birdnerdblog

    My parents and I spent a few days in Norfolk last week, from 18th-22nd May. It was our first ever proper "birding holiday", and let's just say I can't wait for the next one!!

    We stayed in a cottage in Old Hunstanton, a tiny, pretty village within easy reach of RSPB Titchwell, Cley and Blakeney. The cottage - actually more of a three-storey flat -  was lovely, and was set in beautiful surroundings. The weather was great too. Mainly hot with a slight breeze, and it only rained on one day.

    We arrived late Monday afternoon, and I took off exploring as soon as I got there, camera in hand! I had a wander around the village, then after tea we went for a stroll over the golf course and sand dunes down to the beach. The air was filled with the screams of Swifts, and as we came closer to the dunes, the sound of a Cuckoo! This was great as it was a first for me, and I would have been happy just to hear it. As it was, I spotted the bird sitting on a fence post, and got cracking views! Our holiday was off to a fantastic and exciting start!

     TUESDAY was spent at Titchwell and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It rained heavily in the afternoon, and I didn't actually return with a huge species list, but that failed to dampen my spirits, no pun intended! During the course of the day we saw at least five Marsh Harrier (including one stunning male), Willow, Sedge and Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Golden Plover, Little Grebe, Brent Geese (another first), Avocet, Sanderling and a female Red Crested Pochard with young (from Island Hide). Parrinder Hide was most productive though, yielding all the usual wildfowl, plus Marsh Harrier, Redshank, three Little Tern, Common Sandpiper and a Temminck's Stint! Another first! Admittedly though, if the man next to me with the scope hadn't shouted "Temminck's!", I wouldn't have known what it was, as it was soooo very far away! Here I also had a very fleeting glimpse of a Bearded Tit. In fact it was so fleeting that I couldn't be certain as to the bird's identity, so I don't know whether or not to tick that one! 

     In the car park as we sat eating our packed lunch in the rain, a tame and very cheeky Robin approached the car next to us. The lady was reaching into her boot for a tub of mealworms, which the Robin proceeded to eat out of the palm of her hand! My dad and I crouched down with a few crumbs to offer and the Robin came to us too! When it landed on my hand it seemed to weigh absolutely nothing! It was a magical moment.

    WEDNESDAY was spent at Blakeney, and we took a boat trip out to see the seals and terns. It was another scorcher and we all caught the sun on our faces. Whilst on our way to Blakeney I heard a Cetti's Warbler singing in the bushes at the side of the road, but obviously we couldn't stop while I checked it out. At Blakeney itself, I had a wander around the heathlands, and came back with a list which included Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Wren and Jackdaw. My butterfly list wasn't too varied, with the majority being Cabbage Whites. Whilst talking to the car park attendant, I discovered that in the last couple of days a Collared Pratincole and a Woodchat Shrike had been seen around the area. This got my heart racing, but unfortunately we didn't really have the time to search properly, and my brief nosy around didn't produce either bird.

    We booked ourselves onto a boat trip with Bean's Boats, then sat on the car park to eat our packed lunch (noticing a pattern here?...). At 2pm we boarded the boat with anticipation tingling in our tummies! Sailing along the channel I noted Common, Little and Sandwich Tern, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Brent Goose, Swift and Swallow. And then the piece de resistance - the seals. As the boat came up close the island, everyone "oohed and aahed" and reached for their cameras. The seals were ADORABLE! There's no other word for them! We saw Common and Grey, and I have to say I was almost sick with excitement! After an hour or so, those who wished to get off the boat and explore the National Trust reserve did so - and of course we did! We spent some time in the old Lifeboat Station, then wandered around the dunes for a while until we were collected.

    THURSDAY was spent at Cley Reserve. We walked the whole way round the reserve until lunchtime, then visited the hides after we'd eaten. The walk around the reserve almost killed us off, as it was blisteringly hot, and that pebbled beach is hard going! In the reeds we had Reed and Sedge Warbler, and I heard another Cetti's Warbler singing in the trees by the road, but once again couldn't locate the bird. Along the path to the beach we had Avocets with young, Redshank and Oystercatcher. As we neared the end of the beach I spotted a long line of men in khaki coats with scopes on tripods. Panic set in - what was I missing?? I gave myself an asthma attack rushing over the pebbles to reach them, but it was worth it. The Collared Pratincole I had hoped to see at Blakeney was here. OK so it was little more than a brown blob from where I was standing, but it was there nonetheless and I could see it! Brilliant! By this time we were all in need of a rest and a butty, so we headed back to the car.

