Monday 27th February (More Birds in Norfolk)


Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window into a cloudy sky. The tawny owl had stopped calling and the wood pigeons were now having their turn.

Later in the morning Mr. Kite went to Blakeney and set up The Superscope to look out to sea. With a chilly breeze coming off the water Mr. Kite watched a common guillemot drifting about doing very little. Further out to sea red-throated divers fed in a small group.

Inland a large group of golden plover sat facing the cool breeze with starling feeding amongst them with skylarks singing from the sky. The peaceful site was then disturbed as a sparrowhawk dropped down in full flight scattering thousands of birds. In the melee the hawk did not know what to go for a skylark snack,  a golden plover or a starling. With so much on offer the indecisive bird left with nothing.

In the late afternoon Mr. Kite parked The Joint on Fakenham race course and watched a large group of rooks feeding on the long green grass, pied wagtails playing on the grandstand. In the evening tawny owls could be heard but not seen. Later in the evening Mr. Kite enjoyed a tipple of Marstons Bitter and listened to a little owl. Cheers.

Sunday 26th February (Bobbing Buntings)


Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window into a lightening blue sky. The tawny owls had stopped calling and the wood pigeons were now cooing softly.

Towards Snettisham


With The Beast saddled and two spare inner tubes in the bags mr. Kite set off in the pleasant morning sunshine. Just outside Dersingham Mr. Kite had a good surprise; two grey partridge flew just in front of him and landed in a field. The warm reds on their plumage was plain to see with their grey colours. Soon the pairs was running across the ploughed field towards the safety of the edge.

Soon goldfinches and a greenfinch flew near and landed in a tree so Mr. Kite could stop and look at the emerging spring colours on these finches.

Snettisham


Mr. Kite cycled up a flood defence to look out over The Wash. The water was receding but millions of birds were present in flying flocks and others feeding in the mud. Golden plovers, northern pintails, teals, dunlin, knots, black-tailed godwits, ringed plovers and teal were identified. But today about fifty avocets swung their bills side to side as they walked in the shallow water.

Looking over the lagoon behind the sea defence Mr. Kite spotted a little egret, coots and goldeneyes. The goldeneyes were especially stunning showing shiny black and white plumage and the large white spot on their heads. Each pied male goldeneye had one less pied female.

Spot of the Day


Further along the beach mr. Kite stopped to watch a bobbing white bouncy flock of softly twittering rippling buntings. In the sunshine the white plumage was bright. Ten seconds later this group of about sixty snow buntings landed twenty metres from Mr. Kite. All the birds had individual colours and marking but basically they were white, brown, buff, black and yellow bill. Other distinctive features were varied marking on the head, beast and back. Feeding on the verge of the shingle and grass these birds were spot of the day.

The Shore Hide


The whole area was full of birds. Flocks of brent geese grazed, greylags grazed and canadian geese grazed. Lapwings flew overhead but on the water cormorants, little grebes, tufted duck and gadwalls fed in their different ways. On an island a greater black-backed gull looked rather large and out of place.

Lastly three skylarks took to the air. In the afternoon as the air cooled Mr. Kite left the busy Snettisham Reserve and returned to The Joint for a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers to those millions of birds that inhabit The Wash.

Saturday 25th February (Waders in the Wash)


Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window into a clear blue sky and a white ground. An hour earlier tawny owl's had called to each other from the neighbouring woods. Today Mr. Kite was going to watch some birds in The Wash.

Hunstanton


The first place Mr. Kite and His Lady visited was Hunstanton. parking east of the town centre Mr. Kite setup The Superscope overlooking the water. Around him fulmars with straight wings and stubby heads glided along the top of the cliff. Out at sea a flock of brent geese flew quickly along. In the clear light a white strip on their necks could clearly be seen against their black bodies. Other flock of birds moved over the sea but could not be identified but they made super patterns as they crossed the horizon. Black-headed gulls called noisily from the tops of lamp-posts and a pair of dunnocks flirted in the bushes on top of the cliff. On the shore a group of common gulls sat in the cool breeze.

