chiffchaff. Our first Barton Marsh Tit was a bonus. We haven't had one visiting our garden feeders since before Christmas.

Checking on the progress of the slime mould...it is deteriorating, in five days the top brown clay coloured edging has spread.

Sitting on the bench on the end platform, enjoying the sun on my back, watching the strong squally wind send dark clouds of ripples scudding across the water, was very pleasant. Several pairs of Great Crested Grebe had no intention of displaying for me, the biggest action was a threatening dash by one male at another.

Two first year Mute Swans approached each other, making what must be a sibling display of greeting. Heads dipped to one another and then simultaneous neck shapes and water dipping. I've not seen that before. On cue, an adult appeared, steaming through the water to see them off. It was probably the male, female now on the nest.

A Welsh nursery rhyme about a swan translates as ' in his boat of white satin'.

Willow catkins are starting to appear

Another new experience yesterday. Pam called me to the kitchen to watch two Robins displaying on the boundary wall. The male stood, neck and beak reaching to the sky, turning its head from side to side. The female stood in a semi-crouched position, head stretched out, bottom raised, as if playing statues. He did not oblige...they flew into next door's garden, out of sight.

Slime and Murder

Sunday March 16

Pre breakfast on a beautiful, cloudless morning, we set out to check on the progress of the slime mould at Barton Broad. A Chiffchaff was singing as I turned onto the boardwalk and ........was confronted by the freshly dead corpse of a Woodcock. It looked whole until Pam turned it over with her foot and found its breast had been eaten. No feathers around, we think the killer was a mammal. Which one? Not one with a large appetite.

 We were soon upon the slime mould, which was more convex and a less white colour than it was five days ago. We must have caught it at an early stage.  The photographs on the web are very variable. It will be interesting to have another look in a few days to compare.

A few very vocal Wrens this morning, little else until nearing the platform when I saw a Cetti's Warbler sat near the top of a tree in its favoured territory near the platform. They call loud and clear but are infrequently seen well.

The usual Great Crested Grebes, Mute Swans, Coot and Black-headed Gulls on and over the water. Some skulking Mallard and Greylag along the Broad fringes. I then saw one Little Gull disappear up a distant side channel but was unable to get Pam onto it. I thought that 'low over the water behind the green boat, now dipping' was obvious, until I put my bins down and saw that there were two green boats very near each other !

After a drink, we left for Cley Centre and a fresh cheese scone whilst comtemplating our next move. 

We met P again on the way in. A lucky meeting as Pam has mislaid her Email address.

Apart from a large group of Avocet, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, a few hundred bathing Brent Geese and a small flock of Lapwing, Cley Marsh pools were not enticing. There's still a lot of water and the salty inundation will not have done the food supply any good. We didn't see any Marsh Harriers at all, were all the small mammals killed? I expect that if we'd walked to the newly re-opened hides, we'd have seen many more species but nothing untoward.Although three Swallows were reported, a two and a single, passing through late morning, we didn't see them. Salthouse doesn't have a car park, many parked cars along the road makes turning very difficult which is off putting. I miss my hot chocolate made by Julian. I should think that his trade has dropped off too. I wonder if the old boys who used to sit round his van still do so.
The garden jobs called - and the dread of the Man U/Liverpool match. Home to work on the wildlife mansion (Pam) and to try to put a flatpack together (me). I didn't succeed, holes not bored all the way through, minimal instructions - 5 drawings only - and I gave up. I don't do that easily but my tools were inadequate too. Yes, I know, a bad workman always blames their tools. In my case, it was a lack of them .
Yes, Man U's performance - I use the term loosely - was dreadful, a 0-3 loss at home. The season gets worse. Ignominy may well be repeated on Wednesday when it will be a miracle if a deficit against Olympiacos in the European Cup can be overcome.
Go away Moyes. Typical of him. He put on a defender - Ferdinand - and took off a forward towards the end of the match. I was sceptical when he was appointed......I'd love him to prove me wrong. I just don't like his defensive mindset.

Moth-ing

Saturday March 15

Sorting through the overnight moth-trap catch at this time of year is much less daunting than during the later spring/summer. There are fewer in both number and variety. Last night's catch was only 26 of 10 species.

10 Common Quakers

3 Twinspot Quakers

3 Small Quakers

1 Yellow Horned

2 March

2 Clouded Drab

2 Satellite

1 Pale Brindled Beauty

1 Dotted Border

1 Early Grey

We trapped 46 species last week when the nights were less cold, including several Oak Beauties

 and the usually ever present Hebrew Characters.