    After we had eaten, my dad was fit for nothing, so my mum and I left him in the car and took a walk over to the hides on the other side of the reserve. Highlights from here included more (and better) views of the Collared Pratincole, Gadwall, Pochard, Shelduck, Black-Tailed Godwit,  Avocet, Common and Little Tern, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Oystercatcher, a Marsh Harrier being mobbed by Avocets, a Black-Headed Gull being mobbed by Avocets, the top of a Garganey's head, two Little Egrets, and not one but two Spoonbills!! By this time I was going slightly insane with happiness, so we had to leave before I exploded...

    FRIDAY was leaving day, sadly. We had to be out of the cottage by 10am, but we were well gone by then, as we wanted to visit Weeting Heath, a fair drive away from where we were staying. I had been told that this was the best place to see Stone Curlews, and that I was pretty much guaranteed to see them. Well I couldn't pass up on that could I!

    As soon as we entered the hide I spotted something small and brown on the brow of the hill. In the heat haze I couldn't decide whether it was a Stone Curlew or a rabbit's head - the heath was littered with the small furry critters. I stared and stared until a man with a scope entered the hide and confirmed my hopes. It was a Stone Curlew! In the end we saw four of the beauties, two of which paraded round in full view of us, although too far away to get a photo. No mind, those birds and that experience will be imprinted on my brain forever.

    The warden informed me that there were also Spotted Flycatcher around, but as we had a six hour drive home, I didn't bother to go look for them. Maybe next time. I then found out about Golden Oriole at nearby Lakenheath Fen. A quick look at the map and my dad agreed to stop off there as it was along our route home.

    When we arrived I enquired as to where the Orioles were, and also discovered that Lakenheath had two pairs of Cranes, both with young. My list of "wanna-sees" was growing by the minute, but we were also trying to keep an eye on the time. In the end, we only left Lakenheath at 1pm. Without having seen the Cranes or the Orioles. Oops. We did HEAR an Oriole singing briefly, and also saw numerous Hobby (another first), two Marsh Harrier, a pair of Great Crested Grebes, a Cuckoo, and best of all, we heard and briefly saw a Bittern!! We heard one bird booming, then later on caught a glimpse of one flying low over the reeds. OK so I only saw it's wing but who cares! It was a Bittern!

    By now we were seriously worried about the time, so we left the reserve and made the long, tiring journey home. (see photo section).

    I've been mega-busy over the last few weeks, with work and such, so I've been unable to get out and about birding. I haven't even had time to watch my Back Garden Birds, and it's KILLED me! Today however, I had a few hours spare so I thought I'd spend them at Pennington Flash Oh, how I've missed that place!!

    As I tramped around the reserve contemplating all the migrant action I've missed out on, I began to realise that maybe Easter week wasn't the best time of year to visit - the place was swarming with kids. I was determined to enjoy myself though, and headed over to Horrocks Hide.

    It was a good place to start. Two pairs of Little Ringed Plover could be seen on the shingle, along with three Oystercatcher and three Redshank. I noted a total of six Snipe, which unusually were feeding in the water in full view of the hide. Lapwing, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall and Tufted Duck were all present, and I could hear Chaffinch, Dunnock, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler singing outside the hide. After a while, two of the Redshank decided that "this town ain't big enough for the both of us!" and one began to attack the other. At one point one bird had hold of the other's head with it's claws and was either trying to take off with it or rip it's head off. I've never seen such blatant violence!

    After 45 minutes or so I made my way over to New Hide. This was unremarkable, with just 36 Tufties, six Shoveler and a single drake Teal. A Mute Swan was sitting on a nest in the reeds, but there wasn't even a Heron to liven things up so I moved on.

