Surlingham on Saturday

Short on time this weekend just gone, so much so that I had to turn down a lift to the Pied-billed Grebe near Manchester. Congrats on seeing the bird though lads, heres hoping it stays true to form and hangs around into the New Year.

Taking my usual route round Surlingham, a look across the river towards Wood's End revealed very little, which is odd since this is usually a good spot for Geese and Gulls. I soon picked up the reason for this: a Peregrine Falcon was on the ground, quite how long it had been there was unclear. However, when I finally get round to defining the boundaries of 'The Patch', I could do with Peregrine on the list.

The scrub and bushes that skirt the main area of reed bed and marsh were full of Fieldfare, the largest flock being 20. A sorrowful call alerted me to the presence of a Bullfinch, one of 'ours', which proved elusive but I did get a brief view before he departed across the river. Heard before, but not seen until now, so a new bird for the patch! As if to accentuate that point, a group of Siskin called from somewhere. Next time maybe.

Nothing from either hide, but large parts of the marshy land were now underwater and were attracting Black-headed Gulls, Mallard and Teal, all of which clearly preferred to feed here than on the deeper lagoon. A Sparrowhawk breezed through, confirming the Surlingham area as the raptor capital of the Broads. Thats Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Hobby, Peregrine, Marsh and Hen Harrier here since August, plus Barn and Little Owl.

The churchyard held a few Redwing and Goldcrest, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker called. This looks like being a good spot in spring, Spotted Flycatcher the obvious target.

Comments

Everything is about edge

Hardley, where it is often confusing to define where the garden ends and the marsh begins. Tumble-down houses and rickety shacks, away from any bus route and Team Sky sorts wrapped in lycra, this is a village that by choice is cut off. The secret is out, and pre-storm Ciara as many as 10 large lenses littered the river bank firing at will. Their target- Winter ghosts. First, the classic Scooby-Doo type, as a Barn Owl responds to an ill-advised squeak in the grass and heads towards the onlookers. Another quickly joins the hunt, their formation a picture of double-edged stealth. But these year-round residents are not the key objective today, that honour is given to the Short-eared Owl. 3/4 of these can be seen from the staithe at the minute, floating like giant moths over the tussocks and edges. In a recent article in The New Yorker, Jake Fiennes states "Everything is about edge". Hedges, ditches, scrub, forgotten tracts of land that link nothing and no-one. Fiennes, now ...

Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...

Wood's End and Surlingham, 13/03/11

Decided it was time to search for a Lesser Pecker within and around the patch, ideal habitat alongside the Yare and plenty of deadwood. I should say now that the search was fruitless, but did throw up some good habo and a few decent birds for the area. Wood's End had a large flock of Siskin in a small conifer plantation, and a Nuthatch called from within. A Common Buzzard called overhead, and was seen again from the pub- I will keep an eye on this a potential breeding site. Great Spotted Pecker showed well, and my second Brimstone Butterfly in 2 days passed through- stealing a march, or so I thought! My first was seen from the staffroom yesterday, not all bad on the Western Front then. Surlingham was looking pristine in the sunshine, and approaching the lagoon I could hear Lapwing- usually across river at Wood's End- and then a familiar call which I almost ignored, but then realised where I was.....Redshank! Never actually saw it, but still a new bird for the patch. A pair of S...

Notes from the valley

Search This Blog