Sculthorpe Moor

Tuesday January 24

We spent far too long at Natural Surroundings cafe, talking to the members of the mothing group who had turned up. K and M full of their Lynx watching trip to Spain, G and V looking forward to their Uganda trip next month and MH excited about Mull and Corncrakes. Very enjoyable. 

Such a beautiful day, it was tempting not to drive on to Sculthorpe Moor Hawk and Owl reserve. It would also be my longest continuous walk for many months. 
The best places for Elf Cap mushroom now have notices, asking photographers to stay on the boardwalk to avoid damage. My impression is that there were fewer of these mushrooms than in the past but, that could be attributed to several factors other than disturbance e.g. climate conditions last year and this.
I thought this looked like a green bug-eyed caterpillar.

We walked directly to Whitley Hide, around 500 metres along the boardwalk. It seemed longer as the whole area was devoid of birds. The new 'aerial' boardwalk for which we bought several boards, must be further on. 
Consternation when the hide came into view. The door was wide open, construction materials stacked outside and .......a man holding a drill. We still entered and found it full of birders apart from the low bench directly inside the door where the leaning shelf and window had been removed as had the one next to it. It was pretty chilly sitting there. The man continued to work round us, brushing wood clean and varnishing the sills.
Unsurprisingly, not much in the way of species. The best for us was the constant presence of two male Brambling and a Nuthatch, always good to see. A table full of Long Tailed Tits, 

one Reed Bunting, Blue, Great and Marsh Tits, seven Collared Doves sitting on the far table. 
The water was still frozen, I enjoyed watching a pair of Mallard make their way very sure-footedly along  - until they stood still and first one foot and then the other would slide sideways.

Frozen ankles prompted me to leave for the trudge back which was notable for two Red Kites, soaring over the trees. It was fortunate that I happened to look up at the right time.

A Fudge Duck

Sunday January 22

 Heavy overnight frost delayed our departure until 9 a.m. It was still -4C with a cloudless sky. That meant that driving through the countrysidewas lovely, trees, verges and meadows a glistening, shimmering silver. The roads were reasonable as it had been dry yesterday.

Still no Grey Wagtails at Sculthorpe Mill, very few birds of any species as we cloudy-breathed our way across the bridge. 

Several Tree Sparrows at Valley Farm Lane and our first sighting of Nuthatch on the Gamekeeper's bird feeder. He appeared for a chat, saying that they were recent additions to his garden. We must ask him his name !

The track out to Holme has a 1001 potholes, a painful couple of kilometres drive. Sitting in the NOA Broadwater Hide. my heart dropped. There were more birds on the water than I've ever seen there before. Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Shoveller, Pochard, Tufted Duck and a few Little Grebe. We eventually located the Ferruginous Duck present for at least a week, a warm chocolate brown with a white tail. Iffy views unfortunately, I hadn't carried my scope.

The fields opposite the hide had many Common Snipe, Curlew, even more Wigeon and a few Greylag. 

Our beloved Thornham and Brancaster Staithe added a Rock Pipit at the former, too many amateur photographers at the latter. No wonder, it looked glorious on a fast ebbing tide. 

In plenty of time for thr raptor roost at Stiffkey - and lucky enough for someone to pull out of the front row overlooking the marsh. Why do people, especially dog walkers, park their cars in the best spots and then go off walking. Grumpy Old Woman............

I scoped from the car, Greg was a car away,  standing out with a friend.  He eventually saw us and came over to say that NS is open to-morrow.

We added Hen Harrier to the year list, only a ring-tail was obvious. Dot and Steve drew alongside later and said that Eddie had a perched male at Warham. Greg's friend had also called a male earlier but I couldn't see it. One of the Marsh Harriers passing through over the far dunes, startled a Barn Owl into flight, it soon settled again. We once saw a Harrier try to catch one here, repeatedly knocking one down into the sueda. We were rooting for the owl and were pleased when it stayed in cover and the harrier flew away empty clawed.

I've changed to blue for year birds, the green didn't show up well enough. I may well alter the earlier posts........

Don't Trust the Forecast

Friday January 20

Daile brought my PC back last night plus the necessary new monitor. At least the hard drive also had a service and the layers of dust were removed.

The morning was spent sorting out stuff on  my machine, mid-day, clear blue sky and sun was a siren call not to be ignored.