    Pengy's Hide was similarly quiet, so I prepared myself for the horrors of Bunting Hide. I say "horrors" because I knew it would be packed out with screaming kids and equally noisy parents. I stuck it out for half an hour. In that time I noted all the usual suspects including Bull, Chaff and Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Robin, Dunnock, Blue Tit and Great Tit. One Robin in particular was a right little show-off and repeatedly perched on the wooden post directly in front of the hide posing for photos. (see photo section)

    Next up was Teal Hide. Again, all the usuals were present, including Teal, Tufties, Gadwall, Lapwing and another Little Ringed Plover. Outside I could hear Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Dunnock and Wren singing, which made for a pleasant walk back round to the car park. I had a little time to spare before hometime, so I popped back into Horrocks Hide and was rewarded with even better views of the Snipe, fantastic views of two LRPs, a family of Mallards complete with four teeny-tiny babies and.......my first Swallow of the year! Hooray! It was a VERY brief view of one (possibly two) birds zipping over the water, but it made my trip worthwhile. Brilliant! I headed back to the car with Blackbird song in my ears and a warm fuzzy glow in my heart aaahh!

    I spent a few hours at Pennington on Wednesday afternoon, before going to my friends house for tea. The weather was glorious - warm and calm and very Spring-like.

    I headed over to Horrocks Hide first, as a Black -Tailed Godwit had been reported. It's not as though I've never seen a Blackwit before, I just thought it would be nice to see one at Penny Flash! I don't keep lists, honest! I had no luck with the Blackwit, but five Oystercatcher and eight Redshank were good to see. Gadwall, Teal, Tufties, Shoveler and Shelduck were all present, along with at least three pairs of Great Crested Grebe. It was turning out to be a good day!

    I did Pengy's Hide next, and hadn't been sitting there very long when suddenly a Kingfisher flashed by. I waited, and the bird flew back across and landed on a long reed stem right in front of the hide! It only perched there for a split-second, but I got a fantastic view. The Kingfisher flew off and away to my left, and I managed to locate it, sitting on a low-hanging branch at the edge of the water, where it remained for a few minutes before darting off out of sight. Other highlights here were two Dunnock, a male Reed Bunting, a single drake Pochard, a Grey Heron, a Little Grebe and a pair of fishing Cormorants.

    Outside I could hear a singing Chiffchaff, a bird I was desperate to see, so I took a walk along the pathways over to the other side of the reserve. Before long I had located not one but two Chiffies, and heard many more in full song. Lovely! I also spotted a Wren and a Song Thrush, along with singing Great Tits and Bullfinches. Also of note were the abundance of Bumblebees around the reserve. Summer is just around the corner!

    Next up was Teal Hide, where two Little Ringed Plovers had been reportedly seen. I found them straight away, hunkered down on the shingle at the far side of the water. After a while, the birds got up and went for a wander, but I managed to keep them within my sights and got cracking views. Other highlights included two Shelduck, a single preening Snipe, a Grey Heron, a male Goosander, and a very obliging Blue Tit right underneath the hide window (see photo section).

    I walked all the way around the reserve and up the hill, hearing one or two singing Skylarks, then came out at New Hide. this was fairly quiet, with the only real birds of note being two Grey Herons. All the usual wildfowl were present. I walked around to Bunting Hide, which again was unremarkable. The usual finches and tits were busily feeding, along with a single Willow Tit and good numbers of Reed Bunting.

    I walked back over to Lapwing Hide, which revealed nothing more than two Coots and a Little Grebe, then visited each hide again in turn to while away some time, then left around 4:30pm.

    I spent a pleasant few hours round Pennington today, in glorious sunshine - Spring has definitely sprung! I checked out Horrock's Hide first, and for once I didn't have to sit in Arctic conditions! Along with the usual gulls and Lapwings, three Oystercatcher could be seen at the far end of the spit, which was nice, and three Great Crested Grebes were swanning around, two of them a definite pair. Teal, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and two Goldeneye were also about, along with two male and two female Goosander.

    Outside the hide, Long-Tailed Tits were calling, and Chaffinch, Dunnock and Robin were in full song. A little further down the path and I caught a glimpse of two Goldfinches calling at the top of a tree.

    I tried New Hide next, which was pretty quiet bird-wise, although I suppose a drop in wildfowl numbers is to be expected at this time of year. Teal, Shoveler and two Grey Heron were the pick of the bunch, but there was nothing really worth sticking around for so I moved on.

