Christmas Eve

 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 field. Always seen through the windscreen, which is terrible for photos, and very aware that this is a single track road with only one passing place. We often have to reverse for some distance along here. We estimated 500 birds, there may well have been more. 

At last, a photographable Marsh Harrier came hunting across the field. But.... always against the light, silhouette only - looked like the cut-outs we buy to stick to the sun lounge windows to deter bird crashes. 

 

Having enjoyed wader spectacles at Hunstanton cliffs and from the Lighthouse car park, we made our last visit to beloved Brancaster Staithe. Very little water and even fewer birds. The mussel fishermen had left their buckets amongst the shell debris which always attracts Oystercatchers. A partial rainbow illuminated the backdrop. Irresistible. Despite wishful thinking, no Brent rose from the marsh to enhance the photos. Two very similar shots illustrate the differences in light on this coast in a very short time space.

 

 The rainbow grew....

 The Eastern Black Redstart at Sheringham is very tempting as I've only seen this sub species in Turkey and eastern North Africa. It looks as though it's not accessible for me. It could well be an insurance tick, it looks so different from 'our' Black Redstart.

Photo taken from the internet.