Spring Solstice

 My last post started with a resolution to post a bit more frequently. It barely lasted a week.

Unfortunately we lost Mum at the end of January-I had been caring for her for many years but in the new year there was a sudden decline and I had to take a few weeks off work. Luckily both my sisters were here and we looked after her as best we could, and I cannot thank the doctors paramedics and nurses who were in and out on a daily (and sometimes nightly basis) enough. Obviously there has been a lot to do and it will be some time before some sort of normality resumes.

Colin's been a great help too and has got me out of Stevenage on a few occasions to relax, chill and do a bit of birding. This will be a bit of a brief synopsis of our trips with a few pictures.

The first trip was February 4th and the Norfolk coast. While we saw a lot of the expected stuff, it was a bit quiet. The sea in particular-Hunstanton had most, with Fulmar, Mergansers and a few auks, and Colin had a Skua. Titchwell was nice to visit, but apart from a nice flock of Brambling and a Slavonian Grebe on the sea, there wasn't much for our efforts. Rather than head along the coast to the jam packed Holkham area we decided to head inland.

Just south of Brancaster we found the small crowd looking at the distant flock of Pinkfeet, and eventually we were able to get onto the Cackling Goose (basically a smaller Canada), the first we had seen since the mid nineties. We then moved south east to the Nene Washes at Eldernell, which I had been hoping to visit for several weeks. The roosting Short Eared Owl was visible of sorts, but the two Long Eared Owls were a bit more obliging, as was the Tawny Owl.

The following week, the 11th we did Essex. Abberton had five Smew (the largest number I had seen for years, a nice Black Necked Grebe and the usual Long Tailed duck. No sign of any Scaup which was a bit odd. The Great Northern Diver showed very well for us.

A visit to Copt Hall marshes was very disappointing, some of the footpaths seemed to have vanished and there werent many birds. I did get a longed for lifer with the MV Ross Revenge, home of Radio Caroline on the distant Blackwater estuary.

We ended at Fingringhoe Wick. My only visit was some 30 years ago and it had changed quite a bit, so much so that I couldn't reconcile my memories with what was there. It proved to be a very nice place for a relaxed wander and I hope to get back there soon.

My last trip out on the 19th was down to North Kent. Oare Marshes was cold and breezy and we decided to walk west along the sea wall, as we hadn't really been that way before. Lots of Stonechats and Meadow and Rock Pipits, plus wildfowl. The hoped for Hen Harriers did not appear.

More pirate radio at our next destination, the old towers of Reculver. This is now a country park, but when I used to visit relatives at nearby Birchington back in the 70's there weren't as I recall any paved paths, and not much in the way of facilities. There weren't any offshore wind-farms either, but the WW2 sea-forts and pirate homes of Red Sands and Shivering Sands were still visible among them. Unfortunately the distinct pyramid on stilts of Tongue Sands collapsed some years ago. Fortunately the Snow Buntings were still present but it was a bit of a slog, not quite half way to Minnis Bay.

The final stop was Stodmarsh, long a favourite place to visit in summer, but by far the earliest in the year. Lots of Cetti's warblers, squealing Water rails and plenty of woodland birds, but surprisingly no Redpoll or Siskin. A new sight for us were the gnawed and felled  trees courtesy of beavers, which of course we didn't see. We did find our target in the shape of the female Ring Necked Duck.

Since then I haven't been far, the weather has not been ideal but I have tried to get over to Fairlands on a regular basis. I did get to Bramfield where three Hawfinch showed well.