March 2022

 March 2022

Depending on the weather there were definite signs of migration starting and signs of spring. I had regular sightings of Common Buzzards and Red Kite most days at the start of the month. Small groups of birds tracked along the coast heading east/southeast, mostly made up of finches, especially Siskin, I had a different bird to the previous one feeding in the garden which is always nice to see, they are such a lovely little finch.

Two things that signify spring to me are sounds of a Chiffchaff singing and the sight of butterflies on the wing. On the 10th I saw my first Brimstone butterfly of the year, followed soon afterwards by a Peacock. I had to wait until the 15th before I heard a Chiffchaff singing in the trees behind my garden. On a morning walk Sarah and I noticed the leaves of the Early Purple Orchids just starting to emerge from under the roadside vegetation, and there seemed to be good numbers again too.

Early evening on a mid-month day mid month I received news of hundreds of Blackbirds passing over Sidestrand heading east/southeast, I looked and although most were flying at a height I did manage to see double figures flying along the coast and alighting the trees around the house. It’s great to witness migration events as they happen along the coast here.

The local birds seemed to be paired up and gathering nesting materials and the House Sparrows were taking grass and materials into a neighbours eaves. Buzzards peaked at 6 over the house one day, and mid month onwards saw a very large amount of Starlings passing east, hundreds were seen passing inland as well as along the coast on quite a few days when we walked around the village.

Clumps of frog spawn and frogs mating could be seen nearing the months end in the small drain off pools along at Grove Farm, I only noticed them when I watched a beautiful Grey Wagtail flitting around the edge of one.

A couple of bird species I normally see during the winter months showed in better numbers now than I had seen since the year started, Golden Plover and Redwings, the Redwings were part of a movement that happened as the month drew to an end, 5 together past the church was the highest tally I’d got this winter and the Golden plover numbered around 40 one day flying overhead before seeing a flock of 200 or so circling fields looking for somewhere to land.  So birds were obviously moving but the changing weather played havoc some days with the high winds, but as soon as a window of opportunity arose birds took to the air, other notable numbers were of Pied Wagtails, Rooks and Magpies passing over, and hopefully better weather in April will really liven things up.

APRIL 2021

At the start of the month the male Siskin was joined by a female, they visited the feeders on a couple of days but were not seen as the month progressed, hopefully breeding somewhere. There had been plenty of White Tailed Eagle sightings around the county and a few close by so I was keen to add this to the patch and hopefully the garden list. Thanks now go to Sarah, whilst in the garden on the 9th of the month she looked behind the church, I was looking the other way, and immediately picked up on a bird of prey stating how large it was...there's no mistaking a eagle when its that low and sure enough we were watching a White Tailed Eagle! !. I ran indoors to grab my camera and realised it was drifting inland so off I ran down Church Road till I could see the eagle through an opening, now quite distant but close enough to get a couple of record shots. After waiting and missing out on this bird for the last few years I now had it in the bag!

Mid month we heard our first singing Blackcap of the year, a group of 40+ summer plumaged Golden Plover were frequenting the ploughed field off Church Road. On the 20th my first Wheatear of the spring, last year I failed to see any during the spring instead having to wait till the autumn migration. Despite the cold northerly weather the birds were trickling through, White Wagtail and Common Whitethroat soon started to pass through and within a few days there seemed to be Common Whitethroats holding numerous territories around. 3 Wheatear fed together in the potato field off middle street, fresh in and gone the next day. More Swallows and Sand Martins flew over the garden and a welcome bonus was a Ring Ouzel past. 

End of the month saw a movement of Whimbrel along the coast, I had some over the fields and over the garden. Common Buzzards were passing in good numbers some days, 8 in one group seemed to be having fun on the cliff updrafts.

 

Garden Birding and Staying Home. March 2020.

 Celandines

What a month March has turned out to be, something more akin to a virus/zombie film at times when you hear headlines! The first week in March started with hope of spring and new arrivals, just 2 days in and Sarah and I watched a Barn Owl hunting along the hedgeline as we walked the dogs, the celandines had really taken over the lane verges which was lovely to see.

 I managed to get just two visits to the clifftops for some birding before the restrictions came into play, it was quiet but there were things to see and enjoy, I chill out just watching gulls drift past me with the hope of something more worthy of a smile from under the moustache!

 Most of the time the gulls consisted of Great Black-backed and Herring but I did get quite a wave of Common Gulls passing through one time, the Black-headed tend to drift over the house in numbers as they go to roost on the sea.

 There were a few reports coming through of Red Kites along the North Norfolk coast, I saw one from the garden on the 7th, a young bird which had been hanging around Sidestrand. Sparrowhawk is usually seen most days from the garden but this lovely male bird drifted past me on my final trip to the cliffs, usually they dash past but this one slowed down enough for a pose, later I had a pair dash past together hunting the clifftops.

 As I watched a pair of Muntjac moving through the scrub on the lower slopes I noticed this fox following up behind them, the deer had noticed him but calmly watched as he went about looking for food, stopping at the slightest movement in case it was a vole. It could hear my camera clicking but couldn't quite make me out tucked up on the clifftop.

 With the weather a lot brighter it was only a matter of time before the first butterflies put in an appearance in the garden, first up was a Small Tortoiseshell followed by a few Brimstone's and a Peacock. 

 The garden birds were either in full song and displaying or already collecting nesting material. 

 On the 17th and for the second time since living in Norfolk, another B2 Stealth plane flew over, this one was not as jaw droppingly close as the first but still a sight to behold, apparently there had been a pair passing over but only one was seen through the wispy cloud.

On a morning walk we counted 13 Hares running around and boxing, great to see.

 LOCK DOWN BEGINS

As restrictions started to be imposed, the dog walk of the day became a bird walk too, my first Chiffchaff  of the year singing and a Hooded crow briefly before being sent on its way by a pair of Carrion crows.

Back Garden Birding

Birding now took place from the back garden, this was exciting as from my location anything could fly past. A group of 6 Common Buzzards drifted east and the local pair were displaying right opposite the garden, diving and locking talons before tumbling.

 One morning whilst sitting with breakfast coffee, I noticed a few small groups of Chafinch moving along the coast heading east, by the end of the day it had turned into a mass movement of the finches and a few hundred had passed over, this went into the next day with group after group heading over.

 A female Marsh Harrier slowly drifted east, these seem to be regular sight past the garden every year, a lone Curlew made itself heard as it circled around the garden before heading back towards the coast.

 The temperature dropped somewhat nearing the end of the month, but with sunny days it made it feel very spring like. Another butterfly was a Comma, thought I would of seen a Red Admiral by now?

 A pair of Coal Tit's kept still long enough for photos! usually they grab a bit of food and dart off immediately, but now they were romancing they had to time to pose.

 So a weird month with events we were not accustomed to, and maybe scary to think about at times, but immerse yourself in the wildlife and nature just outside your door and it all seems miles away.