Catching Up

I've been remiss in updating my blog recently, so before we look at this weekend, here's a catch up of the last few weeks:

Saturday 17th - Monday 19th January

A weekend away in Norfolk to celebrate my 50th. It wasn't intended as a birding weekend, but when you're in Norfolk, there's always something to see.

We were based in Coltishall, gateway to the Broads, and our meanderings took us as far as Horsey on the east coast.

An early year tick was a pair of egyptian geese in a field just outside the village. Our first stop was the picturesque How Hill Nature Reserve, where we had brief glimpses of a marsh harrier. The windmills draining water from the marsh were very picturesque.

Our main stop from a birding perspective was Horsey Mere. Skeins of hundreds of pink footed geese were flying over as we arrived. A field full of swans looked promising, but they were all mutes. A singing skylark from a nearby field was my first of the year. On the beach were a small breeding population of grey seals with a handful of sanderling skittering among them.

As we returned to the car park, we were bemoaning that we hadn't seen any owls, only to be met by a stunning barn owl quartering the field behind the car park in the gathering gloom.

En route home the following day, we stopped off at the RSPB reserve at Strumpshaw Fen. Lots more marsh harriers to be seen, as well as several Chinese water deer, which are fascinating creatures. The highlight though were some stunning bearded tits, which showed briefly from the reeds next to the River Yare.

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th January

A weekend at my parents at Forest Row in East Sussex. Little chance for much birding, other than out of the window - nuthatch and long tailed tit being the only birds of interest. However, three fallow deer stags in the woods behind the house were lovely to see.

Sunday 1st February

My brother very kindly bought me a photo experience day with the falconry centre, Feathers & Fur out near Reading. The birds here a lovingly looked after by owner Sadie. After some tuition by local photographer, David Mason, we got to practice ourselves on some very unique models - a barn owl, tawny owl, kestrel, harris hawk & eagle owl. I was pleased with the results.

These beauties or possibly the dead chick heads, they were devouring, seemed to attract the local raptor population - red kite, buzzard, kestrel and sparrowhawk were all seen.