Blackcaps arrive and Wheatears on the move

PEDDARS WAY LDP (Little Cressingham and South Pickenham)
I arrived at Little Cressingham windmill at 0530 for an early morning dog walk along the Peddars Way footpath. The day dawned very mild and clear with a moderate, increasing to fresh south-westerly wind.
The first bird of the day was a calling Kingfisher in the Watton Brook valley. It is good to see that this bird has survived the long winter as they are vulnerable during harsh weather.
The section of the Peddars Way between Little Cressingham and north to the Great Cressingham to Saham Toney road, takes in rolling arable land and the lower lying Watton Brook valley. The valley has lots of tree and hedgerow cover and it was here at 0550, I heard and saw my first Blackcap of the spring.  This was a male bird and would be the first of three seen on this walk.
The Watton Brook valley also held singing Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, and Nuthatch.  A Siskin was heard overhead.
Walking north from North Bridge a small flock of about 15 Fieldfare headed low east whilst in the large field to the west at the top of the hill, a single Stone Curlew was seen.

Further north along the Peddars Way at Caudle Hill, South Pickenham, a further 2 singing Blackcaps were seen in the woodland there.  Also, a couple of Chiffchaffs, singing Marsh Tit, singing Mistle Thrush, Goldfinch and Chaffinch, a pair of Bullfinches, noisy Goldcrests, Treecreeper, and a single Kestrel.

Back at Little Cressingham windmill, a single Swallow and single House Martin flew over adjoining fields and mill-pond.  The large rolling field to the west of the Watton Brook valley held at least 6 Lapwings including displaying birds. 

A single Common Buzzard appeared over Shorten's Covert and a singing/displaying Curlew was seen distantly.

ASHILL (Common Road)
I went for a late afternoon dog walk from Ashill Common to Quidney Farm with expectations of migrants in the fields adjoining the road.  Overviewing one of these fields revealed at least 4 Wheatear (3 males one female). These elegant birds typically ran over the land quickly in clockwork-like fashion picking up food matter, also, on a few occasions, one would fly up to take passing insects.


Wheatear 15/04/13 Ashill, Norfolk - one of four together.

 





Also seen along Common Road was a pair of Grey Partridges whilst in the old rail-line cutting a singing Chiffchaff was heard.
Overhead, passage Meadow Pipits were seen and heard.




A morning with James Emerson

A very early start this morning and off to Norwich to pick up James Emerson and back to Stow Bedon and Thompson for some local birding and a valuable introduction for myself from James on Fungi.
James is a young Norwich birder whose patch includes Whitlingham Country Park, an area which he has very much put on the birding map, evidence of this will clearly be seen in his excellent blog entitled 'Birds and Beer'.

STOW BEDON and THOMPSON: Arriving at Stow Bedon for about 0615, we first stopped along Mere Road to check out a large muck heap where Green Sandpipers are frequently seen, however, none were visible today.  Off to the Great Eastern Pingo trail next where our route would take in Thompson Common, Thompson Water, the Peddars Way footpath, Hockham Fen, and Cranberry Rough.
We encountered good numbers of Chiffchaffs along the route but but were surprised at not finding a single Blackcap, a species which should be present in good numbers by now.
Walking along Butters Hall Lane, Thompson, James found my first local Swallow of the year flying around a barn. A bit further on a pair of Pied Wagtails were seen on one of the paddocks where the male bird was seen collecting nesting material.
Given the available habitat, a search for displaying Snipe proved fruitless.
Thompson Carr typically held several Marsh Tits and 'drumming' Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and a small party of Siskins were disturbed by a stream where they were probably drinking.  The dense inderstorey in Thompson Carr holds impressive stands of Holly specimens, it was under one particular clump that a calling male Golden Pheasant was heard, despite waiting and looking, this bird failed to show.
Other typical woodland species seen in Thompson Carr included a number of Treecreepers, singing Goldcrests, and Nuthatches. 

THOMPSON WATER: Surprisingly, no Hirundine species were seen at Thompson Water, the only summer migrant once again being singing Chiffchaff.  A Cetti's Warbler occasionally gave a burst of its explosive song - a powerful voice given the small size of this species.
A pair of Great Crested Grebes, a few Teal, a pair of Gadwall, Coot,and a overhead Sparrowhawk were all seen.
The walk south from Thompson Water along the Peddars Way produced a small number of Redwings in hedges and a male Blackbird in a paddock.

HOCKHAM FEN/CRANBERRY ROUGH: The approach to these sites took us along an old railway cutting where we searched for Adders, however, none were seen.  Hockham Fen appeared quiet and once again, an expected species, Snipe, did not show.
The swampy woodland habitat at Cranberry Rough appeared quiet, however, attention to the ground revealed in footprints, showed that Red Deer had passed this way earlier.
Back at the car as we preparing to leave, a single House Martin was overflying a field close to the Pingo trail.

