Is it safe to go to the beach now?

 As you all know, I am not a twitcher, I am a Birder, and a Birder who has a passion for dogs. Equally, I love to share my passion with others who wish to learn.  What I do dislike are certain people who think our countryside, including our beaches are there for them only and for nobody else to share and enjoy.

I feel that our countryside and beaches are for all to enjoy providing they follow the countryside code, respect wildlife, and leave the countryside in a clean and tidy state upon their leaving.

Responsible dog owner know to keep their beautiful dogs on leads in sensitive area for wildlife, and indeed, those responsible people will hopefully respect certain areas where no dogs are allowed, and indeed areas where people as well who should go in order to protect wildlife and their sensitive habitats.  There are some irresponsible dog owners who should not be allowed to enter sensitive areas, however, in these cases it is rarely the fault of the dog.

I pride myself on not being a twitcher and I am careful to whom I reveal my finds too because I have seen evidence, both having read about and witnessed, when twitchers have worried birds, including species whose very nature is to skulk and remain in cover, but are subjected to organised flushes to see the bird.  I have also witnessed criminal damage in the pursuit of birds.  It is poor behaviour and totally embarrassing to see twitchers as they chase their quarry.  During the pandemic we witnessed in the media idiot twitchers breaking lockdown rules, causing dangerous conditions on our roads due to irresponsible parking, and trampling sensitive habitats as they go.

I equally dislike those who are critical of others using our beaches for their social recreation, dog walking, and taking the family out for the day.  Most families are responsible people, however, there are other families who let the side down.  On the whole, it muse be said that humans have the biggest impact upon the safety and wellbeing of wildlife on our beaches and in the wider countryside.

  On Sunday 23 April, I was birding on my local Breckland patch.  At the end of a great mornings birding I was confronted with the ugly side of humanity when over a 1/2 mile stretch of roadside I collected 2 large (and eventually, very heavy bags) of litter thrown out of cars.  Clearly, the offenders here have an underdeveloped brain and are unable to put together a few letters forming a single syllable word, the word is BIN, well use it then.  I however feel sorry for these offenders as they clearly have an inability to distinguish right from wrong.

I also dislike certain elements of society who feel noisy children should not visit the beach etc, it must be remembered that those who are critical were once children themselves, more importantly, a noisy child who visits the beach may be that person whose curiosity about something they have seen or heard may be the spark needed to get them interested in wildlife and our countryside, after all, the children of today will be the future custodians of our countryside.  So don't be critical of our future environmentalists and naturalists.  

To end, I will once again repeat my dislike of twitcher types who feel dogs, and children should not be on our beaches and countryside.  These selfish people are equally not welcome in the countryside if they are not willing to share it.

A passage of Seven Whistlers and first Nettlecreeper of the year - 20th April 2023

 On the morning of 20th April I decided upon a walk along a 3 mile route on my patch around the Cressinghams in Norfolk.  The day dawned bright with cloudless skies and a moderate NE wind. The habitat I was passing through is well suited to Sylvia Warblers, so therefore, target species was to be either Lesser or Common Whitethroats.

As I was walking west towards Great Cressingham I became aware of distant birds high approaching from the west, this was a small flock of 9 Whimbrel, quite high and in a loose V formation.  I continued to watch the birds as they made their way east in the beautiful clear blue sky.  

Whimbrels are a scarce bird of passage on my patch and usually occur as single birds, therefore 9 together is a great patch record.

The Whimbrel is colloquially known as 'seven-whistler', this being due to the series of seven or so piping notes given by the bird, very distinctive and easily identifies this migrant.

Along my route several Blackcaps were in song as expected and on overhead wires in the village was a single Swallow whilst high up a number of House Martins wheeled about in the sky.

A low soaring Red Kite drew the attention of mobbing Lapwings and once it had alighted in a tree it then became the target of angry Jays.  Nearby a Little Owl was calling.  

It was while I was watching the Red Kite I heard a Raven calling.  Once a very rare vagrant in Norfolk, this very impressive crow species is being seen and heard with some frequency on the patch.  Usually I see single or pairs of Ravens, however, my best single count on my patch was 3 birds together.

