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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