A bird we have seen on our trip to the Solway each year, in varying numbers, is the Scaup. A winter visitor to our shores; although a few, and I mean a few, breed in Scotland each year. This makes them the UK’s rarest breeding duck. This one was photographed on our tour to the Solway last weekend.
Some confiding Laplanders in Norfolk this week. Up to 10 Lapland Buntings feeding on the Saltmarsh at Blakeney.
At least one of them was proving they don’t exclusively feed on seeds!
Steve is a very unassuming chap; full of humility. He was a guest on our recent trip to the Solway for the winter geese tour.
Now, I know that Steve would never describe himself as an expert … but he is. Every Sunday he dedicates himself to walking the beach at Snettisham, finding and then recording all the different species of Ray, Skate and Shark egg cases he can find. Take a look at the distribution maps on the Shark Trust website and you’ll see the cluster of records around Snettisham. http://www.sharktrust.org/en/GEH_distribution
On one of our morning walks on the Solway last weekend, along the beach in front of our hotel, he picked up several egg cases of Small spotted Catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). He was delighted to find these as they are infrequently found around Norfolk’s coast. Citizen science at its very best.
Among the moulting seals the other day were a few little visitors; sort of litter pickers of the beach. These Sanderlings ran among the much larger seals taking tasty morsels from the sand but also occasionally from the seals!
I’ve seen ginger Common Seals before. They come out of the Thames Estuary where they get stained by the iron laden water. However I have not seen a ginger Grey Seal previously. This one was sat on a Norfolk beach. I wonder if it too has spent some time in the Thames Estuary.
Plonker!
A knock on the window of Falcon Cottage the other day was an unexpected visit from neighbours Tom and Sam. They brought with them a sad little visitor. Sam took a female kestrel from under her coat and laid it out on the worktop. She had found it in the middle of a field, semi-moribund. As I tried to explore the breastbone for fat deposits a set of very sharp talons immediately clenched my hand. Not that moribund then! It was severely undernourished. Given it was late in the day I asked Sam to put it in a dark box in a warm place overnight. If it was still alive in the morning it needed fluids and food and should be taken for rehabilitation. We await a conclusion.
UPDATE: Sadly the young lady died overnight. Perhaps a little too weak to make it.
Last week we had these Nacreous Clouds over the village. Lovely luminescent colours.
Another Black Brant hybrid at Holkham the other day – flanks not white or extensive enough for me. Neck ring and mantle look good though.
I was trying hard to remember if I’d seen one previously in Norfolk. Ferruginous Duck … a scarce visitor.
Letter From Norfolk 