Heacham

Mr. Kite then headed to Heacham. On the sea-shore thousands of birds waded, walked and wandered. Oystercatchers fed on crustaceans and a single sanderling with a shiny white body and black legs ran in pools of water to feed. A group of knots fed in the pools also. Grey in colour and with greenish yellow legs they moved around in a small area picking food from the sand. Further out black-tailed godwits used their long bills to fed further into the sand and by a break-water three turnstones did just that.

Today The Wash was a busy place with thousands of birds on show.

Friday 24th February (More Enthusiasm and More Birds)


Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window in the early morning and listened to a tawny owl. Geese honked at they flew over and robins sang to mark their territory.

Snettisham


At ten Mr. Kite set off on The Beast for Snettisham and The Wash. Chaffinch, common pheasants and fieldfares were spotted on the way. Then a few punctures held up the trip as repairs had to be made. Stopping by the road Mr. Kite watched a moorhen in the nearby ditch.

Eventually Mr. Kite reached Snettisham where builders, diggers and concrete mixers added to the atmoshere of this fabulour place. With a nippy wind blowing Mr. Kite set up The Superscope to watch shelduck feeding, egyptian geese, buzzards and mallards. Looking further out a large flock of dunlin flew and fed. Curlews, ringed plover, herring gulls, northern pintails, common redshank and grey plovers plodded along on the mud.

Now Mr. Kite was feeling chilly but he was pretty sure that a flock of snow buntings passed by in a white bobbing flight. With the clouds building and the wind increasing Mr. Kite headed inland to see house sparrows, starling and collared doves. Returning to The Joint Mr. Kite had a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers to all those waders in The Wash.

Thursday 23rd February (Norfolk)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window to see The Joint prepared to go traveling to Norfolk. On a sunny Mr. Kite and His Lady headed to Sandringham for a short holiday. Near Peterborough a pair of red kites soared in the warm air.

Sandringham


At two in the afternoon Mr. Kite began to watch birds. On the site robins, wood pigeons, blue tits and long tailed tits were a common site. Later Mr. Kite cycled towards Wolferton stopping at Dersingham Bog. In the warm sunshine only blackbirds, a sparrowhawk and jackdaws were on view.

Mr. Kite has not cycled far recently and a ten mile trip was about right for a warm up ride. Back at The Joint Mr. Kite enjoyed a tipple of Wychwood Hobgoblin. Cheers.

Wednesday 22nd February (Cloud and Drizzle)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a cloudy sky and drizzle. A day birding was planned but the cool weather and drizzle put a stop to it. But Mr. Kite packed The Joint in preparation for a vacation in Norfolk.

Tuesday 21st February (Back Home)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a blue sky with a glow of sunshine. Spring was progressing but Mr. Kite was still a bit ill.

In the late afternoon Mr. Kite saddled The Beast and cycled to Monkmoor Lagoon. To cut a long story short it was very quiet on the lagoon. Three mallards, two pochard, one moorhen and a noisy pair of canadian geese. A quicjk flying flock of redwing flew over followed by a kestrel.

But Mr. Kite had a good time and returned home for a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers.

Monday 20th February (Mr. Kite is going Home)

Mr. Kite looked out of The London Residence window into a blue sky where a flock of lesser black-backed gulls were flying slowly over. The sunshine on the trees revealed the buds waiting to burst into life.


In the late afternoon Mr. Kite watched a goldfinch in a Hampstead tree.

Sunday 19th February(A Blue London Sky)


Mr. Kite looked out of The London Residence window into a blue London sky. Looking into the road a feral pigeon was feeding where the flower stand sell their plants during the day.

Today Mr. Kite walked to Hampstead Heath to spot birds and enjoy the area and fresh air. Reaching Kenwood House Mr. Kite sat in the sunshine before walking to the small lake that it overlooks. Black-headed gulls sat on the water waiting for the tourists to feed them. An egyptian goose aggresively patroled its teritory. The plumage on this bird was neat and patterned with delicate lines of colour with a large green shape towards it rear. Coots and moorhens came to look at Mr. Kite. The coot's feet were similar to thin green leaves that spread out in the water to make paddles.

