North Norfolk

This was our February half-term destination via Thurlby YHA in Lincolnshire. From there we checked out Bourne a couple of miles up the road.

Rex Needle's site tells you all you need to know about Bourne. Probably more than you need to be honest!

Bourne's Abbey Church.

Willows in the Memorial Gardens.

A picturesque cottage in the Memorial Gardens.

These earthworks are the remains of a Norman castle.

From Thurlby we made our way to Ouse Washes RSPB reserve which I last visited a year ago. On this occassion the water levels were high so there were fewer birds about.

Male Stonechat and Wren

Female Stonechat

Tree sparrow

We also added Whooper swan, Wigeon, Teal, Merlin, Lapwing, Green woodpecker and Meadow pipit to the year list.

While checking out this view, a Barn owl began its rounds.

That night we stayed in A B&B in Wells-Next-the-Sea, which was this sort of a place...

...and on Saturday we went birding around Wells and Holkham.

In the harbour we saw Curlew and Black-headed gull, adding Brent goose, Oystercatcher, Ringed plover, Grey plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Turnstone to the list.

A groyne at Wells beach.

From the beach we made our way along the dunes through The Dell. Which has a strange "manicured" quality.

Flies and crocusses made the most of a sunny clearing.

While watching Little grebes on this pond at Holkham we saw our first Marsh harrier of the year and later we saw four together with a pair of Peregrines displaying from the George Washington hide.

We added Little egret and Shoveler to our tally and enjoyed views of Hare and Muntjac deer on our way back through the Holkham Hall estate.

On our last day we rounded things off with a visit to Titchwell RSPB reserve and by now Marsh harriers were becoming something of a bore! Which just goes to show what happens when adequate habitat is provided and people stop persecuting these wonderful birds. A welcome relief from the tiresome antics of spectacular raptors was provided by:

Pintail
Goldeneye (displaying)
Red-breasted merganser (a lifer for me)
Avocet
Golden plover
Snipe and
Black-tailed godwit

All in all a very restful few days and superbly profitable for the list!

Landscape history

Yesterday I was on a field trip with my Wildlife and Countryside Conservation Course.

We visited a number of sites on the Yorkshire Wolds looking at features in the landscape and interpreting their historical significance. We saw iron age earthworks around Millington, enclosure and medieval field systems, the site of an aristocratic manor and its estate at Londesborough, a Roman road and holloway at Warter, the moat of what was Leconfield castle and the site of a Gilbertine priory at Watton.

We were treated to views of hares, deer and a kestrel. We saw ancient coppices and pollards and avenues of horse chestnut and walnut trees. We visited coverts planted to encourage game after the enclosures.

Mass dials on the wall of Watton church.

Remains of the Gilbertine monastery from the churchyard.

High pressure on the way

My favourite sort of winter weather is now upon us, cold frosty nights and bright sunny days. Is it too late to hope for a dusting of snow? I've missed it this year.

After a day cycling in the Forest of Bowland we headed home in the sunset to these sorts of views as mist rolled in from the west.

These views are taken from near to Long Preston in Ribblesdale looking west towards the Bowland hills. I used a ND grad filter on my digital SLR to knock the sky back a bit.

Staveley NR, a great one for the list

We went to Staveley NR, near Knaresborough on Sunday. Contrast the shot below with the ones from August last year.

Lots of the people we met were very chuffed to have seen the Pacific diver at Farnham but we were in the area for Barn owl to add to my list. While we waited 'til dusk we watched Yellowhammer, Water rail and Pochard.

We also saw Tufted ducks and a Sparrowhawk. Caro took this shot of Reed bunting using the "digiscope method".

Just before sunset, a ghostly white bird began to quarter the area in front of the hide and we could go home happy.

Spectacular sunset at Staveley NR with geese.