As I approached the end of my walk, one of my target species for the day, a Whitethroat, was briefly singing from within the cover of a hedge, a slightly later arrival date for this Sylvia, but always a welcome returning migrant which always raises a smile and a "Welcome back beautiful" under my breath.  

Whitethroat or "Nettlecreeper"

Whitethroats is a species which has endured serious struggles following a very concerning population crash on their wintering grounds in the Sahel region of Africa when a drought in the winter of 1968/69 saw a crash in numbers of Whitethroats, a reduction in numbers so severe that it was reported that 90% of birds failed to appear in Britain the following summer to breed.  Numbers of Whitethroats have steadily increased since this dreadful time, however, not yet to pre-crash levels.  It is because of this desperately sad event that Whitethroats hold a special place in my heart and always bring a welcoming smile to my face.

The wintering grounds of the Whitethroat is in the Sahel, this is along the southern most boundary of the Sahara Desert and stretches from the Atlantic in the west to the Red Sea in the east, and is about 200 miles north to south.  The climate of the Sahel is tropical to subtropical.

I love to use colloquial names for birds, one of those for the Whitethroat is the "Nettlecreeper", an apt description for a species which skulks and nests within ground covering herbage.         

Arrivals of the first summer migrants

From mid-March each year the first summer migrants begin to appear  on the patch with arrivals soon settling down to sing and reaffirm their territories, or passing through on their way to their breeding grounds elsewhere in the country, or indeed beyond.

One of our earliest returning migrants is the Chiffchaff, my first this year was on 11th March at a local sewage treatment works, a type of facility which provides a microclimate and good feeding for newly arrived birds.  Following this first bird, Chiffchaff numbers began to increase from mid March with some sites holding several singing birds.

Male Blackcap

The last week of March usually sees the first Blackcaps arriving on territory, my first of the year was at Bodney on 27th March.  The beautiful song of the Blackcap always brightens woodland which may still be in the final grips of winter.

Blackcaps are found in a variety of habitats with most seen in open woodland, they will readily use overgrown hedgerows, scrub, and mature gardens.

Female Blackcaps differ from males in appearance by their brown caps, although be aware, all juvenile Blackcaps have brown caps until males moult into the familiar black caps.

On 4th April, I visited Croxton Heath hoping to find Adders, however, none were found, but, I did locate at least 4 Willow Warblers, a species which arrives the last day of March, but most in the first days of April. 

My first Swallow of the year was a male bird seen at Saham, this was likely a passage bird as I watched it flying purposefully west along a river valley until lost to view.

Wheatear at Bodney 14 April (One of 3 birds together)

Another early migrant is the Wheatear, this species usually arrives in latter half of March, however, this year my first were seen at Bodney on 14th April, on this occasion 3 birds were seen together (2 males and female).  Wheatears are birds of open country, typically on rolling grassland, farmland, and upland moors.  Nest sites include disused Rabbit burrows and cavities in stone walls. 

Wheatear is an old English word, it's modern translation means 'White Arse' owing to its large and highly distinctive white rump which is particularly visible on the flying bird.

At the time of writing (16th April) look out for and listen for the first Cuckoos and in the last week of April, look to the sky for the first Swifts.

11th and 12th March 2023

An interesting weekend with my first summer migrant on the patch and evidence of courtship and display seen including a recently returning Curlew, a scarce breeding species in Breckland.  

11th March

My first destination was on private land at Little Cressingham within the training area, here, woodland held singing Mistle Thrushes and drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers.  As the sun rose and it warmed up a little, a female Goshawk broke cover and began soaring over woodland in a prelude to display, a male Goshawk was also seen.

On farmland and heath a male Curlew was displaying song-flight, a wonderful display and song more often heard on upland moorland.

A walk along a wide grass margin produced a pair of Woodlarks on short grass whilst in a pine woodland several hundred winter Thrushes had gathered with the majority species being Redwings, which were also heard singing.