    I decided to walk around the reserve and up to the hill. Along the wooded paths, I noted Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird and Song Thrush singing, and also heard a few Blue and Great Tits calling high up in the trees. Once I reached the top of the hill, I could hear a distant Skylark performing its song flight, but I couldn't locate the bird. I did an about-turn and headed back down the hill, pausing at the bottom to look out onto the main flash from a different angle. I'm so glad I did! I spotted two separate pairs of Great Crested Grebe displaying to each other, and performing the "reed dance"!! What an incredible sight! I have never seen this properly before, so I was overjoyed to put it mildly! Fantastic.

    After watching the grebes' performances I carried on along the path and back onto the main reserve, ending at Teal Hide. Gadwall, Teal and Shoveler were all present, along with two female Goosander. Two Little Grebe could be seen on the far side of the water, looking rather dapper in their summer plumage. A handful of Lapwing were milling about, two of which were busy making "scrapes" on the shingle islands. That was very interesting to watch! I had a quick scan around the reeds at the edge of the lake, and something pinky-coloured caught my eye. The bird was busily preening, and at first I thought it was a Woodpigeon. When the bird straightened up however, I saw the barring on its chest. It was a male Sparrowhawk. After preening it flew closer to the hide and landed in a tree at the edge of the water. I could see every detail (through my bins) and it was just stunning. It sat for a moment, bobbing its head about and eyeballing the wildfowl, which by now were in a state of frenzy! Not that the Sprawk had any intention of making a grab for a Lapwing or suchlike! Maybe a Teal, they're pretty small...In the end the Sparrowhawk flew off in front of the hide and out of sight into the trees.

    Next I headed over to Pengy's Hide, in the hope of seeing a Kingfisher again. I didn't have any luck with that, but the Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe and overhead Heron (almost) made up for that. Outside, Robin, Wren and Dunnock were all singing as I made my way over to Bunting Hide.

    The hide was devoid of human life, but the bird-life was on top form. Reed Buntings darted about, looking resplendant in summer plumage, and Chaffinches, Bullfinches and singing Greenfinches could all be seen. A couple of Blue and Great Tits visited the bird tables, and two Long-Tailed Tits clung to the fat ball feeder. Three Willow Tits were a nice addition, in a tree at the back, with one doing a rather sweet little vibrating-wing thing. The Willow Tit way of saying "Chase me, chase me"??

    After about half an hour or so I headed back over to Horrock's Hide for one last look before hometime. As I approached the hide I saw yet another pair of Great Crested Grebe displaying! They were only a few feet away from me, and I managed to get a blurry video of them, which I will post on here if possible. I watched them for a while then entered the hide.

    The Oystercatcher numbers on the spit had increased to five, with a further two flying in as I sat there. Goosanders were up to five males and four females, and three Redshank was the most I have ever seen there in one go. I could just make out two Snipe, dozing at the edge of the water, well camouflaged by the reeds and bracken.

    As I scanned over the water, lazily checking through the gulls for something special, I saw another three pairs of GCG displaying! I couldn't believe it! One pair on the very far side of the lake were just presenting each other with reeds as I spotted them. Absolutely magical.

    At around 5pm, it had started to get a little colder, and I was ready for my tea so I headed home.

    I had a quick scooch round Pennington Flash again on Wednesday, and nearly froze to death in the process! It was eye-wateringly cold and blowing a gale, but I persevered - I wanted to see the Little Egret!

    And see it I did! I went straight over to New Hide where the bird had been seen, and it was there, standing motionless on the grassy island with a Grey Heron. In fact, I returned to the hide about an hour and a half later, and it was still there in the same position! Boring so-and-so!

    I could admittedly have gone straight home again, but Pennington is far too interesting a place for that. New Hide also held around ten Tufties, seven Shoveler, a single Wigeon, a pair of Canada Geese and a few Coots busily nest-building on the far side of the water.

    I made my way over to Pengy's Hide next, which was surprisingly active. Two Cormorants were fishing in the lake, and the pair of Little Grebes were bobbing about to the left of the hide. A Great Crested Grebe could also be seen, looking, it has to be said, rather drab. Tufties, Shovelers and Mallards completed the roll call, whilst Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Robins and Dunnocks could all be heard singing. A male Bullfinch flew past the hide window and gave great views before flitting into the bushes, but there was no sign of the usual Kingfisher.

