A is for Aluco

"I love it when a plan comes together".  A favoured phrase of The A-Team's leader, Lt. Col. 'Hannibal' Smith but, to be fair, who doesn't?

Well, today we had a plan. And it came together perfectly.

There was a distinct lack of Military Police as we set off and, although the car was black, it lacked red side-stripe and sliding doors from which to spray bullets liberally without, miraculously, hurting anyone. However, John, our very own Hannibal, had done his homework and directed us, not clear of a Maximum Security Stockade, but to the rather more tranquil setting of North Elmham Chapel, near Dereham. As places to spend a stunning February morning go, this was right up there. Bright sunlight lit up the chapel ruins, Snowdrops nodded on the banks and Winter Heliotrope perfumed the air with it's almost-too-sweet scent. We were there to look for Mr. T. T for Tawny. An individual has been regularly seen there of late, visible at it's daytime roost. For a while, no joy, and doubt began to set in. Would I be 'owlin mad, like Murdoch? Then Nikki (who for the purposes of this torturous analogy, will have to be Face - although she also exhibits a decidedly Bad Attitude on occasion) gave a delighted cry. She'd found him (or her). There at the top of a tree he (or she) sat, doing his (or her) best to ignore nearby Jackdaws and onlookers alike.

This is a real bogey bird for me. Indeed, since nocturnal views of one in our garden when a child, I've had nothing but the most fleeting of glimpses, despite, of course, hearing them often. Massively chuffed therefore to get such wonderful views and particularly in such perfect surroundings on a morning when Spring had apparently moved in for good. Reasonably pleased with the record shot too, which was the first time I've tried holding my mobile up against the 'scope with any success.

Cigars all round.

A wonderful day at Holkham followed, where coats were unnecessary, even on the beach and the sea was like a mill pond. We were treated to views of such lovely birds as Shore Lark, Spoonbill, Great Egret, Peregrine, Red Kite, Grey Partridge, Red-throated diver, Red-breasted Merganser and Red-necked Grebe. Superb.

But the day belonged to the owl, to teamwork and the beauty of a plan that comes together.

Cold Case.

Titchwell was not the most comfortable place to be the other day. Bracing wind and squalls of rain kept us firmly ensconced in the Parrinder Hide for much of our visit. 

Despite the weather, there were a few things to see. Marsh harriers twirled above the reedbed, a Spoonbill flew past, and during a short scan from the beach, Eider, Goldeneye, Merganser, Slavonian Grebe were seen just beyond the surf.

A party of Brent Geese spent some time bathing on the Freshmarsh before moving out onto the sea lavender covered saltmarsh.

We watched two Water pipits and a few Rock Pipits exploring the muddy islands that were only just above water level, while a small scattering of waders probed in the channels.

Thornham was equally windy, though for a while we got fairly good views of the Twite as we took shelter below the sea wall. A Rock pipit offered a brief close up as it perched among the wooden jetties.

Perhaps the most intriguing bird of the day was a hybrid duck at Titchwell. It was seemingly paired with a female Shoveler, and was obviously full of shoveler DNA, but the rest of it's parentage took a bit of forensic detective work to ascertain......

Lonely Places

https://youtu.be/wyWAAS8RQ5o

A weekend on the Suffolk coast presented the perfect opportunity to test the merits of my new phone, a Galaxy S7, at taking video and pics down the scope.  While the girls had a look around Orford Castle I went down to Orford Quay hoping that there'd be some birds about ready to pose.  The morning was glorious and the first Avocets had returned and were feeding alongside Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank.

Considering these were all hand held against the eyepiece I'm looking forward to making an adaptor that will hold the kit together more robustly.  It continues to amaze me what a thin wedge of technology can do. 

I was aware that a Rough-legged Buzzard had been seen over Orford Ness the previous day and kept an eye to scanning across the shingly widerness with it's defunct military buildings, smartly striped lighthouse and unexploded ordnance. Several Marsh Harrier surveyed the area and a lone Peregrine took vigil.  After the diversion of the waders to photograph I looked towards the north and found the Rough-leg being harried by the harriers.  It showed well gaining height over the village before returning to the saltmarsh.  Later I watched it closer with just the bins from the Quayside.  It or a good imposter was then sat on a very distant building.

This Gulls In Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNkZynPgPkw

20 years ago it was a lot of hard work to tease apart the identification features of Caspian and Yellow-Legged Gulls.  The great paper in British Birds by Martin Garner and David Quinn was the start of a generation of birders journey into a love-hate relationship with Large White Headed Gulls, (LWHG's)

https://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V90/V90_N01_02/V90_N01_02_P025_062_A004.pdf

Last Sunday I perambulated the lake at Cambridge Research Park and enjoyed close views of a small (so presumably female), smart adult Yellow-legged Gull.  At the other end of our journey to the in-laws in Walthamstow a near-adult Caspian Gull put on a show at a roadside pond in Snaresbrook.  This one straight out of the field guides, a great bird to enjoy at close quarters.  The open wing shot shows the characteristic long, grey tongues on the inner webs of the outer primaries and some black markings on the primary coverts which would suggest this is a 5CY bird.

