The Magpie's Hoard

Norfolk Wildlife (part 8)

On Monday we decided to travel a little further afield and headed for Pensthorpe,
near Fakenham.

Liz and I first visited Pensthorpe 11 years ago. The site has developed a lot since then and is now nationally well known thanks to BBC Springwatch.

I could happily spend an entire week exploring Pensthorpe. It successfully bridges the gap between tourism and conservation, combining a popular visitor attraction with a valuable nature reserve.

On Tuesday morning I picked up an excellent book called 'Flowers of the Norfolk Coast' by Simon Harrap. Later, we walked out into the saltmarshes near Morston and found some of the plants described in the book.

A few days ago we spotted an unusual plant growing on the edge of an arable field near Blakeney. On Tuesday I photographed it so that I can identify it when we get home. I think it may be Apple-of-Peru, but I'm not sure how it ended up in north Norfolk!

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Norfolk Wildlife (part 7)

Early on Sunday morning I went out to take some photos from the embankment that protects the freshwater grazing marshes east of Blakeney. I was rewarded with excellent views of bearded tit in one of the reedbeds.

Later, Liz and I caught the bus to Burnham Overy Staithe for a leisurely wander around the saltmarsh and sand dunes.

We saw three more snow buntings on the beach. In the dunes we spotted a stoat peering at us from the mouth of a rabbit burrow. I also found a track that I think was made by a snake moving across loose sand - not sure whether it would have been an adder or a grass snake.

Back at Blakeney, we had good views of a water rail on our evening walk - plus a juvenile barn owl that hasn't quite mastered the art of hunting yet.

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Norfolk Wildlife (part 6)

On Saturday we had a stroll around the deer park at Holkham Hall.

According to the interpretative signs, there are about 800 fallow deer in the park. I could well believe it - they were everywhere!

The stags were clearly gearing up for the rut. Given the number of animals, I imagine that all hell will break loose over the next few weeks.

As well as the fallow deer, the park also holds a few red deer.

The lake in the deer park is the only sizeable body of fresh water around here. As such, it attracts a lot of waterfowl, including species that prefer deep water. We were able to add tufted duck and great crested grebe to our holiday tick list.

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Norfolk Wildlife (part 5)

On Thursday we walked from Cley village all the way to the western end of Blakeney Point (and back again). We saw a few gannets fishing offshore and had distant views of seals snoozing on a sandbank.

We revisited Blakeney Point on Friday, but this time on boat trip from Morston. We got closer views of the seals, but not as close as those we had last September.

Walking back from Morston, we stopped to watch a flock of black-tailed godwits feeding in field of stubble. Such elegantly proportioned birds.

After the boat trip, we took a walk inland via Wiveton Downs to Glandford, then on to Cley Green.

It felt very autumnal. The hedgerows were full of fruit and berries: crab apples, sloes, rose hips, blackberries, etc. However, at Glandford, the house martins were still busily feeding young in their nests.

We had lovely views of a very pale barn owl hunting in broad daylight near Wiveton Bridge. To round the day off, we saw another barn owl near Blakeney just as the light was fading - the closest views we've had yet.

Norfolk Wildlife (part 4)

If it's Wednesday, this must be Titchwell Marsh...

Not a lot of birds on the reserve itself, due to the ongoing flood defence works and habitat management, but we had very close views of two snow buntings on the beach.

Later, we were drinking coffee outside the visitor centre when a male muntjac trotted past less than 10 metres away.

Near Tictchwell

Near Tictchwell, originally uploaded by Roger B..

Norfolk Wildlife (part 3)

On Tuesday we walked through the Holkham National Nature Reserve, from Burnham Overy Staithe to Wells-Next-The-Sea.

There was a steady movement of house martins along the coast, flying east to west into a stiff breeze. Small parties of sanderlings scurried along the beach, dodging in and out of the surf.

At Holkham Gap we ventured into the pinewoods to look for earthstars. We didn't find any - I think it's too dry and too early in the season - but the habitat looks promising.

The restored grazing marsh on the landward side of the woods held several hundred pink-footed geese. These are the vanguard of the main winter influx; according to Natural England, peak numbers here can reach 50,000. Don't ask me how they count them!

Norfolk Wildlife (part 2)

We have clocked up about 70 species of birds in our first few days in Norfolk.

On Monday we visited Cley Marshes, where we had tantalising glimpses of bearded tits as they flitted from one stand of reeds to another.

There are loads of waders on the mudflats around Blakeney. I must confess that identifying waders is not one of my strong points. I don't get many opportunities to watch waders, so I find it difficult to remember the key features that distinguish, say, a common redshank from a spotted redshank or a dunlin from a curlew sandpiper. It always takes me a while to "tune in".

For me, the birding highlight of our trip (so far) has to be the barn owl that we have watched every evening from the embankment around the Fresh Marshes. It's a real treat because we rarely see this charismatic bird back home.

Norfolk Wildlife (part 1)

Early on Sunday evening Liz and I spent a while watching a barn owl hunting over the grazing marshes between Blakeney and Cley. It was a truly wonderful sight!

As the light faded, we decided to head for home. To our surprise, a large animal bounded across the path just ahead of us. It was a Chinese water deer. We saw it again a few minutes later and got really clear view. Strange looking beast!

Spider Season

It's that time of year when the house is invaded by spiders.

So far this week I've had to evict three huge Tegenaria that had become trapped in the bath. I'm not sure whether they climb up the plug-hole or fall in from above!