After a couple of hours practise and paperwork in the morning I headed back over to Melton Constable today for more work on my new solo album, so apart from some lapwings, blackbirds, wood pigeons and a couple of other birds on the way there I didn’t manage anything else. So no new birds for the list today.
Brenda had a mixed day which did have some good moments though. She writes:
“Steve was recording again today so I was the the one who had a few wildlife opportunities as I went about my duties. Heading off to Burnham Market on a perishingly cold morning I noticed that the yarrow I saw a couple of weeks ago has been clobbered by the renewed frost. It is now dying back and once the weather gets warmer the plants will generate new growth in preparation for this year’s flowering season.
I love seeing something wonderful when you least expect it: Driving home through Holkham village I saw a whacking great bird of prey sitting in one of the trees by the road, putting me in mind of the stance of the bald eagles we saw in Florida a few years back. It was the juvenile white-tailed eagle Steve saw the other day, which gave me a fabulous show, flying off to another tree then back again before heading off somewhere else. I didn’t see it when it visited last year so that really made my day.
Then later in the day I saw flower species number 11 on a bank by the road heading out of Wells – my first primroses of the year. So, despite the frost and bitter wind, nature is beginning to stir.”
Brenda later went back to the small patch of primroses to take a photo of them on her phone. She slipped over and dropped the phone, breaking the screen, and so now the photo is stuck on a phone she can’t access (the touchscreen is dead)! She’s fine – but was somewhat annoyed of course!
New species for January 18th:
Flowers: primrose
TOTALS TO DATE:
Birds = 92
Moths = 0
Wildflowers = 11