Boom time

Yesterday was another gorgeous day so I decided to go back to Hickling and see what migrants I could find.  It is really doing my Id skills the power of good going round alone and picking up calls and then finding out who is making them.  When I arrived they told me that there was loads of stuff around so after last time when they told me there was nothing and I found tons I thought I was in for a magic time.  Wrong!  Typically it went in reverse and there was naff all about!  They told me to listen out for Sedge Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler but there was not even a Reed Warbler about!  There were none of the Cranes they mentioned and it was not until I was halfway round that I even saw a Marsh Harrier.  Mind you they were lovely views of three quartering over the reedbeds.  One was a gorgeous male, so gorgeous that I even asked for his phone number, well if I had been a female Marsh Harrier I would have!  The only high point of the morning was hearing a very distant Bittern booming.  So distant in fact that the couple close to me who were admiring Canada Geese did not even notice it.

Today I was not able to get any birding done due to Sunday Lunch duty.  Mind you one good thing about cooking is that I get to keep watch out of my kitchen window.  I do love that window.  I was standing there peeling sprouts when my ears pricked up to a different sound.  I grabbed the bins and hung out of the window for a better view of a Blackcap.  A new garden tick.  I still struggle with Blackcaps calls but its nice that I can pick up 'something different' and then go on to match the call to the bird. 

Our Squirrel population grew by one today.  For the first time I had three squirrels.  One of them had his head down my squirrel proof feeder of black sunflower seeds.  Keep this up matey and I will take up the gamekeepers offer and have you for dinner! 

No Muntjac sightings today.  There is a little dead one at the side of the road not far from our house.  I think it might be the youngster.  He is much darker than the others and this poor thing looks the same colour.  I keep looking out for them and hoping to see him.  Its so sad when something so full of life is suddenly lying motionless at the side of the road. 

The Phesants have been sneaking right up to the back door these past few days.  I have bought some chicken seed which I have been feeding the ducks with and the Phesants are clearing up the leftovers.  They are not as bold as the ducks and run away when I appear at the window.  It really amuses me that they run rather than fly.  They are such dopey birds that I find it hard to understand how anyone can call shooting them sport.