St Benet's

 Tuesday December 20

Knowing that the afternoon would be best, it was almost mid-day before we set off.  What a lovely day after all the murk and big freeze. An almost cloudless blue sky, the golden sun of a December afternoon gilding the winter brown reeds which fringe all the dykes on Ludham Marsh.

Birds were very scarce on the way out, driving sedately along the segmented, flawed, concrete track. A roadside Buzzard was far enough away not to fly as Pam left the car to get her camera from the back seat. It had a look though.

 


It was down on the ground, listening intently for worms. I always think that this is an ignominious meal for a butch raptor.

 


Half the parking space was occupied by three large Broads Authority vans. Three remaining cars left us one space in the front row  for us to drive into. In the past, before the area became as well known, we have always been able to park sideways on so that I could scope from the car. Binoculars through the windscreen today, with no camera opportunities. A flock of Fieldfare flew around, Starlings and a Marsh Harrier appeared and disappeared. I read. Until Pam called 'Cranes', and four birds flew from left to right, disappearing behind bushes.Then, a Barn Owl, flying purposefully towards the river bank, before hunting and perching in full view behind the bushes. Until a man with a camera disturbed it. Maybe that is why a Short-eared Owl hurtled out of the far trees, before landing on top of the shooting tower blind. Two more groups of Cranes, about a dozen in each, flew from the left to the right, again disappearing behind the trees.

Back to my Garden News magazine crossword.

Then, the Cranes started to appear from the right. Three to start with.

 


Then, larger groups, all flying towards what I surmised to be the fields viewable from the entry track. We left.

There are only a couple of gateways where it is possible to stop enabling cars to pass. The first was occupied - but Pam glimpsed some Cranes in the fields beyond. From the second gateway, we saw a family group of four.

 


We saw the other car move, turned around, parking in the vacated gateway from which we could see at least 24 Cranes spread in a line along the Thurne end of the marsh.

 


It was difficult to count the number of Cranes present. We know that there were 24 in the large flock, the family of four making it  28 . A Norfolk Whatsapp entry later said over 30. There could well have been in total. They also identified three very distant flyimng swans as Whoopers. I knew that they were not Mute and had made an educated guess at Whoopers from the size. A most enjoyable afternoon of birding, manna for the soul after ten days of being housebound..

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