day 3-tichwell, in the rain

possibly the wettest day of the holiday. No dragonflys today then!!. My dad decided that today we would go to tichwell because of the rotten weather (??!!?!). When we arrived I went straight in whilst my mum, dad and brother had a coffee in the car. I had the scope and the camera plus a pair of bins in my pocket. I entered the shop and looked at the sightings list. This is something I have resolved not to do, because whatever is on there I always go and try too see, often in vain, missing out on the reserve. The only birds of interest were 3 cettis warblers seen on the path. My last visit to tichwell gave me about four ticks but times have moved on since then so four ticks was very unlikely.
however as I approached the first pool I heard some reed warblers and soon they were showing well. The reed birds at tichwell are much bolder than at cley or many other places. I managed to get some shots but I forgot that the camera was on super fast shutter speed and so, because the light was already poor, the photos came out black.

As I left the first pool I heard a bird call. But this was no ordinary bird call, it was so explosive I though my ear drum had burst. Somebody behind me had also heard it but didn't bother looking, so I didn't ask him what it was. Then it called again and to be honest, it hurt. Then I spotted movement in the back of the bush. It came closer. I saw it perched and noticed the eye stripe-a wren was my though. Then I saw its tail and the red on it and it became clear that it was a cettis warbler. it was just sitting there and it allowed me to get some shots. it is really a pretty bird and a great tick.

Eventually the bird flew into the bushes and I carried on. at the first pool I spotted a ruddy duck. This bird has a special place in my heart because of the cull. I was in year 8 when it was announced and I ran a campaign to get it canceled. I wrote to the RSPB and Tony Blair about it and collected signitures and did all I could. It still went ahead but now that its been stopped Its great to see that some have survived.

HOORAY FOR RUDDY DUCKS!!!

-record shot-
as I approached the first hide I got my record shot of sedge warbler which was singing at the top of a reed stem. I managed to get really close and It just carried on singing.

At the first hide I spotted a common tern perched on a post in the water plus some avocets and godwits and knots in the background. A machine of a birdwatcher was in the hide. One of those that seems to have a sonar for birds. He was showing somebody something through his scope and as soon as the other guy got to have a look he had found some bearded tits. I don't know much about those people but to be able to do that must be a real skill.

Eventually I made my way to the beach. By this time it was really raining and the scope was soaked. I Had seen a little egret on the saltmarsh plus a redshank on the last pool. I set up the scope to try some sea watching-Norfolk is as good a place as any-but got bored after 10 mins having only seen some eiders. still eiders are nice birds but I had also found some dunlin along the sea. I left the scope and chased after them. It was easy to get close to them but I'm sure a longer lens would have been more useful.

as I made my way back for the beach I spotted a dog on the saltmarsh. through the bins though it became apparent that It was not a dog but a Chinese water deer, another tick. You can really see the fangs through the bins but you may have to look harder through the photos. It was not bothered in the least by my presence.

As I walked back to the hide I spotted somebody watching something. I asked him what he was watching and he said that he was just looking. Then he asked if I had a pager. "No" I replied "why?". his reply came as a shock to me "oh, because there is a trumpeter finch at cley"

-stunned silence-

Thanks I replied and then he left. A trumpeter finch, a TRUMPETER finch. Then I spotted my parents. "please can we go to cley this afternoon" I asked. "No" said my dad, and my pleading didn't help. so no cley today and therefore no finch. filled with disappointment I wandered into the hide. Sadly I browsed through the scope and spotted a black bird with red legs!! No way!

tick no. 3-spotted redshank. I dashed out of the hide to go and try and find it again amongst the godwits only a little closer. I failed possibly for this reason, lots of the godwits and knots were leaving.

Then, right in-front of me I spotted tick no.4-red crested pochard. Later I was informed that this was indeed a wild bird that had come over from Holland some time ago. That's four ticks. unfortunately the record shot for red crested pochard is less than adequate but still, what a bird.

the by the time I had finished looking for the redshank it was time for lunch. I spotted this reed warbler and took some snaps on the way back.

In the car my parents said that they had come up with some ideas (uh-oh) and that I could either go to cley that evening with them or get a bus there. A bus sounded great but unfortunately The man had been very vague and so I had little idea of where the bird actually was. When I asked at the visitor center at tichwell I was told "the north end of the east bar" which suggests that the guy though I was a local.

Eventually and reluctantly I caught a bus but luckily I was very lucky in getting a nice bus driver. He said that he was from southowram and so he would be nice to me. He though that we were getting off at the shingle bar, not where the bird was, but when I got to where he though was best we had a quick word about where the bird might be and he said "oh right, I know where you mean" and he did because there were loads of cars where he knew. Talk about luck.

It was the most nerve wracking bus journey ever.

when I got off I asked the first person i saw if it was still about "oh yes" he replied "and showing well" showing well!!. I raced up to the spot where it was and could see the people gathered in front of me. ohhhhh getting closer and closer and then I was told that it had done a runner. %mins earlier and I would have seen my first mega, I could not believe it. I waited 2 hours for it to come back but it did not turn up. no luck at all.

Gutted!

My parents picked me up from cley and I told them how disappointing it had been.

That evening we went down to wells to have a look at the harbour. luckily there were common and sandwhich terns fishing in the harbour to compensate for my dipping out success.

a nice ending to the day at least

norfolk holiday-a boat trip on the broads (day 2(part 1))

Went to go on a boat trip today with my uncle Nick and his girlfriend Sophie. They had come down to the broads for the bank holiday weekend and, since we were in the area, asked if we would like to come and spend a day on the boat they were renting out. initially we were unsure if we would be able to but luckily it turned out that we. My dad said that this would be the day that we went to the broads-so if I was going to see a swallowtail, it would be today. The day didn't start too well as we got lost and we were a little late to Horning, where we were meeting, but once we got there everything went smoothly. the boat was Not large but comfortably had room for 6 of us. The weather was mainly cloudy with a few bright spots. All around Horning there were lots off baby geese and ducks which were quite cute and made great photo opportunities. We Decided that we would take a trip to Ranworth broad to go and try and see some swallowtails, only getting there would be a little more interesting.