Strumpshaw Fen RSPB from the Centre Hide our first - and last call. All the ducks were concentrated in a small area at the far end of the pool, the only water not frozen. Mostly Mallard with a few Teal, Shoveller and Gadwall In the past, a new year has meant trying to see as  many birds as possible in January. This aim has been amended to seeing as many difficult to see or, seasonal birds, as possible.
Scoping along the track at Buckenham, at least a thousand Pinkfeet with a couple of hundred Whitefronts (why are Eurasian suddenly being called Russian on the pager?), a large flock of Canadas, and, 5 Taiga Bean Geese. Don't know how I blocked that colour in and I can't change it.
A male Peregrine temporarily flushed all the geese before perching on a gate, a Merlin sat on another post. Lovely. Many Snipe around too.
Driving home, shortly before the Clippesby turning off the Acle road, two Common Cranes flew across the road. Brilliant 
Northern Swans, in two groups of about a hundred each, stood distantly in fields at Ludham. The nearer group flew before I could identify them, probably all Bewicks.

 

Birding in the Dreech

Thursday January 19

Led to believe that to-day was a better option than to-morrow weather-wise..........we headed for Sheringham.

I didn't think that the weather could get any worse. As we approached the north coast, it certainly did. Low grey overcast, became lower, the poor visibility became appalling - and drizzle set in. Truly a Scottish dreech day.

Well, we were here now. Parking in the area at the sea end of the High Street, I leant on the wall to view the rocks - it was also a pretty high tide. On the rocks below was a Juvenile Ist winter Glaucous Gull.

 More interesting was a 1st winter Herring Gull, a sponge of yellow whelk eggs in its beak. The sea kept breaking over the far rock on which it stood, washing the eggs into the sea and the gull into the air, before it fished them out again. Very entertaining but, not possible to get sharp photos in the poor light and activity.

I don't know where the seal corpse where other birders are  taking photos of Glaucous and Iceland to post on Facebook, is to be found.

Most of the promenade east is closed off due to surge repair workers and vehicles. No-one was seeing Purple Sandpipers.

On to Cley for a progress report. The A148 is open to traffic again, ricks of storm debris at intervals roadside.

A large puddle across Beach Road Cley. brought us to a stop at the village end . As we pulled in to the gateway I saw a bird fly from the nearby debris into the ditch. As I had suspected, it was a Water Rail.. Pam got out and was rewarded - eventually - with a short view. 

I was glad to get back to the comfort of home.

Shorts

Sunday/Tuesday January 16/17

Sunday

Such a miserable day, it never really got light. The drive to Horsey was virtually birdless until the usual lay-by. Pam scanned the flooded field to the west, I scanned to the east,  vision hampered by the now tall reeds lining the road.

I saw a myriad Lapwing, a few Golden Plover and masses of sheep. Pam picked out a small distant wader. Green Sandpiper. 

The sea at Winterton was birdless. For the last two winters, the regular wintering Red-throated Divers and Common Scoter seem to have moved elsewhere.

Monday

A short night and a late start aborted the plan to go to Sculthorpe. J and D had mentioned seeing- at a new site for us - Siskin and Redpoll. Selbrigg near Holt and on the Hempstead road. Parking the car near a gate which forbade entry, we noticed a Grey Squirrel feeding from the top of one of the gateposts. No birds until a passing dogwalker frightened the animal away. Then, a pair of Marsh Tits, Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin and Coal Tit soon appeared.

What did Cley marsh look like to-day? Friday the 13th's storm surge had broken through the shingle near East Bank, flooding the marsh and making the A149 impassible. Approaching via Old Woman's Lane, the water had receded to below the hide base level whilst leaving much more surface water pools than is normal. 

Seeing lights on at the Centre and cars appearing, we drove as far as the entrance gate, the last 100 yards or so on the remaining and rather bumpy debris covering the road. The road east beyond the entry is till 'Closed', the bottom car park also coned off as it was flooded and needs clearing.

Sylvia, one of the cafe ladies said that they were, officially, only open for walkers and serving drinks, cake and bacon rolls only. Elf and safety. The boardwalks needed to be cleared before the reserve is open again.

Nothing new for us in the bird line, plenty of ducks exploring the new waterways, a passing Marsh Harrier and the highlight, a perched, and then fly-past, Barn Owl. Always a pleasure.

I wonder if the very recent plaque commemorating the death of the USA helicopter crew two years ago is still in situ. Is it buried in shingle?

Felbrigg Park on the way home. YES. The Little Owl was well in view, sitting in its nesthole.

Tuesday

An Email from Daile, saying that he'd come this afternoon instead of this evening, to sort my PC - it will not boot up after last Friday's electricity cut - shortened our birding plans.

