Busy Weekend Catch-up

Most of the business was not connected to birding, but to my daughter being at a dance festival (I am a proud a doting dad!)

However, I have managed to fit in some birding, but not as much as I would have liked!

Spent a couple of late hours at Swanton Morley. There was a Pike fishing competition going on around Curly's Lake, so little was present there and a large working party was preparing Holkham Lake, so this was also very quiet! Even so, I still manged to find a pair of Wigeon on the Middle Lake and finally heard the Cetti's Warbler by the river! The Bittern was reported again from Holkham Lake - hopefully it might be in the same place tomorrow morning! No Hen Harrier or Pink-footed Goose were noted - birds I missed the day before (and no Collared Dove either - for DA!)

News of the possible Parrot Crossbill could not be followed up, although it sound interesting - hopefully the bird will be seen again!

Saturday 6th February
A quick 20 minute trip to Whitlingham Lane was very productive, particularly due to the birders who got me straight onto the birds (thanks - particularly to Andy!) The Ring-necked Duck was asleep as usual, and the 1st winter Scaup was distant, but active. Showing well was th Red-necked Grebe and, even more so, a Water Vole. The Great Northern Diver appear across the Lake, over the photographers heads! On two occasions I saw a bird that I am sure was a female Scaup (see distant pic from front on), but I hesitate as no-one else has reported it! (Something I have learned to add since seeing a distant bird at Waveney that I thought was a Rough-leg, mentioning it to DA, but not following it up! Then 2 more were seen!!)

Friday 5th February

Best birds of the morning were two Peregrines and a female Goldeneye. I needed to get home early, yet, my luck held as a huge female Goshawk flew north over the road just west of Gayton. Expecting it to be a buzzard, I was immediately struck by the lightness of the underparts, with fine barring on the body, becoming coarser to the flight feathers and heavy on the tail. The broad wings 'pinching in' at the body, and there being a white patch around the 'vent' onto the upperparts - stunning low flyover.

Norfolk Bird Info to:
E-mail: ruralchill@live.co.uk
Mobile: 07749779149

Norfolk 364 BOU, 376 UK400, Year 152, Route 86, Sp 72, SM 77, SF 34