When we set off, the river was quite busy but it soon filtered out. My uncle offered my brother the wheel and so we set off. My first surprise off the day was a lovely Egyptian goose sleeping in one of the riverside gardens. I took a few pictures, in case there was a lack of them up river, but I shouldn't have worried.

as we traveled further up river the wildlife got more and more interesting. Most interesting were the grebes which would dive about 5m ahead of us and then pop up right along side the boat. Most of these popping ups took me by surprise so I didn't really get any photos


as we passed a reed bed we saw reed warbler and marsh harrier and along the river we saw coots and moorhens really close.

It was a really enjoyable trip. As we pulled in the broad parallel to Ranworth broad for parking the wildlife got even better. a common tern started flying alongside the boat, plus there was an increase in the number of grey herons

The terns got really close and I managed to get some great shots. I could boldly say that I have only ever got closer to terns on the Farne islands where they nest (and attack). But best of all were the number off herons. About 5 herons were flying round and some came really close, allowing you to really appreciate the size of the birds.

As we moored near the visitor center one of the herons was sat on the docking. I was sat on the bow of the boat whilst they moored up the boat swung round and the bird didn't even flinch. It was so bold, it just stood there posing for the camera

we moored and set off towards Ranworth Broad. I had hoped for a better day that this weather wise, in case the swallowtails didn't come out. sadly they didn't and they remained elusive for the moment. What was at the broad was a sedge warbler, more egyptian geese, more grebes with a chick and some intimate grebe life moments with the adult feeding the chick on its back. plus 2 more terns and a chiffchaff, pochard, sand martins and swifts. It was great to see all the wetland species but the evident lack of swallowtails was really bugging me.

as we walked back to the moorings we found that a large family of egyptian geese and swum quite close to the hull and were offering some great photos. These were the egyptian geese shots that I had been waiting for. Even the chicks were showing quite well.

we decided to pull into the center of the lake to have lunch and as we did so I decided to go and sit up front because I had noticed that the bold heron was still there. Once again he showed no interest in our presence. In fact he was quite bored with us, as the shot below shows him yawning on our departure...

When we arrived at a suitable space on the center of the pond the terns came even closer and offered some great photo opportunities as they kept diving. Unfortunately the photos that I took were not great but you make like them.

As we ate our lunch a heron flew over the boat and gave us a great photo opportunity. You can now really get a great view of heron

also near the boat there was a lone male tufted duck which was even tamer than those at bakewell. I was not keen to take a photo off this bird but in the end I took one and turned out to be a good decision.

plenty of action around see the photos below

(a lesser black backed gull)

on the way back we didn't really see anything of interest because the river was really busy with boats. The only thing different was a breif view of a kingfisher which was really nice to see.

day 2-norfolk holiday, hickling broad (part 2)

The last chance at a swallowtail. Having failed this morning and the weather being poor the odds were against it. I was already pleading to my dad to bring us down to the broads again. When we arrived we were in a bright spell. The lady in the shop said that the swallowtails were most seen round the bottom of the reserve on hawthorn trees due to the lack of flag irises. I also wanted to see lots of dragonfly's today which was also unlikely due to the weather. luckily no sooner were we into the reserve then my brother spotted a four spot chaser resting in a bush. I tried to get close but accidentally scared it off. luckily I still managed to get a record shot.

The first hide was just round the corner from where we saw the dragonfly. The hide was empty. A pied wagatil was feeding from a stick in the middle of the pond and reed warblers sung from the reeds but there was no life. I walked on ahead slightly from my family and as I looked over the reeds for reed warblers I spotted a large dragonfly moving towards us. I called to my dad "hey dad, heres a big dragonfly". As it came over the path however it appeared that it was not a dragonfly but a swallowtail butterfly. What a tick and in such style. It flew around for a bit before landing in a hawthorn tree where I managed to get some shots of it.

It really is a very impressive butterfly. It fed here for about 5 mins before flying round the back of the tree and we lost it but still what a sighting. We carried on walking, stopping occasionally to look at reed and sedge warblers which were showing much better. The second hide proved no better but my family had spotted this catterpillar which I think is a lacky moth catterpillar.

Eventually I got way ahead of my family because They were busy looking at flowers. I spotted a whitethroat and a willow warbler in the forested area but no dragonflys. Then I found another catterpillar and this time it was a garden tiger moth catterpillar.

As I carried on round we came to the area where the swallowtails had been seen through the week. fittingly we saw non but thats the way it goes. Luckily I found my first ladybird of the year, a seven spotted.

Eventually we came to the end of the hawthorn bushes. a common tern flew over us as we approched the last hide and I shot this picture which I am quite proud off becuase of the fish dangling from its mouth.

The last hide was the best of the hides becuase off the reed birds which were showing well. We also spotted two little egrets in the distance which for a moment we though might be spoonbills. One marsh harrier came really close and was then joined by a second. There were also some reed and sedge warblers plus some breif views of bearded tits.

overall it was a cracking day, if only there had been some more swallowtails. We were invited back to the boat my uncle was renting for the evening to talk. They were moored in barton broat mooring park. nothing much really happened there xcept for a blue sillueht which fle up the river in the low light. It had pointed wings and was moving quite fast; potentially a hobby?

also we heard a cuckoo which is nice becuase I havent heard a cuckoo for a very long time (years) plus a bat. What a cracking day.