From doorstep to marsh and back

Rose early on Sunday morning to a dripping, damp misty morning in the village. The lanes and hedges are ablaze with colour at the moment, and Debs and I enjoyed all of this well before the rest of the village awoke. Upon leaving the front door, the first bird of the day was to be a Bullfinch, couldn't ask for a better start! At least 2 birds were calling, all I saw on this occasion was a white backside. Good to know they can be seen local though.
Continuing towards Ferry Road on foot, we encountered Fieldfare, Redwing and Song Thrush feeding on the Rose hips adorning the scrub. Birding can and will be at times dull in the deep mid-winter, but these welcome visitors always make it bearable. Not much was moving overhead due to the thick mist, and the same was true upon arriving at Church Marsh.
A significant number of Teal were loafing about on the lagoon, and after nervously circling when we arrived, they settled again and I was able to count 107, which Ben tells me is a record count! Smashed, the previous high being 53 from 16th November 2003, incredibly the same date as my count. As well as the expected residents including Kingfisher, Cettis' Warbler and Reed Bunting, a familiar pinging sound emanated from deeper within the reed bed. Finally, Bearded Tit have returned to Church Marsh after at least a 3 year absence. Number 120 for the year.

Owls featured elusively rather than prominently this weekend. Arriving at Chris and Allison's on Saturday night, an Owl drifted through the yard which I at first thought was Tawny, although they do have a resident Barn Owl (and part time Hen Harriers and Tree Sparrows, very nice). It was nice to visit and catch up with everyone.

Back home, Debs and I both awoke in the early hours this morning to a calling Tawny Owl. I could hear another bird towards Coldham Hall, but can't recall if he came any closer as I drifted off to sleep again.

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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 ...

Finally, just in time for the tail end of Spring migration........

.......we get some good weather. Too little too late? Only time will tell. I have enjoyed watching the resident birds go about their business on the local marshes and broads, but that ranks as the poorest Spring I can recall in terms of migrants and variety. That is not to say the birding is not good- but just a little underwhelming. Over at Rockland Broad on Saturday, I enjoyed a bit of a raptor fest, with 3 Hoby, 2 Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel all seen well. 2 Garden Warbler were singing, one by the carpark and one by the broad. A couple of Common Tern were hawking over the broad, and a Kingfisher was up to the usual near the hide. Don't get me wrong, this is all great (and in the warm too) but I was hoping for something a little different at Rockland this Spring. Still, with the decent weather set to continue for the next week, eyes to the skies. And indeed, to the ground, for my first Wall Browns of the year were flying and I happened upon my first 4-spotted ...

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...

Notes from the valley

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