Grabbing the odd moment

Consumed by school at the moment, hence a gap between updates here. Now that the patch is more tricky to visit regularly, I appreciate it being there even more. Nothing scarce to report, just some general goings on that keep the broads ticking.
The bat detector has proven a solid investment, and despite missing an outing with the Norfolk Barbastelle Study Group due to car problems, I have been amusing myself down at Surlingham now the nights are pulling in once more. I am getting to know good bat 'spots' and have enjoyed some close encounters these last 2 weeks as the young Bats join the adults on the wing. I have recorded Noctule, Brown Long-eared, Soprano and Common Pip so far, and last year Daubenten's were hunting the Yare and no doubt are doing the same this year. If anyone knows of any swarming sites in and around Norwich, do let me know; that would finish off the season nicely.
Whilst the bird activity has been quiet, 5 returning Wigeon are a sure sign of the season changing, and both Cetti's Warbler and Robin are singing again. The Greylag flock are back together across the river at the evocative Wood's End, and many of their number roost on the lagoon at Church Marsh. Kingfisher, Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel have all been seen or heard in the last 2 weeks. Best of all, 2 Barn Owls against a pink sky hunting together at Church Marsh.
A walk round Wheatfen had me and the insect life clinging onto the dregs of Summer, for Hawkers were on the wing along with Red Admiral Butterflies- glad to see a few of these this year, better late than never.

Couple of Bat walks coming up- Weds 26th with Norwich Bat Group (Mousehold Heath looking likely) and Sat 29th at Surlingham. Bats, and a beer afterwards. http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/surlingham/events.aspx

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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

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...

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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