Skip to main content

The arrival of the Red Kite, and getting in on the Emperor action

 Like buses, Red Kites. Hot on the heels of one on patch and 2 just off around Hales, I added a further 3 birds yesterday and I feel like this species has now formally announced its arrival having briefly popped in earlier in the year. 2 birds were spotted high above Wheatfen by my cousin Ben Moyes, and a further bird was seen close to home at Claxton marshes late in the afternoon of the 6th. A superb addition and surely here to stay.

Looking back over my notes since my last post, a singing Blackcap on the 25th of March was my earliest record for the patch. Others have since piled in and are vocal throughout the valley in gardens scrub and woodland. Debs and I finally connected with some Hirundines with 4 Sand Martin and 2 Swallow following the river west at Buckenham Marshes RSPB. Swallow soon followed this side of the river, when at least 2 were seen hawking for insects with a House Martin on the 6th at Surlingham Church Marsh. I had to wait until April the 3rd for the first Willow Warbler song, an absolute joy to hear as always, and since then another 2 birds have made the presence known at Church Marsh.The first Sedge Warbler was at Claxton Marshes on the 4th and at least 3 were at Church Marsh yesterday. Such an exciting time of year, I love adding the migrants to the patch year list and watch them settle in for another summer here.

It was a real privilege to observe a pair of Nuthatch in private woodland adjacent to Church Marsh. They have become a patch certainty with the Wheatfen bird/s, and with a lone male on patch at Church Marsh last winter I hoped for a further range expansion, but didn't expect it so soon. Having heard nothing from them this year, yesterday was a pleasant surprise. With a vocal male showing well (see below) a female soon joined him and the pair were observed mating. More great news for the patch and its seemingly growing diversity. I was pleased that team Moyes got to see them.

Having left Church Marsh and been to Rockland Broad, Colin Ben and I returned to Claxton Marshes to pick up Ben's Emperor Moth lure. I didn't hold out much hope for this, and the excellent Norfolk Moths website showed a paucity of records in my square and surrounds. It was therefore with great shock and excitement that as we approached the lure, a male Emperor Moth launched itself into the air. This fantastic looking beast refused to settle for a photo, but the 3 of us didn't mind, stunned though we were. Where on earth had this thing come from, and had we just got really lucky, or picked the location wisely? I will certainly be purchasing my own lure and will try again at this site soon. Stay tuned for more Emperor action!

With it being the Easter Holidays, the garden trap has been out these last few dry nights. Frosted Green, Purple Thorn and Muslin Moth the highlights so far. Need to sit down this weekend and get my sightings uploaded. Holly Blue, Red Admiral and Orange Tip have been other recent Lep additions. I am yet to see a Comma, and that will be a genuine fist pump moment as over the years they have jumped ahead of the pack as my favourite local Butterfly.

A quick walk down to the river today, more Raptor activity with Buzzards and Harrier distantly displaying. The cry of the wild- a Curlew made it onto the year list.

After the Nuthatch photos is the image of the possible Sinensis Cormorant from early March. I would appreciate any feedback on this individual.





Comments

  1. Re. the Cormorant. As far as I know the only reliable way to get them to sub-species is to measure the gular angle, so you need a decent photo of the head and bill. Some old books had a photo of carbo with a black head and sinensis with a white head, implying that white filoplumes = sinensis, which isn't accurate as both do in breeding plumage. Interestingly I have checked some at Whitlingham, and it turns out that far from being unsual, most of them are sinensis. Carbo seem scarcer and more coastal.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fascinating, thanks James. I basically need to invest in a different camera then.......:)

    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

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 firs

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