Monday 26th September (Four Quid, Four Year Ticks and Feeding Skuas)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window onto a blackbird feeding on the green grass of Fakenham Racecourse. Today Mr. Kite and His Lady were going to Titchwell on a bird-watching expedition with The Superscope.

The sky was cloudy and some drizzle was in the air but the forecast was good. As Mr. Kite drove The Joint through Burnham Market the sun appeared and the clouds disappeared. So in the warm autumn sun Mr. Kite and His Lady strolled in the calm air in Titchwell.

Now the start of the walk was very quiet; more people than birds but a water vole did pop it's head up. Setting up The Superscope Mr. Kite and His Lady watched common redshanks, lapwings, wigeon, shoveler and the usual but also two shiny white little stints with golden backs shining in the sun. Mr. Kite and His Lady enjoyed the spectacle of a flock of brent geese landing and paddling around in a wet area. These chunky dark geese had a shiny black sheen in the sun.

A hobby and a kestrel made a brief rapturous appearance; but then it was time for the sea-side. Mr. Kite focused The Superscope out to sea where gannets dived, gulls fed and common scoters just flew past. The sandwich terns dived and dived and dived. magically this attracted the attention of the passing buccaneers; the notorious arctic skuas. Now these naughty birds are exciting, acrobatic, aerobatic bastards. Fabulous in flight, bad in behaviour and wonderful to watch these pirates of the sky, thieves of the sea  ambushed the terns chasing them until they disgorged their food. Accelerating from slow to fast in seconds, turning through three sixty in a flash, climbing from sea level to thirty feet effortlessly the terns had little chance of eating their hard gained food. These honing missiles followed every twist and turn of the sandwich. With intrepid determination nothing escaped the pursuing skuas.

Mr. Kite enjoyed the skuas and His Lady enjoyed the fat grey seal that stalked the shoreline. After many hours it was time to go, but just enough time to watch a friendly reed bunting.

Cheers from Mr. Kite who is enjoying a Holt Humdinger.