If - as Linda does - you feed the birds all year round, then a sudden cold snap like yesterday will bring an influx of different species in unusually high numbers. Natural hostilities are generally forgotten: although the dozen or so male Blackbirds that arrived spent more time squaring up to one another than they did feeding!
As I was sorting out some meteorite orders just now, I glanced out to see a mob of corvids - Rooks, Jackdaws and Magpies - chasing a Red Kite around our sycamore tree. (He didn't seem too bothered!)
Today my wonderful life and business partner Linda and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. She is - has always been - the perfect wife: supportive of my various enterprises, loving, forgiving, incredibly hard-working.... but above all, considerate, intelligent, witty, and caring. She is loved by everyone who knows her!
This morning the Moon was close to Elnath, the star that marks the tip of one of Taurus' horns. Nearby (and super bright) was Jupiter. Seeing was so good that a couple of the giant planet's cloud belts can be made out, even though I was only using a 300mm prime lens!
Having been in bed for two days with 'man flu', I dragged myself out to Burgh Hall to play with our wonderful band 'Synergy': despite the constant sniffing and nose-wiping, the consensus was that we gave one of our best performances!
The last 'Super Moon' of the year emerged from the cloudbelts to light up the entire sky...
Our family of Red-legged Partridges have become so used to Linda and me that when we're out in the garden, they will not only stay on their favourite perch (Dolly the Sheep!) but will even come to food!
Beautiful waxing gibbous Moon tonight: following some tree surgery I have a decent eastern aspect!
An early start (as usual!) saw Norman, Brian and me on the beach at Holkham before 8.00am: only two other people in sight - both birders. This pleasant, friendly couple pointed us towards the Shorelarks and soon we were all enjoying good views of these annual visitors. (It was at this point that I discovered my camera wasn't going to play ball!)
After the Larks moved on we walked along the seaward side of the dunes, where Norman quickly located a flock of five Snow Buntings: tagging along was a single Lapland Bunting! Sorry about the decidely 'record shot' images: hopefully the other two will let me use a few of theirs later!
A move to Cley for coffee was followed by a walk out to Bishop's Hide, where we 'enjoyed' distant views of the Dowitcher and a Pale-bellied Brent: after I sorted the camera out, I photographed my second favourite duck species: a drake Pintail.
A stop at Marsham Church on the way home failed to produce the Black Redstart, but a Buzzard and Marsh Harrier were interesting.
On the way home to Norfolk we stopped for a stroll along the sea wall of the Deben Estuary at Melton Bridge. Lots of exposed mud had attracted good number of waders, including a delightful Grey Plover, flocks of Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlins and a few Avocets and Redshanks. The trees around the car park were full of little birds, best of which were four Bullfinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Continuing northwards, we paused for tea and cake at Snape Maltings, where Linda found some earrings and an unusual plant for the garden, while I added an 18th century wine glass to my collection.