On my return to the car a gorgeous male Kestrel swung up into the branches of the Oak right next to me and we shared a nervous minute not quite sure what the other was going to do.  Eventually, or typically, a bounding mutt broke the spell and the tiercel sprung to the air and away.



  

Brassneck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9DjDh3yjSM

 

Bold as brass this Ring-necked Duck appeared amongst the feeding frenzy outside the main observatory at Welney.  I have been willing one of these to join the Pochard for years now - well worth the wait.
 

 

 



 

New Years Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LpIuPbUKvM

 

Having seen 2019 in I got swiftly to bed as we planned a full days birding in Cambridgeshire to start the New Year.  I picked Mark Hawkes up as the Robins started singing and once in the wilds one of the first birds of the year was a surprise as a male Long-eared Owl did a hoot in the last of the darkness at Woodwalton Fen.  We hoped to see a Woodcock flying in to roost in the woods after feeding in more open areas but were left expectant.  However once the light broke Redpolls and Marsh Tits were pretty evident and a huge Peregrine hammered low through the dawn. 

At Holme Fen it didn't take too long to catch up with the Rough-legged Buzzard and Red Kites were dotted across the skyline.  Ferry Meadows was busy with dog walkers and we found the female Scaup, a flock of Goosander, a drake Red-crested Pochard and a 1CY Mediterranean Gull in a half hour visit.  Down to Needingworth Lakes where  a couple of smart male Smew, White Nuns, were accompanied by 3 redheads and a Chiff-Chaff flicked around the sewage works willows. 

At St Ives bus station we took a little while to locate the very fine male Black Redstart which shivered it's russet tail and flashed it's white primary shafts like a good un.  At Fen Drayton a hoped for gull roost failed to materialise and it too was heaving with visitors out to blow the cobwebs away as the curtain falls on another festive season.

 

 





Xmas Steps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrxeFflN738

 

After a pre-Xmas look around the Washes I headed north with the family on 23rd.  We headed to the coast on Boxing Day and strolled back and forth along the beach at Filey interspersed with mugs of hot tea.  Off the Brigg the winter plumaged Black Guillemot drew attention to itself in flight with it's dazzling white wing patches, it pitched on to the sea and fed amongst a large raft of Alcids.  On Carr Naze a trio of Snow Buntings beguiled the children and adults alike in their flurries of flight and confiding bouts of feeding, allowing approach to just a few feet in the gloaming.  In the bay a couple of Great Northern Diver drifted in on the rising tide as the sunset in pastels over the town.

 

 

 

The next morning we headed north again, stopping at McDonalds in Blaydon, Tyneside for lunch with a Waxwing.  An obliging bird and a lovely bonus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were aiming to get out for a walk on the beach at Bamburgh before dusk and enjoyed the last hour of light in the shadow of the great castle.  The sea was mill pond still with an throbbing swell proving very attractive to the dozen hardy surfers braving the north sea, the Farne Islands an iconic backdrop.  On the sea there were plenty of Eider and Common Scoter and a pair of Long-tailed Duck close in.

 

 

 

 

 

Next day we headed up to Lindisfarne, with Curlew trembling the air with their sub-song and light bellied Brent Geese out on the mudflats as we crossed the causeway to the Holy Island.

 

 

Then started a slow potter southwards through Yorkshire taking in Whitby and a morning out birding with Rich Baines enjoying Goosander and assorted wildfowl at Castle Howard near Malton and another Waxwing in York town centre.

 

 

 

 

 

Another stop, on what really became a Xmas road trip, was to the RSPB Visitor Centre in Sherwood Forest where a Woodcock, Redpoll, a small flock of Crossbill and this Tit were pleasing distractions on our leg stretch to the Major Oak on our way from York and our homelands of the Fen.

 

 

 

 

 

  



 

 



  



Nearly not a bird anymore.

Flappy Janet crouches- invisible thanks to her camouflage, and waits for her moment to strike.

TAH_DAH!!!!

"HERE I AM!!!! HELLO!!!"

Janet just loves saying hello to people- and every day she waits to see who comes along. it's always the same few people, but she doesn't know that. She loses focus- as you can see, her head is always slightly blurry- and she greets everyone anew with enthusiastic flamboyance .

She talks to the hand, and then bounds away- she's suddenly remembered she left the gas on.

She hasn't. Her cooker is electric. Fan assisted.

birds you didn't know about.

The Wazzock is plagued by deep vein thrombosis, which prevents it from taking long haul flights. 

Instead, the Wazzock just stands about on its swollen leg sticks, which are operated by some sort of hydraulic piston system that leaks oil everywhere.
It often gets its head stuck because it forgets how big its body is.

It hasn't got a clue which way it's facing, and doesn't know how to make noise. As you can see, it is continuously drunk.