Goldfinch Roost in Hunstanton

Roosting Goldfinches, Hunstanton

 A metallic chattering call and an undulating gently bouncing flight gave the flock of Goldfinches away as they flew over my head and around Hunstantons' Sensory Garden. In the flat weak light of a December afternoon they looked anything but golden more the same uniform grey of the bare branches of the trees they were dropping into and then out of in this pre-roost gathering.

I tried to make a rough count of how many birds were present and estimated about 50 only for a similar sized flock to fly over a different corner of the Sensory Garden. I paused from my walk for a few minutes to enjoy these birds and tried to grab a few shots with my compact camera. 

Roosting Goldfinches, Hunstanton

As I left I noticed more, presumably different birds in small flocks heading in the direction of the Sensory Garden, so my guess is that there could have been anywhere from 100 to 150+ Goldfinches gathering here on this dull winters afternoon.

Water Pipit and stuff at Titchwell

Little Egret, NW Norfolk

With no 2 son needing a visit with his mum to the out of hours doctor in Fakenham. I took the opportunity to take our 5 year old for a walk at Titchwell Marsh and a visit to the RSPB shop to replenish our supply of mealworms.

With a clear blue sky, it was mild and I felt a little warm in my winter coat. First stop was Island Hide where it soon became apparent that a combination of a low winter sun in our eyes and the distribution of birds on the marsh meant we needed to walk onto Parrinder Hide.

Back on the path we stopped so that no 1 son could look through my scope at the distant flock of Golden Plovers, he managed to do this describing their colour and movement to me. Next was a bit of a wow moment for him as I set the scope up on a close male Teal which he described on looking through he scope as "like it was almost right next to us".

Once settled in Parrinder Hide I let him use my compact camera to snap away at the Teal feeding in front of the hide, whilst doing this he would occasionally stop and announce to the hide in general that their were "so many birds here!" Scanning I quickly picked out Ruff, Redshank, Golden Plover, Snipe and Teal and then the bird I was after a distant Water Pipit feeding along the edge of one of the islands.

It was Time to head back and we stopped briefly to look at and photograph together a Little Egret on the edge of the Brackish Marsh and I got scope views of a male Stonechat perched on top of a Bramble bush on the grazing marsh to the west of the reserve.

Last stop before the car was the shop to buy a jumbo pack of mealworms and then into the car and home just as the sun disappeared behind a bank of grey cloud and the temperature dropped.

Great Grey Shrike at Roydon Common

Great Grey Shrike, Roydon Common

 I can remember the last Great Grey Shrike I saw at Roydon Common a few winters back. It was a crisp sunny day and we watched the Shrike catching Lizards. Today it was cold and grey when no 1 son (aged 5 1/2) and I parked up in a rutted car park, two thirds puddles to one third slippery orange mud. 

Fieldfares, Roydon Common

Heading south away from the car a flock of 50+ thrushes rose from a puddle in the middle of the path in front of us where they had been bathing and drinking. Their calls gave them away as mainly being Fieldfares with a few Redwings and Blackbirds thrown in. We paused for a moment and I set up the scope so that no 1 son could have a go at watching birds through it.

Great Grey Shrike, Roydon Common

The path veered round to the left and skirted the edge of the wet boggy heath. A quick scan of some distant saplings gave me my first view of the Great Grey Shrike.

After being passed by an old couple and their small rat like dog and I scanned again for the Shrike which has now crossed the path and is now perched on top of a bare tree on the crest of the hill to our right. From here it seems to be "flycatching" sallying forth into the heather at regular intervals before returning to the tree presumably not with a lizard in this cold weather.

One sally took the Shrike away over the low rise of the heather clad hill and into the top of another small tree. This time we were able to get a little closer and no1 son was able to get a look at his first Great Grey Shrike through my old Nikon ED Spotting Scope.

After a quick snack, we followed the Shrike back in the direction of the car park and left it perched in the same distant tree we'd seen it in earlier.

As we walked to the car park discussing how far we'd walked and the name of the Common and of the bird, a couple of elderly female birders paused to say hallo and point out to us the Thrush flock we'd seen earlier. Having exchanged pleasantries and ascertained that they were after "our" Shrike no 1 son left them with the wise parting advice that should not try to get too close to the Shrike in case they disturbed it.

