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Sunday, 9 February 2025

Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust - Annual Count (A great start)

I am very fortunate and grateful to the Bowes estate near Watton to be allowed to pursue my passion in very typical Breckland landscapes and habitat.  I am especially grateful to the estates owner, Kevin Bowes, who invited me onto his land some years ago.  The land covers a large area from Saham, Threxton, Little Cressingham, Great Cressingham, Bodney, and Hilborough.  Much of this land lies with Stanford Army Training Area (STANTA).

Every year in February for a two week period the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust holds a nationwide Bird count, these counts are put to great use in assessing the health of farmland birds populations and to act upon areas of concern.
This years count began, as with every year, on 7th February, however, my first counts of the year began the weekend of the 8th and 9th February.
I was rather disappointed in that Finch and Bunting numbers were down, I put this down to the especially cold easterly wind, hopefully, an improvement in their numbers will be seen as the count progresses.

The following is a list of species seen the weekend of the 8th and 9th February.

Greylag Goose
Mute Swan 2
Egyptian Goose 6+
Mallard
Teal 40+
Red-legged Partridge
Pheasant
Little Grebe 1
Grey Heron 1
Little Egret 1
Cormorant 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Goshawk 1
Buzzard
Moorhen 2
Lapwing 250+
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove (Best single count of 12)
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Kestrel
Merlin 1
Peregrine 1
Jay 
Magpie
Jackdaw 
Rook (highest single count of 300+)
Carrion Crow
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Skylark
Long-tailed Tit 2
Wren
Starling (Highest count of 300+)
Blackbird (Included my first singing male of the year)
Fieldfare (Best single count of 80+)
Redwing (Best single count of 20+)
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush (5 singing males at one location)
Robin
Stonechat (Pair)
Dunnock
Pied Wagtail
Chaffinch (Best single count of 90+)
Linnet
Goldfinch
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting 3

8 February (Highlights)
My first habitat visited for this years count was a large game strip comprising Maize and Brassicas, a type of habitat which is a good place to begin as such habitats attract Finches and Buntings.  It was here I gathered a count of 90+ Chaffinches, but only a few Linnets.
A walk through Pine woodland produced a very close and calling Goshawk high in trees, but could I locate it visually.
Nearby farmland held 100+ Rooks, 80+ Fieldfare, 300+ Starlings, and about 20 Redwings.
A short visit to the Watton Brook valley produced a few Teal and Little Grebe, the highlight was a Peregrine flying east in a leisurely flight, I watched this bird until lost to sight.

9 February (Highlights)
I was particularly impressed by the numbers of singing Mistle Thrushes at one site, these large Thrushes always sing from the highest point in a tree, they are rightly called 'Stormcock' because they often sing in foul weather.
About 40 Teal were on wet meadows at Hilborough, also, I watched a Little Egret using its feet to stir up silt to look for invertebrate food.
The highlight of the day occurred at Bodney.  I was closing a gate having entered land when I looked up when high overhead a Merlin was being shadowed by a tight flock of small and noisy passerine species, the Merlin then plummeted at speed towards the ground, these are high speed chase predators, I suspect once prey was located the Merlin would begin the chase hugging the ground.  The Merlin is the smallest European Falcon being similar in size to a Blackbird.
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Sunday, 2 February 2025

A short, but productive visit to Seamere, Hingham 2 February 2025

The morning started with a moderate frost with icy patches.  The day was bright with full sunlight.  I was working in the Hingham area this morning, I therefore decided for my work break to overlook Seamere Marsh in an attempt to collect a good species count and my results were as follows:

Pheasant
2 Stock Dove (including a singing bird)
300+ Wood Pigeons
2 Cormorant
1 Sparrowhawk (female)
1 Red Kite
3 Buzzard
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Kestrel (male)
2 Rook
2 Carrion Crow
2 Raven
4 Blue Tit
3 Blackbird
2 Robin
4 Dunnock
1 Reed Bunting (male)