Just in front of Mr. Kite, in the shallow clear water, three tufted ducks fed under the water. The two males had greenish purply heads in the sunshine. Diving under the water Mr. Kite watched them as they sped under the water like fish chasing prey. Paddling their legs to gain momentum and change direction they fed on morsels near some weeds.

Robins, jackdaws, carrion crow, wood pigeons, great tits, blue tits and canadian geese were also spotted. Mr. Kite was also here to find a non-native bird in the trees that is common. In the trees woddpeckers could be heard drumming and a colourful jay fed with the magpies on the ground. Mr. kite then heard an unfamiliar short call and looked up to see a bird with a long tail fly quickly overhead and dive out of sight. That view was not good enough so Mr. Kite searched to trees and eventually cam across a small group of parrot sized green birds with reddidh becks. Mr. Kite then watched rose-ringed parakeets or ring-necked parakeets as others call them.

Occasionally they would fly between the trees; a green shape with a long flowing tail. All very pretty but not English. Following a good day of walking and bird-watching Mr. Kite settled in The Flask for a few tipples of London beer. Cheers.

Friday 17th February (A Few Birds)

Mr. Kite looked out of the window of His London Residence into a cloudy sky. The centre of London was quiet. A lazy day in Westminster was follwed by an evening in Hamstead. Mr. Kite looked into the Hamstead trees to see blue tits, blackbirds and wood pigeons.

With only a few birds spotted mr. Kite had a few pints of real ale in a local pubs. This included Adnams Veto Ale. Cheers.

Saturday 18th February (A Quiet London)

Mr. Kite looked out of The London Residence window. A black-headed gull flew over. During the day blue tits and blackbirds flew around the trees in Hampstead.

On this quiet day Mr Kite sat around, looked at birds through the window and did a crossword clue. Here is that clue:

Sawbill messing about mars green (9 letters).

In the afternoon Mr. Kite went to Waterstones and found a half-price copy of Simon Barnes's book on bird song; so he purchased it. So in the late afternoon Mr. Kite sat in a pub drank some Shropshie Gold, read some bird songs and felt quite content.

The answer to the crossword clue is an anagram of mars green. The bird is a sawbill and a relative of the goosander. Cheers from a lazy Mr. Kite.

Friday 17th February (A Few Birds)

Mr. Kite looked out of the window of His London Residence into a cloudy sky. The centre of London waws quiet.

Thursday 16th February (To the London Residence)

Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a clearing sunny sky. Spring was on the way aand Mr. Kite and His Lady were going to London. Walking over the Castle Walk on this pleasant morning birds sang in recognition of the emerging warnth of spring.

The Coach Trip

As the coach headed south Mr. KIte looked out of the window to see sparrow hawks being hassled by small birds, buzzards sitting on lamposts and the usual gull and pigeon.

Wednesday 14th February (A Little Venture)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window just as a ray of sunshine appeared over the horizon and between some houses. The ray of sunshine turned the brown branches on a tree golden. Mr. Kite was still ill but he did walk to the recycling for a breathe of fresh air.

The only thing he noted was a bullfinch singing a single syllable. Mr. Kite looked into the bare trees but could not see it. Mr. Kite enjoyed a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers.

Tuesday 14th February (Will Mr. Kite go Birding)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey sky. Not feeling well again Mr. Kite sat in his home. The only tipple was Tetley tea. Cheers.

Monday 13th February (Coughs and Sneezes)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey cloudy sky. The Siberian blast had gone back home and the weather was milder. In the brightening light the buds on the lime trees could be seen as small bulbous shapes waiting to emerge now that the air was warmer. Mr. Kite looked for a bird but could not see one.