    Next up was Bunting Hide. The place was buzzing, with birds and birders alike. Four or five Woodpigeons were lurking in the tree at the back, with one or two of them getting rather frisky! A handful of Teal were mooching about with the usual Moorhens, looking for scraps by the bird tables. All the usual tits and finches were zooming about from feeder to feeder, and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker showed exceptionally well, feeding for about fifteen minutes on the fat balls. The Brambling didn't show, but there were two Siskin on the peanut feeders, and this time I managed to get a (slightly) better photo!

    After a while I headed on over to Lapwing Hide, which had nothing out of the ordinary. As I took my seat in Teal Hide, a Snipe flew over the roof, which was a nice sight. Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufties and two preening Shelduck were the pick of the bunch, along with two male and three female Goosander.

    By now I felt I had pretty much exhausted the reserve, but I still had about 45 minutes before pick-up time, so I reluctantly made my way over to Horrocks Hide. I say "reluctantly" as I knew that however cold it was outside, it would be at least ten degrees colder in there! I stuck it for maybe twenty minutes, then left before the wind blew my face away. I couldn't see anything anyway, for the tears streaming down my face - the wind was just SO COLD!! A very nice man with a scope asked me if I had seen the reported Common Scoter, but I could barely reply through my chattering teeth, so made my excuses and left. The birds I did see through watery eyes were all the usual Cormorants, BHGs, Common Gull, Teal, Shoveler and Shelduck.

    I decided I needed warming up, so I went back to New Hide, and as previously mentioned, the Egret was still rooted to the spot, only this time a second Heron had joined it. A pair of Canada Geese flew in, making all sorts of noises and motions at one another when they landed, which made me smile. Apart from that, there was nothing much else to see, certainly no sleepy Snipe to keep me interested, so I went back to Pengy's Hide.

    This yielded pretty much the same as before, but this time I got the Kingfisher. It was little more than a blue stripe on a branch at first, but the more I stared the more it became a bird, and then it turned around on its perch so I could see its rusty orange breast. Beautiful. Happy with this, I checked the time, and headed to the car park.

    I did Pennington again on Wednesday - basically because I had nothing better to do! It was a lovely mild, calm day, conditions perfectly accentuated by birdsong! Robins, Dunnocks and Song Thrushes were all in full song, and late afternoon I even heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming high in the treetops. I got a brief glance at the bird as it bounded away over my head and landed in another tree, and I'm pretty sure it was a female.

    First up I tried Horrock's Hide, which rang with the sound of a 1000+ Lapwing. Also present were a single Redshank, tucked away next to a large rock on the edge of the spit, a lone Oystercatcher, and a Common Gull, which was a nice addition to the hundreds of BHGs! I also noted a few Tufted Duck, at least two pairs of Teal and four Shelduck on the far grassy island.

    New Hide was next up, which again revealed the sleepy Snipe from Tuesday. This time there were nine birds on the central island, and another four sleeping on the edge of the far island, not quite hidden by a small bush! I counted thirteen Tufted Duck, five Shoveler and four Gadwall in total, and one or two Teal. Two Blackbirds, a Song Thrush and four Blue Tits were also observed flitting about in the undergrowth directly beneath the hide windows. Outside I could hear a second Song Thrush and at least two Robins singing.

    After about an hour I walked around to Pengy's Hide, not really expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised however, as I got great views of two Little Grebe swimming around side-by-side, two female Pochard, and a single Shoveler. Just as I was about to up and leave, a flash of electric blue caught my eye; a Kingfisher! I watched for ten minutes or so as the bird streaked across the water, landed on a low-hanging branch, then streaked back again and out of sight behind the reedbeds. Magic.

    I checked out Bunting Hide next, which yielded all the ususal tits, finches and Reed Buntings, along with Robins and Dunnocks and a Grey Squirrel. No sign of the previous day's Siskin and Brambling, but I spent a pleasant half hour in the hide all the same.

    Along the path to Lapwing Hide I heard yet more Robins and Dunnocks singing, and of course heard and saw the drumming greater 'pecker. Lapwing Hide itself had a Little Grebe, a couple of Tufted Duck and two twittering Dunnock in the bushes. Teal Hide was more eventful, the highlights being 30+ Shoveler, at least 14 Gadwall, ten Teal, a single drake Pochard and a Grey Heron. Two Lapwing flew in, and a female Goosander made an appearance. I stayed for about an hour, then decided to take a walk around the long path and up "Skylark Hill" as I call it.

