Anne's Journal

 Sunday September 28 How did the years go by so quickly? My daughter, Sara was fifty nine today. We celebrated by going out birding, what better? Friend Pauline, who recently accompanied us on one of our birding from the car days, said that we went looking for birds rather than looking for one in particular. I think that sums it up well. When we were fit and able, we did both of course, but month listing as well as year listing and age has brought about an increase in the general approach. Driven by necessity but really rewarding.  The lack of Blackbirds has been noted, we can spend a day out and see none. This week we had one bird in the garden with feathers missing from its head. The single bird we saw at Snettisham looked the same. Is this a sign of the disease affecting southern birds? The sea at Snettisham could have been further out, it was well on its way. A mass of Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits crowded the shoreline. a phalanx of Oystercatchers, including one albino bird...

 Saturday September 20 The Norfolk branch of the Butterfly Conservation organised a moth-ing session at Foxley Woods, which is a Norfolk Wildlife Reserve. It's Norfolk's largest remaining ancient woodland, good for  both moths and butterflies. Our last session here, earlier in the year was disappointing, as the weather was not conducive,.This is the latest date that a trapping session has taken place here.  Yesterday, the temperature had risen to 25C in parts of Norfolk, so hopes were high. Six traps had been spread around the reserve overnight by the ever willing Mike Glasson. David Norgate did the trap opening. His identification of the smaller moths was aided by Andy Wallis and Andrew Kershaw so that David could carry on with the main catch. Green Brindled Crescents, Brindled Green, Black Rustic, were very welcome.As was the single Clifden Nonpareil. The latter is known to be present but it's the first time one has been trapped. A Deep Brown Dart was brought in from th...

  Sunday September 14 Having talked about it as a possiblity over the last couple of weeks, today it happened. We drove to the Great Cressingham area in search of pig fields. Their position changes from time to time, don't know if it's annual. Moving all those pig houses must be a mammoth task. We found three very extensive areas quite closely covered with igloo like domes. Each one a shelter for a family. Piglets of varying size sped about, rootling the soil with their square snouts as diligently as the adults - but less efficiently.  Viewing from the car is difficult, through five barred gates or small gaps in thick hedgerows, usually through the top of tall weeds. After an hour and a half of diligent scoping, eyes watering and intention flagging, a small gap in the hedge allowed Pam to call 'got one'. Two Stone Curlews were squatting on the stony ground produced by the pigs' snouts, ideally camouflaged, occasionally opening a round yellow eye. Traditionally, the...

 Monday September 1 Driving past Holt, I had two bird species on my day list. Wood Pigeon and Kestrel. Pam saw ten in the garden  whilst eating her breakfast. We met Pauline at Morrions car park in Fakenham, somewhere where she could leave her car for the day and was convenient to both her and us.Harpley Cottages are dependable for Swallow and House Martin, Sculthorpe Mill  gave us the only Robins of the day. A lane of newly released, scurrying Red-legged Partridges and a couple of Pheasants at Valley Farm Lane. Nothing else of note until we had survived the potholes and unmade cement/ gravel/ dirt road through the chalet park to Snettisham RSPB. Seeing that the tide was way out, Pam checked the tide timetable, we were only an hour or so away from hight tide. But, they are neap tides at the moment so don't cover the mud at all. Very distantly were the usual enormous masses of Oystercatchers, a few Grey Plover, Ringed Ploover, Curlew and Knot well spread across the brown l...