Back at the car we get out of our wellies and try and zig zag a route out of the car parkaround th pot holes and back onto the tarmac.

Scoters and a Rough Leg

The normally bustling car park at Lady Anne's Drive is empty save a few early morning dog walkers 4x4's. Even the wild geese that normally throng the fields either side of the drive are absent. Heading north through the pines I hear the calls of newly arrived Redwings.  Holkham Bay is empty and I trudge across the sand and out through the broad gap in the dunes to the sea. Here I set up my scope and set about scanning for my quarry the flock of Common and Velvet Scoter which I am hoping will contain a Surf Scoter that has been reported here.

Empty early morning Holkham Bay

The flock is a way offshore and even using my telescope I have to concentrate hard to pick out the less common Velvet Scoters in amongst the Commons. Other birds come and go in my peripheral vision as I try and remain focused on the search for the Surf Scoter, Great Crested Grebes  and Cormorants appear and then disappear as they dive under the grey waves. Some indistinct white shapes that had been bobbing around in the distance beyond the Scoter flock take form and are revealed to be Gannets, a splendid male Goldeneye joins the flock just as two male Eiders fly by and a female Red Breasted Merganser bobs on the waves.

A male Velvet Scoter has me going for a moment but as soon as I look at him properly I realise my mistake. I scan to the west where more Scoter as sitting on the sea too far away for me to be able to see them well enough to tell which species they are. As I pan the scope a grebe comes into my field of view and is instantly recognisable as a rather smart winter plumage Slavonian Grebe.

Cold and hungry with my £3 for two hours car parking nearly up I have one last scan and head back to the car.

Just east of Burnham Overy Staithe I pull to the side of the A149 and join another birder who is scanning intently through his scope. I ask if he's "had any joy" and he understand my question and let's me look through his scope so that I can get a line on a rather drab Rough Legged Buzzard. I set up and the bird relocates to a more distant small tree. After about 10 minutes it fly's low and fast over the ground, pounces on something in the grass and returns to its perch. In the distance over the belt of pines that lie between us and the north sea four distant Common Buzzards tangle with a passing Red Kite.

Holkham Marsh, squint really hard and there is a wet Rough Legged Buzzard in the middle of this picture, honest

Taking one last look at the Rough Leg and a couple of Barnacle Geese that are mixed in with the Pink Feet I pack my scope away and head for home.

Woodpecker and Sparrowhawk encounter

Autumn leaves going from gold to brown

The single note call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker cuts through the quiet of the winter woodland, I don't bother to lift my binoculars but scan for the bird with my eyes. As I do so I pick up on a fast moving form sliding with barely a wing beat through the tangle of bare branches in the canopy, its broad winged arrow coalesces before me as a monochrome winter silhouette, its small size and shape give it away as a male Sparrowhawk that, no sooner have I identified it, than it has gone, down the slope weaving its way through the tops of the trees. The Woodpecker stops calling and the wood falls quiet again.

A Shrike and the return of the wild geese

Tuesday 23rd September
Early evening and stopped at the traffic lights by Norfolk Lavender in Heacham when a Barn Owl carrying prey flew over Docking Road presumably to a late brood.

Wednesday 24th
Lunchtime walk around Ken Hill Woods was enlivened by a Kettle of 6 Common Buzzards over the top of hill in the middle of the woods.

Grey Squirrel, Ken Hill

Friday 26th
Another lunchtime walk through Ken Hill Woods and good to bump into a mixed flock with Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Blue, Great, Coal, Marsh and Long Tailed Tits.

Sunday 5th October
A quiet walk along the Brancaster to Brancaster Staithe boardwalk, had 4 Buzzards circling overhead, a single male kestrel, the biggest flock of newly returned Brent Geese contained 80 birds, also several Little Egrets, a Cetti's Warbler 1 calling by NT Branodunum in reed saltings, several Bearded Tits heard calling above the reeds by Brancaster Staithe, two Goldcrest in garden by the National Trust Branodunum field and a Red Admiral.