Highlights
Upon my arrival a single Red Kite drifted low over the marsh watching the ground below for food.  Close to was Blackbird, 4 Blue Tits, and 4 Dunnocks together in a broken hedge of Hawthorn and Ivy.
A female Sparrowhawk drifted overhead and then began circling over the fen.  3 Buzzards and a male Kestrel seen
A check of the habitat within the marsh revealed a single Reed Bunting (male) on an isolated patch of Bramble and Willow.  This was my first observation of this species in typical breeding habitat at this site which would indicate the bird is holding territory for breeding later in the spring.
My clear highlight for the morning was an approaching pair of Ravens, their size and general appearance readily identifying this, the largest of all Crows.  The Ravens passed over the marsh then began circling for several minutes before heading off high west.  The circling behaviour appeared to show one bird shadowing the other, it was during this behaviour I could clearly see the diamond-shaped tail, also, the heavy bill was noted.  Calling heard.     

Ravens (Photo from archives).  A simply wonderful species to have in Norfolk....and that call 💓


   


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Friday, 31 January 2025

January 2025 - A summary

The first day of the new year opened stormy with a very strong SW wind, however, the wind did moderate as the day progressed.  There was spells of rain, some very heavy, and full cloud cover.
I visited East Wretham Heath as I knew water levels were very high on the two large meres, I decided on this location in order to maximise my species count for the new year.  Although very windy it was initially dry, but the rain did come, and did it come.
As I approached the hide at Langmere I noticed movement ahead of me on the ground, it was the caterpillar of the Fox Moth.  Water levels at Langmere was very high, this in turn had attracted high numbers of Gull species, notably, an estimated 800+ Black-headed Gulls and 150+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, an extraordinary sight and sound.  Also present was 40+ Teal, 17+ Shoveler, 14+ Tufted Duck, 10 Shelduck, Gadwall, and 7 Mute Swans.   104+ Coot were present at Langmere along with 2 Little Grebes.
I then made my way to Ringmere, a beautiful perfectly rounded mere which is looked down upon from the screen within a lovely bank of hedgerow thickets and bracken.  It was here where I was caught in a very heavy downpour with no shelter (but I kept telling myself you have to suffer for your pleasures).    I expected less bird numbers on Ringmere but I did gather 25+ Gadwall, Teal, a male Pochard, 26+ Coot (bringing the cumulative total for Wretham today to 130+ birds), and 2 Mute Swans.
Walking back over open heathland, the rain had stopped but the wind pushed me along apace.  I expected to see Stonechats on the heath and indeed I did, a male and female typically perched on the tallest weeds and grasses despite the wind.

The 2nd was a productive morning with the highlight being an overflying Hawfinch at Little Cressingham.  This is a scarce species in the Brecks but what a great record.

The 5th was a cold day with early light snowfall which later turned to rain and milder.  This was a work day and when I have time between calls I like to stop in a new area to survey the area.  I stopped on the Woodrising Road at Woodrising where I could see lots of Thrushes on a nearby field.  Having parked up I began counting using my clicker counter and counted 300+ Fieldfare, it was clear that there was more birds present in the rolls and dips on the field.
Later in the day in the early evening darkness I could hear Pink-footed Geese passing over Watton.  I alerted the local community through a popular social media site and am pleased to report other friends heard these beautiful Geese passing over.

Fieldfare - Several flocks of this winter Thrush seen including 3 figure numbers.

I was working during the evening of the 8th in the Colton, Cranworth, and Scoulton areas, I used the evening to listen for Tawny Owls and located two calling males, saw one in a tree at Scoulton, and once home heard both male and female Tawny Owls calling.
A Barn Owl was also seen alongside the Woodrising Road at Woodrising, this bird was hunting from posts along a field edge. 

A short work break during the morning of the 9th saw me visit Seamere Marsh at Hingham.  Two drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard and a single Red Kite was over the marsh.  A flock of 300+ Rooks were seen. 

