Birding the Brecks Alone

I had set aside today (27th) as my bird watching day of my 10 days off work. With very few migrants on the coast I decided on a trip to the Brecks in the hope of catching up with e the recently re-emerged Parrot Crossbill at Santon Downham. After a sunny day on Monday it was no surprise that Tuesday was cool, dull and damp again. With the heaviest rain set to ease off by 10.30am I decided to set out a little later at 8am and call by a couple of other sites on route.

First stop was Bintree Mill where a drake Gargany has been present the last few days, luckily with its still drizzling hard I could pull up in the car and scan the flood without getting out of the car. Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Shoveler and a few Teal were all I could see. After checking my route to the next stop I had a second scan, and to my surprise the Gargany had appeared all be it along the reedy back edge of the pool but still a pretty little bird to see. While here a Little Egret came into the dyke only a few meters away, but he spotted me just as I raised my camera.

Next stop was Cockey Cley to look for Willow Tit, now a Norfolk rarity, but thanks to a local birder setting up a feeding station I was hopeful that with a bit of patience I would catch up with one. It started raining heavily again so I was in no hurry to reach the Brecks, this was lucky as I missed my turn off and ambled through the back roads without reception before Google maps came back online. Once back on the main roads I soon found the village and with a grid ref and directions soon found were to park. Walking up track FR110 I soon found the two feeding stations that had been set up, just before that I rather promisingly heard a Willow Tit call. The drizzle was still hard enough to soak me so I hid up under the trees in view of both feeders. Blue Tit and Great Tit came regularly to the tables, but the bird most predominate was Coal Tit which was nice to see. 2 Nuthatch came in along with a few Chaffinch and Robin. After 20 minutes of so a Willow Tit dropped in, grabbing a sunflower seed and disappearing, luckily it soon came back. I topped up the feeders and headed back to the car, also seeing 3 Yellowhammer.

Driving to Lynford I tried a few fields that looked good for Stone Curlew but without any luck. At Lynford although more mizzle than drizzle I still got wet. I walked the area near Lynford Water and got lucky with 2 Woodlark unintentionally flush from close to the path. The pools held a few Tufted Duck, Great Crest Grebe, Greylag Geese and 2 Oystercatcher on the rafts. A Nuthatch was near the car and a Mistle Thrush was nearby, but with another heavy shower I decided not to walk the arboretum.

Parking up by the Railway Crossing a Santon Downham, I had a good look around the nearby pines with no sign of any Crossbill. By the river bridge a Grey Wagtail flew down stream, I too walked down stream seeing 2 Marsh Tit at close quarters before a pair a Mandarin flew over. A further 2 pair of Mandarin, Nuthatch and Treecreeper were seen before reaching the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker site. It was dry now so I hung around for 30 minutes or so, and just before leaving a LSW flew over from the Suffolk side of the river, over my head and over the railway line. Having seen a LSW locally near home I didn't wait around for better views instead heading off to look for Parrot Crossbill. Walking back a Kingfisher whizzed by and I saw my first singing Chiffchaff of the spring. I searched the tracks both side of the railway line and also the clearings opposite the car park with little success. A drive down to St Helen's Picnic Area gave up a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 fly-over Common Crossbill and a small Redwing flock. Driving back up the track a Sparrowhawk flew through. Feeling rather hungry I realised it was almost 2pm and I hadn't had any lunch so headed home, grabbing a sandwich on route.

I always enjoy a visit to the Brecks, with its mixture of habitat very different to North East Norfolk. Today was my first solo visit to the area, with my main bird watching friends now living in Norwich company is sometimes hard to come by, any birders local to North Walsham feel free to email me, an extra pair of eyes always welcome. Sorry about a lack of photos, with the persistent rain I left the camera in the car.

Alderfen NWT

With a couple of hours free on Saturday I decided to visit a reserve I've never call in on before despite it being only a 15 minute drive away. Alderfen Broad is between the villages of Neatishead and Irstead, but despite knowing exactly where the  reserve was I couldn't locate the car park so parked up on the road to the SE of the reserve and walked in along a public footpath. The car park is down a long unmarked dirt track.

Walking through the wet woodland I saw Blue Tit, Great Tit and a Goldcrest, a small group of Redpoll also flew over. The first signs of spring migrants for the year came in the form of 3 Chiffchaff, none of which were singing though. Making it to the viewing screen, I read in the sightings book a Gargany was present the previous day. I had no luck locating it but there are lots of reedy margins to hide in. 30+ Wigeon, 20+ Tufted Duck, a Great Crested Grebe and a few Coot the birds on the water. With later commitments I wandered back to the car, seeing all the common Tits again. Back by the car I viewed a pair of Marsh Tit interacting at close quarters, a delicate bird I love to see.

A nice little reserve I will definitely visit again, hopefully I'll also find the car park next time, now I knew where it is. It should be noted water levels are high so wellies are advisable as the paths are sticky in places.

When is a Patch Tick not a Patch Tick?

After a morning spent digging the allotment and re-cladding part of the garage, I rewarded myself with an afternoon stroll around part of the patch, Paston Cliffs. I was optimistically hoping for an early migrant but it seems that 2pm is dog walking rush hour, and with most dogs off the lead little was about walking the grassy cliff tops near the paddocks to the west.

