Anne's Journal

 Friday February 2 Maybe it was nearer an hour and a half. Sitting in the car park at St Benet's, lucky to find the last space in the front row. It was nearly an hour before I saw the first Short-eared Owl. Until then, Pam had done most of the scanning whilst I read. An owl appeared from behind one of the Thurne windmills before flying low over the reeds and away behind a bank of trees. It wasn't long before two more appeared, this time going out of sight behind the nearest farm buildings and their concrete enclosure. A short while later, Pam spotted one of the owls perched in front of the concrete blocks, partially obscured by reeds. We were both encouraged to take a few photos through the side window. Before we left, we added:  Marsh Harrier:  a distant male Hen Harrier, Kestrel, Buzzard and a Grey Heron. The cream on the cake was three Cranes making a long flight across the marsh before wheeling out of sight towards Clippesby.

 Thursday February 1 Pam's early morning post-op visit to aconsultant proved that they are as happy as she is with the results of his work.  After a cuppa and a long call from Sara, we set off for Winterton. Well. it is the first of the month. A Sea Palling sheep field also had a pair of Stock Doves. Very unusually, they didn't fly when we stopped. I was able to take a few photos for the year folder. I find them very attractive.   A field south of Horsey windmill held over a thousand Pinks. We scanned as well as was allowed by the restricted view through hedging but couldn't find any other goose. Plnty of room to park sideways on in the car park at Winterton, I was able to scope the gently rolling sea. Time and patience resulted in two Red-throated Divers and one Great Northern Diver . Would last week's swans still be on the field puddle? This meant turning onto the road to Hickling after passing through Sea Palling village. This road also leads to a field having a her...

 Tuesday January 30 A rainy and dismal morning, we stayed indoors. After lunch, we drove to Morston. At the near edge of the car park pool, a Greenshank flew away as soon as we saw it, alarmed into flight by the calls from two Redshanks - the ''wardens of the marsh''. No chance for a photo. It flew strongly away downstream, we expected to find it on Redshank bend, plenty of its namesake, as usual, not the hoped for bird. The fast ebbing water in front of the Blakeney Hotel had our first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year.   Blakeney duck Pond was full of Mallard and nothing else. Bird Flu has killed all the exotic ducks and geese which have been here for years. I miss them. I couldn't resist taking a photo of a Kestrel, silhouetted against the marsh, steadfastly refusing my pleas to look at me. Then it did - I discovered when I downloaded my shots. The photo is a triumph of editing - from dark outline to colour. As we drove along Leatherpool Lane, a Merlin overto...

 Sunday January 28 We drove straight to Snettisham, without any of our usual birding stops. Maybe then, we would be near enough to this morning's high tide for the birds to be close enough to identify easily. It wasn't and they weren't. The usual mind-blowing mass of birds on the tideline, others scattered widely on the mud, appearing from, and disappearing into, the myriad deep creeks and gullies. Such a lovely day, it was a pleasure to be there. Warm - not the 19.7 in Kinlochewe - little wind, and waders. It's the best chance for us to view a variety of the latter. I eventually identified: Knot, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew and Oystercatchers. Accompanied by Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Shelduck and a few Pintail . A small group of Greater Black-backed Gulls stood out amongst the diminutive feeders. Unexpectedly, no Golden Plover nor any of the heron family about. Despite careful inspection of all three pits, we did not see a...

 Wednesday January 24 Yet another short outing, Buckenham the destination and this time we made it. A very dull afternoon was compounded by the mist hanging over Buckenham Marsh, scoping was like looking through thin soup.  The first scan, near the railway station, at what we know as goose corner, only produced two young male Chinese Water Deer. Their 'tusks' were very obvious as they followed each other through the rough sedge. One had a distinctive white flash on its face. Further scoping unveiled: thousands of Lapwing, both scattered everywhere we looked and, in enormous swathes flying above the far bank one Canada Goose , its head and neck stretched up from a dyke a dozen Greylag two white Ruff - we only saw white Ruff here last winter, is that because they are returning birds, or stand out because of their colour. Maybe the dark ones hide better. hundreds of grazing and abluting Wigeon . A further three Chinese Water Deer made that total five, well down on numbers usuall...

Tuesday January 23 Buckenham and then Halvergate Marsh were the targets.  As we turned onto the coast road, the rain started. It wasnt forecast until the afternoon. By Stalham it was heavy and relentless. When we went to see and photograph the swans, over a week ago now, Pam's camera battery was flat - even though she'd put a fresh one in. She suggested that we might cut our losses and see if the swans were still there, on the Stalham - Hickling road. Yes, they were. What WERE they eating?Another vehicle was in the better layby, Pam managed what she wanted from the one where one has to lean at an angle. Her camera needed wiping after a short spell out of the window. I'd managed to miss photographing the Bewicks, ever obliging Pam drove up the road to turn round, me hoping that the other car had gone. No such luck. Despite a splendid Appalloosa horse - the spotty one - and its rider spooking the swwans to the far side of the pool, I managed to snap one of the few Bewick'...

Monday January 22 After a morning of necessary chores, we had a couple of hours to spare before the Sainsbury delivery. We drove Clippesby roads first, hampered by a stormy squall from a suddenly steel gray sky. No luck there. Thurne next, still rather gloomy, we drove down a side road. I asked Pam to stop so that I could scan the marsh. Success. Behind a distant gate, viewed under a willow tree, another in the dyke beside it, two Cranes. Always good to get them on the January list. I'd be happy to see them every time I went out. Such elegant birds in their symphony of greys. The record photo for my year folder is bad.   Was it the same Buzzard in the field where we'd seen one standing over prey at the weekend? It looked like it.