Feb 2nd Norwich
With lockdown continuing on into February, it meant that for the second month of 2021 I had to rely on the city for my wildlife fix once again. My bird list was at 57 species by the end of January and and my hunger for adding more birds to the list was growing as much as the list itself was. Covid was just background noise. All I could think of were birds and where to find them. I was becoming an urban birdwatcher, constantly listening out for something I haven't heard yet and scanning every tree as best I can. I couldn't believe how many species I've seen already within the boundaries of Norwich, including things like parakeets that I had no idea could be found here.
After an appointment with my osteopath, I went for a walk around the city centre, mainly along the river. I was hoping to find grey wagtails, but they proved to be quite elusive. However, I did spot a peregrine perching half way up the cathedral spire. I expect that they are now starting to pair up and preparing for their latest clutch of eggs. I haven't really been following their progress in previous years. All I know is that they have been quite successful since a pair first nested there 10 years ago. Back then, it was the first time in a very long time (about a century, if I remember rightly) and the fact that peregrines are still breeding here just proves how much of a success story they really are. The peregrines at Norwich Cathedral have became local celebrities, attracting thousands of people interested in their latest chapter every year. The Hawk and Owl Trust have done a great job monitoring them and you can check out a livestream on the nest box on their website. https://hawkandowltrust.org/web-cam-live/norwich-cathedral-side
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| Peregrine (Feb 2nd) and Scaup (Feb 6th) |
I was dropped off at the Sprowston Park and Ride car park after food shopping with my mum. I wanted to check out if any 'rural' birds still lingered here where the city is still growing into the countryside. Despite the busy traffic drowning out most of the birds, I was still able to hear a skylark or two singing somewhere high in the sky. I remember seeing fieldfares at the nearby Sprowston Hotel when I was once a member for the pool and so I had a quick sneaky peek by the entrance this morning to seek them out. There was a large mixed flock of thrushes gathered behind their lake such as redwings, mistle thrushes and song thrushes. I believe that fieldfares are there too, however I couldn't get a good look at them, so I'm leaving them off the list for now. On a ploughed field on the opposite side of the road, I was hoping for pheasants or something of the likes, but could only spot a few stock doves and woodpigeons.
Feb 6th Whitlingham Broad
A scaup had me back at Whitlingham on a very miserable day. I was told that a 1st winter female had been seen in the last few days hanging with the tufted ducks on the broad. The thing is, female scaups look a lot like female tufted ducks. A very daunting challenge, especially when it is pouring with rain and got rather misty. However, scaup are slightly bigger and with a more rounded head. This information really helped me out when I eventually found it in the wildlife friendly corner of the broad. This was a massive tick for me as scaup are scarce winter visitors to the UK and I've only seen a handful in my lifetime.
As well as the scaup, I also added pochard to my list as well as audible additions of reed bunting and bullfinch, which I only heard a couple of notes before it went silent and couldn't locate it. A large flock of siskins were feeding on alder cones (but try as I might, I couldn't find anything in the likes of brambling or redpoll), a redwing and a brief flyby over the river of a kingfisher. It turned out to be a very successful day worth getting absolutely soaked to the bone for.
Feb 10th Catton Park
My 2nd dawn chorus of 2021 couldn't had been any more different to January's. A snow storm had hit for a few days and I decided to experience this latest dawn chorus in it to see if the birds were as active. I arrived at the park at the same time as before and seemed to be a lot more darker to begin with. Only the robins and the odd song thrush was in voice at this point.
As I waited for the light to improve, I was suddenly hit by a short snow flurry that hit me like a blizzard. As sudden as it appeared, it was soon over and the birds took advantage of this break in the weather to sing. It was like someone flipping a switch as I could now hear blue tits, dunnocks, chaffinch, stock doves, blackbirds, a nuthatch and a green woodpecker and in the woods, I had great views of treecreepers. It wasn't as good as January's chorus and I was filming it with a low battery as I forgot to charge my camera's battery, however, it was still an interesting experience nonetheless.
Returning home from a night at work, I was about to open my front door when I heard a short hoot from a tawny owl. Though I didn't see it, that brief hoot was enough for me to add to this owl to my list.
Feb 13th Whitlingham Broad
Another Saturday morning at Whitlingham. No rain this time, but a lot of snow and ice on the ground. It was freezing and slippery in places, but at least it was a nice day. I was in search of another duck, a pintail. Sadly, I was a couple of days too late. However, it was now replaced by yet another scarce duck, a female smew. Thanks to a few local birdwatchers, I was quickly on it pretty early on during my latest visit and was able to see it on the other side of the broad.
A bittern was also reported showing well on standing out on the ice at the wildlife area of the broad. I went to see and passed someone who confirmed that it was still in good view. A couple minutes later, I reached the spot and... IT WAS GONE! I was so close to add bittern to my list! It was one of those 'should have been here a few minutes ago' moments. The only other new thing for my list were pochards.
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| Smew (Feb 13), Curlew and Snipe (Feb 14th) |
Feb 14th Earlham Marshes & Norwich
It was Valentine's Day, but I was not looking for love, but birds instead. Dad and I went to visit Earlham Marshes for the very first time as I was told that little owls were apparently there sometimes and great white egrets have been overwintering there as well. Unfortunately, not this time. Ice dominated the landscape and it was freezing to hang around for too long in. A variety of gulls stood on the frozen surface of the lakes, but nothing that I could convert into a Caspian gull or anything of the like. But, I did manage to tick off a pair of stonechat, a displaying lapwing and a sparrowhawk to satisfy my species list.
We then moved on to the spot we saw the parakeets last month and focused on the flooded marshland between Hellesdon Road and the Marriott's Way. This landscape was also frozen over and had apparently attracted a few waders, a bit of a rarity this close to the city centre. Though waders are rare near the city, curlews are even rarer. So to find two of them feeding out on the frozen marsh, made me really happy indeed. It turned out that this place was a bit of a goldmine as it provided 3 other species to my ever growing list with meadow pipits, pheasants and snipe. We also had a little egret, heard the parakeets again and I'm pretty sure a woodcock flew past us, though I could be wrong and was just a snipe.
Feb 17th Whitlingham Broad
After receiving my first Covid vaccine, I went for yet another visit to Whitlingham. A black-necked grebe was my latest target here, but was unable to find it. However, I did manage to add a great black-backed gull and about 6 or so little grebes as well as seeing a kingfisher and a female goldeneye, pochards, gadwall, tufted ducks, a heron, cormorants and great crested grebes.
Feb 23rd Mousehold Heath & Norwich
A long walk around both sides of Mousehold Heath, seeing a kestrel, jays and the usual finches and tit species, then a short stop at St James' Hill, spotting 3 peregrines circling the cathedral and encountering a kingfisher as I made my return home via the river.
Feb 24th Whitlingham Broad
Mum surprised me with a trip to Whitlingham out of the blue. Nothing new for my list this time around, sadly. However, it was a nice day and we saw siskins, tufted ducks, pochards, cormorants, gadwall, great crested grebes, a kingfisher and I had a brief glimpse of a Cetti's warbler.
Plant List Update
With spring around the corner, the year's first new plant species have been appearing recently. As I'm also continuing my lockdown plant list from last year as well as this latest bird one, I'm keeping one eye out for the latest blooms at the same time across the city of Norwich. Snowdrops, daffodils, a variety of crocus species, stinking hellebores, winter aconites, winter heliotrope, common whitlowgrass, corn salad and blackthorn are just some of the latest additions and I expect there will be a few more before I call quits on it in May, completing a full year.
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