Karl J
Friday 27th May 2005, 18:55
One of the things i really enjoy about this time of year is cycling in the early mornings, when you can leave home in daylight at 4.30am togged out in shorts & T shirt, with absolutely no-one about and nothing to disturb the peace and quiet... Everything is so unspoilt. So it was this morning with not a cloud to be seen, though still cool enough for the heat haze not to have formed when i headed off around the quiet lanes of the Waveney valley and the villages of Somerleyton, Burgh St Peter, Thurlton & Haddiscoe.
Plenty of Sedge Warblers & a single Whitethroat sang from the undergrowth, while the (i counted a total of 4) Cettis Warblers exploded in song from deep in the reeds & the Skylarks sang away from up high. Occasional pairs of Lapwings chased each other around the marshland fields and Swifts screamed overhead while the Swallows flitted about after the insects. A Jay, a singing Song Thrush and a few Yellowhammer were also noted from around and about along with various size flocks of Starling and tits / finches etc.
Near to the village of Lower Thurlton i was ready for a break so pulled down a long farm track that ends up on the grazing marshes, half way down a very obliging Barn Owl sat on a post while i practised (some very dodgy) 'digi camera through the binos' photography before it eventually flew off to hunt over an adjacent field, and a short while later a single male Marsh Harrier floated lazily above the reedbeds in the mid-distance.
Back on the bike and through the village of Thorpe i spotted through the trees, from the slightly elevated position (10m ... hardly a mountain though !) taken by the road, an odd looking 'swan' flying low over the field but after screeching to halt, returning to the gap in the trees and yanking the bin's out all i got to see was a patch of white disappearing from view firstly behind some bushes and then below a small rise in the field, though not long after and it rose up just enough to show it's location but still too far away & not nearly enough detail for a definite id. Hmm .... i was pretty sure it wasn't actually a swan but ... Was it what i thought ? ... no, i wanted to be sure of this ...so i waited. And waited. And then gave up & took a chance. Another hour or so later after a quick dash home & back with my scope & tripod i pulled up again and set up. Bingo ! ... there standing right in full view along with a mix of gulls, Redshank, Oystercatcher & 2 Avocet was one SPOONBILL. Having now got all the gear with me i took the chance to get some (even more dodgy than the owl) photo's to prove i'm finally, long overdue, at 130 for the year.
Feeling smug with myself for finding something really pretty good (in my book it is anyway) i was stood looking at it when a local pulled up, wound his car window down and during conversation told me it's actually been there ages now and that ''everyone knows about it'' ... Yeah righto ! Anyhow that didn't detract from it one bit, as far as i'm concerned it's mine !
One final teaser later on my way back was a harrier size raptor i spotted coming from 'out of the sun' and going into the cover of some trees, i certainly wish i'd been able to id that one. But still, an excellent start to a few days rest break from work
Plenty of Sedge Warblers & a single Whitethroat sang from the undergrowth, while the (i counted a total of 4) Cettis Warblers exploded in song from deep in the reeds & the Skylarks sang away from up high. Occasional pairs of Lapwings chased each other around the marshland fields and Swifts screamed overhead while the Swallows flitted about after the insects. A Jay, a singing Song Thrush and a few Yellowhammer were also noted from around and about along with various size flocks of Starling and tits / finches etc.
Near to the village of Lower Thurlton i was ready for a break so pulled down a long farm track that ends up on the grazing marshes, half way down a very obliging Barn Owl sat on a post while i practised (some very dodgy) 'digi camera through the binos' photography before it eventually flew off to hunt over an adjacent field, and a short while later a single male Marsh Harrier floated lazily above the reedbeds in the mid-distance.
Back on the bike and through the village of Thorpe i spotted through the trees, from the slightly elevated position (10m ... hardly a mountain though !) taken by the road, an odd looking 'swan' flying low over the field but after screeching to halt, returning to the gap in the trees and yanking the bin's out all i got to see was a patch of white disappearing from view firstly behind some bushes and then below a small rise in the field, though not long after and it rose up just enough to show it's location but still too far away & not nearly enough detail for a definite id. Hmm .... i was pretty sure it wasn't actually a swan but ... Was it what i thought ? ... no, i wanted to be sure of this ...so i waited. And waited. And then gave up & took a chance. Another hour or so later after a quick dash home & back with my scope & tripod i pulled up again and set up. Bingo ! ... there standing right in full view along with a mix of gulls, Redshank, Oystercatcher & 2 Avocet was one SPOONBILL. Having now got all the gear with me i took the chance to get some (even more dodgy than the owl) photo's to prove i'm finally, long overdue, at 130 for the year.
Feeling smug with myself for finding something really pretty good (in my book it is anyway) i was stood looking at it when a local pulled up, wound his car window down and during conversation told me it's actually been there ages now and that ''everyone knows about it'' ... Yeah righto ! Anyhow that didn't detract from it one bit, as far as i'm concerned it's mine !
One final teaser later on my way back was a harrier size raptor i spotted coming from 'out of the sun' and going into the cover of some trees, i certainly wish i'd been able to id that one. But still, an excellent start to a few days rest break from work