Abbey Farm, Flitcham – Thursday 29th January 2015
Abbey Farm Flitcham - When We Arrived
We left home just after 11am at this time it was quite a bright sunny morning and the temperature was 3˚C. We went via Swaffham because we had to top up the House Sparrow feed (oops, I meant bird seed). On the way Jan saw a Kestrel, I didn’t because I had trouble keeping my eyes open.
The Weather Begins To Change
Fieldfare
We got to Abbey Farm about Midday, I was a bit disappointed because there was already one car parked there and as we turned up a Mini-van and another car also arrived. I was disappointed because when there are a lot of people at Abbey Farm I find it uncomfortable but I needn’t have worried, the car that was parked was just going and although a few people came into the hide it wasn’t overcrowded. I think the Mini-van was a birding tour as I’ve seen it in a few other locations before. A couple of people came in asked if the Little Owls had been seen and then more or less left immediately, if only they had’ve stayed as long as we did. There were three people who stayed nearly as long as we did, a Norfolk man who left before any of the real action began and a lady from Reading and a man from the Midlands, both on short breaks in Norfolk, who saw what Abbey Farm really has to offer. Abbey Farm rarely lets us down and today was to be no exception to that.
Bramblings In The Snow
The Snow Begins To Settle
Unusual & Oddly Marked Hen Pheasant
When we arrived the day had already turned quite grey and then we had some hailstones, then it snowed and the temperature dropped to 1˚C but it didn’t feel too cold in the hide and as you will see we had quite a busy time so there wasn’t rally any time to feel cold until we left just after 3.30pm when we were rather glad of our car’s heated seats!
A Bit Of A Difference From When We Arrived
I won’t bore you with all the details of how the birds appeared, I’ll just give you the list of what we saw: Fieldfares (Many), Teal (12-15), Redwings (6), 1 Mistle Thrush, Bramblings (a flock of 20-30, collective noun – any of many including charm, company, trembling and strangely a flatulence – why? Who knows but hence today's title), 5 Buzzards, Red Legged Partridge (5), Pheasant (many, including a very dark chocolate coloured hen with inverse markings), Shelduck (2), Greylag (5), Egyptian (2) and Pink-footed Geese (16), Mallard (10), Moorhen (10), Coot (8), Reed Bunting (10-15), 4 Kestrels, 1 Stock Dove, 6 Lapwing, Barn Owl (1 but several sightings), 1 Little Owl, Wren (4, one right in front of the hide), Blackbird (10), Wood Pigeon (too many to count), Black Headed Gulls (lots and many other Gulls we couldn’t identify), Jackdaws (too many to count), Rabbits (10) and Robins (10) (30 species). The highlights were the Barn Owl (hunting in an adjacent field – I’ve never seen one hunting while it was snowing before), Little Owl (who made such a short and dramatic appearance), the Bramblings and a very photogenic Fieldfare.
Little Owl Makes A Short But Dramatic Entrance
We left Abbey Farm feeling quite satisfied with a profitable three and half hours nature watching. On our way home we saw another Kestrel sitting on the telephone wires which made 6 for the day. As we left the A47 at Swaffham there were 7 Roe Deer Hinds in a snowy field alongside the slip road. One of them was frolicking about which reminded me how a dog or a cat reacts to their first experience of snow.
Nearly A White Out
After doing some shopping in Swaffham (I know, shopping always seems to come into it, somewhere) we stopped in the lane between the Swaffham and Watton Roads just to see if we could spot another Barn Owl. A couple of Geese flew over us and a couple of unknown birds flew quickly past us at nearly ground level. Then just after 5pm, unmistakably, the ghostly shape of a Barn Owl appeared and was flying low along the trees beside us and then the Owl turned towards us and at first looked as if it was coming straight towards us but then veered off to the right. The Owl wasn’t hunting, it was going somewhere, with a purpose perhaps too hunt. As it approached the road we both held our breath as there were cars coming in both directions and the Owl was at windscreen height, it passed over the road safely but if it had been a second later, it would have been disastrous. It was easy to see how so many Owls end up as traffic casualties. There were no roadside hedges on this stretch of the lane to force the Owl to fly higher!
We moved on taking a slight detour North up Cressingham Road towards The Arms. We had only just turned into the road when a Little Owl flew across the road in front of us, caught in our headlights, but this time forced into a safer height because of the roadside hedges. It would have safely passed over us but I’m not sure about a van or an HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle). Just before we got to The Arms 2 Roe Deer Hinds crossed the road in front of us, again caught in our headlights.
It was now time to return home, the temperature was dropping and there was more snow in the air, a good end to a smashing afternoon’s nature watching.
Answer to the Quiz next time. Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.
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