7th February:
I headed out on another blue morning up to the coast in the
hope of adding another couple of species to the ever growing break list. I had started to get the feeling that the
list was actually quite healthy and wondered if 150 was possible by simply
going out birding rather than targeting missing birds.
As such I began my morning at Salthouse Church in the hope
that the Waxwing would still be in attendance.
This smart first winter bird trilled past my head after ten minutes and
then spent a few minutes salvaging the last of the Guelder Rose berries in the
hedge around the plot alongside. The
light was in my face but the views were lovely and I managed to get a couple of
pics too. It always feels like a real
bonus to get a Waxwing in a non invasion year down south.
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| Waxwing |
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| Waxwing |
Grey Partridges called from fields and I
could hear Curlews out on the freshmarsh.
I chanced my arm with a speculative visit to Kelling Heath
afterwards in the hope that I might find Dartford Warblers but although my walk was pleasant I could not
locate any but was more than happy with encountering another singing Woodlark
and a Chiffchaff.
From here it was a short run down to Sheringham for a walk
along the front. I had the briefest of
views of two Purple Sandpipers on the breakwaters but they had disappeared
before I got any closer but I did see 12 Turnstone scavenging on the beach (and
around my feet!) especially after I accidentally threw some bread for the gulls
which brought the 1cy Caspian Gull to within touching distance.
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| Caspian Gull |
A very smart bird and an education for the two lady birders
looking with me. A Red-throated Diver headed east while my first Fulmar went
the other way. A quick stop at Tesco to pick up lunch and then back to the
Pod before the afternoon trip out back into the Broads.
After another tour of Lathams it was on to Billockby where
there were no Cranes at all but I did find a single Corn Bunting before a
slight wiggle down to RSPB Buckenham where I intended to spend the rest of the
day.
Like many places this week, I had it almost to myself with
just an emigrated Rainham vol, Peter Hale for company. The Yare Valley looked magnificent with miles
of lush wet grassland with thousands of mobile Wigeon scattered across it.
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| Wigeon |
Constant Marsh Harrier activity kept
similarly large numbers of Golden Plover and Lapwing in the air while at least
600 Pink-feet and 120 Russian White-fronts formed mixed grey geese flocks with
a smattering of Greylags amongst them. Taiga Bean Geese were long gone but I
did find a family party of two adults and five juvenile Dark-bellied Brent
Geese which was somewhat surprising.
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Cantley Beet Factory |
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| Golden Plovers & Lapwings |
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| Golden Plover |
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| Russian White-fronts |
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| Russian White-fronts & Pink-feet |
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| Pink-feet |
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| Pink-feet |
Ruff were dotted around but I did not see one Snipe which
was a little odd. I suspected that a
Peregrine must be out there somewhere and eventually found a female perched up
on a gate where she seemed to be keeping an eye on a young Marsh Harrier (green
wing tagged ZC) that was already on prey nearby.
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| Peregrine |
There were the brown humps of Chinese Water Deer all over
the marsh and my minimum count was 14 at once and an agile Stoat bounded past
me up near the river wall.
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| Chinese Water Deer & Pinkfeet |
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| Chinese Water Deer - look at those tusks! |
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| The sky is full of birds... |
As the sun dropped gulls started to head over east towards
Breydon Water and two Barn Owls were out hunting, one of which caught dinner
and flew back to hole in an old willow. Perhaps the mild weather has allowed
winter breeding this year?
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| Black-headed Gulls |
A few Corvids were starting to dribble in as I wandered back
towards the roost viewpoint and a Little Owl yipped from the railway
Alders.
The sunset was epic...
No one else arrived to watch the
roost and although the numbers were lower than some of my winter visits earlier
in the season, it was still a memorable experience as the clouds of noisy
Jackdaws and Rooks coalesced firstly in the old Oaks and then in the big
ploughed field at the top of the road. One minute it would look like a large
patch of oozing, moving tar and then they would rise, swirl and descend to
create a new shape. Eventually they
started to head off toward the church wood to roost and create shapes as they
drifted across the slightly hazy moon.
With the light finally fading I called it a night. It was now cold and
the breeze was getting up.
Another
Little Owl was actually seen as I drove back up towards Brundall with a single
Roe Deer became the fourth deer species of the trip. The Tawny Owls were making
a fuss when we got back to the Pod.
8th February:
Time to pack up and head south with a great flock of noisy
Siskins swirling around as we left Top Farm.
I wiggled across to Ness Point where once again there was absolutely nothing
whatsoever to see. Not a single wader... And offshore was deathly bar a few big
gulls and feeding Cormorants.
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| I think they basically want you to stay away from Ness Point |
With the
weather greying up I pushed south and arrived at Abberton Reservoir mid
afternoon where hopefully there would be an array of duck on offer.
Bradders had been on site a little while and confirmed that
the Ferruginous Duck had not been seen since early doors and despite a good
look we could not find it between the causeways with the large mixed Tufted and
Pochard flock. A scan the other side of
the road gave me both Scaup (a pair) and Long-tailed Duck (two females) to add
to the list. I reckoned that this brought me up to the 150 but I was just not
quite sure!
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| Drake Scaup with Herring Gull in attendance |
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| Smew |
A Grey Wagtail flew around calling and a male Marsh Harrier
was out hunting Teal up on the bank causing regular diddy-duck dreads. Two female Smew, four Goosanders and three
Great White Egrets were picked up round the edges and six Redshank suggested
that spring is not really too far away.
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| Rubbish Great White Egret |
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| And no, not part of the trip list - but one day... |
The day was getting on and I made the final stretch home to
Strood in good time.
9th February:
Last night I totted up the list... 149... I was still off
for one more day but could I get to that nice neat 150 before Monday morning
work without actually going proper birding?
Storm Ciara was getting going but the cats had to be retrieved from
Cliffe and some shopping undertaken so it would have been rude not to pop into
the Chatham Outlet Centre and battle my way into the howling wind for a glance
at Basin 2 and its actively jump diving Shag?
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| Shag |
And thus ended a surprisingly birding and bird filled nine
days in East Anglia with just over a thousand miles driven and nearly seventy
miles walked and perhaps just a smidgen of ornithological mojo re-instated.
