Songkhran
Well-known member
after the excitement of a 30 mile cycle and cracking good bird yesterday, had an equally if not more enjoyable day knocking round the patch.
Went to a village near where i live and after a quite a while searching got onto a Firecrest singing its cotton socks off, from this point onwards the village was teeming with birds, bramblings, siskins, a lesser redpoll on a bird feeder, gs wood, singing goldcrest + lots of common finches and tits, couple of Buzzards displaying over Kelling Triangle then on to Kelling Heath where Chiffchaffs seem to be properly in with at least 5 in various areas round the Heath.
GG Shrike was an absolute delight yet again, i watched it for a long time at one point caught a very large lizard and impaled it for later, also regurgitated a pellet, which i searched for and couldn't find, every time it swooped down for prey it would fly back up to its perch and wipe the side of its face with a small twig on the tree. The Chaffinches and Great Tit seemed bothered by its presence but would never go too close however when it left its perch one time a whole group of Chaffinches, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, and |Great Tit would surround the area it had been in. Can never get over how smart Shrikes are!
On way back along the ridge saw a Barn Owl flying towards me along the hedgerow, i kept very still and it continued on it way, was so close could see its head moving from side to side in search of prey, it didn't see me at all until the last moment when it clocked me and was completely spooked careering away from me in surprise.
obviously alot beginning to happen, from pager grebes and scoters displaced and more southerlies + rain on the way,
Went to a village near where i live and after a quite a while searching got onto a Firecrest singing its cotton socks off, from this point onwards the village was teeming with birds, bramblings, siskins, a lesser redpoll on a bird feeder, gs wood, singing goldcrest + lots of common finches and tits, couple of Buzzards displaying over Kelling Triangle then on to Kelling Heath where Chiffchaffs seem to be properly in with at least 5 in various areas round the Heath.
GG Shrike was an absolute delight yet again, i watched it for a long time at one point caught a very large lizard and impaled it for later, also regurgitated a pellet, which i searched for and couldn't find, every time it swooped down for prey it would fly back up to its perch and wipe the side of its face with a small twig on the tree. The Chaffinches and Great Tit seemed bothered by its presence but would never go too close however when it left its perch one time a whole group of Chaffinches, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, and |Great Tit would surround the area it had been in. Can never get over how smart Shrikes are!
On way back along the ridge saw a Barn Owl flying towards me along the hedgerow, i kept very still and it continued on it way, was so close could see its head moving from side to side in search of prey, it didn't see me at all until the last moment when it clocked me and was completely spooked careering away from me in surprise.
obviously alot beginning to happen, from pager grebes and scoters displaced and more southerlies + rain on the way,
!!! It went into a ditch and I saw the neck and head for a while then it disappeared from view. I sent a text message to Birdline but I don't think it went on - probably because nobody probably believes anyone any more! But there is definately one out there as it dwarfed the 'little's'! Walked up to observatory and Jed, Sophie and I watched a massive passage of thousands of starlings going east over Holme church! I then joined Sophie for a seawatch with 'The Thursday Gang' as they call themselves. Being as I had no scope I didn't see everything but did see 2 red breasted mergansers, 2 golden eyes, a nice drake Eider, several cormorants, at least 5 great crested grebes, 5 common scooter AND 20 Long Tailed Duck! 27 brent geese flew west, and 2 fulmar also west. A great northern diver was seen distantly and also a med gull, but I didn't see either of these. The med gull was distantly on the beach and got flushed by guess what, yes dogs, so I decided to walk over to Thornham channel to see if I could find it. Sun was out now and for the rest of the day, it was like summer time!
