After a good ending to February I was all set for a interesting March, I ventured out on the 1st of the month and once again saw Peregrine, as the month drew on I wondered if they were the pair that had set up residence on Cromer Church and Trimingham became part of their hunting patch? Hares were chasing around, the Kestrels displaying to one another....but then the weather took a turn for the worse and we were bombarded with high winds for a couple of weeks, the relentless winds put a stop to birding and indeed most things, except for maybe watching the gulls surf the waves.
Finally the winds eased and I was able to get back out and about again on the 18th. Birds were moving along the coast, I noted quite a few Pied wagtails and Meadow pipits and an increase in corvids among which I saw a few Rook, only the second time have I seen Rook on my patch since moving to Trimingham, and of course the floodgates opened and they soon put their name on the garden list.
Firecrest
On the 19th I received a call from friend Kieran about a pair of Firecrest in the main clifftop wood, coincidentally Sarah and I were gearing up to take the dogs for a walk, this quickly made our decision of where to walk very obvious, and a short while later I was indeed connecting with these little beauties. After the walk I decided to head back with the camera and try for some images, and with luck on my side I managed to grab some nice shots.
Later as the light was fading, whilst talking to my neighbour, we both watched the first bat of the year!
On the 22nd I managed to find a lone male Wheatear on the clifftop fields.
Wheatear
On the 24th Kieran came down the drive with news of a Black Redstart in one of the paddocks along Church Road opposite, I didn't hesitate in rushing in for my camera and trotting off down the lane as this would be the first Black Redstart on my patch to see and also a new patch addition for Kieran...well done sir!
Later that day whilst walking back down the lane with Sarah and the dogs I found a White wagtail feeding with a couple of Pieds before it moved to the same paddock the Black Redstart was frequenting. The redstart' was seen over the next couple of days by others but I was unable to connect with it anymore.
Black Redstart
As the month came to an end the birds continued to arrive, raptors were increasing on the thermals with double figures of Buzzards and 4 Red Kites, on the 29th I saw my first Swallow and Sand Martin of the year.
Once the winds had eased right down I was able to put the moth light out on a couple of nights, adding a couple of new species to the garden moth list, namely March Moth and Oak Beauty.
Red Chestnut
March Moth
Early Grey
Twin-spotted Quaker
Early Thorn
Small Quaker
Satellite
Oak Beauty
Clouded Drab
Looking forward to April, fingers crossed for decent weather. (As of when typing the weather is dark, grey, cold and wet!! Crossing more fingers)
