The Beast arrives.........

Snow was forecast and it arrived. So did the wind and the next week turned into a second Beast from the East for North Norfolk, lots of roads closed but here and there any unfrozen patch of ground held birds ! First though it was the garden and on the 9th Feb I awoke to quite a commotion - snow and birds ago go in the garden........ they were after food !

My journey in to Thornham to drop Tom at work took just over an hour and a half (normally 13 minutes) due to lots of road closures from broken and skidded cars and lorries. Some roads were clearer than others but we encountered problems with most of them.....

After the drop off I checked on the local Cattle Egrets which were strangely enough quite difficult to locate !

and a little further along the road a covey of Grey Partridges

A small bit of meltwater at the side of the road and a Woodcock poking about in the verge happily feeding and taking little notice of me - food obviously hard to find.

It got me wondering if there were any Snipe about -

There was a patch of melted field I had past earlier without stopping so I decided to re visit in case there were any birds - Snipe oh yes !

I saw about 75 of them flying around, landing and feeding.

Also nearby to the side of the road were feeding Fieldfares. I counted 27 with a single Redwing.

The phone rang and Tom required picking up - I hadn't realised I'd been out that long and our return journey was quicker than the morning as we knew which roads to use - or so we thought. More abandoned cars and a protracted trip home.

What would tomorrow bring ?

10 February

Once again snow and snow = birds. Our trip to Thornham was again slow and diverted several times, things on the roads hadn't got much better but the birds had !

A look at the "Meltwater Field" rewarded me with some lovely views of Fieldfares, a few Redwings loads of Snipe and a mixture of other waders all crammed into this small space.

Keeping the feathers in tip top condition is vital in these conditions - this Fieldfare nicely showing it's characteristic grey rump

Snipe were still present and this time a count revealed 107 of them, my highest count ever by far - never would I exceed such a count or so I thought...............

Plus Woodcock

and further down the road the Hares were having a play in the snow

Another great day of wildlife watching close up - the light was fading so back home and then just outside the village a Barn Owl that had been hunting on the road verge lifted up and disappeared over the hedge. I jumped out to see if it was still quartering the hedge line and saw it flying away from me. Worth crouching down just in case it turns and comes back along the hedge line towards me - I wriggled into the hedge - it turned and flew back towards me. Frantic changing of settings as I suddenly realised I was pointing at the late afternoon sun, then trying to lock on as it came closer which mostly resulted in pics that were just too out of focus ( I was shaking like a leaf as it got closer and closer) - I had a last chance, quick setting change and ....... a backlit beauty

11 February

The day started with a Spotted Redshank at Thornham - this is a long staying bird which for me has always been a bit difficult to approach, but today it was feeling sorry for me and finally allowed me to get close enough for a picture

I then moved on to the "Meltwater Field" and here just across the road was a sunlit Ivy clad tree that was playing host to a couple of feasting Fieldfares

The Snipes were still doing their thing but my count wasn't any higher -- darn would have lovely to see 150 Snipe in a day - surely that could never happen.... ?

At least the snow was highlighting some normally well camouflaged animals

12 Feburary

An interesting day to start with - overnight high winds had caused significant drifting across many roads making them impassable for normal cars - luckily my trusted Suzuki Grand Vitara was holding it's own (now nicknamed "the snowpiercer" by Tom). So drop off at Thornham done and a little look nearby.......................

Could that elusive 150 Snipes be achieved ? I left Thornham with mixed hopes.........

Video here - NOT

Ok so I still can't sort uploading videos !!!!! But suffice to say the morning was becoming a challenge. North West Norfolk had been hit by more snow and overnight high winds causing significant drifting and it was bitterly cold.... I headed for Snipe corner. A count of 143 darn ! not the 150 target I'd hoped for. So I decided to try further along the road - Blimey in two stops another 187 Snipe a grand total of 330 ---- I could hardly believe it. Many of these birds must have been continental individuals moving south. Fantastic numbers but also some amazing behaviour - I'll let the photos tell the story.....................

and finally my favourite...

Quite an experience - a huge count and some fantastic displays, if there is anything to be taken from Covid and a Beast from the East this was it for me -

To follow and end the month some Deer, more Snipe of course, Hares and some garden antics.....

February beginnings - prequel to The Beast from the East

February started quite calm and of course being winter my main focus was again the Twite at Thornham. This year there were far fewer birds present and my highest count was only six, whereas in previous years totals had exceeded 25 individuals. Looking a bit like juvenile Linnets these are to me one of the most subtle superbly plumaged of our finches. No "trembling" of finches though this year but one of the six was sporting some colour rings in addition to it's BTO ring.

Getting close to them was difficult and the ground at the harbour was ridiculously slippery but with a bit of patience I finally got close enough to get some photographs which just about showed the colour rings. Their feathery legs making it difficult to get a full view.

Here an unfettled Twite at Thornham.

Here is "one of the six" with colour rings

and a cropped in image shows the following colour combination

I looked back at some past photographs of Twite at Thornham and came across this individual from December 2017 Right leg is red over pink and left leg is pink over metal

I can't quite make out the BTO ring number but am sure it's the same bird. Lovely to think it's been coming back from British Moorlands to winter with us at Thornham

I should move on from Twite and given this was the first of February, even more reason to do so... My next encounter was with the local Cattle Egrets.

