Anne's Journal

  Tuesday March 28 The day was dry but overcast when we left home for  Rollesby Broad,  where the lack of sun would make viewing much easier. Alone in the pull-off, we could position ourselves as well as possible for scoping ,most of the broad. After half an hour, I had enjoyed at least four pairs of Great Crested Grebe, 10+ Coots, one male Pochard, a scattering of diving Tufted Ducks and, Mallard. Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls in their breeding slaty grey wings with bright yellow legs, and a Cormorant, loafed on the jetty. No viewing of the wintering ducks I wanted - especially the drake Smew.   As we left for Buckenham, the heavens opened. Whilst engrossed in scoping, the clouds had thickened and looked set for the day. We cut our losses, driving to Winterton to watch an empty sea whilst drinking a hot chocolate from the cafe. Saturday March 24  Deciding to make an effort to see the two Alpine Swifts ranging between Cromer Golf Course area and Sheringham,...

 Tuesday March 21 One new month for the year last night, a Twin-spot Quaker On Sunday night, we added a Pale Pinion.   This morning, as soon as Sam and Adrian arrived, we set off for the North Coast. We left Adrian planting the first potatoes, Jazzy and Nicola, where the ground has been warming up under a fleece blanket - the latter remains in place until the haulms break through. He prepared the soil last week by watering it with nematodes which eat the tiny slugs in the soil which make the small holes in the tubers. Sam was doing her usual excellent house cleaning job, she's good at seeing what needs doing most. We started at Salthouse, scanning the marsh for migrants. No Wheatears in view, plenty of Rooks, a few Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Skylarks. I spent some time trying to get a decent view of two Plovers, hoping they were Little Ringed. The sun was so bright that I couldn't even see the colour of their legs. Eventually, we moved slightly, the sun went in.... orange legs...

 Saturday March 18 News of Wheatears at Cley and Salthouse yesterday had set the pulses racing. I love Wheatears, they are such beautifully coloured and perky harbingers of Spring. Pam had already heard a Chiffchaff from the garden a couple of days ago, Sand Martins had also been reported along the coast. Salthouse, Beach Road was our first port of call. Despite careful scanning, me one side and Pam the other, nothing to see here, apart from Corvids. Stopped to view the Corral area on Beach Road, Cley, an oncoming car slowed down. It was Peter and Pauline. They'd seen two Wheatears which had then been flushed by a Peregrine. Undeterred, after a first scan of the Brent flock, we parked at the beach and scanned Eye Field. No luck here either. We returned to park along Beach Road so that I could scope the Brent flock for a Pale-bellied. There were two separate flocks,feeding avidly. I continued to scan in both directions. A brisk shower meant a hasty closing of my window. When it stop...

 Wednesday March 15 The living room ceiling saga continues...... Steve and Wayne were due to give the whole ceiling a coat of emulsion today, merely sticking to the necessary section would show up the rest of the room. Pam had been fretting about our inability to prepare the room - moving ornaments, dust sheets etc. as is the norm. We had no choice but to leave it to the men. As I was getting up, Pam mooted that perhaps we didn't need the ceiling done at all. I'd looked at it and thought that the goop put on the stained section had covered it well - but my eyes are not brilliant. So, we cancelled the job. Steve was still coming to do some other small tasks around the house, so we went out as planned, although later than expected. The road to Welney is still under water, the river broke its banks to add to the 'normal' overflow. There is another route but it's even longer. We drove to Snettisham, our default destination.  Lurching through the chalet park, the road is...

Tuesday March 14 Mulling over an idea for some time, I got down to doing the research on line yesterday. That is, investigating prices, available goods, reviews etc. There ws also the usual search for all the missing 'bits', Pam did all of this. My Swarovski 82 scope is twelve years old, and has been around the world a bit. I love it and use it all the time from the car, but..... An annoying speck on the front lens fooled me that there was a bird in the sky, time and time again. The screw loosening and tightening the eyepiece swivel was no longer tightening. I need to swivel the eyepiece whilst viewing from the car on the scope for stability.   Encouraged by Pam, off we went to CleySpy, I wouldn't dream of using any other  store for my optics, they have always treated me very well. To-day was no exception. Greeted by Suzanne and then a 'what can we do for you today', I replied that I was wanting to change my scope. The next question was why did I. I gave the reasons...

Tuesday March 8  The garden is a picture of the onset of spring. Snowdrops, Polyanthus, Winter Aconites, miniature Narcissi, Witch Hazel and Anemone Blanda, to name a few.    Hellebore - Christmas Rose Leucogem Sarcococcus Our much loved Acacia tree is however, dying. Two years ago, the trunk split during a gale. Adrian tied a rope around it and it seemed to be 'normal' last year. This year, half of it is dead. Such a shame. We have had over twenty years of pleasure from its mass of early spring, butter yellow flowers. This is a new tree, waiting for warmer weather.   Over the weekend, the promised 'cold snap' set in. For the north first, then from the east to-day. The Camellias are not liking it at all. Whilst Sam was polishing, we drove to Winterton Beach, happily throwing an entry donation into the Seal Group bucket. They keep the car park open on closed days.That's very good of the owners. On other days, it is manned by the Lifeboat people, who also get to keep ...

 Wednesday March 1 St David's Day   Pam had seen  sixteen species of birds in the garden before we left home, I had to wait until Selbrigg before starting to catch up. It's worth a short detour on the first of the month as it adds a group of birds we do not see elsewhere on the route, such as Marsh and Coal Tits and Nuthatch. The route varies from month to month, some destinations are constant. Apart from a quick look at Sculthorpe Mill, it was straight to Snettisham today. Although it was only an hour until high tide, it was still way out, it must have been a low tide. The mass of birds were at the Yacht Club end, a thick pencil streak of carbon Oystercatchers, clouds of Knot, at least sixty Avocets in their own commune, a tenement of Black-tailed Godwit, scattered Dunlin, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew. No haze of Golden Plover today, their plaintive calls bringing Grey Plover to  our attention. Lovely. I said it would....... Having had mizzle, a few heavy ...