A lovely very wide roadside verge held a male Stonechat in what is possibly a breeding site for the species. The verge is a mini wildlife reserve comprising rough grassland, hedgerow, Hawthorn, and Gorse scrub, an ideal breeding habitat for Stonechats. 

Nearing the end of this particular walk I was greeted by the delightful song of a male Woodlark high overhead.

Chiffchaff at Threxton 11 March

My next stop was in the beautiful parish of Threxton, an area dominated by very undulating farmland, meadows and river.  A very notable observation was seeing many thousands of midges swarming around the top of the church tower which in turn attracted feeding Pied Wagtails to enjoy the veritable feast.  In the churchyard a recently arrived Chiffchaff was seen skulking in cover where it occasionally sang and called, the bird also broke cover on one occasion to chase a Blue Tit.

A pair of Goldcrests seen (male singing), a pair of Song Thrushes, and a pair of Mistle Thrushes on a meadow where earthworms were pulled from the ground..  10+ Meadow Pipits and a few Pied Wagtails fed on the meadow. 

12th March

Goshawk shadowed by Crows 12 March

A good morning where common species well represented, most notably, 250+ Fieldfare and many Redwings seen.  Nearby, 200+ Starlings wandered the valley. On grassland heath a displaying Curlew seen with Lapwings also on same area of heath.

A pair of Stonechats were seen on marshy floodplain, also 14+ Meadow Pipits seen and a few Pied Wagtails too.

Four raptor species seen began with 3 soaring Buzzard over woodland where later a Sparrowhawk emerged.  One Kestrel also seen.  

Just as I was packing up to leave I saw an approaching Goshawk, the bird passed directly overhead with mobbing Crows shadowing the raptor.

Falcon, Finches, and Buntings

 A stunningly beautiful day today with both superb light and visibility.  A cool 7 degrees Celsius with a fresh northerly wind.  Other than a few moderate to severe morning frosts there has been little winter to talk of so far this year.  There is still time for wintry conditions, however, as we approach March, any such conditions should be short lived.

This morning I walked private land within a part of the army training area. The topography here is not what I expect many who do not know Norfolk perceive, this part of my patch is very undulating with some decent climbs away from low lying areas, but one thing Norfolk is famous for are the vast skyscapes which exist here in abundance.

Brambling. Note the contrasting orange and white underparts

Walking along hedgerows and game cover produced many Brambling, Chaffinches, Yellowhammers, and Reed Buntings.  When at rest in a tree one beautiful Brambling showed distinct differences from its close cousin, the Chaffinch.  Even without optics, a Brambling was seen perched in a tree next to a Chaffinch, the Brambling has an orange breast contrasting strongly with pure white underparts, the female Chaffinch has mousey brown underparts whilst the male bird is pinkish, both sexes lack the bright white seen on Brambling.  Both Finch species were seen around game cover which is a good source of cover and food for these birds.

A very respectable count of 1000+ Starlings were seen on heathland along with around 30 Lapwings. The Starlings occasionally rose up in unison from the ground and settle again, however, my attention was then drawn when the birds rose high in a tight murmuration, at the same time, the Lapwings rose in a panic, and Pigeons went everywhere, straight away I knew a raptor was the cause of this panic.  I immediately began a search with binoculars through the panicking birds and eventually located a raptor, its stiff-winged flight pointing straight away to a Falcon species, this was a Peregrine, its stiff wings looking quite different from all other birds in the sky.  The upperparts were grey and as the bird turned towards me the bright sunshine showed the conspicuous white facial pattern.

Two Goshawks were seen this morning, one being a juvenile bird, probably the same bird I saw recently. This sighting saw the Goshawk soaring to quite a height, it then descended very fast towards woodland with wings closed giving the bird a torpedo-like shape, a very impressive sight.

On sheep-grazed grassland where turnips and probably other spill provided a food source for sheep, also attracted 70+ Yellowhammers to the feed. When retreated to a hedge the gathering of Yellowhammers appeared like a show of yellow flowers as they sat for a while before returning to feed.