They have spent most of the winter in a local field with some horses. I have found a small opening by the road that I can squeeze into and wait for them to do a circuit of the field - it's a big field and does require some patience ( something I'm not really that good at )eventually they pass, as mean and determined looking as ever.

On the 4th a trip back from the lock up in Burnham Market and an encounter with a Barn Owl. Driving home I saw it perched in a hedge and wondered if it was possible to creep up on. This involved two problems.... firstly Tom who wasn't impressed that we were going to be delayed getting home when I'd promised pancakes, for one of Dad's " I'll just be a couple of minutes to get this pic " combined with what looked like little cover available for creeping.

Something akin to one of those time morph films I was only gone for about five minutes while I crept up on the Barn Owl, Tom meanwhile was stuck in the car awaiting pancakes for what he thought was several hours ! In reality it wasn't that long - ---- I'm sure

and finally that Barn Owl pic I've been trying to get for a while. It was looking away from me (luckily) as I crept along the hedge - then I did a quick squeak, it turned round looked at me before flying off.

Next the Beast from The East (again) ............a taster

And bring on January 2021

January 2021 started with a local Waxwing....... high hopes for an irruption of birds this winter when food shortages and population increases where they breed in Scandinavia and Russia trigger large movements to the UK. But today no such "ear-full" or "museums" (collective terms) just this single bird. You can see in the picture the red tip to one of the wing feathers looking like sealing wax, which gives the birds their name.

Here making short work of some hip berries in the hedge. Apparently they prefer red berries to orange berries if given the choice.

Pink-footed Geese were abundant in the fields around Bircham..... the sound of these geese in their skeins flying over local fields really is one of the best things about living in North Norfolk...

My daily duties of the "work run" to drop off and pick up Tom in Thornham allowed me legitimately to have a walk at Thornham Harbour and this had become a regular activity for me during this third lockdown. I had a go at Gulls for a change after seeing this Common Gull at Titchwell which was feeding on cockles...

Lots of gull species now seem to be using the high up drop technique for opening their food. The Black-headed Gull however is more of a picker at discarded food

while the bruiser of a Herring Gull simply belts the bivalves with it's heavy duty bill

At Brancaster Harbour the local gulls have come to feast on discarded mussels, of which there are a plenty from people getting their snacks from the mussel pod at the harbour and then throwing away the shells which contain some juicy leftovers.

And being Thornham I have to return to one of my favourite obsessions. Twite ... they breed on the moorlands of the Scottish Highlands, northern England and north Wales. In winter however we are lucky to see them move to the coast of East England and in particular Norfolk. Undoubtably some will be continental birds having also moved south.

They favour perching places and often on the boats.

and if you ever find yourself playing scrabble Twite is a recognised word.

The other similar passerine to be seen with or near the Twite at Thornham is the Rock Pipit. It also has the habit of perching on boats and drinking from the bilges.

The Rock Pipits here on the east coast are from the Scandinavian race (littorals) which are slightly different to the ones I've seen in Devon. They are slightly more browny and less olive that the south-west birds and have a strong (sometimes) and very pale supercilium. When seen head on the whiter throat is more obvious and they have clearer streaking to the flanks compared to a messier look in the west. Finally and this needs close up observations the outer tail feather no 6 is paler and goes whitish towards the tip - those who really know often sight this as one of the most reliable ways of separating the two races.

Some of my work runs have involved Tom starting work at 7.30am which has given me the chance to have some early mornings at the harbour. The Little Egrets are more approachable then prior to general disturbance at the harbour from walkers.

The saltmarsh by the harbour car park often hosts some confiding birds. This Brent Goose was happily feeding in the marsh and allowed me a close approach.

Our car journey from Bircham to Thornham also allows for some spotting and the roadside hedges are great hunting areas for Kestrels. With a bit of slow creeping in the car this month I found it possible to get close enough to them for some pictures. Previously they have always moved on when I get anywhere near them.

So intent on listening for prey this male Kestrel was unperturbed by my presence.

The last days of the month allowed for a bit more snail walking at Titchwell (see December below for description) and here a group of resting Knot - a tangle maybe ?

The final few days of December 2020

The last part of December saw me concentrating on more waders, Twite of course, Little Egrets and our near local Cattle Egrets. Titchwell RSPB continues to give good photo opportunities especially if you don't mind getting a bit wet as the tide comes in and pushes the waders closer to you. But first this Little Egret fishing at Thornham Harbour.

So waders from Titchwell beach. Approaching the flocks of waders as the tide approaches is the best way to get pictures but if you simply walk straight towards them they will fly off to another part of the beach. Oli and I have developed what we call "the snail walk' which involved slowly shuffling forward on our knees before then lying down on the sand, the tide pushes the birds towards us and as the wet sand seeps through your clothing you are rewarded with a close up shots as the birds shuffle towards you - it's been quite a lot of fun.............

Knee pads help - below the distinctive snail trail

Here is the result of a completed "snail walk" the "lie down" and then the "wet wait"

As the birds approach they take little notice of what must look like a couple of seals on the beach...................one pictured above

Below a few shots of Bar-tailed Godwits

A probing Knot

By the visitor centre at Titchwell there were some 30 plus Brambling feeding along the path but very jumpy and always in the shade. Sadly no Bramblings at home in the garden- though I do know they are visiting another garden in the village......