There were however lots of gulls on the beach so I spent some time scanning through them, among them I found a Caspian Gull a patch tick I though, but actually I have seen one here in 2015. Most of the gulls were large but with the few Black-headed Gulls I found a single Little Gull, possibly the bird from Bacton earlier in the week? Surprisingly this was a new patch tick, as although I had seen Little Gull here in the past it was before this was my patch!

By now the dog walkers had disperse so I walked towards the Gas Terminal, a group of Linnet and Skylark were in the fields and singing loudly. I thought I saw a female Reed Bunting drive into the brambles but on closer inspection 8 Yellowhammer exploded out from their cover. On the cliff edge 2 Oystercatcher probed the path edge and 7 Stock Dove fed in the bare field, where the Caspian Gull had relocated from the beach with most of the gulls. No Bluethroat, Black Redstart or even a Wheatear but an hour well spent, if no one looks nothing will be seen.

More Snowiness

After the disappointment of not being able to get to see the Snowy Owl in North Norfolk, a combination of no car, work and Mother's Day commitments left me only able too look at pictures on friends blogs.

On Friday 16th we headed down to South Wales to visit family, I knew I wouldn't have time to target any rare birds on route or while there, but that I should have time for a local walk or two. On Friday after arriving mid-morning I got to stretch my legs with a short walk around Diamond Park in Ystadglanlais, a landscaped old colliery (Diamond Colliery). Bird life was as expected, tits, finches and thrushes but what was nice to see was the large numbers of Song Thrush. Walking by the River Tawe I saw at least 3 of one of my favourite little birds, Dipper, despite the river flowing very fast after overnight rain. The birds were very vocal I assume staking out territories. On my return to the house a Red Kite was drifting over the roof tops at aerial height.

Saturday afternoon I had two or three hours free and set my sights on scaling a nearby hill/mountain (Fartag Hill) to get views over the valley, but with no local maps it was a bit off the hoof. I started off in Diamond Park, getting crippling views of Bullfinch, before stumbling across Wern Plemys Nature Reserve. The information boards highlight the array of orchids here but I had to make do with lots and lots of Scarlet Elfcap fungus. After following a disused railway line I stumbled across footpath and headed further uphill. No great wildlife highlights, but great views of the town. Walking back I visited the remains of a local Tin Works before again following the river and admiring a few Dipper and also close views of Grey Wagtail.

Sunday I woke up to 2 inches of snow, no mountain climbing, but a snowy walk along the riverside and Diamond Park with the family.

Today (19th) back in Norfolk I spent the morning in the woods near Witton cutting firewood. After a quick cuppa I had a wander and disturbed 11 Woodcock on the edge of the wood. In this area a few weeks ago I only saw 1, the result of new birds from the continent moved by the Beast from the East? After lunch  I had a wander at Bacton, unsurprisingly no migrants on the clifftop but Turnstone, Oystercatcher and a few gulls on the beach, including at least 1 adult Little Gull. The biggest surprise was the state of the beach with most of the sand washed away and the slipway rendered useless.

A Snowy Patch

Last Wednesday (28th) after a failed attempt to drive Laura to work in Norwich, and after the worst of the snow had eased I decided to have a wander around the Quiet Lanes near the house. Before I left the garden I had 4 Fieldfare fly over the house and a Brambling under the feeders. The wind was whipping up as I crossed the the fields and the snow was starting to drift.

By the humped-back bridge a few Fieldfare and Redwing were by the hedge but it was rather quiet, and by the Alpaca Field 4 Song Thrush scrapped about. It was by Pond Cottage that I found a large mixed Finch and Tit flock, that held Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits as well as two Coal Tits.. Goldfinch and Chaffinch dominated the finches but a few Greenfinch and 3 Brambling were also around, along with two Goldcrest and a possible Chiffchaff I only got a fleeting glimpse of. On the lane towards Antingham Pond a Yellowhammer was in the hedge and two Stock Dove appear to be paired up. In the trees by the pond I could hear both Siskin and Redpoll but could only see a few Siskin in the Alder. Peeking through the hedge most of the pond was frozen over with a resident Mute Swan, Canada and Greylag Geese and Mallard present, but no obviously over wintering wildfowl. By Lyngate Gardens another large group of birds was taking advantage of feeders in the gardens, but again it was predominantly the common finches and tits, although a Mistle Thrush was on the paddock and 3 more Stock Dove were nearby. In the pine belt last year I saw Firecrest and I thought I may have heard one again, but couldn't see anything, but another 2 Coal Tit were nice to see. Walking back via the Industrial Estate I scanned the gulls on the factory roof but saw nothing of interest before heading home for a warming cuppa.

On Thursday all roads in and out of North Walsham were blocked by deep snow drifts, while building a snowman Fieldfare once again flew over the garden and one of the juv. Blackbird was being fed, sadly I later found the second drown in the pond.

Over the last week or so as well as the numerous Buzzard and Kestrel often seen between North Walsham and Norwich, we also saw 2 Barn Owl, a Little Owl (25th) and a Tawny Owl (2nd) on our commute.