An excellent start to 2013.

THREXTON and LITTLE CRESSINGHAM (Pre-sunrise walk)
An early morning 4 mile walk with Toby my Border Collie started at Church Farm, the route took me to Little Cressingham, along the Peddars Way, onto Saham Hall, and back to my start point.
The ususal noise of traffic on the nearby B1108 was today absent with most people presumably laying in following New Year celebrations.
The first birds of the new year was a couple of calling Tawny Owls, one at Threxton House, the other at Church Farm.   Walking north along the Peddars Way from Little Cressingham, a hint of daylight appeared in the east. A Woodcock silhouetted against the dawn sky flew south towards the Watton Brook Valley.
The remaining two miles of this walk produced a single Common Buzzard, some Fieldfare, Goldcrest, and Treecreeper.

THOMPSON WATER 0845

 Excellent visibility greeted my arrival at Thompson Water this morning and within minutes of overviewing from the raised bank, a Peregrine flew low over the water and then off into STANTA.  This large Falcon was silhouetted against the east sky and rising sun, however, I just managed to glimpse the white facial patch.
On the water itself, 10+ Mute Swans and a pair of Mallard were seen.  Small numbers of distant Teal were moving about in a small patch of surface vegetation.
Around the water, a singing Cetti's Warbler was in the dense waterside scrub, also Nuthatch and a singing Mistle Thrush were heard.  7 Cormorants were present.
A Green Woodpecker called once, Marsh Tit was heard and a Goldcrest moved through Birch scrub. 
Several Redwings were seen on the woodland floor as I left Thompson Water.

LITTLE CRESSINGHAM (early p.m.)
A walk along Fairstead and Green Lane produced good numbers of Fieldfares and Starlings, and in the hedgerow along Green Lane, a party of Long-tailed Tits were wandering through.  At Little Cressingham windmill, 7+ Moorhens, Mallard, and a hunting Kestrel were seen.