January 2025 - A summary

The first day of the new year opened stormy with a very strong SW wind, however, the wind did moderate as the day progressed.  There was spells of rain, some very heavy, and full cloud cover.

I visited East Wretham Heath as I knew water levels were very high on the two large meres, I decided on this location in order to maximise my species count for the new year.  Although very windy it was initially dry, but the rain did come, and did it come.

As I approached the hide at Langmere I noticed movement ahead of me on the ground, it was the caterpillar of the Fox Moth.  Water levels at Langmere was very high, this in turn had attracted high numbers of Gull species, notably, an estimated 800+ Black-headed Gulls and 150+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, an extraordinary sight and sound.  Also present was 40+ Teal, 17+ Shoveler, 14+ Tufted Duck, 10 Shelduck, Gadwall, and 7 Mute Swans.   104+ Coot were present at Langmere along with 2 Little Grebes.

I then made my way to Ringmere, a beautiful perfectly rounded mere which is looked down upon from the screen within a lovely bank of hedgerow thickets and bracken.  It was here where I was caught in a very heavy downpour with no shelter (but I kept telling myself you have to suffer for your pleasures).    I expected less bird numbers on Ringmere but I did gather 25+ Gadwall, Teal, a male Pochard, 26+ Coot (bringing the cumulative total for Wretham today to 130+ birds), and 2 Mute Swans.

Walking back over open heathland, the rain had stopped but the wind pushed me along apace.  I expected to see Stonechats on the heath and indeed I did, a male and female typically perched on the tallest weeds and grasses despite the wind.

The 2nd was a productive morning with the highlight being an overflying Hawfinch at Little Cressingham.  This is a scarce species in the Brecks but what a great record.

The 5th was a cold day with early light snowfall which later turned to rain and milder.  This was a work day and when I have time between calls I like to stop in a new area to survey the area.  I stopped on the Woodrising Road at Woodrising where I could see lots of Thrushes on a nearby field.  Having parked up I began counting using my clicker counter and counted 300+ Fieldfare, it was clear that there was more birds present in the rolls and dips on the field.

Later in the day in the early evening darkness I could hear Pink-footed Geese passing over Watton.  I alerted the local community through a popular social media site and am pleased to report other friends heard these beautiful Geese passing over.

Fieldfare - Several flocks of this winter Thrush seen including 3 figure numbers.

I was working during the evening of the 8th in the Colton, Cranworth, and Scoulton areas, I used the evening to listen for Tawny Owls and located two calling males, saw one in a tree at Scoulton, and once home heard both male and female Tawny Owls calling.

A Barn Owl was also seen alongside the Woodrising Road at Woodrising, this bird was hunting from posts along a field edge. 

A short work break during the morning of the 9th saw me visit Seamere Marsh at Hingham.  Two drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard and a single Red Kite was over the marsh.  A flock of 300+ Rooks were seen. 

The 12th was a particularly cold morning with a temperature of minus -6 degrees Celsius, despite the cold the severe hoar frost provided an incredibly beautiful scene.  I visited a site near The Arms at Little Cressingham where I had superb views of typical Breckland landscape of farmland, game strips, distant heath, Pine and mixed woodland habitats.  This morning I saw my first Goshawk of the year flying leisurely over open country, a magnificent site.  A possible hard weather movement of 24 Lapwings seen flying west.  A check of a woodland edge saw 4 Song Thrushes together in Ivy all consuming berries.

Little Cressingham 12 January 2025 (A beautiful hoar frost)

On the 14th I visited the lovely old churchyard at Great Hockham which is set in parkland and woodland habitat.  Here I recorded several Blue Tits, Great Tit, 2 Carrion Crows, 2 Nuthatches and at least 2 Treecreepers.

The 16th Was a fantastic day.  I have a good friend who has a farm at Stow Bedon, I park there and then walk along the Pingo trail through Breckles Heath, Cranberry Rough, and Hockham Fen.  I returned back to the farm to enjoy a coffee and a chat with my friend and to watch the fantastic array of birdlife from her kitchen window. 

Much of the land near the farm has been acquired by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust with the aim of restoring heathland.  A rare breed of cattle known as the 'British White' are used to graze the land to keep invasive species under control.  Heathland is a very rare habitat worldwide with Britain holding 20% of this vital and threatened habitat.

My walk this morning initially took me through mature broadleaved woodland, this soon opened onto Breckles Heath, here I saw a single Stonechat (female) in a Hawthorn and close by a single Goldcrest foraged silently in a Hawthorn.

Between the start of my walk and Hockham Fen I counted 6 drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers, at least 4 Marsh Tits, 30+ Redwings, 3 Nuthatches, 3 Treecreepers, 4 Bullfinches, and at least 6 Siskins feeding high in Alders.  A single Water Rail was calling is swampy habitat.

At the end of my walk I visited my good friend for a coffee and chat.  Her remarkable garden held 50+ House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinch, Dunnock, 2 Marsh Tits, a Nuthatch, and 2 Stock Doves. 

A short visit to Merton on the 17th eventually saw an erratic and disorganised departure of Wood Pigeons, this immediately indicated to me a raptor was approaching, moments later a Peregrine passed through at speed. 

A return to Seamere Marsh at Hingham on the 18th produced Grey Heron, one Marsh Harrier (female) and a single Kingfisher in a small willow in the middle of the marsh.  6 Roe Deer were seen.

A short break from work on the 19th I decided to visit the wide open expanses of the former WW2 airfield at Deopham, a site where I have recorded Merlin on a couple of occasions.  This morning I counted in excess of 400+ Fieldfare feeding on the land, also present was 100+ Starlings and an impressive 250+ Linnets.

A visit on the 20th to swamp habitat near Great Hockham held 4 Marsh Harriers (all females), also 5 Cranes flew over and a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming. A Water Rail called in thick, rank vegetation and a pair of Stonechats typically seen on taller weeds from where they can watch the ground for invertebrate prey.

On the 21st I visited The Arms area at Little Cressingham to oversee a game strip comprising weeds, Linseed, and brassicas.  This has not been a good year for Bramblings and all I could see on this visit was 3 birds with 50+ Chaffinches and 35+ Yellowhammer.  With all the bird activity seen here, it was inevitable a raptor would be attracted, and during my visit a male Goshawk approached low over open country and over woodland where it turned and dove into woodland, but it departed without prey.  

A very rewarding visit to Bodney on the 25th produced one Great White Egret and 3 Little Egrets.  The Little Egrets were seen particularly well, a stunning white Egret with a black dagger-like bill, black legs and yellow feet.

My highlight of this visit was watching a pair of Ravens passing over and calling.  To think that just a few short years ago Ravens were very rare in Norfolk, a very welcome bird.

Raven - photographed at Hockham.  An increasing species

On the morning of the 30th I visited Didlington to overview heath, farmland, Hawthorn, and Pine forest.  The highlights here included 50+ Fieldfare feeding upon heath and grassland. Raptors were well represented by Buzzard, 2 Red Kites, a hunting Kestrel, and a male Goshawk which was watched overflying open country and then entering woodland where it appeared to gather speed. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming.  3 Skylarks were present.

I then moved onto Bodney to overview flooded land in the Wissey valley.  Birds seen on the flood included 42+ Teal, 21+ Gadwall, 5 Shelduck, 10 Egyptian Geese, Greylag and Canada Geese.  In a roadside thicket a pair of Great Tits were seen, this included a singing male.  On a nearby heath a singing Mistle Thrush was high in a Scots Pine.  A female Sparrowhawk flew from Pine forest and off over the heath. 

Sparrowhawk - A common raptor in Breckland