FUNGI: James's knowledge of Fungi was very impressive and he picked out specimens which I would have just walked by without seeing. I must apologise to James for not remembering all of the names of those Fungi species seen, however, the ones which stood out for me was Witches Broom (found in Silver Birches), and the very beautiful Scarlet Elf Cup. I shall certainly gaive Fungi much more attention in future  following James's 'in the field' tutorial.

Although the expected species failed to materialise, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed James's company - thank you James.


LITTLE CRESSINGHAM (Fairstead Lane and Green Lane).
This handsome male Wheatear was found in a field adjacent to Fairstead Lane and constitutes my first record of this species for this year.
This long-distance migrant breeds in small numbers within Breckland, however, most will be passage birds feeding and resting before continuing their migration to either the uplands of Britain, or Europe, to breed.
The name of this bird, Wheatear, is the modern derivation of an old word meaning 'white arse', this being due to the bright white rump which is usually seen as the bird flies away.

The only other bird of note this afternoon was a singing Chiffchaff along green Lane.
 

............and departures

LITTLE and GREAT CRESSINGHAM 0515-0645
What a beautiful pre-dawn and sunrise it was this morning. At 0515, I set off well before sunrise along Fairstead Lane, Little Cressingham, for a 5 mile circular dog-walk taking in Great Cressingham via Priory Road and the Peddars Way.  The sky was clear and early morning mist hung over the river valleys - tranquility.
The first birds of the morning were calling Stone Curlews and Common Curlews on the wide expanses of land south of Fairstead Lane.  How pleased was I at listening to the wailing Stone Curlews following some recent tragic losses of this species due to the very cold March and early April (sounds silly but I put my thumbs up to these birds as I was walking along).
It was clearly evident that the previous nights conditions was good for Thrush passage.  As I was walking along Fairstead Lane and onto Great Cressingham, both Fieldfare and Redwings were either calling from hedgerows or passing overhead. The Redwings familiar "seeeep" call was frequently heard in the sky above me, however, light was not quite sufficient to see them, but as I got closer to the village and with improving light, I saw Fieldfares passing over in a north-easterly heading.  Both Thrush species were encountered further along the route and at the Priory Road/Peddars Way junction outside Great Cressingham, an unsettled flock of 50+ Redwings were seen in the treetops and hedgerows.  During daylight hours these Thrushes will rest and feed before continuing their passage at night and making for their Scandinavian breeding grounds. 
As I arrived back at the village of Little Cressingham at sunrise, Nuthatch and Coal Tit were singing and a pair of Long-tailed Tits seen in dense cover in the Watton Brook valley.  The large rolling field north of Fairstead Lane adjacent to the valley held a number of Lapwings including displaying birds. A few Fieldfares continued a steady overhead northerly passage.

Incoming.......and wet feet!!!!!

0555hrs: Having just arrived back from a 3 mile walk with Toby, I made a coffee and settled in the study. I opened the window to feel the cool dawn air and silhouetted in my Whitebeam tree was a Willow Warbler giving a couple of bursts of its delightful song before continuing its passage to its breeding grounds.  The presence of this bird brought a welcome smile to my face; however, this was tinged with sadness when I thought of the recent news regarding the sad loss of some Stone Curlews in Breckland due to the unseasonally cold March.   
This Willow Warbler is my first small Sylvia species for the year.  This will be one of many millions of small passerines on the move following their delayed movement from their wintering grounds due to the very cold March, early April, and persistent easterly winds.
The Willow Warbler is a very common summer visitor to the British Isles, it breeds in open woodland, heathland, Birch scrub, commons, and tall hedgerows.  The wintering grounds extend from sub Saharan to South Africa.
A specific area of interest for me in birding is migration. The Willow Warbler seen this morning was passing through my garden as it continues its passage, possibly having traveled overnight on its way to its breeding grounds, it would be interesting to know if any of my followers/birders have noticed any obvious movement of Willow Warblers today.