    This was rather a good decision if I may say so myself! I paused at the bottom of the hill to scan over the lake - pretty much everything I had already seen from Horrock's Hide, plus a couple of extra Goosander. As I walked around the big pond, a female Goosander actually flew in and landed on the water a few feet away from me. A small flock of Long-Tailed Tits were buzzing and purring in the trees at the edge of the lake, and I could hear a Song Thrush singing somewhere. A quick peek at the lake from its banks revealed a female Goldeneye, which was a nice surprise, but no sign of any males. At around 3:45pm I headed back onto the main part of the reserve and checked out New Hide again.

    Nothing "new" there, apart from two Grey Herons, one on the edge of the water, and the other perched in a tree. I stayed for about ten minutes, then went back round to Pengy's Hide. The two female Pochard were still there, but by now they had been joined by four Tufted Duck and at least 22 Shoveler. I then moved on to Bunting Hide for my last ten minutes, and noted two Willow Tit in with all the usual suspects. At 4:30 I left the reserve, and headed to my friend Andrea's house for tea (jacket spud with cheese and beans and a huge salad) and very nice it was too!

    Pennington Flash was on top form today when I visited mid-afternoon. I checked out Pengy's Hide first, which is admittedly always pretty quiet, but it made for a good start. A few Tufted Duck and Shoveler were the birds of note, with Song Thrush and Robin singing in the trees outside the hide. Next up was Bunting Hide, which predictably attracted all the half-term horrors and their grandparents, but I stuck it out for over half an hour. I had only been seated about ten minutes or so when the reported Brambling showed up. A female this year, as opposed to last year's male, it flitted around the furthermost bird table, then swiftly disappeared. All the usual tits - Blue, Great, Willow and Long-Tailed -  were around, along with Chaffinches, Bullfinches and shedloads of Greenfinches.

    At least four Robins were present, all squabbling with each other, and a few Reed Buntings made an appearance. ?The highlight though was the female Siskin which showed well on the peanut feeder. For some reason I couldn't quite get my camera in focus to get a good enough shot, but it was nice to just watch the bird, as it is not one I come across very often.

    After a while, the screaming kids became too much for my delicate ears so I moved on. A quick look in Lapwing Hide (another quiet one) revealed two Grey Heron and a singing Dunnock, but Teal Hide was far more interesting.

    I counted four male and three female Goosander, two Snipe and one Little Grebe. Excellent! The Goosander swam around together for a bit, then settled themselves on the main island to preen and sleep. Beautiful birds, I got one or two "record shots" of them, but nothing that would win any prizes. There were good numbers of Teal and Shoveler too, and a few Gadwall, with at least one definite pair, which spent much of their time "canoodling" and diving in unison.

    Tufties, a couple of Lapwing, and tons of Black-Headed Gulls completed the roll-call, along with five clattering Magpies which were splashing about in the shallows on the far bank.

    I was about to leave when I spotted the Snipe zooming in. One landed in the vegetation to the right of me, and the other landed smack bang in the middle of the water amongst the Teal. Again, I managed to get a few record shots of the birds, then watched as the Snipe danced about on the island. It was certainly a cracking view of this normally shy bird. Little did I know I would get a much better view later on! 

    After half an hour or so, I doubled back on myself and went over to Horrocks Hide. Despite the mild temperatures outside, it was typically freezing in the hide, and I spent more time blowing my nose than looking through my bins. Having said that, I didn't really need my bins to see the thousand-plus Lapwing on the spit! Every now and again, something and nothing spooked them, and they all wheeled up into the air together, creating an amazing spectacle. They were certainly very flighty, although I never saw any reason for them to be.

    Also seen from Horrocks were a single male Goosander, a Great Crested Grebe in the distance, good numbers of Teal, Tufted Duck and Shoveler, and three Shelduck on the grassy part of the island. Dozens of Cormorants were perched on the rafts in the water, and a quick scan of the hundreds of BHGs revealed a few birds with "half-and-half" heads.

