Let it snow, let it snow, let it.....

Wednesday 24 February 2010
An early morning "wandering" to the coast at Salthouse and the chance to catch up with some Snow Buntings. As I drove into the beach car park a few small birds flew up and I thought, excellent about twenty birds and still around......well there were more

in all about a hundred and twenty birds in all different stages of plumage, from dull females to bright males. Actually, they all looked superb, but rather fast moving and with dull light it wasn't easy. Here however is a medly, or should I say flurry of some Snow Buntings........

So a car park full of these great little birds and only me taking photographs, bitingly cold north east wind and just about to really get to grips with it when several more cars and birders arrived, so I left. Apparently these birds have been there a while and are used to being fed, another visit would be great if they hang on a bit longer.

Ruddy birds

12 February 2010

A drive back past Pentney Lakes allowed for a brief stop and scan, all the usual suspects...

. and then a couple of ginger suspects. Two Ruddy Shelducks, which at the right time of year and accompanied by the right mix of wild birds, could have been quite exciting. But as ever these somewhat dubious sightings are all too often escaped captive birds. They may have been in the wild for some years, but today they just didn't fire up the binoculars. A female Goosander was however a nice diversion. And as per last few trips the Common Gulls well outnumbered the Black-headed Gulls.

Back home for a coffee and looking into the garden and the field behind a small blob by one of the flooded ares. It wasn't an Egyptian Goose as usual so mega alert. A Sandpiper, I could hardly believe my eyes,

camera in hand and dashing out the door, but sadly not quick enough to beat the black and white cat that put the bird up the instance I got to the garden, a quick fire shot or two of a dark underwing and blindingly white rump confirmed it as a Green Sandpiper. After consultation with the oracle (Lammergeier Bedford)  it appears a few do overwinter. Cracking record for Pentney and the garden fields. And here it is....just !

So back to the cooling coffee, still not be drunk as the garden was invaded by Long tailed Tits.

Polish ramblings.......

Friday 29 January 2010
and it's off to Stansted to zip over to Poland for a short weekend break. Ok so it's cold over there but a quick visit to see how the house is going and maybe a few birds....

or some mammals, like these Roe Deer. Birds well ? hardly a thing moving. Perhaps the previous weeks'
 - 26 degres had something to do with it. Ravens and Rooks, that was it, plus a tantalising flock of small passerines, gone all too quick. House fine. temperatures falling and snow coming in again, back to Poznan

pictured here at 3.45pm

followed here pictured at 3.50pm - snow wipe out. The normal one and three quarter hours trip took three and a half hours.

More importantly no birds and I realised how much this made the trip feel a bit lacking. Still hopefully as the seasons progress and more than a few hours allow, the next trip will be better. That said the evening in Poznan we had was great.

Frozen food

Sunday 24 January 2010
How long will a Heron stand in front of a frozen pond ? Well quite a long time, as this chap was stood looking at the ice from first light till 8am when he decided to leave.


 and so after a long wait off to find food elsewhere

It started with a Robin

17 January 2009
In pitch black the sweet song of a Robin at 06.40 heralded the start of my sponsored Birdrace, to raise funds for the school conservation area. The aim - one hundred species within forty miles of Narborough, in a day. Usual garden birds were added quickly while flasks were being filled. My driver, Sam, was readying the car, and our recorder, Emma from next door arrived with a freshly sharpened pencil. Amid the common birds in the garden a lyrical "yuk yuk yuk yuk" cried out and the first tricky customer fell to the list, Green Woodpecker, it was January and barely light !

Flitcham

First stop was Flitcham and the next species to fall was actually human as Sam took a tumble on the ice in her haste to see Tree Sparrow through the scope. Zillions of Pink-footed Geese in the field and a clump of Grey Partridges got some game birds out of the way. Driving on up to the coast and the first of several Barn Owls seen during the day was busy grovelling around in a ditch presumably after some unfortunate mammal. We headed for Gore Point at Thornham for a bit of a sea watch and were rewarded with the usual ducks and waders plus half a dozen Long tailed Ducks, Fulmar and somewhat of a Norfolk rarity, Shag. looking back over the fields and Sam had a large flappy bird which turned out to be a Red Kite and this was shortly followed by Buzzard and Stonechat.

