What a difference a day makes

A trip to the North coast on Saturday with friends was largely uneventful, but we did enjoy good views of some of the best Norfolk has to offer. Bearded Tits at Cley, Pink-feet regularly passing overhead and some Grey Partridge at Wareham. Cley aside, saw barely any birders at all; no doubt waiting for Monday morning!
Driving to work I just knew it would be buzzing out there. More than just compensation was a high-speed chase on the A11 involving a Sparrowhawk and a presumed Blue Tit; I do not know if the latter survived, but what a scene it was, the prey twisting and turning above the traffic to avoid being just another victim.
I managed to leave off work at the earliest opportunity today to see if the Thrush fall had impacted on my patch.
It was evident that Robins were in abundance,I counted 18 around the reserve. The hoped for Redwing and Fieldfare were present too, conservative estimates of 15+ for each in one berry-laden hot-spot.. Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagatil, Lesser Redpoll and Blackbird passed through, may unseen in the fog. Watching a Barn Owl hunt the marsh, a sound from the weekend had me just a bit excited- a long over-due patch tick was flying somewhere up there: Pink-footed Geese. Also of note was an almost continuous passage of Black-headed Gull, south-west. Water Rail were squealing, Cettis calling- magic!
To finish off, I assisted a farmer in returning a cow to a field. Can't beat the patch!
Some Autumnal and misty photos below.

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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...

A weekend to live long in the memory

Saturday 12th, I picked up Connor around 6.30am and we headed to Waxham with migrant hunting in mind. It was clear that the NW blow and rain had dumped many common migrants. Every bush had a Robin, some more than one. There were also almost equal numbers of Song Thrush and Blackbird. As the sun rose, slowly more birds became active. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrest and ticked and tacked from cover. Superb stuff! Overhead, Brambling and Redpoll were moving, and some did rest long enough for decent views. Heading out into the dunes towards the pipe dump, we encountered a female Redstart and a Woodcock on route. Still, birds were arriving including more Thrushes and even a few Skylark. Without much success around the pipe dump itself (a Robin with a sore throat gave us a headache for a while) we headed back to the car and onto Horsey. Although there were less birds around by mid morning, little clumps of cover were alive with activity. In the same patch of scrub and pines that last ...

Claxton-on-sea!

Although it was not quite the Christmas we wanted here in the valley, the rain has bought its own gift. A grim vision of the future, perhaps. But right now, the patch is peaking and is alive with birds, and for that I am thankful. On Christmas eve, it was a job to navigate away from the village due to standing water that had left abandoned cars and undelivered presents in its wake. The rain had been persistent and unforgiving, the ground, saturated. Over on the marsh, where there had once been a muddy puddle amongst the pasture, a city had sprung from the leak, with a plethora of new occupants noisily laying claim to a patch of sodden marsh. Wigeon and Black-headed Gulls in their thousands now wheeled and whistled over and amongst the newly formed pools, accompanied by smaller numbers of Teal and Shoveler. A flock of two hundred-strong Lapwing enjoyed feeding on the less damp spots where green grass was still exposed, and thrown in for good measure have been a couple of Ruff, the ...

Notes from the valley

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