WHAT?

This Little Owl popped up on a Farm Tour at Wild Ken Hill the other day. To me they always have that angry expression … as if they are shouting ‘WHAT?’

Towering Waders

I caught a flock of Grey Plover sweeping through the village last week. Those dark auxiliaries; the armpit feathers, are a dead giveaway for an otherwise quite bland winter plumage wader. Several flocks have been around the village for a week or two now. If they aren’t in the clifftop fields they will undoubtedly be down on the beach.

Roughing it

The sun was out the wind was down. A quick late afternoon visit to Wells was on the cards for the Rough legged Buzzard that had been seen there quartering the fields.

Stood looking North overlooking the eastern pines a Swallow flew through; an amusing distraction. I can’t think what it was feeding on as there were few flies. It was also good to see a ploughed field heaving with Lawing, Golden Plover and a few Snipe.  Pied Wagtails were gathering to roost seemingly ignoring the hanging Marsh Harriers that were steadily working the field borders. Out from grass tussocks flapped a buteo obviously of some size. The white uppertil and the solid black belly were dead giveaways as to it’s ID. It never did come close but it had a regular hunting circuit. It eventually went back to its favoured bush, presumably to roost.

Always attractive these visitors from the Arctic. Such powerful birds. We always seem to get a splattering each Winter.

 

Shouty Siberian

Wherever you go amid the Isles of Scilly in October it’s likely you will hear the ‘tsoeest’ of Yellow-browed Warblers. We found this one skulking in bushes at Trenoweth … but we had others.

On the crest

The sky was grey. In the distance it had invisibly stitched itself to the sea and the north wind was bringing in curtains of rain. The hedge I can see from my bedroom window is crying out for a Pallas’s Warbler. I stood beneath it waiting for the tell-tale call. A little patience and a Long tailed Tit flock lolly-popped their way through the foliage around me. Among them something smaller. As it came into view I was let down gently by this yellow booted mahicanned Goldcrest.

Craning our Necks

As we stopped for a look around on a tour in north East Norfolk a group of cranes could be heard somewhere in the distance. We waited and they eventually came right above us. Wonderful graceful birds.

Resplendent orient

In the Brecks last week listening to a charade of Firecrest song. However it wasn’t that that caught our attention. It was the flock of Mandarin ducks looking resplendent in breeding garb that stole the show. What beautiful ducks these are.

Through the square window

The end of the tax year saw me sitting at the laptop first thing this morning.

It was the song of a Blackcap that drew me to the window. Not my first for the year but always good to hear. Under the feeders was a Stock Dove. The iridescence around the neck  was absolutely glowing in the morning sunshine. I had to get my camera. As soon as I moved he flew up and away. I thought I’d set up the camera anyway just in case he came back; or maybe something else would put in an appearance.

I’d no sooner set up the tripod when an absolute carpet of Blackbirds landed in the garden. A spring movement north. Much to the consternation of the local birds that didn’t like interlopers on their patch. As I finished adjusting the camera I noticed something piebald land at the pond.

For the fourth year running Ring Ouzels have visited the pond here. Stunning birds these thrushes. I had a chance to fire off a few shots before the whole flock took off west.

Rallying Rail

Everyone knows that Water Rails show well at dusk. This individual had not read the books. Walking alongside the path at Titchwell it was attracting a steady steam of admirers.

Breeders?

The first recorded occurrence of Great White Egret in Norfolk was in 1979. Since then they have been regular visitors. On a tour this week we came across three together and another was reported less than a mile away. Do you think breeding is on the cards this year? I’ll be surprised if it’s not.