    I decided to make a move before my nose literally froze and dropped off, and went over to New Hide. There was no sign of the Long-Eared Owl, but just to make up for it, six Snipe were showing extremely well - they were all asleep, huddled up together on the spit in the middle of the water! I have never had such fantastic views of this bird! I could see every plumage detail - simply beautiful. I guess that's the bird-WATCHER side of me coming out, eh Rich ;-) Also present were more Teal, Tufties and Shoveler, and a Grey Heron which flopped over the water and crash-landed into a tree.

    After two hours around the reserve it was time for me to leave, and I really didn't want to go home! I may even visit again tomorrow!

    Had a quick hour or so at Wigan Flashes on Sunday, on the way to Asda!

    As I trekked up the muddy hill from the main road and looked out onto Scotman's Flash, I thought it was going to be a wasted trip - all I could see were Coots! Once I reached the main path however, I realised that everything of interest had simply congregated on the two smaller flashes on the other side of the canal.

    I crossed the bridge and checked out the first body of water. This held mainly Coots, Moorhens and Mallards, and of course Black-Headed Gulls. A couple of Gadwall could also be seen, which was a nice surprise. I noticed that two pairs of Coots were busy nest-building on the far side of the water.

    The second flash was far more interesting. A fair few Tufted Duck were paddling about, and I could just make out about four Pochard and a Teal hiding in the reeds in the middle of the water. Further out were more Gadwall, a few Shoveler, a drake Ruddy Duck and a Little Grebe. Lovely!

    As I scanned through the Tufties, I noticed a "newy" for me - Goldeneye! Drakes and ducks, at least four of each. It had definitely been worth a visit! I watched them for a while then walked up to the main bridge and back to the car.

    Also of note were the number of birds in song around the canal. Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock and Goldfinches could all be heard in the trees, making for a very pleasant walk!

    I spent a lovely day at Martin Mere today, with two seriously lovely people! Rich and Lynda - a birding couple from Derbyshire who I met through this very blog - were visiting Martin Mere with their local RSPB group and very kindly invited me along to spend the day with them. I jumped at the chance, and I'm very glad I did!

    After introductions had been made, we took a walk around the captive birds section first. It turned out that Lynda shared my love of Nenes and wanted to feed them. We spent around an hour there, then headed over to Swanlink Hide. There were literally thousands of Whooper Swans on the mere, along with Lapwing, Pochard, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Shelduck and Black-Headed Gulls. A single Great Black-Backed Gull spent its time devouring a small unidentifiable duck, and Rich got a brief glimpse of a Curlew which headed skywards with the Lapwing when something spooked them. Around twenty Ruff could also be seen, along with a very white individual, and a Redshank was pottering around in the mud. A few Oystercatchers were a nice addition to our lists, as were the two Buzzards which Lynda spotted! Pink Footed Geese were also around in the fields, and a single Golden Plover could just about be seen, in amongst the Lapwing flock.

    Next we went over to Janet Kear Hide, which was unusually quiet, so we made our way up to Harrier Hide. Here, hundreds of Shelduck could be seen on the water, along with Cormorants, a Grey Heron, and two or three Shoveler in a ditch in the distance. After about half an hour or so we made our way over to United Utilities Hide, catching sight of a lovely male Reed Bunting by the bird table on our way up the path. A couple of Robins were also seen, and there were many in song around the reserve.

    We sat upstairs and almost immediately Rich spotted a pair of Stonechat in the field. The male bird disappeared quickly, but the female was more obliging and sat atop the hedgerow for a while. A Grey Heron could be seen, standing motionless by the stream, and several large skeins of Pink Feet flew overhead. Someone found a Kingfisher, which was perched on a wire underneath the little bridge, and we got a brief glimpse of the bird's brilliant blue plumage before it darted away under the bridge. We could still see the Whoopers etc which we had seen from Swanlink Hide, but from this angle we could also see the single Bewicks Swan which has been around the mere over the last few days or so. The bird, nicknamed "Jenny" is at least twenty years old! Apparently she had been uncharacteristically subdued throughout the day, and the wardens were a little concerned about her.

    After a while we decided to walk over to the other side of the reserve. We spotted Tree Sparrows, Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Chaffinches, and a Goldcrest along the pathways, and heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling in the trees. We had a quick look in Raines Observatory, which yielded yet more Whoopers, Pink Feet, Teal, Pochard, Pintail, Wigeon, Shelduck and Lapwing.

