Yare Valley

On Monday i decided to go for a walk along the year valley, taking in Stumpshaw, Buckenham and Cantley. Laura dropped me in the city and i caught the bus to Brundall. A few common birds on the walk down to the Strumpshaw reserve. Recent high tides have left a thick layer of silt across the Lackford Run path. All the slipping and sliding did however rewarded me with two ticks for my embryonic 2012 year list in Water Rali and Cetti's Warbler, in fact i saw 3 Cetti's along the path. By the river i watched a large dog otter fishing before a speed boat scared everything. By the Tower hide i located 2 Goldcrest with a tit flock. Lots of Teal and Greylag from the hide but not much else until a Merlin flew through heading east. 2 Marsh Tit on the feeders and a second otter from the brick hide and i decided to walk on to Buckenham.

Arriving by the station i could see the Taiga Bean Geese quite close and amongst them probably the Lesser White-fronted Goose, however the air ambulance then flew over and all the geese, ducks and Lapwing got up, before i could scope anything. The geese eventually settled however out of site at Cantley. Stopping by the new hide, i picked out c10 Ruff, a single Snipe and 2 Dunlin amongst 100+ Lapwing and Golden Plover. With fence posts being repaired on Buckenham Marshes the geese did not return, a distant Buzzard and fly though Sparrowhawk the only highlights as i walked the river bank.

Crossing over the foot bridge to Cantley Marshes i could clearly see where all the geese had gone. The Bean geese appeared to be split up into 3 groups, some mixed with the large White-fronted Goose flock so locating the LWF would be difficult. I walked the footpath down to Burnt House Road where i could get better views of the Lesser White-fronted Goose, luckily relatively close with a small group of Beans. Sensing the prospect of a 'mega' pub bird i walked round to the Reedcutters pub by the Beet Factory. To my horror the pub only opens evenings during the winter, to make matters worse from the river bank garden i could view through the hedge Bean Geese, White-fronted Geese and the Lesser White-fronted Goose, 3 would-be 'pub ticks'. Disappointed i waited for the train home.