Sep 3rd Felbrigg Hall and Sheringham

Felbrigg Hall

I was at Felbrigg Hall today for a walk around the grounds and lake with my parents. It was threatening to rain, but it managed to hold out to our relieve. The ground was rather muddy underfoot in places, rarther autumnal conditions. There were other signs of autumn all around us as we set off on our walk. On the trees, the various seeds from acorns of oak trees, chestnuts of sweet chestnut trees and the 'helecopter' seeds of sycamore trees have developed and were looking close to dropping to the ground. Meanwhile on the ground, parasols of toadstools have started to emerge, some forming clusters and circles in the grazing pastures.

Acorns on an English Oak

Sweet Chestnuts

Sycamore 'helecopter' seeds

Parasol toadstool

Another Parasol (I think)

Puffballs

A 'circle' of toadstools

On the lake, swarms of swallows and house martins skimmed low over the water, fueling up on insects for the epic journey south to Africa. The video below shows them in action with a swan unfazed with them whizzing around it. Around the lake, there was one last floral display of various plants in a wet meadow field. This was mainly dominated by a yellow flower that I have been informed that its nodding bur-marigold.

A display of Nodding Bur-marigold and Bullrushes

Nodding Bur-marigold

Knapweed

A Slug

Another Slug

Mute Swan

In the distance of a field, we watched a charm of goldfinches perform what can only be described as a murmuration display. I had no idea that these birds did such performances! They swirled in the air in a large ball of birds. It may not be as grand as a starling display, but it was still amazing to watch.

Goldfinch murmuration!

Lamb

Oak Tree

Sheringham

After our walk, we went for lunch at Sheringham in a shelter overlooking the sea. I come here annually during the autumn to sea watch. So, while inbetween bites into my lunch, I was scanning the sea with my telescope for anything flying over the waves in the distance. I was not the only person watching over the sea as the shelter had a mini crowd of other sea watchers sitting on the benches in a row with their eyes glued to the eyepiece of their scopes. There wasn't much about today, but I did see a few gannets and cormorants.

Cormorant

Herring Gull

Black-headed Gull

Look out below!!

I soon had had enough of staring out at sea and we decided to have a stroll along the seafront. The local gulls were being fed from a generous person with chips from a tier above us and they gave me great shots of them hovering over my head. On the rocks that forms as the town's sea defences, turnstones were seeking for their own lunch within the crevices and under the seaweed. These waders are very approachable here at Sheringham and can be seen throughout the year, but in the autumn you may come across a similar looking wader tagging along with them.

Queuing up for lunch

Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper

Purple sandpipers have longer bills than turnstones and are plain grey all over with a few streaking on the breast. Normally, these birds occur around November and at this time, in the right light conditions, the plumage have a slight purple sheen. The individual hanging with the turnstones today was a juvenile bird, exploring the Norfolk coastline for the very first time since leaving its hatching site in Iceland or Scandinavia.

Flowers by Peter Coke

We got to the end of the seafront and were making our way back to the car. As we got to the lifeboat museum, my parents decided to make a detour to visit a 'shell museum' round the corner. When they told me this, I thought they were having me on. But actually, this was a small art gallery displaying the works of late artist Peter Coke (1913-2008), who created sculptures and reliefs out of seashells. These were incredible! To see flowers made out of shells was amazing. At a glance, they look like real flowers, but look closer and you can see each shell portraying a petal. The artist also used other things he found stranded worldwide for his art work from exoskeletons of seahorses to seafans and corals. It wasn't a big exhibition, but I highly recomend a visit to see for yourself. Here are a few other art pieces he created, including the centrepiece of a large castle made up of thousands of shells.

Take a closer look and be amazed!

Sep 2nd Strumpshaw Fen

Fen Hide was packed this morning when I arrived this morning. They were all my regulars that I see most weeks, all inside the hide armed with their large cameras with fingers on the trigger, ready for anything to appear. I guess the bird on everyone's lips at the moment is the osprey. Everyone, including me, wants to see one hover over the reserve and catch a fish. These big fish-hunting birds are making their way south at this time of year and stop over at Strumpshaw during the first few weeks of September to fuel themselves up for the long journey to Africa. One has been reported at Rockland Broad, just a few miles down the river and was apparently heading our direction. Unfortunately, it was a no show. At least the great white egret is still here (now into its fourth week at the Tower Hide), as we could see it flying around testing its wings.

Kingfisher

While waiting for the osprey that never came, we did see some bearded tits flying low from reedbed to reedbed, with a series of pinging to let you know they were there in case you had missed them. A kingfisher made a couple of visits, posing on two of the three perches purposefully placed for it to land on, but not the closest one which would have been more ideal for my camera's clearest focus range. A young marsh harrier sits on top of a bush, but not for long. A few crows harassed and mobbed the poor harrier from his spot and chased it for some time in the air. The harrier was calling, either for its parents to help out or in annoyance to the crows persistent attacks.

Carrion Crows mobbing a Marsh Harrier

Peace for now...

...but not for long!

Little Egret

Cobber the Black Swan and the Little Egret

Canada Geese

Kingfisher again

Mute Swan

Mute Swan Cygnet

A happy family!

Gadwall

Grey Heron

Wasp chewing wood off  Fen Hide to build a nest with

Water Shrew (with parasites)

Leaving the Fen Hide, I made my way back to the Reception Hide to start my shift. On the way, I scanned the wooden border for any lizards. I found one and a few dragonflies. A little further up, I then found something different and unexpected patrolling along the edge of the path, following the wooden border for its next meal. It was a water shrew, my first ever!! This grey and silver small mammal is rarely seen on the reserve and since I became a volunteer here in 2011, I have never seen one before. Water shrews are normally very secretive, foraging waterways at a fast pace searching endlessly for insects and other small creatures it happens to find. This is also Britain's only venomous mammal, but the toxin is not potent enough to kill a person. I end up following it down the path, occassionally running on top of the wooden border. It was, to me, more exciting than seeing an osprey, as it was a completely new experience to me as I watch it scurry, pause and eat, scurry, pause and eat repeatedly. It was difficult to get a good photo before it moved again.

Scurrying to the next meal

Searching on top of the wooden path border

Common Darter

At Reception Hide, the search for ospreys continued with little success. It didn't help that I was distracted by showing children kingfishers, herons, little egrets and marsh harriers through the scope and the weather also turned from nice to a shower, making hunting conditions for any ospreys out there much more difficult. It didn't matter about seeing an osprey or not, I still love seeing kingfishers and marsh harriers and sharing with others a lot more. Besides, I might see one next week. Fingers crossed!

Marsh Harrier at Reception Hide

Little Egret at Reception Hide

Moorhen