On this promising day Mr. Kite could only sit and look out of the window and read the bird reports on the internet. With reports of iceland gulls at Priorslee and red-necked grebe at The Mere Mr. Kite has decided that in the morning he will go bird-watching whatever his condition.

So with some great birds not too far away but not within sight of his bedroom window Mr. Kite settled down to a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers to all those birds waiting to be watched.

Sunday 12th February (Too Ill to Bird)

Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into the dawn sky. Shades of blue and pink stripes crossed the sky as the sun rose over the horizon. Today Mr. Kite was ill and the planned walk was abandoned because of coughs and sneezes and aching joints.

Could Mr. Kite drink a tipple of beer? The answer is,"No". Therefore he must be ill.

Saturday 11th February (A Cold Day)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a hazy sunny morning.

Friday 10th February (Another Sad Day)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey cloudy sky. Today Mr. Kite's thoughts are about a wonderful morning twenty-seven years ago when 'a star was born'. Sadly today Mr. Kite and His Lady will place some flowers on his grave and remember that witty young man whose writing still bring laughter to the reader.

So on a foggy cold damp morning Mr. Kite and His Lady travelled to Morville with yellow and pink flowers. Two mistle thrush's watched in silence as the flowers were laid and a candle lit. On this day that should have been a celebration Mr. Kite had a tipple of Hobgoblin. Cheers.

Thursday 9th February (Cool Air and Few Birds)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey cloudy sky. The air was cold and any water frozen. Siberia was still influencing the weather in Floreat Salopia.

With the cold breeze Mr. Kite did not venture too far but did manage an afternoon visit to Moreton Corbet to view an old ruined house and the church. In the area plenty of redwings fed in the damp cold fields. This made Mr. Kite think: "When these redwings come from abroad why do they stop in Floreat Salopia?"

Mr. Kite wished he could capture and tag these birds for research and perhaps answer the question. But he cannot. However he can enjoy a tipple of Wychywood Hobgoblin and contemplate an answer. Cheers.

Wednesday 8th February (February moves Forward)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey cloudy sky with hints of blue. The air was still and the birds were scarce on this cold morning. So Mr. Kite planned a birding expedition with his birding companion.

At eleven The Incapacitants were walking through Meole Village spotting all the usual common birds that were fluttering around in the sunny Siberian blast. At one point a sparrowhawk gleamed high in the sky before diving headlong into a clump of trees scattering wood pigeons in all directions.

Walking towards Sharpstone Quarry was made more interesting by tracking down a noisy bullfinch. Around the quarry area flocks of lapwing fed in the fields, linnets, goldfinches and meadow pipits flew between hedges and trees.

To cut a long story short the birding competition was a draw with over thirty species spotted. With the icy Siberian blast cooling The Incapacitants quickly it was time to go home. Mr. Kite then enjoyed a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers to those pinkish linnets and red legged meadow pipits.

Tuesday 7th February (A Foggy Start)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into fog. The trees were hidden, the birds were hidden and the sky was hidden. So Mr. Kite had an easy morning reading and writing.

In the afternoon Mr. Kite went to a group meeting so on the way he looked for birds to spot. A group of redwings feeding on the last berries before spring was interesting because they were not disturbed by Mr. Kite stopping to watch them.

These song thrush sized birds had a stripe over the eye and a redwing. From the meeting room Mr. Kite watched blue tits, great tits and a nuthatch. In the churchyard a robin sang. It was a quiet day for mr. Kite who went home and enjoyed a tipple of Tetley tea.

Monday 6th February (The Temperature has Risen)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey and white cloudy sky. Outside the trees and shrubs moved gently like sports people warming up before the game. These plants were warming up and full of energy awaiting the warm signal from the sun that it is time to burst into life.

Searching around Mr. Kite could not see any birds and hear any birds. Later in the dayMr. Kite walked into the town crossing the river where a flock of goosander were on the river. It is interesting to Mr. Kite to see goosander because they have only become a common sight on the river in the last ten years.