Finally, a pair of Stonechats were seen on fencing from where they flew to the ground to gather invertebrate food before returning to the fence. 

   

On a friends farm at Stow Bedon, Norfolk

This morning I visited Stow Bedon to meet with a lovely couple of friends at their farm in rural Breckland.  I arrived quite early so decided to walk a circuit of the area and what I was immediately struck by was the wealth of birdlife from the outset. Firstly, a pair of Cranes were feeding in a field, their occasional calls bouncing off the trees and resonating over the land.  Also present was a single Kestrel and a few Fieldfare.

Feeding and calling Cranes near Stow Bedon

The first songbirds seen at the farm was Woodlark where a total of 3 were seen overhead, a pair including a singing male and another singleton.  This early hour also produced 2 'drumming' Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a singing Stock Dove, 6+ Greenfinches, and 40+ Collared Doves.

A productive walk around the surrounding area produced 2 Goshawks, the male bird was calling, the female Goshawk, a very large bird, drifted silently behind a Birch wood, looking quite menacing before melting into woodland.  This bird certainly deserves its 'Phantom of the Forest' name.  

A few Mallard and Teal urgently flew into the cover of woodland carr, their behaviour suggesting a Harrier species in the area, and indeed, a female Marsh Harrier appeared and passed overhead.  In a mature Oak wood a pair of noisy Marsh Tits were foraging.

Back at the farm, Finch species seen included Chaffinch, a few Greenfinches and a stunning male Brambling.  Collared Doves were once again numerous with 50+ birds present.  Whilst enjoying a coffee and a great catch up with my friends, I had a great view of the gorgeous garden which was clearly designed for wildlife.  House Sparrows were common visitors, with birds constantly coming and going, who knows the true numbers but it must have been 60+.  Blue and Coal Tits were frequent visitors and the occasional Greenfinch visited.  A stunning Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen on and near a lovely old Silver Birch.  A great end to this visit with lovely friends.

Watton, Norfolk

 Yet another glorious day with bright sunshine and mild temperatures. I was working this morning so this afternoon I took advantage of the lovely weather and check to see if yesterdays Green Sandpiper was still present.  I arrived on site and checked the area but could not see the bird initially, until it flew up to relocate and reveal its highly distinctive dark and white appearance, a very contrasting little wader.

Green Sandpiper in Watton 21 February

I eventually settled down to watch the Green Sandpiper and for much of the visit the bird was quite motionless, although it occasionally preened and then briefly slept.

The Green Sandpiper is mostly known as a scarce spring and autumn passage migrant but in winter this is a very scarce species.  I have occasionally encountered Green Sandpipers on my Breckland patch in the winter months.

Also seen this afternoon was a pair of Egyptian Geese with 9 young goslings and a single Grey Wagtail. 

A beautiful day in the Brecks

What an incredible early spring-like day today has been, a very bright day with a temperature high of 15 degrees Celsius. The wind was a fresh westerly.

I love the vast expanses of Breckland with its large rolling plains, farmland, heathland, and patches of mixed woodland habitats.  This is an ancient landscape with evidence of Bronze age, Roman, and Iceni peoples.  When I walk the lanes and footpaths in the Brecks I am walking in the footsteps of history.

Stonechat (male) 20 Feb

This morning I saw bird species which people in antiquity may have seen, although it goes without saying that those peoples would have seen birds which are now extinct as breeding birds in the Brecks, namely Great Bustards, and a more recent loss, the Red-backed Shrike, however, the latter species I feel will recolonise the Brecks in time.

Stonechat (female) 20 Feb

Stonechats is a beautiful Breckland species and this morning I had lovely views of 3 birds, a pair and a single female.  The male Stonechat is starting to acquire breeding plumage, the black head contrasts strongly with the bold white collar and reddish breast and underparts.  The mantle feathers are black with buff fringes.  The female lacks the black head but is equally attractive. 

Stonechats are conspicuous birds in that they choose prominent perches to watch from, from here, they will drop to the ground to find a small invertebrate and then return to the same or nearby perch.