    We continued on up to Ron Barker Hide, which was packed out, but we found a seat upstairs and then the fun really began! First we saw a Sparrowhawk, maybe a male, sitting on a fence post to the left of the hide. Admittedly it was little more than a blob, even through Rich's 'scope, but we could see it! Then someone spotted a Marsh Harrier, an immature male, soaring in the distance. We all got amazing views as it dropped down onto the ground, plucked a poor unsuspecting creature from the grass, then alighted in the top of a tree. Unfortunately it lost its footing, and disappeared into the grass, but it reappeared, and hung around the whole time we were in the hide.

    Also seen were at least two Buzzard, and two Merlin! One Merlin would have been enough for me as I have never seen one before, but two was fantastic! The first was seen in the very far distance, and could only just be identified as it perched itself on a fence post. Then a few moments later, a second bird flew over the fields a little closer to the hide! Another first for me were the three Stock Dove that Rich pointed out, sitting on a barn roof. Other birds of note included a very large flock of Starlings in the distance, and two Ringed Plover, huddled on the shingle island nearest to the hide.

    At around 3pm we headed back to Raines Observatory to watch the swan feed. We settled in and prepared ourselves for the spectacle of around 1,600 Whooper Swans and 1,000 Shelduck coming up close to the hide windows to feed. It was amazing - it never ceases to enthrall and astound me, no matter how many times I watch the feed. Also present were hundreds of Lapwing, Pochard, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Pink Feet and Black-Headed Gulls. "Jenny" the Bewicks Swan hardly budged from her position on the far bank until all the clamour had died down. I counted 21 Ruff, including two very white birds, and a Curlew flew over the water then disappeared from view. A handful of Cormorants could be seen, along with eight Oystercatchers on the far side of the water.

    The highlight for me though was the Barn Owl. Whilst we were sitting in the hide, Rich got a text from another group member saying he could see a Barn Owl. Before he had a chance to tell us where, I had spotted it, flying low over the fields in the very far distance. The bird hung around for over an hour, sometimes dropping down into the long grass, sometimes flying relatively close to the hide. It was a beautiful sight, and definitely one of the best birds of the day.

    Once the warden had thrown the food out and stepped back, the Whoopers came up onto the mud to feed, swiftly followed by all those Shelduck. We could see at least six of the Whoopers had those satellite transmitters attached to their backs. We also watched with great amusement as a particularly clumsy Shelduck flew in and landed squarely on the back of one of the Whoopers! That was definitely one of the strangest things I've ever seen...

    At 4:30pm it was time for us to leave and say our goodbyes. I had a fantastic day, and if you're reading this Rich and Lynda (I hope you are 'cos no-one else will be!), it was lovely to meet you both and I hope we can do it again sometime! And Rich - ner ner I blogged first haha! I hope I didn't leave anything out. Now where's your report??

    Super-quick visit to Mere Sands Wood this afternoon, to cheer me up following an horrific trip to the dentist which left me with a mangled face and severely itchy gums!!

    We arrived at around 2pm, the objective being to spend two hours on the hunt for the two Crossbills which have been seen around the reserve lately. I had no joy there (of course), but it was nice just to get out in the winter sunshine, even if my teeth were giving me gip.

    I had a pleasant wander round the woodlands for an hour or so first, which yielded Blue, Great, Coal and Long-Tailed Tits, two Nuthatches, several Chaffinches and a small flock of Goldfinches which chattered away in the tops of the trees. At least five Robins were in song around the woods, and a Jay was heard briefly. Woodpigeons and Blackbirds were also in abundance. Highlight of the day was the Treecreeper I stumbled upon. Myself and an older lady with a camera stood watching the bird for ten minutes or so, as it crept up the trunk of a silver birch, picking insects from the bark. Being so close to the bird, I could see every detail of it's plumage; I have never before realised how pretty those birds are.

    I was feeling in need of more painkillers, so we went back to the car for a coffee (my flask is my new best friend!), then had another little walk over to the other side of the reserve. By now it was nearing 3:30pm, so we just had a brief look in two of the hides (Teal, Teal and more Teal, and two Todd Carty-esque Coots skidding about on the frozen lake), then headed back to the car.

    On the way home I noted several large Starling flocks round the farmland areas of Rufford, and also spotted a Buzzard perched in a tree by the side of the motorway near Shevington, which was a very nice ending to a very pleasant afternoon!