Wednesday 8th October
A night time walk around the block in Hunstanton turned up sighting of a Tawny Owl when one flew across the A149 by the recreation ground.

Thursday 9th October
Managed to use a little flexitime to leave work early and got to Burnham Norton for 5 pm to look for the Steppe Great Grey Shrike. This duly disappeared for a couple of minutes when I arrived before working its way down the side of a ditch by perching on fence posts, eventually it flew into a Hawthorn by the side of the path only to be flushed back into the middle of the grazing marsh as a 'surge' of birders and photographers spooked it. Was still able to watch it through the scope feeding, presumably of insects. Good to get a Norfolk and UK tick.

Steppe Great Grey Shrike, Burnham Norton

Friday 10th October
Another lunchtime boot around Ken Hill Woods and another nice mixed flock with Goldcrest, Blue, Great, Coal, Long Tailed and Marsh tits. In the late autumn sunshine Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma and a White sp.

Sunday 12th October
Hunstanton
Walking through the cold thick fog across the car park to the Oasis swimming pool in Hunstanton for my early morning swim there was a cacophony of bird calls coming from the roof of the pool where there were perched a couple of hundred starlings, presumably enjoying the heat rising from the pool underneath.

Brancaster Boardwalk
A single Cetti's Warbler in tidal reeds, a kingfisher flew calling over the big tidal creek, and a female Blackcap fed in an overgrown orchard in one of the gardens backing onto NT Branodunum.

Brancaster Staithe and Thornham Harbours

Pink Feet

Driving home with no1 son we stopped for ten minutes in the harbour to watch a couple of Cormorants feeding in the channel at low tide whilst Pinkies & Brents flew overhead. Then we had a quick explore of Thornham Harbour where I managed to see another Kingfisher, three Marsh Harriers, and up to four Rock Pipits.

Rock Pipit

Hunstanton Beach
Managed to get half an hour on the beach late afternoon it was relatively quiet with lots of Herring and Black Headed Gulls and the odd Great Black Backed and Common Gulls, Oystercatchers and Bar Tailed Godwits were the commonest waders. I rather like this picture of a juvenile Herring Gull with people walking on the beach in the background mirroring the Gulls own purposeful stride.

Juvenile Herring Gull

Thinking about Tiger's

Following a recent visit to Banham Zoo in Norfolk where along with one of my little boys we saw their Siberian Tigers and some news pieces on London Zoo's 'Tiger Territory' I've been thinking a little about Tigers.

Siberian Tiger, Banham Zoo, Norfolk

In 1794 William Blake wrote his immortal lines

"Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night; / What immortal hand or eye, / Could frame thy fearful symmetry"

More recently in 1968 Judith Kerr wrote and illustrated the children's classic 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea', in which a large, vividly orange and black striped tiger visits a small girl and her mother and precedes to eat them out of house and home.

Both are manifestations of the degree to which these enigmatic big cats have permeated the culture of a country many thousands of miles outside their natural range.

And yet at the same time that we have eulogised tigers in poetry and prose and co-opted them to sell everything from petrol to sugary cereals, we have also driven the species to the very edge of extinction in the wild, through over hunting of their prey, habitat loss, and the hunting of the tigers themselves. Indeed we have lost forever the Japanese, Caspian and Javan races of tiger and the Chinese race may not be far behind them in fading from the face of the Earth.

In 21st century London a small girl turns wide eyed to her teacher and says "You never told us they were real". This child until then had never realised that something as magical could burn so bright in her world, somewhere beyond the garish CGI landscape of children's computer games, books and television.  Like many before her she had been awe-struck by a life force bundled up in a living and breathing blanket of fiery orange and black fur, that emits the over powering charisma and sheer attitude of a Tiger.

Siberian Tiger, Banham Zoo, Norfolk

Her first Tiger experience came at London Zoo, where last year the Zoo opened its new 'Tiger Territory', home to their pair of Sumatran Tigers. Critically endangered in the wild and at risk of going the same way that their Caspian and Javan cousins have already done. There is a real risk that the descendants of  these adopted Cockney Tigers will one day have no wild cousins and perhaps no wild for their descendants to return too.

