Garden Update
Spring Has Nearly Sprung - Cranwich Heath
While Jan was topping up the bird food in the garden she heard Skylarks and a Green Woodpecker in the field behind us. It was good to see 4 Long Tailed Tits, 2 Blue Tits and a Great Tit feeding freely in the garden this morning.
RSPB Lakenheath, Cranwich Heath – Wednesday 18th March 2015
It was another misty day today with the weather forecast predicting a brightening up from the West but it never really materialised, although a couple of times it looked as if the mist would clear and the sun would break through, each time the mist came down again. It was on the strength of the forecast that we decided to go to RSPB Lakenheath today. We set out from home at 12.30pm, it was misty and the temperature was 9˚C although it never really felt like that.
View From New Fen Viewpoint - RSPB Lakenheath
On the way we filled up the car at Ickburgh and while Jan was doing that there were plenty of birds flitting about; Long Tailed Tits, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and a Pied Wagtail. When Jan returned to the car she said she’d heard Skylarks in the field opposite the garage. I rely very heavily on Jan’s hearing because of the tinnitus I suffer from I rarely hear any outside noise nowadays and it was particularly bad today, three different tones going on in my ears or my head. It often makes listening to conversation quite difficult.
New Fen Viewpoint - RSPB Lakenheath
As we travelled through Hockwold I saw a Sparrowhawk fly across the road. At Lakenheath I couldn’t face walking to The Wash viewpoint so we just went to The Fen Viewpoint using the special disability parking facilities near to the viewpoint which meant just a short walk from the car.
RSPB Lakenheath
It looked pretty bleak from the viewpoint in the mist, there were just 4 Coot and 2 Greylag on the water. It is hard to imagine that in a month or so this area will be brimming with all sorts of life, bird, insect and reptile but at the moment it looked as if it was struggling to wake from its Winter slumber. Jan went for a walk to explore between the viewpoint and the river. While Jan was gone 2 Buzzards glided over in their effortless way and a few Canada Geese and Greylag Geese flew over making enough racket for even me to hear, it seemed to inject a bit of life into the dormant scene.
RSPB Lakenheath
Jan returned having seen some Mute Swans and a Cygnet, she’d also heard a faint booming sound in the reeds quite close to where she was. We could only assume that it was perhaps a Bittern beginning to warm up his vocal chords for their booming calls which will be heard all over the reserve soon.
RSPB Lakenheath
We had our lunch at the viewpoint during which we saw a Kestrel being mobbed by a Crow and Marsh Harrier glide over the reeds and come down in a place where we’ve seen many Marsh Harriers come down before. In the distance we could just make out three Swans flying along the course of the river and also a pair of Mallards flew over the pool.
Fallen Tree - RSPB Lakenheath
It was quite cool in the mist so we decided to call it a day. Driving back to the visitor centre we saw a beautifully coloured male Kestrel in the trees but I only managed to get 1 second of footage before it flew off. We also saw a Moorhen, a Roe Deer and a Pheasant. We had a brief stop overlooking the normally flooded field by the Little Ouse River but there wasn’t much water in it and the margins were quite wide with the mud. However, it didn’t stop a few Mute Swans, a couple dozen of Teal and some Coots enjoying the much reduced pool. It was quite amusing to see a Mute Swan sort of sliding cum wading through the thick mud margins. There were also several Mute Swans on the river.
Cranwich Heath
As we drove past Weeting Heath we wondered when the Stone Curlew would return from their wintering grounds in the Sub-Sahara and as it happened we heard that Oriole Birding had seen the first one in Norfolk today. We were to meet the Oriole Birding tour later on.
Ponies - Cranwich Heath
We decided to come home via Cranwich Heath via some of the quieter parts of Thetford Forest. I think the thing we were both struck by was the sheer amount of litter that seemed to be all along the road. We have a serious problem in this area with a complete lack of respect for the countryside, nearly every trip we make we see a newly dumped household object, yesterday it was a fridge at Hilborough. Before retiring a few years ago I did a lot of work in the local schools and I know that the young people in the schools I worked in had a very healthy respect for the environment both locally and globally and the schools also taught the subject very well so one can only assume that this lack of respect is being taught in the home. It almost makes you want to weep especially after yesterday seeing those people who gave up their free time to do something about their environment.
Buds - Cranwich Heath
As we travelled through the forest Jan saw a large bird of prey fly through the trees, she didn’t get a good look at it but thought it was Buzzard size.
Magpies - Cranwich Heath
At Cranwich we were briefly entertained by 2 Buzzards (although Jan saw 3) displaying over the treetops, we saw some claw clenching and parallel flying above the trees. I did manage to get a short video of it. The sun did make a brief appearance while we were at the Heath and once again it looked as if Spring was on its way but it didn’t last long. After last week’s information on Magpies we saw 6 on the heath along with some Partridges, Pheasants, Crows, Rabbits and 6 Ponies which looked as if they were specialist Ponies brought in to control the heath’s structure.
Lynford Arboretum
We then made our way to Lynford Arboretum in another attempt to see the Hawfinches there. On the way we saw a very dark coloured Muntjac Deer and when we got to the Arboretum we came across the Oriole Birding Tour. We often come across them at various places in Norfolk they are obviously very good birders and some of their videos on YouTube are excellent but I have to say I am not very enamoured with the company especially with their attitude to the less able.
Sign At Lynford Arboretum
Recently they advertised some taster tours of Norfolk spots for £20 per person which seemed excellent value and I was quite keen for Jan and myself to go on one of them but at Jan’s request she suggested I should contact them to see if they would be suitable for me. I emailed them and asked them if it would OK for someone like me with limited mobility. I have to say they were very efficient and I got a reply back the same day. They said it wouldn’t be really suitable for someone like myself as they tend to walk, sometimes up to 2-3 miles along boardwalks and paths. I had no problem with that at all, it is only being realistic and I have to be honest and say that I wouldn’t be able to cope with that but it is what they said next which rather knocked the stuffing out of me. They said although it wouldn’t be suitable for someone like me they were willing to do a bespoke tour for me for a £100 which for someone like me who is retired would be completely beyond my reach. I know that they are a business and I wish them every success with what they do but their attitude towards disability, plainly sucks. After the success of the 2012 Paralympics I’m afraid this Government’s demonizing of disability and companies who try to profiteer and to limit people’s engagement with the normality of life (for most people anyway) I find absolutely disgusting and its an attitude I come across time after time. If it was a racial or sexual issue they would be braking the law but because it is about disability it is absolutely fine for them to have this attitude. End of rant.
Oriole Birding Tour
We didn’t see the Hawfinches but Jan saw some Siskins, Chaffinch, Blue and Great Tits while I had some great fun watching some pedigree fowl from the car, which I think were some type of Aracuana. I must admit that I had a little bit of a smile when the Oriole Birding tour walked past the car and when they saw me looking through my binoculars they stopped (albeit right in front of me) and set up their scopes to see what I was looking at!
Fancy Fowl
We decided to call it a day and head for home. We had a brief stop on the cut through road at Hilborough where we saw 14 Greylag Geese and 12 Teal and then through Threxton where we saw a Kestrel by the Church and 7 Hares before getting home.
Lynford Arboretum
Live Update 5.15am 19.3.2015: I’ve just heard the Dawn Chorus start up, I can hear mainly Blackbird but I think there are some other birds singing as well. The first of 2015.
Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.
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