Anne's Journal

 Wednesday February 18 There's been an influx of Tundra Bean Geese this winter - we still haven't seen one. None had been reported today, we thought we'd go and have a search. Starting at Selbrigg, some scattered food soon brought two Nuthatches, Coal Tit and Blue Tit. A near meadow had two feeding Muntjacs. On to Beach Road, Cley where we found  a sizeable flock of Brent Geese east of the road, soon after turning. There's a gateway which can be used for scoping. The flock was well spread and always on the move. I spent some time scanning, finding nothing unusual, apart from one bird with a spotted head. We'd already seen another flock near Babcocks, and then another at the far end of the Eye Field. Neither of them viewable for us. Surprisingly for half term, Morston had very few cars, probably because it was low tide so there were no seal trips running. That and the icy wind. Oystercatchers, and Redshank were the only birds in the creek, until a Greenshank appeared...

 Monday February 16 When Pam suggested a ride out, Winterton was the immediate chosen destination. Not ideal weather, but I've been longing to return to the car park with a loaded camera battery. The dunes are extremely popular venues for dog walkers, late afternoon on a weekday seemed like a good choice. As we were driving past Walnut Farm, Pam noticed a biggish group of flying birds. Cranes. Fifteen of them; the most I've ever seen in flight in Nofolk. I managed a few shots past Pam, out of her open window. A small number had already gone in a different direction.   Their grey elegance never ceases to  thrill. A good start. Winterton car park was pretty empty, we drove to the far end, as near to the sheds as is possible. Again, almost as soon as we'd stopped, a group of Snow Buntings appeared from below the cliff edge. landing on top of a far shed's roof. Instantly, they were off again, landing on a grassy clifftop verge in the shadow of the sheds, where they seemed t...

  Wednesday February 11 Our garden is a regular fly-through for local Sparrowhawks. On a wet and pretty miserable day, one of them decided to take shelter in our trees. Its favourite look-out was the 5x5 post from which we hang some feeders.We didn't see it catch anything on this occasion. I felt sorry for it. Enough to consider taking some chicken out of the freezer.   Eventually, it seemed settled enough for Pam to open the utility room door so that she could take some photos without the double glazing of the kitchen window. Pam thren used my Canon SX70 to take some photos for me. She did rather well, thank you Pam.Very dishevilled looking, but the eyes are bright and fierce.    

 Sunday February 8 We'd have been bang on time picking up Pauline from Fakenham Morrison's if we hadn't stopped for fuel. At Morrison's. Which, to Pam's delight, was a very competitive price. Leaving home in sun and blue sky, by North Walsham we had a bank of fog looming ahead. This lasted most of the journey west, a weak sun orb appearing once. Not as cold though, there were compensations. It was a very pleasant day without any obvious highlights until near the end. Snettisham was an hour past high tide; that was only 2.2, very low indeed, so it hardly came in. Once more, the birds were very distant, as was the shoreline. It's always a pleasure to see Goldeneye and Little Grebe. The islands on the reserve pit were covered in Lapwing, the far one as always, held flasher Cormorants, wings out to dry. No Rock Pipits at Thornham, just this Common Gull, still in most of its winter plumage, surveying the scenery.   Needing to use the facilities, we called in to Titch...

 Monday February 2  We didn't go out yesterday because Man U were playing Fulham at 2 p.m. We won 3-2. Today was cold, damp, low overcast. with fog producing poor visibility. Ideal birding weather - not. However frustrating, it was still good to be out and about. Having decided to look at as many spots as possible, we made the short detour to Selbrigg. Here we picked up Mute Swan, Mallard, Moorhen. Robin, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and several Nuthatches. Pam thought she'd heard a Treecreeper, none seen. Then, Sculthorpe Mill, Valley Farm, Harpley Cottages, Abbey Farm, Sandringham and Snettisham. We'd inched our way to 20+ species by the time we arrived at the latter. My heart sank. Miles of mud, scattered Shelduck and thousands of duck, all too distant to identify species. Probably Wigeon and Teal. A lone Redshank and a single Curlew were the only waders in view. A few Tufted Duck and one female Goldeneye plus a Little Grebe on the pits, we didn't linger. Oystercatchers and a ...

 Saturday January 31 I've always tried to see all the winter geese in January, a solid start to the year's birding. As suspected, Taiga Bean Geese no longer fly across the channel to the Yare Valley, their numbers have been diminishing for years. When I first moved to Norfolk, in 1974, a flock of over two hundred spent their winters here. Luckily, a random bird had attached itslf to a flock of Pinks and Barnacles, spending a few days at Wells North Point pools. We were still missing Tundra Bean Goose. At least four birds had been reported with a Pinks flock off Stone Lane. Buckenham. Pam found the flock - I couldn't even see them - at the far end of an enormous field. In addition, there was nowhere to park and scope. We moved on to Buckenham Marsh.  Now that the level crossing is no longer gated and manned, many more people seem to have found their way down here. Still not in  big numbers though, it's an open and shelterless place where the wind really cuts through one....