Tigers do well in Zoo's, they breed freely, too freely perhaps as Zoo's have finite space. But just as humans who have known nothing but modern city living have little in common with their hunter gatherer ancestors and whilst living longer, healthier lives would not have the skills to survive in the wild. So too captive bred Tigers do not have the store of cultural knowledge of a wild home range learned from their mother in their formative years. Or over the generations the brutal pressures of natural selection passing on the genes of the Tigers best adapted to a life in whatever wild there is left.

So, much as modern urban man's basic DNA is the same as that of our hunter gatherer forebears, so too is the DNA of these Zoo Tigers the same as that of their wild cousins and yet both we and the Tigers would struggle to go back to our respective wilds.

Does the loss of this cultural learning matter for tigers? I couldn't practice the hunter gatherer skills of my ancestors but the chances are, I hope, that I will live a longer, healthier and probably happier life. Is the same the case for captive tigers? Where could you release them back into the wild anyway?

Perhaps it is hoped or assumed that we will one day be able to find a way of giving captive bred tigers the store of knowledge and experience they need to lead a wild life.

So if reintroducing zoo bred tigers to the wild is a long shot because there may not be sufficient wild left and even if there is equipping tigers to survive in it may be beyond us. Does beg the question what is the point of keeping tigers in Zoo's? Well firstly we have them and we can either keep them well or euthanize them. But also I think that there are two more fundamental drivers hope and inspiration.

As the little girl at London Zoo showed, Tigers inspire wonderment and awe in the natural world and from this can come hope. Hope that maybe just maybe we can save the wild places that tigers call home and with that a hope that future generations will be able to know the frison of walking through wild tiger country or perhaps just having the satisfaction of knowing that somewhere out there such places exist inhabited by Tyger's burning bright in the forests of the night.

Vagrants and colonists from the east

Wednesday 17th September
I had to work late into the evening, so I treated myself to a morning walk out to Burnham Overy Dunes, I knew that there had been a few goodies here the day before but I set out more in hope than expectation.

First stop was the reed fringed pool and despite giving it a long hard look over I couldn't find the Black Necked Grebe that had been present, the effort I put in wasn't wasted as I found a Green Sandpiper and had my first Pinkies of the winter, six flying overhead their distinctive "wink, wink" calls as they flew giving them away, their arrival as sure a marker of the changing seasons and autumns inexorable slide into winter, as the first swifts screaming through the air in late Spring herald the dawn of summer.

A passing birder told me that a Yellow Browed Warbler was showing, so I quickened my pace. On arrival I was told that a Red Breasted Flycatcher was on view and as I lifted my binoculars a Pied Flycatcher popped onto the wires of the fence below me.

Red Breasted Flycatcher, Burnham Overy Dunes

Whilst waiting for the Yellow Browed Warbler I added Garden Warbler, Whinchat and Wheatear to my mornings tally. At last the Yellow Browed showed well if briefly, it is always a treat to see one of these birds that bring to mind associations with scrappy bits of scrub and woodland on the east coast of England in autumn and also of winter birding trips I made to Asia many years ago. Here I also saw a single Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat in the same binocular field of view. It was at this point it became apparent that there were two Red Breasted Flycatchers present. one of which worked its way along the fence in front of me and at one point was maybe 6 feet away, it really was classic east coast autumn birding.

With time pressing and a long car journey ahead of me to a meeting in Essex I dragged myself away from what had been a top mornings spotting.

Thursday 18th September
Got home not much before midnight on the 17th and up and out the house in good time this morning to catch the train to London for another meeting. My route in London takes me on a short and enjoyable walk through Green Park and St James's Park. The Parks were very busy with tourists enjoying the fine autumn weather. Time was tight but I paused for a moment on the bridge over the lake in St James's Park, looking into the clear water I could see a huge shoal of Perch and Rudd, the Perch are easy to Identify with their vertical barring, the Rudd are less obvious but my friend The Grumpy Ecologist tells me that they "Look like Rudd - bright red fins, mouth has longer lower lip (rather than roman nose and long top lip of roach)".

Rudd and Perch, St James's Park Lake.

