Skip to main content

Big Freeze Blogservations

The weather, whilst tough for some of our wildlife, has had a positive impact in that people have found themselves paying closer attention to local patches, myself included. I cannot claim to be a dedicated patcher like some, but rather than risk driving further afield I have been quite content to watch what goes on in the garden and around the village. Here are my Big Freeze observations.

Fieldfare and Redwing. Our country garden is usually more suited to smaller birds, but this winter the Thrushes have taken over. Whilst the aforementioned species are nervy and rarely stop to feed, the fact they have dared to enter the garden at all speaks volumes about their mounting desperation. A recent flat hunting trip in Norwich turned up birds feeding close to Dereham Road.
A record count of 23 Blackbirds tend to boss the bird table and ground level feeding station. Quite a sight, and a challenge to pick out the dominant individual/s.
Male and female Bullfinch in the garden. As with the winter Thrushes, their stay was brief and they didn't even attempt the feeder. This is however a garden tick.
My father spends part of his week managing a local pig unit. He has seen Snipe on the tiny pond just off the road. A Kingfisher was also seen here in October, perhaps a sign of what was to come. Really special sightings for my small Suffolk village.
Last night as myself and friends drove out for a pint, I spotted a Tawny Owl in a hedge, and on the way to work another bird narrowly missed my front Windscreen. I would guess tawnies are doing ok, perhaps not Barn Owls due to their hunting method. Driving home we narrowly missed 3 Roe Deer in the middle of the road.
An evocative sight any time of year, a Starling 'swarm' in Thetford has been a pleasure to observe both from and to work. Around a thousand birds can be seen at dusk south on Croxton Road from the leisure centre.


Comments

  1. Teena Vallerine31 January 2010 at 13:47

    great blog - nice to find a local one - we'll be back! t.x

    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

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
4 comments
Read more