Yes, we knnow Aylmerton...... where is Appletree Cottage? Several slow drive arounds later, we found the cottage. Roadside with nowhere to park, one vehicle width only, one tree in a tiny side garden. Why would 5 Hawfinches be seen here for several days ? Not by us to-day.

We seemed to be dogged by road closures. We'd had to go straight on for Cromer at Roughton, taking back lanes to Aylmerton. More back lanes from Aylmerton, parking in the entrance car park to Felbrigg at the bottom of Lion's Mouth.

Coal Tits and a Goldcrest in the conifers, Grey Squirrels feeding on the shell peanuts left on a picnic table. Again, the squirrels had to leave before two Jays arrived to feed.  Trying to take my first ever photograph of a Jay was as frustrating as always. We get them in the garden pretty frequently, still no pics. To-day, it was dark, 30 metres away, the birds dashing in and out, occasionally stopping for a sort through - and viewable through Pam's window. 

More excuses for less than good photos. One day.......At least they were recognisable, my Green Sand wasn't.

Daile didn't arrive until 3.45, due at 2 ! Just as well he's so good. Looks like a new graphics card needed. Phew, what a relief.  I will not have lost my Thailand folder containing our lists, itinerary etc. The only folder not in Dropbox, therefore not stored in the Cloud.

Local Clean-up

Wednesday January 11

Mautby Pig Farm

Hooded Crow plus hundreds of gulls and corvids - and entertaining piglets. 

Halvergate Marsh, east of the village, near the start of Stone Lane (not named, signposted Weavers Way).
2 Cattle Egrets

Three pretty appalling - they are distant - photos

 

Sealife Centre Great Yarmouth

30+ Mediterranean Gulls, many starting to get spring plumage.

 Clippesby

In a large flock of Pink-feet, distant and largely invisible, from a road where stopping is not an option.
We managed 2 Taiga Bean Geese.

Swan Safari

Tuesday January 10

Too late a start really, to take full advantage of the daylight that is. My fault, awake for hours in the night and then slept late. 

An uneventful journey until the Ten Mile Bank, Welney. Roadside Swans started to appear. The first flock of about 200, mainly Bewick Swans, with a few Whoopers, was surpassed by one of  over 500 in three parallel lines. Unfortunately rather distant.

Lightly cropped.

Canon SX50 bridge camera - zoom

Our first Corn Bunting for about 10 months, perched on roadside wires, brought another brake application.

WWF's Welney Hide is the height of luxury. Approached via a two story shop/cafe building, the lifts emitting swan calls. A further lift takes one up to the enclosed bridge over the canal. The bridge sides have Bewick Swan migration information boards. In common with the RSPB practice of gearing information towards children, we find it irritating in practice. There's a lot of us too!

We began at an outside section where opening a window to take photographs is possible .  I regretted it. The wind was sharp and straight from the Arctic. Three Reed Buntings explored the muddy edge in front of us. 

The wash is immense. The area nearby held Whooper Swans, an army of Coot and a battalion of male Pochard. 

One grounded Whooper swan was obviously injured, constantly preening a bare patch on its neck.

The desk man said that if they investigated, the area would be clear of birds for weeks. Injured swans in surrounding fields are taken to the RSPCA and then brought back to recuperate at the reserve. One injured pair bred and produced a family last year. None of them will migrate again as the parents cannot fly and show them the way.

What a relief to enter the very large, heated hide. Finding that all the static telescopes had gone was disappointing, I'd carried my bridge camera and not my scope. We spent an hour or so scanning the islanded - and very extensive - wash.

The largely barren area looked as though it was covered in cotton grass.  The result of more than a hundred swans preening down feathers into the wind. Not much variety, time to enjoy the spectacle. A few Dunlin, many Lapwing, Teal, Wigeon, Canada, Egyptian and Greylag Geese. 
All photographs were taken from above. There is a photographic hide from eye level below the main hide, at £15 per head per day.

A small flock of Black-tailed Godwit, flashing their white wing bars and rump as they settled, relieved the sameness. A few Tufted Duck, their constant diving producing a maelstrom,  made up for the one Pam missed on the 1st.

A hot drink in the cafe, overlooking the feeders and Lady Fen. Goldfinches were the only birds to feed with a few Collared Doves and Reed Buntings on the ground below.

Time to leave and a detour to Denver Sluice where the relief Channel had three Goosanders, two males and a female. Again, rather distant but a lovely end to an enjoyable outing.