Gore Point Thornham

Leaving Thornham a Sparrowhawk joined us low along the road and we clocked it at 25mph. A visit to Thornham Harbour added us another valuable species thanks to Sam's keen eyes in the form of Water Rail creeping around in the salt marsh. No sign of any Snow Buntings but a Jack Snipe was ample compensation. A Spotted Redshank joined other waders in the creek and our list as species number 73 - it was only 10.20

Thornham

 Things were looking good. So on to Titchwell where most of the usual suspects fell, and a few more unusual ones including a flock of Twite on the freshmarsh, four overwintering Avocets, three Smew, two Water Pipits, Bearded Tit, Cetti's Warbler while out at sea three Red-breasted Mergansers and some Eider. We decided to try the Fen hide just in case Marsh harrier was showing, which it was, but more dramatically so was a Bittern right in front of the hide!

Bittern - taken through scope and glass of hide

A zip up to Choseley for the Corn Buntings and Yellowhammer also provided us with a Barnacle Goose among the Pink-foot flock, but sadly no sign of the Greater Snow Goose. A quick check with Emma revealed we were on ninety nine species, but more alarmingly revealed that we hadn't seen Song Thrush all day. This was rectified as we drove towards Holkham with one such bird trying to kill itself by flying into the car, it didn't and we had a hundred species on the list ! With the pressure off, but daylight fading it was Holkham Hall next, the girls expecting a cream tea, but me expecting Treecreeper and Nuthatch. Emma quickly located the latter and a Treecreeper thankfully gave itself up as well.

Final destination was Warham Greens for the dusk time roost. Four Hen Harriers came in, a Merlin and our seventh Barn Owl. The biting east wind, total of a hundred and seven species and weariness had us heading back to home. Job done as they say.

Highlight of the day for me (apart from raising nearly one hundred and fifty pounds) ? It was this.

and of course my thanks to Sam and Emma who helped make the day easy and fun.

Grey skies and slush

10 January 2010

No snow overnight as forecast and temperatures reaching the dizzy heights of one degree provided a miserable looking day. The few flurries of snow that did fall this morning were greeted with whoops of delight from Tom shouting "no school tomorrow!" - so I went out. To Saddlebow, King's Lynn,  where there had been reports of a couple of  Smew. Side roads still slippery and it certainly felt colder than a single degree.
Scoping the river from the bridge I saw three Redheads (first winter or adult female Smew) in the distance. Clearly seen here in the middle.

So time for a little creeping about. But not much as the whole flock was very flighty.

and here a good size comparison with accompanying Mallards, Black-headed Gulls and two Goldeneyes

but with a bit of zooming their characteristic shape and white sides to the neck, dark red capped appearance becomes more visible. Great to see these North European Ducks here, they always look as if they are used to very cold weather, just a pity there wasn't an adult male with them. Also present was a single male Goosander.

Back via Pentney Lakes but most of the birds down the far end as the open bit was still iced over. Lots of Wigeon, Teal and a few Cormorants, along with Egyptian Geese trying to walk on ice. Lots of Gulls but a bit distant to try sorting out a Caspian ! (thank God).
On into the village and at last some Fieldfares on the ground.

And just before Spaghetti Bolognese one final check of the ditch to flush the Snipe. The two birds have been feeding in the drainage ditch for the last few days but apart from the first pics they have always been too close, seen me and gone. This time to my surprise we both froze. It was close, in the ditch and looking at me. Very very slowly this time the camera was raised, and then the shutter sounded like a machine gun! Mr Snipe finally nailed.

and I couldn't resist a final look for the Barn Owl in the trees

not a snowball's chance in.............

Saved by the text....

9 January 2010
A long walk round the village and up to the lakes resulted in pure disappointment. Every Bullfinch, of which there were many, was either hidden or flew off on my approach, which was heralded by jumpy Blackbirds giving alarm calls - I'm beginning to go off them. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were showing well and one bird drumming away, then nice views and shots of Nuthatch. Arriving at the Barn, Mr Barn Owl saw me early and disappeared. Still not to worry some nice shots of other birds. School boy error ! - realised I'd left focus on manual and all shots were useless.

So coming near home and I get a text from Emma next door to tell me the two Snipe which have been using the drainage ditch were about and flying through her garden. It's a twitch.... I quicken my pace and arrive in the garden hoping to salvage something from the last three hours. A quick check with Emma on where they last where, and into my garden to creep around the compost bins and look into the ditch.

And there was a single Snipe in the ditch, brilliant. Very dark but ok for a record shot. The second bird called behind me and both took flight to land within ten foot of me, and I mean ten foot ! I daren't move. But slowly I moved the camera round....too much to expect and they both took flight again. However they did return to the ditch so a few more snaps were possible. Having watched them it is clear that they are also feeding in a very small patch of mud, about a square foot, in the ditch at Charity Farm and this is bathed in sunshine......

I'm off out again................