The 12th was a particularly cold morning with a temperature of minus -6 degrees Celsius, despite the cold the severe hoar frost provided an incredibly beautiful scene.  I visited a site near The Arms at Little Cressingham where I had superb views of typical Breckland landscape of farmland, game strips, distant heath, Pine and mixed woodland habitats.  This morning I saw my first Goshawk of the year flying leisurely over open country, a magnificent site.  A possible hard weather movement of 24 Lapwings seen flying west.  A check of a woodland edge saw 4 Song Thrushes together in Ivy all consuming berries.

Little Cressingham 12 January 2025 (A beautiful hoar frost)

On the 14th I visited the lovely old churchyard at Great Hockham which is set in parkland and woodland habitat.  Here I recorded several Blue Tits, Great Tit, 2 Carrion Crows, 2 Nuthatches and at least 2 Treecreepers.

The 16th Was a fantastic day.  I have a good friend who has a farm at Stow Bedon, I park there and then walk along the Pingo trail through Breckles Heath, Cranberry Rough, and Hockham Fen.  I returned back to the farm to enjoy a coffee and a chat with my friend and to watch the fantastic array of birdlife from her kitchen window. 
Much of the land near the farm has been acquired by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust with the aim of restoring heathland.  A rare breed of cattle known as the 'British White' are used to graze the land to keep invasive species under control.  Heathland is a very rare habitat worldwide with Britain holding 20% of this vital and threatened habitat.
My walk this morning initially took me through mature broadleaved woodland, this soon opened onto Breckles Heath, here I saw a single Stonechat (female) in a Hawthorn and close by a single Goldcrest foraged silently in a Hawthorn.
Between the start of my walk and Hockham Fen I counted 6 drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers, at least 4 Marsh Tits, 30+ Redwings, 3 Nuthatches, 3 Treecreepers, 4 Bullfinches, and at least 6 Siskins feeding high in Alders.  A single Water Rail was calling is swampy habitat.
At the end of my walk I visited my good friend for a coffee and chat.  Her remarkable garden held 50+ House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinch, Dunnock, 2 Marsh Tits, a Nuthatch, and 2 Stock Doves. 

A short visit to Merton on the 17th eventually saw an erratic and disorganised departure of Wood Pigeons, this immediately indicated to me a raptor was approaching, moments later a Peregrine passed through at speed. 

A return to Seamere Marsh at Hingham on the 18th produced Grey Heron, one Marsh Harrier (female) and a single Kingfisher in a small willow in the middle of the marsh.  6 Roe Deer were seen.

A short break from work on the 19th I decided to visit the wide open expanses of the former WW2 airfield at Deopham, a site where I have recorded Merlin on a couple of occasions.  This morning I counted in excess of 400+ Fieldfare feeding on the land, also present was 100+ Starlings and an impressive 250+ Linnets.

A visit on the 20th to swamp habitat near Great Hockham held 4 Marsh Harriers (all females), also 5 Cranes flew over and a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming. A Water Rail called in thick, rank vegetation and a pair of Stonechats typically seen on taller weeds from where they can watch the ground for invertebrate prey.

On the 21st I visited The Arms area at Little Cressingham to oversee a game strip comprising weeds, Linseed, and brassicas.  This has not been a good year for Bramblings and all I could see on this visit was 3 birds with 50+ Chaffinches and 35+ Yellowhammer.  With all the bird activity seen here, it was inevitable a raptor would be attracted, and during my visit a male Goshawk approached low over open country and over woodland where it turned and dove into woodland, but it departed without prey.  

A very rewarding visit to Bodney on the 25th produced one Great White Egret and 3 Little Egrets.  The Little Egrets were seen particularly well, a stunning white Egret with a black dagger-like bill, black legs and yellow feet.
My highlight of this visit was watching a pair of Ravens passing over and calling.  To think that just a few short years ago Ravens were very rare in Norfolk, a very welcome bird.

