Pakefield & Halvergate Marsh – Wednesday 11th February 2015
First an update on the Long Tailed Tits: We saw two again in the garden on Tuesday and at first on Wednesday there was only one, which caused us some concern as they are very social birds often keeping together as families. Our first concern was that the second had been predated but shortly afterwards we saw four together in the garden. You might be wondering why we are so excited about these birds; we saw them here when we moved here in 2012 but not since. It may be that they are birds that are just passing through, but it is just nice to see them.
We set off from home about 11.40am. It was a pretty gloomy grey day and the temperature fluctuated between 5-8˚C. It was just over an hours drive from our home in Watton to Pakefield, which is just South of Lowestoft. We passed many birds en route to Pakefield, Corvids, Gulls, Wood Pigeon, 15-20 Mute Swans and 1 Kestrel.
We were going to Pakefield because there had been a flock of 10 Snow Buntings seen on the beach there (there are many collective nouns for Buntings but among them are the rather lovely – decoration, mural, scarifice and stocking of). We have seen Snow Buntings at Salthouse and on Cairn Gorm before but strangely I seemed to have lost the video we took of them, so we were hoping to get some new footage of them.
Some Interesting Facts About Snow Buntings
- · Globally they breed around the Arctic from Scandinavia to Alaska, Canada and Greenland and migrate South in Winter.
- · There are few sites where they breed in Scotland, most notably the Cairngorms (we have seen them from the café on Cairn Gorm).
- · They are more widespread in Winter around the coast of the UK where UK residents are joined by continental birds.
- · UK breeding population – 60 pairs.
- · UK Wintering population – 10,000 – 15,000 birds.
- · During the last Ice Age they were widespread throughout Europe.
- · The Snow Bunting is known colloquially as “Snowflake.” It is said that even on a warm day the white plumage of a flock creates the image of a snowstorm.
- · It has feathered tarsi (feet and particularly the back of the foot), which is unique among passerines (perching birds, the order Passeriformes – which includes more than half of all bird species – main feature is the arrangement of their toes which facilitates perching). This is an adaptation to its harsh environment. Other than the Raven, no other bird can Winter as far North as this species.
- · 500 years ago much of the day’s fashion was led by King HenryVIII and he was obsessed with his dream of flying. It is said (and who am I to say it wasn’t) that he stuffed his stockings with Snow Buntings and jumped off the ramparts of Hampton Court. He obviously did not achieve his dream but folk-lore of the time said there were three important side effects of this experiment: 1. He accidenly beheaded his wife (erm) and 2. Reformed the church on his way down. 3. He inspired a fashion which survives to this day; stuffing Buntings up your socks – hence the collective noun (if you believe that, you’ll believe anything)!
When we arrived at the beach at Pakefield, which is a miracle as our Sat-Nav is getting old and our guide, Brian Blessed, rarely leads us to the right place anymore. I resisted Jan’s attempt to bribe me with a Pub Lunch (the sighting was recorded as being directly in front of The Jolly Sailors’ Pub). We scanned the Beach with eager anticipation. There was only some Doves, Gulls and Dog Walkers. Excitement subsided and I thought we were on another wild goose chase (or should that be wild bunting chase). I thought that perhaps the refusal of a Pub Lunch was looking a bit premature until I spotted a bird perched on the end of a groyne. It appeared not to be phased by the walkers passing close by and it looked an interesting colour. There was some conjecture about what the bird might be until Jan took a long shot of it with her camera. There was absolutely no doubt in either of our minds it was…a stone! Yes, a stone, no doubt put there by someone with the intention to excite any passing birders into thinking they’d found a rarity.
Then just as despair and the cold were beginning to bite, 10 flashes of white appeared in their usual bobbing flight, yes, it was the Snow Buntings. Jan was quickly dispatched down the beach as my leg is not too good at the moment. I sat and watched from the viewpoint on top of the cliff as the birds flitted from one place to another finally resting near some seed, which obviously a keen birder had placed on the beach. Then I watched in horror as not one, but two dog owners unleashed their dogs who followed their natural instincts and charged straight towards the Snow Buntings scattering them to the four corners of the beach. I could see Jan filming them and even though she was only about 50 metres from me, what with the sound of the surf and wind, I couldn’t get her to hear me as to their location (after all why should she listen to me from 50 metres away when she doesn’t listen to me when I’m sitting next to her – mind you I wouldn’t listen to a silly old fool like me, either).
