Another gorgeous day here on The Broads. I started the day feeding the ducks with my 3 year old Grandson. He was very surprised to find himself in his jammies feeding 5 male Mallards on Nanny's back doorstep. Luckily he did not witness them gang raping poor Esmarelda the female later on in the day, also just outside my back door!
As I was at a loose end I thought I would go and investigate How Hill NNR. I have been there a few times before but always by boat and always in October. I had a rough idea of where it was but banged the postcode into my Satnav just incase. Big mistake. I started off following it thinking it was going to show me a quick new way into Ludham. Of course it did not. It took me down every single track road it could think of. At last I found myself in 'How Hill Road' and thought oh good almost there. I even saw one tiny arrow directing me straight on. When I came to the end of the road I realised things were not as they should be. At one point I drove past a village hall with a poster advertising a play called 'Wild Goose Chase' I had a mutter to myself that this was sooo true! I got out my trusty Norfolk A-Z but sadly that particular area was too rural to be shown large scale. Not to be defeated I turned the car around and headed back up the road. Luckily a kindly postie in his van stopped to help me. Actually he did not have much choice because I was blocking the road! He directed me and I found it within minutes. I had driven right past it earlier but had not known because the sign was only visible from one direction. Good planning on the part of The Broads Authority, how to loose 50% of your visitors!
So after I finally arrived safely I went to buy my ticket for the trail in 'Toad Cottage' The guy behind the desk was the same man I had been chatting to last October and gave me advice about local flooding risks. Amazingly he recognised me instantly I walked in the door. I did not think I was that noticable! So anyway we had a nice chat about migrants and I set off on my walk round the reserve.
It was a really enjoyable couple of hours. It's not that big but I walked slowly and stopped several times to examine tit flocks (apologies to any non birders reading this, that is not a perverted phrase, honest!) I was really pleased to find my first Chiffchaff of the year and also my first Blackcap of spring. I had already seen an overwintering one in my old garden last January so it was not a year tick. There were tons of Willow Warblers and Coal Tit so I was able to work hard on my bird song recognition too. I am now no longer rated useless - hopeless but hopeless - bad! I will get there eventually!
In the afternoon I went for a little walk in 'my wood' It really is massive, I had a decent walk just sticking to the paths and wandering round the edge of the blackcurrant fields. There were a couple of Muntjac. I think I saw the mother and juvenile but as they were running away as fast as they could it was hard to tell. I honestly feel I am the luckiest person alive right now, having all this on my doorstep. There seems to be nothing exceptionaly in the wood but its just so great to have it there outside my back door.
Little Leo's day was rounded off with a ride on the tractor lawnmower with Grandad. His face was a picture. What more could a 3 year old want, ducks at breakfast and tractors at suppertime!
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