A few year ticks at Cley

A 7.00am start saw Brian, Norman and me sitting in Bishop's Hide by eight: nothing super-special, to be honest - lots of Avocets, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits were the highlights (!) But was this gull a Caspian?

A move to the centre hides added just a few odds and ends - fly-over Spoonbills, Little Egrets and a large flock of Dunlin - so we headed back to the East Bank. Sedge Warblers began to call as the air warmed up a little and a few Sand Martins began feeding over the reed beds, frequently being joined by a pair of Marsh Harriers. The Brackish Pool produced another new species for the year - a pair of Little Ringed Plovers (I just could not persuade a trio of visitors of their identity, despite them being equipped with 'scopes!)

Last week's near-adult Mediterranean Gull had been joined by a partner: we watched the happy couple defending a nest area and adding to it with bits of weed.

After coffee we moved to Kelling Heath, where the only birds we managed to find were Linnets! On the way home, just south of Saxthorpe, my first Swift of the year flew alongside the car...

Yes!

Just in time for some fine weather, a run of easterlies and the end of the school holidays!

Dancing Grebes: the video

During my brief visit to Ranworth yesterday I was amused to watch the antics of the half a dozen pairs of displaying Great Crested Grebes. They were quite happy to perform within yards of the conservation centre jetty...

Osprey at Ranworth Broad

Finally, being now non-infectious, I made a brief foray to Ranworth Broad to see if I could catch up with the male Osprey that everyone else I know has seen!

On the way through the rond I was pleased to see plenty of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Song Thrushes, while the Broad itself produced my first Common Terns of the year.

I scanned the Broad from the conservation centre for a while, being joined at around 10am by local birder Tim Oxborough and another pleasant couple: it was they who located the Osprey in a tree near the nest platform: since I'd been scanning the area for half an hour, I assume it must have just dropped in! Although distant, it was good to see, especially when, after taking to the air, it was mobbed by a Buzzard, Red Kite and Marsh Harrier.

'Experts' on TV!

At the moment I'm stuck indoors with a second dose of Covid: despite having had the disease last April, and having had all the available injections, I'm feeling a lot worse this time... I'm stuck in front of the TV and am beginning to realise how much rubbish is churned out every day!

Tomorrow (with luck!) the European Space Agency space probe JUICE will begin its long mission to Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System. Following its eight-year slingshot path around the inner planets, it should eventually reach the gas giant and begin investigations of its four largest satellites. 

For some reason the two scientifically-challenged presenters of BBC Breakfast decided to cover the story this morning, being assisted by a guest astrophysicist. The whole segment was frankly embarrasing, with schoolboy errors aplenty: the most ludicrous of these was when the appropriately named Charlie asked if the spacecraft could fly through the centre of Jupiter, since '...it's just made of gas'

What really amazed me, though was that the guest 'expert' replied that, yes, in theory it could!
As I'm sure most of you know, Jupiter, like all the planets in the Solar System, has a solid core, similar in structure to the Earth. This is surrounded by a deep, super-dense metallic hydrogen and helium layer. The temperature at the centre of Jupiter is around 25,000 C. Fly through? I don't think so!

The item continued with Naga and Charlie blathering on about a subject about which they clearly had little or no knowledge...

Synergy rock the King's Head Blofield (Part Deux!)

Terrific three hour rock and blues bash on Easter Sunday: many thanks to our hosts at the King's Head and to all the very appreciative audience members! One couple travelled from Bury St Edmunds and there were others from Taverham, Gt Yarmouth and Hethersett!

Great service by RBA!

I have had RBA pagers for quite a few years now: my current model had just slid out of warrantee when several of the rubber buttons suddenly disintegrated. Fearing the worst, I contacted RBA who invited me to send the pager to them for repair / overhaul. I was very pleasantly surprised: I was without the pager for just three days (over the weekend, too!) and the charge was very reasonable! Well done RBA!

Red Kite and Buzzard share a thermal

A bit too high for decent photography (and a bit gloomy too!) but it was interesting to watch 'our' pale male Buzzard wheeling in a tight thermal with a Red Kite - presumably one of the local nesters. Amazing to think that just a few years ago you'd have had to have gone to Wales to see this!

Some nice new polished iron meteorite slices

This will probably be SPACEROCKS UK's last full year of trading in meteorites, but (despite drastically reducing the number of public events we'll be attending) we continue to add new stock if anything good comes along.

We've recently found a new 'cutter' who has supplied us with absolutely museum-grade polished and etched slices of some iron meteorites: Aletai (from China) Seychan (from Russia) and Muonionalusta (from Sweden)

These are among the best examples of all three we've ever had, and will certainly sell very quickly!

Spoonbills and other bits at Cley

A run up to the North Coast with Brian & Norman was pleasant if unspectacular: Bishop's Hide delivered four Spoonbills and the long-staying Dowitcher, while the East Bank gave us another Spoonbill and a handsome near-Summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull. The Spoonies from Pat's flew up and circled the Hangs, briefly perching among the Little Egret roost: just like Marquenterre!

After coffee we moved to Kelling Heath: despite a walk around the whole area we failed to see a Dartford (although we probably heard one!) nor any Woodlarks. Lots of Chiffchaffs, though!