A good mix of Finches and Buntings were seen on spill. The most numerous species was Yellowhammer (70+) with good numbers of Bramblings (30+), the latter always distinctive, even at range when the birds gather in a hedge in strong sunlight and show off their bright white underparts and orangey breasts.  In flight, Bramblings are easily identified by their narrow white rump.

Goshawk (juvenile) 20 Feb

Another Breckland speciality is the Goshawk and this morning I was privileged to have prolonged views of a juvenile bird.  For about 10 minutes, this large powerful raptor was soaring just above the woodland canopy, it then approached keeping very low and fast over open country towards another woodland, its increasing speed suggested it was focussed on taking prey.

The plumage which confirms the Goshawk as a juvenile are the brown upperparts with white tips to the upper coverts. The underwing coverts and breast has a pale buffish tone, these buff tones contrast with the white secondaries and primary feathers. The breast is strongly streaked black, in adult birds the underparts are barred. An incredibly powerful raptor.

An afternoon walk around my home town of Watton was equally productive with a Green Sandpiper being found. This lovely wader is generally a spring and autumn migrant, but is a scarce winter visitor. 

Finally, a pair of Egyptian Geese had 8 young Goslings, all were happily grazing on grass and weeds on the edge of town.

 

Bird Counting

 I am very fortunate in being allowed to walk a large Breckland farm of which much lies within the STANTA army training area in Norfolk.  The farm I walk incorporates rolling arable land, floodplain, river valley, woodland and woodland carr, mature hedgerows, heathland and marshland.  This wonderful land and habitat provides me with excellent all year birding and each February I conduct bird counts for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust.

This year I was able to put in several hours of surveying which produced great birds and some great counts too.

Each February sees winter Thrush numbers building as they pass through on their return to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia.  Fieldfares especially featured during this count period with the best single count being a respectable 395+ birds on grassland.  Redwings did not seem so numerous but whilst on the subject of Thrushes I did record many singing Mistle Thrushes which was very pleasing.

Stonechat. Several pairs found

Several pairs of Stonechats were found, the male birds now beginning to show their stunning breeding plumages.  These remarkable little birds perch on fences and tall weeds from where they watch the ground for a small invertebrate meal.  Watching them closely you can make out a very fast nervous wing-flicking movement.  Female Stonechats lack the black heads of the male, however, they are equally a stunning little bird.

As one would expect in the winter farmland scene, the most numerous species found were Finches and Buntings.  Chaffinches were the most abundant bird with close to 700 birds counted with smaller numbers of Brambling.  My best Yellowhammer count was 55+ birds with many Chaffinches, on land with a scattering of seed spill and beets.  Linnets also featured in areas of game cover with over 300 counted.

Other common species counted included Great Spotted Woodpeckers, several Treecreepers, Nuthatch, and several good sized flocks of Starlings numbering hundreds of birds, their numbers totalling close to 3000 birds.  Beautiful Lapwings also seen with almost 500 birds counted.

This survey is a nationwide count and at the last check of the overall statistics I have recorded the only Woodlark, however, it's more numerous cousin the Skylark saw the best single count of 200+ birds.

Single figure counts included Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Chiffchaff,  Barn Owl and Raven.

Today, the 17th February was the last day I am able to count, and what an end with three flocks of Whooper Swans totalling 111+ birds. 

Friday 3 February 2023. A walk in the Little Cressingham area with Graham and Lynn Trimmer.

 At 0800 on Friday 3 February I was joined by my friends Graham and Lynn Trimmer for a walk along a beautiful lane in Little Cressingham on what was to be a very productive visit with a good range and numbers of birds seen.  Our walk would pass through mostly arable habitat with supplementary feeding in the form of game strips, hedgerows, temporary grassland, and floodplain.  This was a very mild morning at 11 degrees Celsius. 

The first part of our walk took us through a corridor of roadside hedgerows, here, we saw several Chaffinches, also Yellowhammers were present and we had nice views of a lovely female bird in a hedge. These species are attracted to the feed strips along the field margin.

