January 2011

The rather splendid new Parrinder Hide at Titchwell

January started as last year ended with a busy family and work schedule that birding had to fit around. It is of course at times like this that the advantages of living somewhere like Norfolk really kick in, and when even a 60 minute window of opportunity can be enough to see me enjoying a quick walk to the beach at Titchwell.

Its amazing what you can see even when going about your daily rounds, I’m sure its more about how you choose to observe the world as much as where you are. For example some of my best birds this month have been when travelling, a roadside Tawny Owl on the way home from work and a Peregrine Falcon whilst driving through King’s Lynn.

When I have got out and about locally Titchwell has had some good birds this month and the Twite flock on the Brackish Marsh continues to impress as did a Whooper Swan on New Years Day and Long Tailed Duck and Red Necked Grebe on the sea. In Norwich a flock of Waxwings feeding on apples in a railway compound was lovely to see. And on a rare blue sky day a singing Mistle Thrush was a sign of the spring that will be with us soon.

So despite limited opportunities it was great to run through my notebook and find that so far in 2011 I have managed to see 114 species.