Kite at Hemblington Church!

While Linda was topping up the feeders at Hemblington Church, I enjoyed close views of a beautiful Red Kite that circled the churchyard for several minutes. Nearby a Brown Hare snuggled down against the wind and rain....

Sparrowhawk: the ultimate garden predator!

As I was working in the office, I glanced up to see a Sparrowhawk knock a Collared Dove out of the sky. It spent the next hour plucking and eating its victim on the lawn: grisly, but fascinating.

Terrific day: Glossy Ibis, BT Diver and Snow Buntings!

Norman picked us up in a gloomy, drizzly dawn for a drive to the North Coast. Bishop's Hide produced just a distant Water Pipit and a very confiding Little Egret, so we moved to Stiffkey, where a short walk gave us great views of three Glossy Ibises - presumably the trio that overwintered at Cley / Salthouse.

A brief seawatch at the Coastguards added Black-throated Diver to the year list, followed by coffee at the VC. We headed east to Winterton, where a very confiding flock of 75 Snow Buntings gave us terrific views as they whirled around us!

Amazing Aurora!

Despite the clouds, the aurora was incredibly bright tonight: so much so that I could see it from my office, through the back door! At one point a bright green ray appeared, which swept up to the zenith, close to Jupiter!

Black-winged Kite

Linda and I being at a loose end (and the weather being bright and clear for a change) we drove to Hickling, being among the first cars in the carpark. The 40-minute slog along the muddy paths proved worthwhile in the end: although it had apparently been nearer earlier, we still enjoyed prolonged views of the long-staying Black-winged Kite, as it digested its breakfast vole! Other birds included distant Cranes, several Yellowhammers, a Great White Egret and all the usual large raptors.

Sea Monsters!

I first visited Loch Ness when I was a kid of 10 of 11: I was already totally fascinated by dinosaurs - all prehistoric animals, in fact - and had a large library of books on the subject. The visit coincided with a campaign by the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, who had established camera watch points and semi-permanent camps around the loch: I was inspired by all this activity into a life-long interest in both cryptozoology and fossil hunting. If I couldn't see a living sea monster, I could at least hold the remains of a long-dead one! The fossils below (some of which I found, some I was given) are vertebrae and teeth of Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs and the femur of a Pliosaur: genuine Mesozoic sea monsters! (Those with a long memory will recall that I was lucky enough to enjoy a sustained view of the fabled Loch Ness Monster back in the seventies....)

Bingo!

Well that was quick!

Two million!

At some point this coming weekend - probably tomorrow - 'Birds of the Heath' will receive its two millionth unique visit! Thanks so much to those of you who read (and hopefully enjoy) the blog and my eclectic ramblings!

There's a plaice for us!

Four, in fact! Linda's son and daughter gave us a voucher for supper at our local pub: we booked in for my birthday last night. I chose plaice (a particular favourite) The server asked if I wanted standard or large: naturally (thinking it would just be a bigger piece of fish) I chose large. This is what arrived! I have to confess I couldn't even attempt the fourth, largest item: we took it home to freeze! (Bear in mind: the chips were in a separate, enormous bowl!)

Birthday birding!

Brian and I met early for a run around the North and East Coasts, finishing at Halvergate by way of  Horsey. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day, with Siskins at Letheringsett to start, with The Eastern Black Redstart at Sheringham as the highlight. Something I've personally never seen was a flock of Avocets several hundred metres out to sea at the Coastguards...  Nice to add Cattle Egret to the day and year lists: three birds in the usual spot at the end of Branch Road.