Ring Necked Parakeet in Indian Bean Tree, St James's Park

Once across the bridge I was further distracted by the distinctive call of a Ring Necked Parakeet from some mature trees just off the path, after a little searching through their large densely packed green leaves, I spotted a couple of well camouflaged birds feeding on the seed pods of what was a large Indian Bean Tree, for such dayglo green birds it's amazing how they blend in.

On Googling this behaviour at home it is clear that London's Ring Necked Parakeets regularly exploit this food source and observers who have had more time to observe this suggest that they are feeding on the pulp not the seeds. Interesting how a tree from the Americas and a bird from Asia have come together in the man made habitat of central London.

Friday 19th September
A busy day in the office in Snettisham, but had a quick 20 minute stomp through Ken Hill Woods and bumped into a large mixed feeding flock including several each of Treecreeper, Goldcrest, and Coal Tit.

Saturday 20th September

Holme Church from Holme Marsh

A busy morning, first I went swimming, then I shot home got no1 son and took him for his swimming lesson, finally I had 90 minutes spare and opted for a walk around Holme Marsh on the grounds that its less than 10 minutes drive from home, not many folk go there, there are lots of birds about and therefore I might have a chance of finding something good. The last part of this line of logic is where it fell apart, Holme Marsh was nice but quiet, still I did find Chiff Chaff 4, Blackcap 2, Wheatear 1, Marsh Harrier 3 and as ever the Konik Ponies were photogenic.

 

Konik Ponies, Holme Marsh

Sunday 21st September

A quick visit to Titchwell more to buy some bird food than to go spotting, a cold north wind was keeping passerines down but I did manage to pick out three distant Little Stints on the Fresh Marsh and three different Chinese Water Deer around the reserve. At home a couple of skeins of Pink Footed Geese totalling maybe 40 birds flew over calling as I put out the washing.

Brief encounter with a Norfolk Fox

Note below a direct transcript of the lines I scribbled in the notebook whilst watching this Fox in Brancaster.

Been a while since i had the luck to spend any time watching a fox. This one seemed small, sleek and in good condition. Classic russet [Red Panda coloured] body, dark blackish tail and a shining / glowing white tip to its tail [like a Tigers].

Fox in twilight, Brancaster

In the rapidly fading twilight it exuded suppleness and energy as it hunted a yellow field of scrappy overgrown grass. Arching its back as it paused , face, eyes, ears and muzzle pointed down. Then springing into the air and landing as it pounced on a vole.

Fox pouncing

One unfortunate Vole / Mouse was tossed forwards by the Fox two or three times.

After 20 minutes in its company it moved away towards some trees and into longer, thicker grass. Got a sense it was aware of me and would take in my presence as it looked around.

Fox, Brancaster

Mid August to Mid September catch up - things are moving

Fells like a long and fun summer since we returned from holiday in Yorkshire, notes below a quick summary of what I've seen.

Monday 18 August , Thorpe Marshes NWT [Norwich]
A short lunchtime walk, managed single Sparrowhawk and Green woodpecker and four Swifts in amongst the House Martins.

NWT Thorpe Marshes

Wednesday 20th, Holme Beach
Picked two rt three Arctic Skuas whilst playing with the kids on the beach.

Friday 22nd, Titchwell Creek
Quiet, with only three Common Seals hauled out, not helped by loose dogs swimming in the creek. Heard Avocet, Whimbrel and Greenshank

Common Seals at Titchwell Creek

Sunday 24th
Inland of Titchwell a single Hobby over the car.

In and around Brancaster
Single Swift and Sparrowhawk
At dusk a hunting Fox and Daubentons Bats over the marsh

Monday 25th Titchwell Marsh
I set myself a target of finding 50 species in two very wet hours and crept in on 51 species, few highlights in awful weather included Golden Plovers, Spotted Redshank and Bearded Tits.

The way onto Titchwell Beach

Tuesday 26th
Perhaps the same Fox in Brancaster this time after dark on the Branodunum housing estate

Thursday 28th, Titchwell Marsh
A short, productive evening walk with a Great White Egret, 12 Spoonbills, six Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Greenshank, five Spotted Redshank's, three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, a Cetti's Warbler, one Swift, two Muntjac and a single Chinese Water Deer.