Raven - photographed at Hockham.  An increasing species

On the morning of the 30th I visited Didlington to overview heath, farmland, Hawthorn, and Pine forest.  The highlights here included 50+ Fieldfare feeding upon heath and grassland. Raptors were well represented by Buzzard, 2 Red Kites, a hunting Kestrel, and a male Goshawk which was watched overflying open country and then entering woodland where it appeared to gather speed. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming.  3 Skylarks were present.
I then moved onto Bodney to overview flooded land in the Wissey valley.  Birds seen on the flood included 42+ Teal, 21+ Gadwall, 5 Shelduck, 10 Egyptian Geese, Greylag and Canada Geese.  In a roadside thicket a pair of Great Tits were seen, this included a singing male.  On a nearby heath a singing Mistle Thrush was high in a Scots Pine.  A female Sparrowhawk flew from Pine forest and off over the heath. 

Sparrowhawk - A common raptor in Breckland







 

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Tuesday, 28 January 2025

Egrets

Bird fortunes are always changing, we have lost birds due to persecution, habitat loss, modern farming practices, egg collecting, and over development. Conversely, we have seen colonisation of some species due to natural range expansion, the provision of habitats by wildlife trusts and other conservation bodies, and due to the more recent phenomena of climate change.  
Birds which are now very familiar to us are Collared Doves. Did you know that just a century ago this species was not known outside of its native India, a very rapid range expansion occurred which resulted in Collared Doves nesting in Britain in the mid 1950’s (in Norfolk of course).

Sadly, we have seen losses of bird species too, for me, one of the saddest losses was of the Red-backed Shrike. Formerly a common breeding bird in Britain, the 20th century saw a decline of this species, and here in Norfolk it bred for the last time in 1989, the reason for its sad demise was not due to habitat loss as typical breeding habitat is plentiful, a lack of food possibly due to the use of insecticides and pesticides, however, criminal activity played its part through illegal egg collecting.

Three species of ‘white’ Egrets occur in Britain and their arrival here is a recent phenomena. These stunning Herons were formerly persecuted in Britain by the fashion industry, their beautiful white feathers being used for various garments. Better protection, the provision of required habitats, and of course range expansion, have seen all three species doing well, increasing, and even breeding.  
The three species I am writing to you about is the Little Egret, Great White Egret, and the Cattle Egret (this is the order in which these birds arrived in Britain).  April 2024 was particularly memorable for me when all three Egret species were seen together at Bodney.

Little Egret
This small Egret was the first of the family to arrive in Britain back in the late 1980’s. Prior to this Little Egrets were only known as rare visitors.  Little Egrets are very smart little birds, this is a brilliant white bird with a long, black, dagger like bill, and long black legs with yellow feet. In flight, the trailing black legs and yellow feet are distinctive features of this bird.  The Little Egret can now be seen quite commonly in our local Breckland area, any area with water, from a marsh, riversides, ditches, and small ponds will be suitable habitats to see this species. I have even seen a Little Egret in a roadside ditch in the middle of Wymondham.  
Little Egrets often seem motionless when they stand hunched by water, however, when feeding they can run very fast when they have spotted a potential meal. One aspect of feeding behaviour which always raises a smile is seeing the bird standing in water using one foot to stir up the silt in the search for a small invertebrate morsel.  
The Little Egret can occur singly or in small flocks, I have seen up to 20 together locally. I have also seen Little Egrets pass over Watton.

Little Egret at Bodney May 2024 (An immaculate looking bird)

Great White Egret  
As the name suggests, this is a large Egret species, almost the size of the familiar Grey Heron, however, the Great White Egret is far more elegant and on the ground appears quite stately. Locally, this species inhabits wet areas such as marshes and wet meadows.  
Formerly a very rare bird from Europe the Great White Egret began to colonise Britain in the early part of the 21st century, in the short time they have been with us they have increased rapidly and successfully bred in the UK in 2012. The Great White Egret now breeds in Norfolk.  
Great White Egrets hunt their prey with great stealth. Watch these birds as they locate prey approaching with great caution and then stab the prey with the long yellow bill.  
A large, elegant bird, the Great White Egret stands about one meter tall, it has a long sinuous neck, is all white and has long black legs. In flight, Great White Egrets differ from the smaller Little Egret by having a more powerful flight and less wavering then the Little Egret.

