First cut!

Three days of continuous sunshine meant that Linda and I could catch up with lots of garden jobs. Our clay-based soil takes ages to warm up and dry, but today I was able to mow the lawn and cut the edges. Lots of pruning - the pitcher plants, Eucalyptus and Buddleia all got a severe cut-back - and Linda restocked the herbaceous borders with biennials and perennials. Won't be long before we're enjoying a glass of something cold and fizzy on the patio!

A Redpoll day in the Brecks

It was a gloriously sunny day with barely a breath of wind, which Linda, Sue, Peter and I had chosen to spend in the Brecks. First stop (having endured the nightmare of the A11 roadworks!) was Mayday Farm. The very first bird we saw was a Woodlark, on phone wires by the parking area: the only one we encountered all day! In between the F-15s and F-35s we steadily added interesting birds to the list: a couple of Goshawks, numerous Buzzards and Kites and a Raven. Best of all, though, were the Redpolls, Siskins and Goldfinches that were visiting a little drinking pool by the main track. Nearby, the 'screen pool' wasn't so productive: just a couple of Yellowhammers.

After lunch at Brown's, we visited Weeting Heath: so sad to see this great little reserve being left unmanned, with no information board - or icecreams! No Stone Curlews, either...

Last stop was Cockley Cley, where just a few Hares and Linnets were about the best we saw: we wound the day up with tea and cakes in Swaffham!

Venus!

Venus is currently a brilliant object, visible in the west after sunset...

Not much at Cley, but a Bittern-fest at Hickling!

As usual, Brian, Norman and I headed to Cley in the hope of some newly-arrived waders or hirundines. Despite an hour in Bishop's and a walk right around the Walsey Hills circuit, all we managed were fleeting views of a Chiffchaff and the expected waders: lots of Red Kites over the reserve, though...

After coffee we decided to go home via Hickling, where (despite two coachloads of primary kids!) we enjoyed much better views of a couple of Chiffchaffs and excellent - if brief - close-ups of a Bittern. Good to bump into Chris & Mark, who gave us the 'heads up' about the Bittern!

Vintage guitars for sale!

As you'll all know: I'm retiring from live music (after 60+ years!) and am intending to sell a couple of guitars and an amp. The Fender Strat is a US built standard, made in 1986/7 and is in nearly immaculate condition: the electro-accoustic is a Fender (China) Sonoran: again, nearly mint and beautiful to play. The amplifier is a Roland Cube, 20watt GX. Incredible little amp, with two channels, loads of effects etc. (Cases included!)

Stratocaster:  £1200
Sonoran:  £120
Roland Cube:  £120

Make an offer, or you could bundle two or all three for a special price!
e-mail: david_bryant51(AT)hotmail.com

Get in Lewis!

What a wonderful drive from Lewis (and Charles!) Let's hope Ferrari can find some straight line speed before Japan!

Sunspots!

 Just a couple of small sunspots today: I wonder if they were associated with last night's aurora?

End of an era....

Apart from a final gig in Lowestoft in April (to which I'm already committed) I've decided to retire from my band Synergy and hang up my guitars, sunglasses and fedora for good. The reasons for this decision are partly old age, partly personal differences, but chiefly the fact that pubs and other venues would rather pay peanuts to book karaoke or solo singers with backing tracks than hire experienced musicians. I've been playing in public for sixty years, so it will be a wrench packing it in, but there's a limit to how many evenings you can perform for three hours and get home at 2.00am, all for less money than I receive for a one hour lecture!

The photos below are of three of my bands: Crude Oil (1968) Serious Risk (1986) and Synergy, 2025.
It's been fun: thanks to all who've supported me over the years...

Unusual times, unusual aircraft...

While Brian, Norman and I were walking towards the East Bank at Cley on Tuesday, four apparent Hercules transport aircraft crossed the reserve from the direction of Mildenhall. It's not unusual to see a USAF C-130 in Norfolk skies (although for some reason the RAF scrapped theirs some years back) These aircraft were obviously different, though: their bulbous noses and somewhat sinister colour scheme revealed them to be the Special Forces variant, the MC-130J, apparently from the 352nd Special Operations Wing... There is speculation that they might possibly be involved in some form of interdiction in the Straits of Hormuz.

Spoonbill at Cley: the video!

Year ticks for the 'Summer Wine Crew' - but not the ones you think!

A long session divided between Cley and Holkham Park provided some much-needed exercise and a couple of year ticks. Bishop's Hide gave us fleeting glimpses of a Water Pipit (photo by Brian) and the usual large mixed flock of Avocets and Godwits, while East Bank was fairly unproductive. 

New for the year, we enjoyed watching Spoonbills at both locations, nesting at Holkham and feeding close by on Pat's at Cley. Arguably our 'best' bird was the adult drake Ferruginous Duck on the Hall lake at Holkham - we had to wait half an hour for it to wake up! Returning to Cley we saw a couple of good-looking Ruff and a very distant Little Ringed Plover.