Chinese Water Deer, Titchwell Fresh Marsh

Friday 29th, Holme Beach
Intermittent seawatching whilst playing with the kids, found a single Arctic Skua, Gannet 2, Fulmar 3, Wigeon 4, Common Scoter 1, Sandwich Terns and a Common Seal.

In the evening a Fox in Branodunum [Brancaster]

Saturday 30th, Brancaster Saltings and adjacent scrub and gardens
Swift 1, Pied flycatcher 1 female and nearby a Wild Bee nest.
On way home a pair pf Bullfinches flew across the road through Courtyard Farm [Ringstead].

Wild Bee's nest, Brancaster

Wednesday 3 September
Great views of a perched Kingfisher during a work visit to Fen Drayton Lakes [Cambs]

Saturday 6th, Titchwell Marsh
Little stint 2 juveniles, Curlew Sandpiper 3 juveniles, Spoonbill 6.

Juvenile Common Sandpipers, Titchwell Marsh

Thursday 11th, Titchwell Marsh
Curlew Sandpiper 3 juveniles, Greenshank 1, Spotted Redshank 2, Hobby 1, Stonechat 1, Wheatear 1.
After dark in Hunstanton heard a Whimbrel flying over.

Saturday 13th, Titchwell Marsh
Very quiet in the bird front but a nice Stoat ran across the West Bank path.

Sunday 14th, Holmne Beach
Arctic skua 1 - 3, Bonxie 1, Gannet 12 - 14, Sandwich Terns still present.

Sea watching at Holme Beach

Things to do and not to do in the Yorkshire Dales with kids.

Spent 26th July to 9th August in the Yorkshire Dales on a family holiday, we stayed in a small cottage between Hubberholme and Buckden at the top of the valley of the river Wharfe. Always nice to get a dose of the Uplands even if the birding in the Dales can be a little slow at times.

 

Grange Cottage near Hubberholme [left of picture]

This is an area that I know pretty well from childhood holidays and somewhere that we have visited several times with our own two young boys [aged 2 and 5]. So from the perspective of a family that likes the outdoors and wildlife here are some thoughts on things to do and maybe not do.

River Wharfe at Hubberholme

Six things to do

Go to Bolton Abbey its brilliant, great coffee and cake in the cafe, lovely buggy accessible riverside walks, pebbly beaches from which to skim stones and generally mess around in the river Wharfe and especially in the spring some great birds including Dipper, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Wood Warbler, Mandarin Duck, Grey Wagtail etc.

 

Stone circle, Langstrothdale

Visit the inspirational Chris and Fiona Clark at Nethergill Farm just south of Hawes and learn about how they are linking Farming the Environment and People, enjoy one of their home made flapjacks, see the rare white shorthorn cattle, take a walk around the farm, or perhaps stay in one of their holiday flats.

 

White Shorthorn, Nethergill Farm

Walk south alongside the river Wharfe from Kettlewell along one side of the river as far as the stepping stones and then come back along the opposite bank, a great stretch of river for Dippers and Kingfishers and a nice length for small kids, no good for buggy's though.

 

Upper reaches of River Wharfe

Drive over to Bolton Castle and find your way through the maze or wander the battlements.

Bolton Castle and maze

Catch fish and Crayfish in the River Wharfe, you can do this pretty much anywhere.

Signal Crayfish, River Wharfe

Go to Malham, enjoy the well made path that takes you out to Malham Cove where in spring and summer you can look through the RSPB telescopes at the nesting Peregrines and wander why there are three times as many nesting in London as manage to breed in the Dales. If you have the time and energy walk up the steps on the side of the cove and across to Goredale Scar and back down into Malham where you could try out the Lister Arms for lunch.

One to maybe avoid

We went to Eureka the national children's museum in Halifax and were disappointed by the long and badly managed queues to get in and to eat, the crowded exhibition space and word heavy exhibits, an expensive mistake.

What happened to July?

Been on holiday, more on that in another post. Here's a quick update from the notebook on a few sightings from July.