These large impressive sawbills dive to catch fish with their thin red hooked beaks. The male has a glossy green head and the female a chestnut head with a shaggy main. The birds swam powerfully in the flowing river. One pair decided to have a change of scenery and took to the air making a more impressive sight. The whites on the inner wing of the male stood out making a strong white line. The trailing white edge of the female was less visible but their long elegant spindly body shapes cut through the sky with their long necks outstretched.

Mr. Kite believes it is not the number of birds spotted but the quality of the sight or behaviour. Mergus merganser is a special sight and one swallow might not make a summer but one pair of common merganser does make a day.

Mr. Kite went home for a tipple of Wychywood Hobgblin. Cheers to those 'duck divers'.

Sunday 5th February (A Forecast of Snow)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a white and grey sky that could produce the forecast snow. A carrion crow called from an aerial and a collared dove softly cooed as a robin continued to sing for the fourth hour. February was here and Floreat Salopia was feeling Siberian. The icy blast froze the pavements and put frost on the plants. Mr. Kite had a plan.

However the plans did not quite happen in the icy conditions. The walk was put off and mr. Kite called it a day in the afternoon and settled for a Tetley tea. Cheers.

Saturday 4th February (An Ill wind and an Ill Mr. Kite)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a clear sky and a Siberian temperature. Birds sat in the trees huddled up to keep warm against the Siberian cold. Mr. Kite was not to well so he settled down to a Tetley tea. Cheers.

Friday 3rd February  (Lots of Leathers and a Few Feathers)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a blue sunny sky. The blast from Siberia continued and Mr. Kite was off to the Museum of Leather. However on the way Mr. Kite planned some bird-watching. However a mix up with His Lady made the start slow.

On the way to the railway station wood pigeons sat in the bare trees and black-headed gulls flew up and down the River Severn. By the Castle Walk a robin sang from a low bush and a song thrush sang from a high tree. The cold sunny morning seemed a welcome change to the singing birds. By the prison at least eight blackbirds enjoyed their freedom by flirting with the females and chasing the males.

From the train Mr. Kite saw very little. A day in a Museum of Leather kept bird-watching to a minimum. So 'leathers replaced feathers'. Returning home Mr. Kite had a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers.

Thursday 2nd February (Siberia Blasts Floreat Salopia)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a sunny sky. The temperature outside was below freezing as a result of a blast of cold air from Siberia. The outside world was still, cold and silent.

Feeling a little unwell Mr. Kite only watched a few common birds today. Firstly a robin singing in the garden from a bush. Secondly a blackbird eating orange berries in a nearby garden and lastly a dunnock feeding by the wall.

Today mr. Kite enjoyed a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers.

Wednesday 1st February (A New Day, A New Month, A New Start)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a sunny blue sky. Feeling better than recently Mr. Kite was making plans so he rang his birding companion who agreed to a 'gentle walk along the river'.

Towards the River


The Incapacitants walked past houses towards the river as the sun warmed and the wind chilled. House sparrows, starlings and the usual birds spotted. Plants still had plenty of berries and the buds on the shrubs were looking like buds promising to burst into life.

Along the River


The fields were solid with a ground frost. On the river a large group of goosander went up and down the river whilst the mallards preferred to sit on the bank, Overhead redwings, fieldfares and a song thrush flew over. In a willow a pair of reed buntings flitted around. The male having a bright black and white head. Soon wrens and finches were spotted.

A Brief Interlude at the Lagoon


Deviating from the river bank The Incapacitants dropped into the lagoon; not literately, to see the sights. The water was frozen with a thin layer of ice where a group of teal sat. Black-headed gulls flews over the water and a grey heron fed in the water on the far side by the reeds. A bird appeared near the heron looking like a water rail but soon went to the safety of the golden reeds.

Back to the River


Strolling along the sunny riverbank The Incapacitants watched common buzzards overhead. To cut a long story short they spotted thirty species and Mr. Kite won with his guestimate of thirty two. Following a good day out mr. Kite enjoyed a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers.