A WALK AROUND HADDISCOE ISLAND

   Only a couple of pictures in this post but a fantastic walk around Haddiscoe Island which is about 11 miles in total and which you should allow several hours to complete especially if you stop to observe the wildlife. Parking the car under the large bridge I set off along the footpath leading from the small bridge along the flood defence wall where several of the nearby marshes had been flooded by the recent high tides allowing gulls and a few waders to take up temporary residence. A Grey wagtail was immediately spotted in one of the boatyards and once I moved away from the buildings and alongside the reed beds a small group of Stonechats sat on top of some of the higher reed stems.
   Moving along further a few Reed Buntings were seen along with lots of Bearded Tits in family groups that would rise up from the reeds calling to each other in the gentle breeze. In all along the walk I counted over 100 Bearded Tits which would indicate that they had a good breeding year which is fantastic as they are always a delight to see. As I neared the end of the island quite a few Lapwings could be seen along with several Curlews whose voices carried over the marshes. Herons and Little Egrets were plentiful along with a distant Great White Egret that seemed to spent most of its time in a ditch only giving occasional views of its head and yellow bill.
   Reaching the halfway point of the walk near the Berney Arms I stopped and sat on the river bank for a bite to eat and watched a Short Eared Owl flying on the far side of the river. All at once another got up, followed by another and another until there were 5 in the air at the same time which made quite a sight. One of the birds flew over to my side of the water and landed on the marshes behind me allowing me to get a couple of snaps. These are amazing birds to watch with their bright yellow eyes and the fact that they spent a lot of time hunting during the day. Each autumn birds arrive from the continent to spend the winter on our marshes in hopefully for them our milder climate and each spring most return although some do breed here mainly on the uplands of more northern areas.

   Continuing the walk along to Reedham more Bearded Tits were seen although this was not so regular as the winds increased. Swans were everywhere and lots of geese could be seen on the Acle marshes and also coming in from over Breydon Water and now and then a Hare could be seen running over the marshes. During the walk I only spotted a couple of Chinese Water Deer which was unusual but I did come across a couple of deer corpses that had been shot so it looks as if a cull has taken place which is a shame as this species is fairly harmless and doesn't do much damage to our native flora. What annoyed me more was the fact that the bodies had just been left to rot and not even taken for food but all in all its a fantastic walk well worth doing if you have the time especially during the autumn and winter when the flood defence banks are cut which makes it easier going.    

UNUSUAL VISITOR TO BENACRE SLUICE

   Following the arrival of a Hoopoe on the beach at Benacre sluice on Saturday and the dismal light when I made a brief visit Sunday yesterday dawned bright and breezy so I made my way back to the sluice hoping that the bird had decided to remain for another day. This was the first time I had seen one of these remarkable birds in this country having previously observed them in Spain. Although not really rare they are unusual in this country as they normally habitat the more southerly European regions and birds here are normally ones that have overshot their intended destinations. Some birds winter in Africa although others remain in the Mediterranean area throughout the year. Very occasionally they have been known to breed in this country but more usually a 100 or so individuals are seen on migration each year more often on the south coast.

   They tend to be seen on short grass or bare ground where they feed on beetles, grubs, caterpillars and large insects and this particular bird seemed to be doing very well finding plenty of food among the grassy dunes near the sluice. It was a very very obliging bird which as long as you were still would approach quite closely without any undue concern. The large crest on the head is normally held flat but when the bird is about to fly it raises up and together with the back and white plumage on the wings makes for quite a show as can be seen below on a picture taken in the poor light on Sunday.

   Walking back to the car from the sluice I spotted a pair of Skylarks on the short grass that seemed to allow people and even dogs to approach closely before flying and with a bit of patience I was able to get these shots of the birds in the low bright sunshine.

 

SHORT BREAK IN COTTERDALE, YORKSHIRE

   Last week the family spent a few days in the North Yorkshire dales in a holiday cottage in the tiny hamlet of Cotterdale which lies in the middle of a large shooting estate. There are only 12 cottages in the hamlet many of which contain gamekeepers and their families and others that are for holiday rental but the area is alive with wildlife which was the primary reason for our visit to give me a chance to chill out after a manic 6 weeks of constant work. Our cottage lied at the end of a track with a beck running alongside it and had no mobile signal and a not altogether reliable electricity supply but was very peaceful and surrounded by beautiful scenery in all directions.

   Our most regular visitors were the Red Squirrels that would emerge from a small wood on the hillside opposite the cottage, run along a dry stone wall before crossing the beck searching for food in the garden and the adjoining properties. These little beauties were obviously used to getting food here as they would sit on the wall outside the kitchen and several times over the course of our trip they approached within 6 feet of me when I was around the garden. I couldn't resist the chance to photograph them and found that by placing food on top of the various stone walls I could get them to stop and pose for me. I loved watching them cross the beck either using a conveniently fallen branch or by jumping from stone to stone although this was only seen when the water levels were lower.

   I found that I could just about wade across the beck in wellies without getting wet feet when the levels were normal but following any rain this became impossible, luckily the water levels soon lowered again as we were quite high up in the fells. On the far side of the beck much of the vegetation had turned to seed which seemed to attract many birds such as Goldfinches, Bullfinches and these very confiding Lesser Redpoll which allowed me to approach while they were feeding. The light conditions were very good when taking these shots which gave a golden glow to the whole area and really showed the birds at their best.

   The beck was also home to a pair of Dippers that would regularly be seen from the kitchen window perched on the rocks in the water and diving under to search for aquatic insects. The pictures shown below actually are of a bird from a couple of miles downriver that was much easier to approach but all the same it was a real pleasure to observe these amazing birds from the comfort of the cottage.

   The garden itself was regularly frequented by a variety of birds that would come for the feeders on a tree just outside the door. These included Chaffinches and Robins (both shown below) as well as Blue tits, Great tits and Coal tits, Wrens, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and the occasional Siskin, Goldcrest and even a Brambling. Photographing these was not easy as every time I opened the window to poke my camera through my little girl would appear and as she is not yet four her idea of being quiet and still is not quite the same as mine, every time a bird appeared she would say "look daddy there's a bird" in a loud voice at which time most birds would quickly disappear!

   Because we were in the middle of a shooting estate in October there were vast numbers of Pheasant and Partridge around on the fields and fells surrounding us most of which will not survive the shooting season but I was surprised to see a male Black Grouse from a distance in one of the fields after I was told to look out for it by one of the local gamekeepers. These handsome birds are not shot, in fact the estate is actively restoring the upper fells to encourage their recovery as their numbers are so low. I was very much surprised to see so many Kestrels and Buzzards around as these shooting estates have the reputation of eradicating all birds of prey. I found all the gamekeepers that I spoke to were friendly enough but they were very strict in preventing any access onto the fells other than from the few public footpaths which was a shame as many tracks crossed the upper fells and it would have been nice to out in the wilderness a bit more. It seems that open access can be found it most national parks on the upper fells but doesn't apply here which is a great shame as it is a fantastically beautiful area. I will leave you with some more images of the very cute squirrels taken in and around the garden.