Tuesday the 8th of July
A commute in and out of Norwich was enlivened by a Red Kite in the morning over the northern ring road around Fakenham, always amazing how even when driving their distinctive shape gives them away from a long way off. During a  lunchtime walk in the Rosary Cemetery it was nice to see a Muntjac and then on the way home a Common Buzzard over Sculthorpe.

Sunday 20th 
A family visit to Brancaster Beach. At the beach hut in the dunes we had great views of a resting Grayling, whilst offshore and then over the dunes 7 [but perhaps as many as 11] Arctic Skuas harassed the Sandwich Terns including one unfortunate bird that had 6 Arctic Skuas chasing it at one point. Also offshore was a single Gannet but no Little Terns.

Grayling, in the dunes behind Brancaster Beach

Noteworthy that day were screaming packs of 20 - 30 Swifts over Brancaster and Thornham and a more precise [and repeated count, but still I reckon an underestimate] 31 over the Lincoln / Boston Square are of Hunstanton

Scorpion Fly's, autumn migrants and 72 million year old squid

A busy few weeks and although the weather has been mixed it has felt like summer with some wonderfully warm days. 

Avocet at Titchwell Marsh where they seem to be having a good breeding season.

 Saturday 21st June saw me in Holkham Park with our two small boys trying to show them Fallow Deer, this was achieved with a bit of effort as the deer seemed mostly to be lying up in the nettle beds presumably with their young. The sunshine brought out good numbers of Ringlet's and Meadow Brown butterflies here.

The following day Sunday 22nd we had a great encounter with a young Hedgehog in a Brancaster garden as it fed on the lawn in the afternoon and allowed the boys a great look at it before it disappeared into the bushes.

After work on Wednesday the 22nd I had to visit a friend who lives near North Elmham and who has two pairs of Little Owls nesting close to his house. I was lucky enough to see one of these birds on my way out.

Thursday 26th saw me heading west into Cambridgeshire to the Village of Over in the Ouse valley for a work meeting, at lunchtime I had brief views of one of my favourite British Dragonflies the Banded Demoiselle.

Saturday 28th saw me taking the boys around Ken Hill Wood in Snettisham and although this was a pretty quiet walk for wildlife in the cool air I did see some nice Ringlets sitting around waiting for the air to war up.

On Saturday afternoon I took our five year old for a walk at Titchwell, he had a lot of fun playing with my camera and asking questions about the war [sparked by some of the interpetation around the site]. Couldn't really do too much birding but nice to see a summer plumage Spotted Redshank and a Riff plus a couple of Spoonbill, highlights though were the good numbers of Avocet chicks and watching a female Marsh Harrier bringing in prey and do an aerial food pass with one of this years young. Also here was a very tatty Painted Lady.

An extremely tatty Painted Lady at Titchwell Marsh

Spotted Redshank in summer plumage at Titchwell Marsh, autumn passage underway?

Tuesday 1st July and a work meeting over coffee in a Snettisham garden was enlivened by the presence overhead of three thermalling Common Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks. Later a lunchtime  walk around Ken Hill Wood was good for butterflies with Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, White Admiral, Comma and what I am pretty certain was a Purple Hairstreak high up in some oaks.

White Admiral in slightly faded condition, Ken Hill Wood

Thursday 3rd another lunchtime walk in Ken hill woods and even more White Admirals and my first Grass Snake of the year, plus a Scorpion Fly one of the three species of Panorpa found in the UK.

Scorpion Fly, Panorpa sp, Ken Hill Wood

Saturday 5th July I saw my first Gatekeepers of the year in Brancaster and in the evening I had another great encounter with a young Hedgehog this time in the Sensory Garden in Hunstanton. Interesting that I have struggled to see Hedgehogs in recent years and this past few weeks I have seen two, I wonder if their numbers were hit by the run of heard winters we had ad are now starting to pickup.

Young Hedgehog, Hunsatnton Sensory Garden

Then today Sunday 6th an afternoon with the family on Hunstanton beach, very quiet for birds with a few Sandwich and Common Terns offshore and a single adult Kittiwake being the bird highlights. Whilst building piles of rocks with the kids we found some small fossils which I think are Neohibolites which were a type of Cephalopod from the Cretaceous about 72 million years ago, in other words very old and very tough calamari.

