Breckland Birder

Breckland Birder
Red Deer in Breckland, Norfolk Photo by Paul Newport

Friday 29 November 2019

Hockham, Norfolk

Finally, following many days of greyness, the sun put in an appearance.  The day dawned with a slight frost and little wind.  Light was very good and visibility was also very good.
With today being my only day off this week, I intended to use the fine weather to my advantage and check on a site at Hockham, Norfolk.
This mornings visit to Hockham accrued a reasonable list of 25 species:

2 Mute Swan
Teal
Wigeon
Shoveler
Mallard
Marsh Harrier (juvenile female)
1 Buzzard
Water Rail
3 Pheasant
2 Carrion Crow
2 Jay
Wood Pigeon
2 Stock Dove
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Blackbird
Redwing
Robin
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldcrest
Wren
Treecreeper
1 Cetti's Warbler
2 Bullfinch

I love the sight and sound of wintering duck species and this morning was particularly good for Teal, some were seen when put up by a female Marsh Harrier, however, the true numbers were clearly high given the calls of birds heard within marsh habitat.  Wigeon, Shoveler, and Mallard were also present.
A distant raptor was being mobbed by a Crow species, it certainly looked liked at Harrier, and as it neared, it was clearly a Marsh Harrier, a female bird.  The Crow broke off its attack and the Harrier then itself mobbed a perched Buzzard.  Later, the Marsh Harrier spooked several Duck species, including many Teal and a few Shoveler.
Marsh Harrier at Hockham 29th November


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