April 3rd Strumpshaw Fen

Winter was attempting to cling on. It was cold and frosty as I made my way to Strumpshaw from Brundall train station on foot. A chilly mist was rising from the frosty ground like a blanket. It felt more like December than early April. I was almost at the reserve when I noticed something moving in front of me. It appeared to be a bird struggling to escape some brambles by the side of the road. As I approached nearer, however, I soon realised that it was a male sparrowhawk trying to carry his latest kill, a blackbird, away. The blackbird was truly stuck in the thorns of the brambles and the sparrowhawk was determined to make off with it.

The sparrowhawk then noticed my approach and abandoned his would be breakfast and flew up into the tree above. He perched on a branch and for a moment, he starred down at me with those bright fiery orange eyes of his. He was a beautiful looking bird in great condition. I had time to admire every part of his plumage, especially his streaky orange breast feathers, before he left. I presumed he was waiting for me to leave so that he could return to his kill, but as I was busy gawking at him in awe, he had given up.

Reed Bunting

Then it rained. For most of the morning, it was miserable. I made a quick count of the cattle in the meadows, the latest of my assignments at Strumpshaw. All present and correct. I then took refuge in the Fen Hide for a while as the rain began to really tip it down. Two marsh harriers were looking a bit wet and wishing that the rain would pass as they sat it out on a couple of bushes. Their soggy expression pretty much summed up this morning. It was pretty rubbish. At Reception Hide, a water rail and a snipe did make this wet Wednesday morning more memorable. I also saw plenty of reed buntings that were pretty showy than usual as well as more marsh harriers, a few pochard, greylags, some fighting coot, a pair of gadwall and I even heard my first willow warbler of the year.

Water Rail

Snipe