Fossil Neohibolites, Hunstanton beach

Mid May to Mid June, Spring into Summer

Lots of catching up to do, as ever been really busy with work and family life and I've started swimming again as a way of managing my bad back, so time is even more precious than usual.

Friday 16th of May, a lunchtime walk around Ken Hill Wood was enlivened by a Cuckoo calling close by, disappointingly I didn't see any Grass Snakes despite the weather conditions being favourable.

Sunday 18 saw me on Holme Beach in the morning with the family, a lovely warm, blue sky sort of a day, offshore in the distance were three Gannets whilst closer were Little and Sandwich Terns and one or two Common Seals popped up to take a look at the beach. Mist exciting though was a brief but good view of a Broad Bordered Bee Hawkmoth that flew around my wife's hand before disappearing from view.

Common Whelk shells collected by no 1 son at Holme

In the afternoon we could hear Cuckoos calling around Brancaster and I saw a Muntjac with my 5 year old whilst teaching him to ride his bike. In the evening I spent an hour under the cliffs and had a flock of 35 Turnstones including a few with lovely white hoods.

Wednesday 21st saw me on a work visit to Fen Drayton Lakes, not a lot of time for spotting but it was good to see the Common Terns that breed here and four small Avocet chicks on an island in front of the hide.

Friday 23rd and I was at Minsmere for a work visit in between meetings and press calls for the launch of Springwatch and the Suffolk Nature Strategy I managed to see two or three Bitterns and heard several Nightingales 

Oystercatcher and Carrion Crow in dogfight over Minsmere scrape.

Friday 30th saw me walking round Courtyard Farm with my two small sons and enjoying a brief view of a Stoat on the road, a purring Turtle Dove and a brief view of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Saturday 31st and a family trip to Holkham where I saw a Spoonbill fly over Lady Anne's Drive

The following day Sunday 1st June Cuckoos were still calling in Brancaster and I saw a male Orangetip in the garden.

Tuesday 3rd back to Minsmere for work and a short s[ell early evening in Bittern Hide produced a couple of Hobby', three Bitterns, Cetti's Warbler, Bearded Tits and a Kingfisher. The drive home in the dark was notable for sightings of two Tawny Owls and a single Bran Owl.

Monday2nd I saw my first Sparrowhawk for a week or two flying over the car in the morning rush hour in Taverham.

Thursday 5th June, attracted by the sound of mobbing Blackbirds I left the path at Ken Hill Woods and a found a Tawny Owl being mobbed by a mixed passerine flock.

Roosting Tawny Owl, Ken Hill Wood

Friday 6th surely my last Orangetip of the year a male on the edge of Ken hill Wood, but still to see a Grass Snake there this year, very unusual. In the evening I had to drive to Oxford for a nephews birthday party and on the way saw one Red Kite, about ten Kestrels and half a dozen Buzzards plus three Dead on the Road Badgers. The children's party on the Sunday was held in Shotover Country Park and I had Kestrel, Buzzard and Red Kite overhead.

Red Kite, Shotover Country Park

8 year old's birthday party, Shotover Country Park

Wednesday 11th and I found a Lilly Beetle on the Lilly's in our back garden in Hunstanton.

Lilly Beetle, Hunstanton

Thursday 12th saw me back at Minsmere for another work visit on the last day of Springwatch, again I managed views of Hobby, Bittern, Marsh Harrier as well as some splendid flower spikes of Marsh Orchid by Island Mere Hide and some great views from the ramp to this hide of red bellied male Sticklebacks in the Shallows.

Friday 13th a brief afternoon leg stretch and one to one around Ken Hill was brought to life by a wood mouse and then a Stinkhorn covered in fly's and still no Grass snakes

Stinkhorn and fly's, Ken Hill Wood

Sunday 15th, a walk with the family down Gipsy Lane with good views of Spoonbill and Little Tern and later in a Brancaster garden the wonderfully iridescent Oedemera nobilis aka the False Oil Beetle.

Oedemera nobilis aka the False Oil Beetle, Brancaster