Now thats what I call Surlingham!

You can probably tell by the over-excited title of this post that I am rather pleased with my evening exploits on the patch.
Counted 5 Groppers on the reserve, one of which was across the river, so not technically Surlingham I suppose. Managed a glimpse of one, but as is often the case they remained so close yet so far, a bird that keeps me coming back for more! More Reed Warbler seem to have arrived too. Quite a noise as I completed the circuit.
6 Lapwing were on the lagoon, and as well as displaying they appeared agitated. A closer look revealed the victims of their dive bombing- a pair of Little Ringed Plover, a new bird for me at Surlingham. A Cuckoo then flew over, having been calling from across the river. Yes, another new one but no doubt present every year in ideal habitat.
I didn't try for Little Owl this evening, but on the walk back another Owl started calling, this time a Tawny. I went a bit King/Packham all over it, calling it towards me. It did respond, appearing in a tree close by. My last 'hoot' was in truth poor, and the Owl responded by buggering off. Whoops.
Finding MOJO on the doormat with a free Black Keys CD completed an awesome day!

Turtle Dove joined the Lesser Whitethroat in mother's garden yesterday.

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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

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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

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