Anne's Journal

 Wednesday January 14 We're more weather-driven than ever these days, I suppose it's an age thing. Confined to the car means relative comfort, with heated seats and efficient air-con., the good effect of much of that goes when windows are opened, especially if there's a strong wind. Brancaster Staithe brought the first 2026  Red-breasted Mergansers. For many years, we could depend on at least one being here for most of the winter, for the last few years, they have been missing. Actively fishing on the incoming tide, they still managed to drift downstream and away. Not the best of photo opportunity but a record shot.    We tried to see the Glossy Ibis reported to be on Stiffkey floods. Pam is always on edge at parking roadside to view the fields, because of passing traffic, but we gave it a good go. Many birds on the flooded fields, mostly Wigeon and Greylag. A highlight was a Cattle Egret standing on the head of a Highland Cow. It would have been a nice photo.  ...

 Sunday January 11 Not the best of days weatherwise - but it wasn't raining.  Towards the end of December, an Eastern race of the Black Redstart had taken up residence in Sheringham. Originally, it was around the Chalets and sewatching shelter, we'd visited once, as it occasionally came into view from the upper tier, and had been unsuccessful. The bird was now in St Nicholas Close, a residential area, having found shelter from storm Gerritt I should think.  As we drove in, three birders with cameras poised alerted us to the bird's presence. We parked across the road and had limited views of this lovely little bird perched on the wall in front of the watchers. A few minutes later, the Redstart flew over our heads into another garden. We took the opportunity to drive up the road, turn around and park once more. This time, the bird appeared on the grass verge in front of us, only viewable through the front windscreen. I enjoyed the binocular views of it feeding in the g...

 Saturday January 10 On January 2nd we found ourselves within driving distance of Great Yarmouth. The lure of 'easy' Med gulls led to the beach behind the Sealife Centre.  Although a lot of hoarding has appeared, it's still possible to drive around the back for a view of a popular beach - for both families and gulls. Even on this very cold day, there were families wandering along on the seashore, and on the promenade.  I immediately located a single Mediterranean Gull in the centre of the beach, at least a 100 metres away, and managed one photo.   Then, a small boy came rushing along the prom, shouting loudly - as they do. One last shot.   Maybe an adult bird next time. January 9 Storm Gerritti brought us overnight - and all day today - rain and strong wind. According to reports, we got off lightly compared with other regions. The best result was the disappearance of the snow and ice, allowing the walk to the car and driving on our roads, to become sa...

 Thursday January 1 2026 Early for us these days, soon after 8.40, on a very cold, ice-covered puddles morning. Clearng the car windows of overnight frost and ice, delayed us by at least ten minutes. Better than last year when my birding journal tells me that gales and rain prevented us from going out. Neither of us remembered that.  Although it was dull and overcast in a biting northerly wind, our garden birds were already active. I missed the Long-tailed Tit but started with a small number of common birds we often miss on our trips out. Blue and Great Tits for example. We'd hit 20 species by the time we left Selbrigg , Nuthatch, Coal Tit and two Marsh Tits the highlights. Marsh Tits have disappeared from our garden and these were the first we'd  seen for many months.   Tha eagerly anticipated mixed finch flock on the Harpley quinoa crop, was totally missing. They can't have finished all the seed available. There was a car in front of us, maybe they'd gone off...

  Wednesday Decemner 24 We've never birded on Christmas Eve, always too busy with visitors or /and preparations for tomorrow. Our first surprise was how empty of traffic the north Norfolk roads were. Fields and hedgerows empty of birds is no longer a surprise. It stayed dry for most of the day, with occasional bursts of low winter sun. Cocooned in the snug warmth of the car, we were impervious to the biting north easterly wind - until it was time to get the scope out. Selbrigg quickly produced a hungry pair of Nuthatches, one much brighter than the other, a Coal Tit, maybe two, a Robin and a Blackbird. The pond was full of water - no birds, not even a Mute Swan. The day's highlight was finding a very large flock if mixed finches feeding on the abandoned quinoa crop along the back road to Flitcham. Mostly Chaffinches, with Yellowhammers, Reed Bunting and our first Brambling of the winter. There was constant movement of varying flocks in and out of the hedgerow and down into the ...

 Friday December 19 The icy wind which met me as I turned the corner by the garage, nearly sent me indoors again. The sun was shining from a largely blue sky, and everywhere looked lovely. It was already early afternoon, the sun low in the sky, blinding as we drove east. Not many of Ludham's homes had outside Christmas lights, those that did had decorated their trees and bushes. Best were the trunks which had been covered in chokers. The track out to St Benet's does not improve, it's pot-holes were full of water after heavy rain yesterday, even the main road still had large wayside pools. Four cars already in the car park, their owners stood outside brandishing large lensed cameras. For the next hour, we watched, a Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, small flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare and, to our delight, a Barn Owl. The first we've seen since February. As the sun set, long flights of Cormorants flew to their night roost.  Shortly after leaving, an onco...