Skip to main content

Hockham area- Breckland Swamp

A thoroughly enjoyable morning exploring the Hockham area with birding gent Paul Newport, who kindly offered to show me around his patch. Do check out his blog: http://brecklandbirder.blogspot.co.uk/. Paul has birded the area for sometime, and knows every nook, cranny and corner much like I know Surlingham. We enjoyed a great variety of birds from start to finish, and I was especially pleased to see my first Siskins and Lesser Redpoll of the year. Cranberry Rough held both of these species, and what a gem of a site this is. Not far from here we also heard Woodlark, again my first of the year and always an evocative sound.

Hockham Fen is vast, much bigger than I was expecting and an unlikely sight after row upon row of pine and conifer. Here, wildfowl included Shovelor, Teal, Mallard, Coot, Greylag and Wigeon. A male Sparrowhawk was a nice sight as he cruised over the fen, and up to 4 Grey Heron sat perched high in a group of Alders. A lone Snipe got up and disappeared high over the fen.

Walking back through the forest, Treecreeper, Nuthatch and typical woodland birds were abundant. After discussing the celebritization of birding, Planet Rock and other important things (!) I left Paul who had been an excellent host and great company, heading solo to Thompson Water. I walked a stretch of the Peddar's Way, adding Yellowhammer to my species list for the day. I then made a stop at Thompson Common and walked a short section of the Pingo Trail; untapped potential here and a return visit a must. I was a little disappointed not to catch a glimpse of Goshawk at another location, but getting out and exploring new locations and meeting new people is what it is all about. My Brecks horizons have widened.

 Hockham Fen looking like an Eastern European bog
 Hockham Forest
Pingo

Comments

  1. The Breckland Birder20 February 2015 at 11:49

    Jim, I thoroughly enjoyed this, our first meeting together in the field. Your post here is superb and I thank you for your very kind comments, the accompanying photographs are excellent. I was seriously impressed by your vast knowldge of birds and their calls, and it is refreshing to see that given your commitment to our passion, that the future of birding is certainly in safe hands.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jim21 February 2015 at 00:44

    Too kind Paul. I learnt a lot yesterday. I look forward to the next time!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 the ho
Post a Comment
Read more

A change is as good as a rest

Casting my mind back to February 14th, survival rather than love was in the air for the birds of the Yare Valley. Tramping across the Surlingham corner of the patch, I recorded 8 Woodcock within 2 hours. These Cryptic Waders had been forced out of hiding, and even amongst the woodland floor they were easier than usual to spot against a backdrop of snow. The small pine wood opposite the church and adjacent to the parking area held at least 2 birds, creeping around and huddled up low to the ground. A further investigation of likely habitat around Church Marsh and I was presented with 6 more, a record count for me in a single day. I hope they made it through the trial sent from the north in the form of ice and snow. A Great Egret exploring a dyke at Postwick must've been thinking twice about the whole range expansion thing. However, a small Squadron of Bewick's Swan and a single Goosander over Claxton fitted the mise en scene nicely during this period.  That image and that day fee
Post a Comment
Read more

Foulden Common- Skippers and a Hairstreak

Been meaning to get to Foulden Common for what feels like years, and it probably is that in terms of timescale! I recall being poorly last Spring, and my days put aside for a Butterfly hunt there were postponed. Before long, the mid-summer doldrums had set in and all thought of Norfolk's scarce Skipper species were put on hold until 2019.  And so despite the overcast conditions and lack of some Bird Therapy, I headed out this morning. Arriving from the direction of Mundford, travelling through Foulden village and approaching an S bend, I noticed a small bowl-shaped pull in. Doubling back I parked up, walked through two gates and began searching the common land. The first 45 minutes had me cursing the lack of sun and planning my next free morning before returning to work. A pair of Common Blue and Small Copper gave some hope, and a hoarse Cuckoo and 2+ Garden Warbler were clearly harbingers of warmer fronts moving in.  As the sun threatened to bust through the clouds, I pic
Post a Comment
Read more