The Brecks again!

Linda joined Brian, Norman and me for a run down to the Brecks on a beautiful frosty morning. We started at the well-known Willow Tit feeding station: today we'd brought a bag of suitable food and the birds responded straight away. There were lots of Coal and Marsh Tits, but a couple of Willow Tits too.

We moved on to Lynford (via a Gos-less Cockley Cley!) where we added Hawfinch, Siskin, Nuthatch and a year tick for me in the shape of a Reed Bunting! An Osprey from Mildenhall flew low over the Arboretum, sending all the birds off into the trees! After an altercation with a really unpleasant and aggressive dog owner we adjourned to Brown's for coffee and scones, before carrying on to Lakenheath. A long walk round gave us several pairs of Stonechat as well as Little, Cattle and Great White Egrets (two) as well as a few Buzzards and Marsh Harriers.

Forever amber!

A long-time customer (now friend) of ours occasionally asks me to display something special for him: these are usually fossils or similar objects that we don't trade in. Today a beautiful piece of amber arrived in the post for me to frame under glass. Now I've seen lots of amber - I've even found the odd piece on an East Coast beach - but this is without doubt the best I've come across. It's a 10cm x 3cm piece of Baltic amber, formed sometime between 35 and 45 million years ago - much older (and rarer!) than the cheap stuff one sees in crystal shops at the seaside.

This has numerous amazing inclusions: spiders, gnats, ants, a caddis fly and a moth, all preserved at the moment of their entrapment in pine resin. Not Jurassic Park, exactly, but an amazing window on the prehistoric past.

Amusing encounter at Acle!

On the way to look for the Scaup at Hickling, I stopped at Acle to check out the 'crane fields': there were three birds feeding and three more flying over. I also picked out a Marsh Harrier, a couple of Buzzards and a Short-eared Owl. Another car pulled in and I recognised the driver as the young man who had earlier kindly pointed out the shorties at Halvergate.

We chatted briefly and I mentioned that I was on my way to Hickling: he said that he and his partner Sarah were doing the same 'circuit' and would stop en route at Ludham Airfield. I mentioned that RBA was consistently misreporting the swan numbers: the last time I'd visited there were 36 swans, all Whoopers: RBA (and the various blogs that pinch their data!) had reported 36 Bewicks. We reflected that RBA was inevitably forced to rely on other people's observations at times, but that it was also the case that the swan herds at Ludham constantly change composition. I did say that I have an RBA pager and frequently post images to their website, which is a great source of information to Norfolk birders. I then gave the couple one of my cards and asked their names: the guy turned out to be Will Soar of RBA!

Postscript: I stopped at Ludham Airfield on my way home: there were over 100 swans, of which 60+ were Whoopers. RBA reported '36 Bewick Swans'!

Short-eared Owls, Cattle Egrets, Scaup and lots more!

The flying cats of Halvergate are back! It's been a couple of years, but at least two Short-eared Owls were showing well at Halvergate Branch Road this morning: I was taken by surprise by a Barn Owl that flew by too close to focus! Six or so Cranes were in their usual fields at Acle (where a good flock of Whitefronts flew over)

Nearby, two Cattle Egrets were obligingly close to the footpath at Potter Heigham, while a pair of Scaup were somewhat more distant at Hickling!

At Ludham Airfield well over 100 wild swans were present: mostly Whoopers but thirty or so Bewick's too.

 

 

Black Redstart at Potter Heigham

Since we needed some more bird food, Linda and I made a visit to Potter Heigham just before midday: we knew a female-type Black Redstart had been frequenting the area around Herbert Woods carpark, so we took our bins and cameras.

After finishing the shopping we walked across to the far side of Latham's parking area and immediately bumped into Ian Brittain and several other old acquaintances: they had seen the bird and advised us where to look. After a few minutes, the bird appeared by some large bins, allowing distant views: Linda and I were pleased to find we were sharing this delightful bird with ex-pupil and chum Tina and her aunt Tonia!

The bird gradually moved nearer, before flying across to a public footpath to the east of the river. From here we enjoyed really close views, and - from a nearby footbridge - discovered two distant Cattle Egrets. On the way home we searched through a roadside flock of Pinkfeet, but there was nothing out of the ordinary with them.

Fieldfare flock still present and a beautiful first quarter Moon

The large (100+) flock of Fieldfares is still scattered across the stubble field between the Lt Plumstead Road and Bonds Lane at Blofield Heath: they look particularly stunning in the low sunshine. Meanwhile, up above, the Moon is displaying some magnificent crater fields!