With more snow and ice covering the ground and more importantly the roads, I decided to spend the day on foot, and made my way down to the clifftops keeping an eye on the sea as I went to see if anything was passing. A small group of Shelduck went past and then I picked up a large bird slowly flying west low over the waves and I quickly realised it was a superb male Hen Harrier, only the second one I have ever seen on the patch, and presumably a continental bird which had been pushed across the North Sea by the weather.
More than pleased with the Harrier, I carried on my walk, and had the hoped-for regular Green Woodpecker fly along the cliffs in front of me, and then heading inland revealed that there was a good number of Fieldfares moving along the wooded disused railway line.
The pager then brought news of a Waxwing in Northrepps, so after adding a few more layers of clothes I opted to walk rather than try to negotiate the frozen back roads, and twenty minutes later I was watching the bird perched up high in a tree behind the pub. It then had a fly-round with the local starling flock before returning to the tree and then dropped down onto some berry bushes below to feed. As no-one else had arrived, I phoned the news out that it was still there and then headed back home where I was greeted with a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees opposite.
More than pleased with the Harrier, I carried on my walk, and had the hoped-for regular Green Woodpecker fly along the cliffs in front of me, and then heading inland revealed that there was a good number of Fieldfares moving along the wooded disused railway line.
The pager then brought news of a Waxwing in Northrepps, so after adding a few more layers of clothes I opted to walk rather than try to negotiate the frozen back roads, and twenty minutes later I was watching the bird perched up high in a tree behind the pub. It then had a fly-round with the local starling flock before returning to the tree and then dropped down onto some berry bushes below to feed. As no-one else had arrived, I phoned the news out that it was still there and then headed back home where I was greeted with a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees opposite.