Overhead, a small flock of Fieldfare headed N/E, these and other Fieldfares were undoubtedly those located in the valley.  Many fields are now holding winter Thrushes as they make their way back to their Northern Europe breeding grounds.

A little further along the road a Sparrowhawk flew from woodland and headed west. In the same woodland a Goldcrest called.

Fieldfare. A beautiful winter Thrush seen on this visit

We then stopped for a coffee break, it was at this time we had great views of many hundreds of Starlings feeding amongst grazing sheep, this large gathering was often joined by more birds arriving from the west. Many Fieldfare were also present and fed amongst the Starlings.  A small flock of Yellowhammers arrived in a Bramble patch close to us.  A singing Mistle Thrush was heard.  On a fence we saw both a male and female Stonechat, the male bird is clearly beginning to develop breeding plumage of Black head, white collar, and deep red breast.  These birds often to flew to the ground to find food and returning to the fence.  

On our return walk, Graham, Lynn, and myself reflected upon the birds we saw on the floodplain.

Stonechat. A stunning little bird

But we were not finished yet. Once returned back at our cars, we chatted much about the morning, it was here we saw several Buzzards, but the highlight here was the presence of 200+ Skylarks on and over temporary grasslands, a very notable count of this familiar songster. It was a timely reminder for us to talk about my favourite piece of classical music, Vaughan Williams 'The Lark Ascending'.  What an incredible man he was and what an ear for a bird and its song which he transcribed into music. I find this piece so beautiful and very moving.

Just as we were to leave for home, a single Raven left a nearby woodland, a species I am seeing quite frequently on my Breckland patch. 

To finish, I wish to than both Graham and Lynn for joining me on our walk. A wonderful morning.

Peddars Way (Thompson and Stow Bedon) 30 January 2023

 I had a most enjoyable early morning walk along the Peddars Way footpath between Thompson and Stow Bedon early on the morning of 30 January.  It was made even more pleasurable by meeting my friend Matthew Clements.  What a lovely young man Matthew is, we enjoyed a thoroughly good chat as we treaded this ancient pathway.  And what a fantastic early morning it was with clear blue sky and stunning light and visibility. 

It seemed like birds were responding to the beautiful morning with several common species engaged in singing in order to defend their territory for the forthcoming breeding season.  The habitat along the way comprised mature pine and deciduous woodland and Breckland heath, much of which was within the army training area. 

One of the first singing birds was a Marsh Tit.  This beautiful bird is quite noisy for its small size, it has a loud sneezing like "pitchou" call, this morning however I heard the song, a rapidly repeated "chip chip chip chip chip chip chip".

Marsh Tit.  A fairly common bird of broadleaved woodland

As I continued my walk I passed an area of dense reedbed and swamp habitat, within the reeds two Water Rails called, a very distinctive pig-like squeal, possibly unnerving for those who are not aware of the source of this noise.

A few Nuthatches were present in typical broadleaved habitat, one bird was heard singing its delightful, repeated "wee wee wee wee wee wee".  Other woodland residents seen and heard today included 'drumming' Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a couple of calling Treecreepers.

Black Rabbit Warren was one location visited this morning, this beautiful Breckland heath lies within the army training area.  The light was simply stunning.  On this visit a Mistle Thrush was singing in pine woodland

Black Rabbit Warren (and Yes, I did see a Black Rabbit here some years ago!!!!)

Mistle Thrushes, our largest Thrush species, is always an early songster, and indeed an early breeder. This large Thrush is colloquially known as 'Stormcock' as it sings early in the year from high in a tree and in stormy conditions.

Once home from ths productive walk, I was once again rewarded with a very respectable 40+ House Sparrows feeding in my garden, how lovely is that. 

The Great Eastern Pingo trail at Stow Bedon 29 January 2023

 Another familiar themed day of weather with full cloud cover giving poor light.  It was clear and visibility was quite good. The day began with a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius. 

This morning I walked through very typical Breckland habitat of pine forest, swamp, and arable farmland. Some of these habitats visited have a very real primeval look and feel about them, it can appear bleak and lonely, the way I love it.