Great White Egret Bodney April 2024

Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret is the most recent coloniser in Britain and first bred in 2008. This species first bred in Norfolk in 2020. Climate change and range expansion are factors for the colonisation of Cattle Egrets in Britain. I saw my first Cattle Egrets in September 2019 when I saw 8 birds together on a meadow with cattle at Holkham.  
Cattle Egrets are the smallest of the three Egret species, however, these are thick set birds with a short but powerful looking yellow bill and a definite jowl (see picture) which makes them readily identifiable. The neck is short. In the breeding season the bird has a buff crown, breast and back.  
As the name suggests, Cattle Egrets are often found with cattle and other livestock where they follow the animals and pick invertebrates disturbed by them.  
My first local observation of Cattle Egret occurred in April 2024 when a single bird was seen with a Great White Egret and a couple of Little Egrets at Bodney.

Cattle Egret Bodney April 2024 (My first 'patch' record)


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Friday, 17 January 2025

Stow Bedon 16 January 2025

At first light I drove to a friends farm at Stow Bedon, my plan was to leave the car at the farm, walk through some wonderful Breckland habitats at Breckles Heath and Cranberry Rough and walk back to the farm for a coffee and chat.  

The long off-road drive to the farm has seen significant changes to the landscape and habitat adjacent to the track, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has purchased a large parcel of land which is being restored to heathland habitat.  Restoring this land to heathland is being helped along by grazing British White cattle, a beautiful looking animal which is in fact a rare breed.  The presence of these grazing cattle will benefit ground nesting wading birds by clearing and controlling invasive species such as Birch and scrub habitats.

Heathland is a very rare habitat sadly.  In recent times this extremely valuable habitat has been ploughed or developed upon, it therefore very encouraging to see this new heathland habitat being created.  Heathland is rarer than rain forests and here in Britain we hold 20 per cent of the worlds heaths, it is therefore vital that we protect what we have and indeed increase this with further heath restoration.

British White at Stow Bedon 16 January 2025.  Doing its important bit for heathland.

 My visit saw a mix of important Breckland habitats from heathland, farmland, wet meadows, swamp and woodland Carr, compartments of Pine woodland, deciduous woodland, and a beautiful farmhouse garden.

The drive along the long track to the farm saw many Fieldfare in the hedgerow and weedy margins and two Buzzards low over farmland.
I arrived at the farm with lots of species coming and going, these included 30+ Collared Dove, Tit species, Nuthatch, Greenfinch, a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and a singing Mistle Thrush.
Ever present was the distant calling of Cranes.
My walk began through mature mixed woodland where the dominant species was Great, Blue Tits, and Coal Tit.
As the woodland ended I entered fairly open country with scattered Hawthorn and Birch, here I located a single female Stonechat in Hawthorns, I suspect this bird will breed close to in the spring, also, a single Goldcrest silently foraging within Hawthorns.
Continuing along the path I then heard the squealing call of a Water Rail on the edge of Cranberry Rough within woodland swamp habitat.

Water Rail, a secretive bird which is heard more than seen (from my archives)

The going through Cranberry Rough was very wet and muddy, the thick woodland swamp habitat has a very primeval feel to it.  Tit species dominated which included Marsh Tit.  I stopped for a coffee break by the small footbridge, close to where I used to see and hear Willow Tit, in fact where I had my break is where I once watched A Willow Tit excavate its nest in a rotten Birch stump.  Willow Tits are now very rare in Norfolk, so I chose my coffee break deliberately in the hope that I just might once again hear the buzzing call of this beautiful Tit species.

