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.