Ton up on the patch, and a word on the AFON young birder's day at the BTO.

A 50-specie haul at the patch this morning, my best so far this year and some real crackers in there including Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Grasshopper Warbler, Green Sandpiper and number 100 for the year, Whitethroat. Not bad within walking distance of the front door! It feels like the pieces are falling into place now, although the weekend perhaps didn't deliver the excitement that some predicted.

Debs and I enjoyed walks round Rockland Broad and Wheatfen yesterday, hoping to catch the national Arctic tern passage that was hitting the news services. In all it was a very quiet day with little doing on either reserve.

I did want to mention the excellent A Focus On Nature young birder's day which was held at the BTO. Details of the participants can be found here:

http://www.afocusonnature.org/members/workshops/young-ornithologists-workshop/stay-contact/

Although I am listed as a speaker, I had the easy job of sitting on a debating panel. The youngsters had it much tougher, giving talks to all assembled. They were all fantastic and each with their own message. I was proud to see my cousin Ben speak with such enthusiasm about his birding experiences. Going by this lot, the future of nature conservation is in good hands. I certainly left feeling inspired, and I know the BTO staff felt the same way.

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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 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

Notes from the valley

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