Marsh Tit

Continuing my walk to my planned turning point, I heard further Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming bringing my total to 7 birds.  Treecreepers gave their piercing shrill call.
Walking back to the farm I encountered several Redwings on a meadow and in the Hawthorn scrub along the path a least 4 Bullfinches seen along with another Marsh Tit.

The Farm
The previous night when arranging to visit the farm, my friend invited me for coffee and chat when I ended my walk.  I spent a very pleasant hour or so enjoying my coffee in the kitchen, which looks out into a wonderful wildlife garden comprising shrubs, an Orchard, and a large pond.  Birds were constantly coming and going, these included 50+ House Sparrows, Great, Blue, Coal, and a couple of Marsh Tits.  One Nuthatch briefly visited.  Several Blackbirds were on the ground between shrubs, these were joined by Chaffinches and Dunnock.  A pair of Stock Doves visited often.   

I left the farm just after midday.  I stopped briefly by one of the heaths under restoration, here I saw two Meadow Pipits and a single Pied Wagtail.  Finally, a slow drive along the track produced the distinctive white rump of a Bullfinch moving between cover. 
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Monday, 6 January 2025

Little Cressingham 2nd January 2025

Not too many notes today, however, a memorable day nevertheless with a Hawfinch seen, a scarce bird in the Brecks.

Upon my arrival in the Watton Brook Valley I could see a number of Teal and a few Mallard on Watton Brook west of the bridge.  In the trees at the former Hopton Manor site, 11+ Fieldfare were “chacking” away. One Red Kite drifted over low, also two Buzzards seen.  
A very interesting first visit to the valley area this year with an overflying Hawfinch heading in a SW heading towards the Bodney camp area.

A single Cormorant flew west along the valley.

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Thursday, 2 January 2025

East Wretham Heath 1st January 2025

The first day of the New Year was a particularly rough one with a very strong SW wind and frequent rain of which one was very heavy and squally for a while. There was a complete cloud cover which coupled with the rain significantly reduced light quality.

My birding year began with a visit to East Wretham Heath where particular attention was given to Langmere and Ringmere.  I visited Langmere first where the water level was very high, this expanse of water had attracted hundreds of Gulls and many species of Duck.  Ringmere also had high water and as expected there was less numbers of birds seen, however, there was still a good variety of species seen.

The walk over the heath from the car park revealed few birds due to the very strong wind, it was however dry to begin with but this changed about an hour following my arrival with frequent rain.

As I approached the hide overlooking Langmere I found a large caterpillar on the heath, not knowing the species I sent a picture onto a social media site and it was confirmed as being the caterpillar of the Fox Moth.

Once in the hide it was clear that Gulls were the dominant group present, the most numerous was Black-headed Gull (800+) with a good showing of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (150+).  Ducks were well represented with Shelduck (10+), Teal (50+), Shoveler (17+), Gadwall (25+), also present was Tufted Duck and Mallard.    5 Mute Swans and 10+ Egyptian Geese also present.
Good numbers of Coot (120+) were present along with a few Moorhen.  Two Little Grebes were on the water.

Walking through the magnificent Scots Pine wood, known as Waterloo Plantation, it was evident that due to the wind strength, few birds were seen.

I arrived at Ringmere with the onset of a particularly heavy and prolonged period of rain, the hide here is effectively a screen, therefore it was a case of sitting out the rain before checking the site.
Ringmere held fewer birds than Langmere, nevertheless, a good species variety was seen.  Gadwall (25+) were seen with several Teal around the fringes of the mere.  A single male Pochard was on the mere.   26+ Coot and 2 Mute Swans were present.

Collectively between Langmere and Ringmere the following counts were made:-

50+ Gadwall
100+ Teal
9 Mute Swans
150+ Coot

Finally, my walk back over open heath revealed 2 Stonechats in typical in open and exposed country.  Despite the wind strength the Stonechats chose tall grasses and weeds to perch on whilst looking to the ground for food
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