Male & Female Snow Bunting
Jan trudged back up the hill and I feared the worst but she had got some footage and then I spotted them again on the tide-line so once again she trudged down the slope (it was at this point I thought I bet she’d wished that I’d given in to the Pub Lunch). The Snow Buntings didn’t stay very long before being driven away by another dog walker but Jan had managed to get a little more footage of them and this time the Snow Buntings had made a more deliberate flight from the beach.
Female Snow Bunting
We both happily went back to the car for our coffee, lunch and shelter from the wind whilst we decided what to do next. The Low Tide was the wrong time for us to look for the Purple Sandpipers at Ness Point so it was between looking for some Deer on Dunwich Heath, Buckenham Marsh or, a new place for us, Halvergate Marsh. I must admit I thought if we went to Halvergate Marsh and there was nothing there we could still have time to get to Buckenham Marsh and there had been some good sightings at Halvergate Marsh lately (yesterday- 2 Short Eared Owls and for the last week or so a juvenile Rough Legged Buzzard).
The weather started to close in and by the time we got to Halvergate Marsh it was beginning to get quite misty so we were not feeling very optimistic about things. As usual going along the Acle Straight (typical Broadland habitation) there were many Swans on the ground and birds in the air (Geese, Lapwings, Starlings & Corvids).
As we turned off the main A47 to go down to Halvergate we hadn’t got very far, in fact just the other side of the road bridge over the railway, when I spotted the juvenile Rough Legged Buzzard sitting on a fence post. It wasn’t that far away but the mist prevented me from getting a clear video of it. We watched the Buzzard for quite a while, it was obviously looking for a meal and was gradually moving towards a reed bed, which was further away from us. We tried to move closer but it disappeared into the mist.
Halvergate Marsh
As we continued driving towards Halvergate there were quite a few Swans which were mostly Mute Swans but we did come across one family of Bewick Swans. We also saw a Heron, Shelduck, lots of Corvids (Rooks, Crows, Jackdaws & Magpies), Starlings and Lapwings.
Halvergate Marsh
At Halvergate, we turned around and came back along Marsh Road. We pulled into a gateway watching some Egyptian Geese and without noticing where it came from a juvenile Marsh Harrier glided across the road in front of us and along a dyke before coming back and putting up a duck and landing on the bank. While this was happening Jan saw another Marsh Harrier circling around further up. When they’d both disappeared we moved up closer to the road bridge, where we finished off our coffee just in time for some exciting sightings.
Halvergate Marsh
The first thing Jan noticed was a Crow sitting on a Telephone Wire busily tucking into a Rat, whether it was carrion or something the Crow had caught we don’t know but it was very expertly dissecting the rodent and eating it.
Jan asked could I see the bird in the grass. I said any particular bit of grass as we were sitting next to a field full of the stuff. Jan refined it by saying at 10 O’Clock direction, I looked but couldn’t see anything and when I pointed out what direction 10 O’Clock was, Jan adjusted the clockface to 11 O’Clock and yes, there was a Kestrel eating it’s catch. It flew into a nearby tree where I got a fair amount of footage of it before stopping the camera. As I was filming the Kestrel Jan said, quick there’s a Heron, but because I use a loupe (eyepiece) for my camera, I didn’t see it, but apparantly it flew almost within touching distance of the car.
Then it all happened, no sooner had I said to Jan I wish I could have caught the Kestrel flying off, it glided down from the tree and the long grass exploded as a Short Eared Owl and the Kestrel took off with talons locked. The Kestrel realised it had bitten off more than it could chew but the Owl was having none of this and probably decided the Kestrel would make make a fine supper. As fine a flyer as the Kestrel was the Owl was superior and it seemed as if it would be just a matter of time before it got the better of the Kestrel but then just as it seemed all over bar the shouting, a Crow joined in the fray mobbing the Owl and giving the Kestrel enough time to make its escape. The Short Eared Owl seemed to lose interest and disappeared into the mist.
Short Eared Owl
What happened next was quite strange, as well. The Kestrel and the Crow both took up positions in the same tree, probably no more than a few feet apart. If they were human beings you could almost hear the Crow saying to the Kestrel: “ Well, that’s one you owe me, mate!”
Although there was a good 90 minutes of daylight left it had become so gloomy and misty that the street lights had come on, we decided to call it a day.
Answer to the Quiz next week. Just remember, to see it, you’ve got to be out there; keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.
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