RobboJan's Naturetrek: Just A Couple Of Profitable Hours

Hilborough Ford – The Arms/Brandon Road Saturday 14^th February 2015

We had to do some shopping in Swaffham but we decided that on the way home we would make a few stops to see what was about.

We had had some rain overnight but it was a lot milder than it has been of late; 8˚C and it was quite overcast. Our first stop was at Hilborough Ford where I think we disturbed a Valentine’s day tryst. After the couple disappeared in their own vehicles (always a good clue, as was their immediate departure when we turned up) it wasn’t long before we heard a Buzzard and in fact we saw 2 but they didn’t stay in the air for very long. We also saw a Robin who gave us a lovely serenade, plenty of Corvids and Wood Pigeons and a few Pheasants.

The Ford At Hilborough

We made our way to the lane that cuts through from the Swaffham Road to the Watton Road where we made several short stops. At the first we saw Corvids, Wood Pigeons, a Cormorant, a Sparrowhawk hunting along a hedgerow and a Grey Squirrel. The second we saw a pair of Mallard happily swimming on a pool in a field. The third we saw a Buzzard high over the STANTA Battle Ground and a couple of Pheasants, of which one of the birds, I’m sure was a juvenile and didn’t have a white ring around his neck. The fourth just a few small birds moving between the trees.

One Of Our Stops

As usual as we travelled along The Watton Road (B1108), there were a great number of Corvids both in the air and on the ground around the Bodney Camp.

Our next stop was in Cressingham Road where we were travelling South towards The Arms. This was where last week we saw the big flock of mixed small birds (as did Paul Newport). This time we were prepared for them and pulled into the Passing Place just short of where we saw them last time. We could see immediately that there was a large number of Corvids and also a flock of easily 200+ mixed small birds (if not more), there were a quite a few Blackbirds and a couple of Partridges in the verges as well. There was a tremendous amount of action going on, it was non stop as the small birds moved from the hedges on one side of the road and back again. This was mainly happening between the two roadsigns on our nearside and the three trees in this area. One of the trees was full of Corvids and at one time we counted 5 Magpies with them but the small birds were going in this tree as well. We also saw plenty of Gulls and Wood Pigeons passing over.

We moved a bit closer to the action and among the smaller birds we saw the following species: Chaffinches, Yellowhammers, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Greenfinches, Reed Buntings, Long Tailed Tits, Bramblings and Siskins. We sat and watched them for a good 40 minutes and every now and again they scattered, which possibly meant that there was a predator about, although we didn’t see one. Then they would regroup and continue as before. I’ve no doubt that if we’d have stayed there long enough a Hawk or Falcon would have turned up. The Corvids didn’t seem bothered about the small birds and vice versa, in fact as far as the small birds were concerned, they probably gained a bit of protection from the Corvids being close-by.

Some Of The Corvids

Brambling And Siskins

Yellowhammer

Although Jan filmed them and photographed the action neither of us are photographers and we only have the basic digital bridge cameras. We moved on towards The Arms and as we went left the trees along the road to the range were absolutely thick with Corvids. From where we started there must have been easily been several thousand Corvids (Rooks, Jackdaws, Crows and Magpies).

We made our way home but we still had one last treat. A well marked female Kestrel was hunting along the hedge beside the B1108 Brandon Road near the junction with the road to The Arms. We stopped and watched her for about 10-15 minutes before she crossed the road and made her way towards the Sewage Works in Threxton. Although she was clearly hunting we didn’t see her catch anything. It was then we wished we had better cameras and skills to go with them as I’m sure we’d have got some cracking shots, even so she was a real joy to watch.