Back In Birdland: March 2018

Over the last couple of days I had noticed there were hundreds of Gulls along the shoreline and just offshore on the sea, there must of been close to a thousand along the stretch we walk the dogs from the house. Not one for knowing or watching the news, it only annoys me, it wasn't until Sarah and my Dad informed me of the thousands of starfish, crabs, fish being washed up on the shores.....now I knew why the gulls were in such huge numbers.

The next day Sarah and I walked the dogs along the same stretch and couldn't believe how many gulls there were dotted along the coast, we sat on the clifftop bench for a while taking it all in and then returned home with the dogs, I decided to grab the camera and head back out to get some shots from the clifftop and check out the gull species. I was glad I did as after a minute or so scanning I picked out a Iceland Gull, my first for the Trimingham Patch.

ICELAND GULL

I grabbed as many images as possible as it moved around among the hundreds of gulls feeding, and as the tide changed the gulls started to drift away leaving the Iceland Gull still resting up with a small group of birds having a snooze. It eventually departed towards Mundesley. During this time I had noticed a Kestrel circle and land down infront of where I was, it appeared to have caught a Bank Vole. I then watched it fly to a ridge and hide it away in a grassy tussock, behaviour which I had not seen before. Nearing the time I was going to return home, and with not many gulls left along the front, I picked up on a lone Kittiwake flying in and landing on the sea off of where I was viewing down from, it gave a few passes by along the surf before heading off leaving me very pleased and ready to go and put the kettle on.

ICELAND GULL

KITTIWAKE

KESTREL with BANK VOLE

KESTREL

It's been a quiet couple of months, birdwise that is. I have been kept busy sorting out hassles at home after a young idiot crashed into our front garden due to speeding!! With the wall repaired now and spring just around the corner I can once again get back into a routine. My Artwork has been keeping me confined to the studio a lot but with plenty of new pieces sold after completing I am not complaining.

Although I have been adding a few additions to the Trimingham year list, it has been very quiet around, Barn Owl was a lovely tick close to our house, and a Woodcock seen flying around at dusk from the back garden was great to watch on a couple of evenings. The feeders have been emptied very quickly, but no unusual visitors.

This caterpillar must of been disturbed enough to make it move, that or the sunny day had it thinking it was time to emerge, believed to be a Oak Eggar moth.

Then over the last few days the cold easterly weather has hit us square on, and despite looking has turned up nothing new. Normally Trimingham misses the snow and bad weather that everyone else seems to get but not this time, the worse in many years is what the people in the village have been telling me, but it does look magical when walking around.

Back In Birdland

Gulls Gulls Everywhere!!

A quiet couple of months.

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