The Last Knockings of Norfolk

so the continuation of Norfolk after the News
It has become traditional, during these 6 years parked on my friend’s lawn, to undertake a Mini-Twitch (a dedicated chase after Birds to log as many as possible over a given period) on the first day of each month (it’s a boy thing) which I will busy myself with today, but before that……..

On yesterday's findings alone it looks very much that the above will amount to

Slim Pickings

This bit wount take long, but something of a good start as the overnight weather conditions remained much as the day before, save for a hike to +11°C during the hours before midnight and producing both a

PALE BRINDLED BEAUTY

 along with this

BLACK CLOCK BEETLE

thought to be something 'new' to me?

Otherwise, there was an addition to the Tufted Duck community involving one more male bird

which were additionally augmented by a pair of Teal

 male

female

along with a few signs of Spring across the RA 

 SNOWDROPS
and

CROCUS

  Followed by our final day in Norfolk was altogether better weather-wise and to make it almost perfect the birds also turned up. Back to the coast and after wading through a regiment of those nifty little Waders 

scattered across the car park and sea wall,

 TURNSTONE

 The first addition to the Year List of the day

Dave immediately picked up on the object of our desire a ‘first calendar year’ (juvenile) Caspian Gull. A scarce visitor to our shores this Gull, a close relative to our own Herring Gull, can present
some identification difficulties.

 CASPIAN GULL 

(lower) with adult

 HERRING GULL

for comparison

 Caspian Gull World Distribution Map

 The

 CORMORANT

 was just incidental

but as such a fine specimen thought worthy of inclussion here.

 Further inland, at yet another location slipped from the memory bank,

it took no time at all to spot the sought after

WAXWING

which stayed put for just 2 clicks before disappearing, never to be seen again.

Unusual to see just a singleton, they do like flocking, and such poor representation

is surely worthy of a better shot from the archive!

Before zooming off to the

we make time for a little Journalistic Licence as we have forgotten to include 

one of the most important species of the whole trip, from day one!

 Nobody Told Me You Had to PAY!

Good numbers of

TREE SPARROWS
viewed from this window. 

Few, if any, resident in Dorset these days?

Over the Bridge of Sighs to rest my eyes in shades of green,

under ‘dreaming spires’ to Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been

 The Small Faces

and much better views of

WHOOPER SWAN

MUNTJAC

We should have mentioned before, not only RARE, Norfolk is the only place in Great Britain
that I have ever encountered this enigmatic raptor and on this occassion the closest ever
with first opportunities to both photograph and video (all be they poor) it was the weathe Sir!

ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD

This sort of opportunity doesn't visit you every day!

Across the board there are thought to be even more of the 'unclicked' species from Norfolk,
tucked away in the archive, which, when time allows, we will present for your pleasure.

PS

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