A few Red Deer were seen in relatively open landscape at dawn, these beautiful beasts would soon retire to cover for the day.  Red Deer is our largest native land mammal and is in fact the worlds third largest Deer, they have a fantastic profile, are powerful, and are easily separated from other Deer species, not only by their size, but also the way they elegantly trot effortlessly when on the move. 

A good gathering of records of common Bird species seen this morning with a mobile flock of 80+ Redwings in treetops giving their "seeep" and "chuk" calls.  It is later in the year, usually October, when I like to stand outside during the hours of darkness on a clear night and hear the "seeep" contact calls of newly arrived Redwings from Scandinavia, passing overhead.

A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were 'drumming' and both Nuthatch and Treecreepers were seen.  Nuthatches are tree dwellers, but this morning I saw one in a Bramble patch and Bracken searching for food.

I found a quiet spot in swamp-like habitat to watch a single Marsh Tit quietly moving around in tree roots and branches close to water.  This bird was seen to dip its bill in water and bathe and preen without entering the water.   I have been passionate about birds seen the mid 1960's and this preening behaviour is new to me.  It is wonderful to witness something new in birding, I never tire of it.

Lynford Water 17 December 2022

 The week prior to Christmas 2022 was a particularly cold one with some severe frosts seen.  As the temperatures were low and with the early wintry weather being a dominant feature I decided upon a visit to Lynford Water to check for signs of any Duck species associated with cold weather such as sawbills or Goldeneye.

Upon my arrival at Lynford Water the dawn temperature was -6 degrees celsius and with a severe frost. Following sunrise the day was very bright with very good visibility and light.  Lynford Water was largely frozen with just a small area of open water where wildfowl were gathered.  The surrounding woodland was cloaked in frost and looked incredibly beautiful.

 The small area of unfrozen water held most interest with good numbers of Mallard, Gadwall (33+), Tufted Duck (26+),  a few Shoveler, Egyptian Geese (2), Mute Swan, Little Grebe (4), and Great Crested Grebe (2).  In the peripheral woodland at least 33 Cormorant stood motionless in the trees.

At least 4 Water Rails were present with two together seen on the ice and as is typical with this species, calls only were heard, the familiar pig-like squeal.  Water Rails are usually very secretive as they live within the cover of dense reedbeds, however, the species will venture away from cover in very cold weather and can occasionally be seen running between cover on ice.  This particular visit saw two Water Rails together in light reed cover where calling, however, both were seen running for deeper cover

Water Rail at Lynford Water 17 December 2022

Much of this visit to Lynford Water was spent taking photographs of the incredibly beautiful wintry scenes.  

  

New beginnings

 To those of you who have followed my Breckland Birder site, it has been obvious to you I am sure that my blogging has been absent for some time.  I apologise for my idleness.

Today (Friday 27/1/23), I met with my friends Graham and Lynn Trimmer for a coffee and an overdue catch up.  I had a thoroughly great visit with Graham and Lynn, we chatted about many things including current affairs, but also, we talked about my Breckland Birder site and for the need for me to restart my birding experiences.  Graham inspired me engage with you through my blog and it is my intention to use my birding experiences as an educational tool.  I thank Graham and Lynn for giving me the lift I needed. I am pleased to say that I will be joined by Graham and Lynn soon for a local walk to discover and learn about our wonderful birds and other wildlife.

Birding has been a lifelong passion of mine and despite first showing an interest in birds back in the 1960's, my desire to learn has never faltered.  Bird migration never ceases to amaze me and it is this fascinating area of birding I would especially like to share with you, I will let you know where and when to 'look up' to watch migrant birds on the move.

To begin with I will let you know about a recent observation of Fieldfare interested me.  It was early one morning when a single Fieldfare was perched high in a Poplar and calling its "shack shack" contact call, this bird continued to call this behaviour for several minutes when I then saw its head on one side to look up.  Checking the sky above the bird I saw a small flock of Fieldfare approaching very high overhead and calling, the Fieldfare in the tree on cue flew off and climbed high and away with the passing birds. Amazing!!