STANWICK LAKES (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE)
Today, my wife Pam and myself went to our daughters/grand-daughters home in Irthlingborough to give the girls their belated Easter Eggs. They had previously hatched (no pun intended) a plan to go and do some shopping together in Northampton, therefore, I decided to pay a visit to the nearby Nene Valley footpath.  This vast area known as Stanwick Lakes, comprises a series of lakes created as a result of gravel extraction alongside the River Nene.  Stanwick Lakes offers a wide range of outdoor activities as well as providing fantastic habitats for wildlife.
Although much milder than in recent weeks, almost continuous rain showers made going a bit uncomfortable.  I was walking past a family enjoying a visit to one of the many activities offered when I decided to walk through a patch of 'damp' grassland, I took a step and sank to my knees in water, rather than back up, I continued in a nonchalant fashion through the water trying to put a brave face on the situation - I think I must have attracted a smile ot two and a few comments from the nearby family - good thing I am not known there!!!!
Following the recent prolonged cold weather, thoughts were with finding summer migrants in the wealth of available habitat - my earlier Willow Warbler in my garden was a good sign that things should be looking up.
The first of 2 singing Willow Warblers were found in suitable breeding habitat although no Blackcaps or Chiffchaffs were heard.  Perhaps the Willow Warblers seen today arrived along with the rain showers.
Several Sand Martins and a Swallow were seen hawking above the water for food. The Sand Martins were easily identified by their chocolate brown upperparts, lack of white rump as seen on House Martins, and a brown 'necklace' separating the white throat from the white underparts.  Whilst watching some Sand Martins close to from one of the bridges over the river, a single Sedge Warbler was seen in low down, tangled cover, from where song was later heard.
Other species seen included Tufted Duck, calling Teal and Wigeon, and a pair of Great Crested Grebes.
Several pairs of Reed Buntings were seen and a Cetti's Warbler gave its explosive song.
Overhead, a Red Kite slowly passed by and a female Sparrowhawk was seen.  A Little Egret flying along the valley indicated how successful this beautiful species is doing in the UK.

Surprisingly, despite having throughly soaked boots and socks following my earlier impression of Heron, I didn't feel too uncomfortable, however, it was nice to get back to my daughters and dry off while everybody had a good laugh (including me).  

Sad news regarding Stone Curlews

Recent local news reports indicates that a number of Breckland Stone Curlews have been found dead and underweight due to the prolonged cold spell and persistent easterly winds experienced throughout March and early April 2013.
This post is written to ask if my followers could report Stone Curlew observations (living and dead) to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) so that this beautiful species can be monitored accordingly - thank you.
With the promise of improving conditions, let's hope that our visiting migrants enjoy a healthy and successful breeding season.

Easterlies delay migration.....but promising days ahead.

March and early April 2013 have seen unprecedented conditions which have delayed spring migration unlike any other year that I can remember. An almost constant flow of easterly winds and very low temperatures have had a blocking effect upon migration for small passerine species.  Millions of Warblers and Hirundine (Swallows) species will be gathering and feeding along a broad front in southern Europe, waiting for conditions to change in their favour so that the push into Northern Europe can begin, territories can be secured, and breeding can begin.  Time will tell what impact a later start than usual will have upon 2013 breeding successes.

As I sit here typing this I am thinking to myself how strange it is to reach the 8th April with virtually no records of summer migrants on my Breckland patch.  By now, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Sedge Warblers, and Reed Warblers should all be in full song and display, Swallows, House Martins, and Sand Martins should be filling the skies, hunting winged insects.

Larger and stronger migrants have already arrived, this includes a fine male Ring Ouzel at Breckles on 29th and 30th March, and several Stone Curlews on the patch in the first few days of April......but what of smaller migrants such as Warblers.

Male Ring Ouzel at Breckles, Norfolk 30/03/13

The promise of warmer conditions with more favourable wind directions from the forthcoming weekend and the week beyond, a huge surge of migrants into the UK will begin; the species which would generally have arrived much earlier will probably be joined by typical mid-April species such as Cuckoo, Whitethroat, and Lesser Whitethroat.

It should be an exciting week to 10 days ahead, the skies should be filled with millions of migrating birds - let's hope they arrive safely and enjoy a successful breeding season.

'Norfolk Plover' returns

GREAT CRESSINGHAM and BODNEY
One of the most eagerly awaited summer visitors to the Norfolk Brecks is the Stone Curlew, or as it is locally known, the Norfolk Plover.  This Breckland speciality generally arrives mid-March from its Southern Europe and African wintering grounds and I consider it a real privilege to have this enigmatic species breeding on my patch.

Following yesterdays (31/03/13) single Stone Curlew at Bodney, I decided to do an early morning recce of suitable areas for more of these birds whilst walking Toby, my Collie.  My walk took in a circuit around Little and Great Cressingham, and whilst walking south along the Peddars Way back to Little Cressingham, 3 Stone Curlews were seen quite close to on the leeward side of a hedge where they were sheltering from the bitter east wind, they flew off into the open field where they stood motionless.
Early afternoon, I visited Bodney again and soon located a further 3 Stone Curlews, again, these birds took shelter along the field margins, by this time, the easterly wind was freshening and in exposed areas was quite bitter - you have to suffer for your pleasures, and it was worth it.  One of these Stone Curlews gave its eerie wailing call.
Although sometimes difficult to locate in fields due to their cryptic plumage and motionless behaviour, these Stone Curlews showed off their spectacular Black and White wing pattern when in flight.


Stone Curlews (distant) at Bodney, Norfolk, 01/04/13

Also seen in the area was an impressive 500+ Lapwings, a Common Buzzard, and a Sparrowhawk which was flying into the wind to gain height, descend, and gain height again - perhaps a hunting technique and using the wind to its advantage.