BROADLAND: Hickling pony checks

11th March 2023

I took my eldest daughter to Hickling for a Wildlife Watch event to see the ponies. As well as tracking down and visiting the Koniks, the group looked for tracks and signs, such as the poo of Red Deer and Chinese Water Deer. We heard and saw several Cranes, heard Bearded Tits and on the way back got excellent views of an Adder basking by the path.

WEST NORFOLK: Snettisham Park Farm

30th May 2015

On Saturday Cathy, Margaret & I went to Snettisham Park Farm. It is a working farm, but probably best known for the deer park and trailer rides out to feed the deer. We had been when we were younger and decided to go back and have a look around. Having had a look at some of the animals we set off on one of the walks around the farm. We walked along the River Ingle for a bit, before heading along some grassland where we saw a Garden Chafer. There was also a sign with a horse that someone had painstakingly turned into a Zebra using tippex, which was impressive as far as graffiti goes.

 Garden Chafer

 Captive Red Deer herd

Caution: Man on Zebra

When we got back we went on one of the aforementioned rides out to the deer. We saw a pair of Shelduck with six ducklings on one of the ponds, and on the way back a Grey Partridge ran out of some long grass. Tufted Duck and Gadwall were also on one of the lakes.

NORWICH: Earlham Cemetery moss walk

31st January 2015

For my first organised event of the year I went to Earlham Cemetery for a joint walk with the Friends of Earlham Cemetery and the Norfolk & Suffolk Bryological Group. The bryological group were mainly there to do some moss and liverwort recording, but the members kindly ensured that the non-specialists amongst us were shown some of the more interesting specimens and told a bit about their habits and biology.

There was a lot to take in (and a lot of unfamiliar scientific names!) but I had an enjoyable time and saw some interesting species. Hopefully I can also use a bit of my newly aquired knowledge to identify some more mosses at Whitlingham too. In addition to the bryophytes the four mycologists amongst us (Ian, Alex, Michelle & myself) also stopped to look at some bracket fungi growing on plum trees. We later identified these as Cushion Bracket (Phellinus pomaceus), a Prunus specialist, which was a new fungus for me. We also saw a Muntjac Deer a couple of times as it ran through the cemetery. Thanks to both groups for putting on this walk.

Bifid Crestwort (plus unidentified moss!)

 Orthotrichum lyelii

Cushion Bracket fungus

THETFORD AREA: Deer & Helleborines

2nd August 2012

A walk in the woods got progressively better as time passed.  We started off with some unusual looking beetles on dung, moved up to Muntjac, then Roe Deer, then finally to the main reason for the trip, some Helleborines.

On our way back we stopped in New Buckenham, where there were three adult Muscovy Ducks (one with two ducklings) and one paired up with this rather gruesome white Domestic Duck.

YARE VALLEY: Cantley SEO

20th March 2012

Another sunny day, and I was on my way home from work when I got a call asking if I wanted to go and look for the Glossy Ibis at Cantley.  Parking up at the bowling green car park I didn't realise that we were still on Station Road, so instead of following the road down to the end and having some crippling views of the Ibis, we instead walked back to the corner and followed the footpath down to the riverbank.  Of course at the time I didn't know we were in the wrong place, so I simply assumed the birds had gone to roost.  Regardless of this rather major oversight it was still a lovely evening in the Yare Valley.  Three Chinese Water Deer walked brazenly across the marshes, whilst the bird of the evening was a Short-eared Owl working its way along the marsh edges.  A bit later a Barn Owl also emerged, and a Marsh Harrier flew over the river nearby.

CENTRAL NORFOLK: Foxley Wood

5th August 2011

Foxley was the destination today, following up on reports of a SW Fritillary last week. The rides were teeming with butterflies, but no luck with the fritillary. A sign of how peaceful it the woods were came when a Roe Deer and fawn crossed our path, obviously aware that I hadn't brought my camera. I saw my first Migrant Hawkers of the year, and also saw Oak and Dark Bush Crickets. Plantwise there was some Enchanter's Nightshade and Yellow Pimpernel along the path edges. Birds calling (most of them seen eventually) included Green Woodpecker, great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Bullfinch and Marsh Tit. Some footprints found in some soft mud looked like Badger, but I need to check that.

For lunch we went to the Bridge Inn at Lenwade, probably unique in that it has a modest-sized fishing lake in the beer garden. We ate outside, but only saw a Common Tern and four Canada Geese around the lake.

Cantley to Strumpshaw

22nd December 2010

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Adam had the day off work so we agreed to get the train to Cantley and have a look at the Lesser White-front. I may on occasion moan about the trains, so it is only fair to say that this one was running on time and was not affected by the temperature or snow. Taking the path down from Burnt House Lane we located the Bean Geese, but due to the lay of the land we couldn't see them all. Moving further round we got a better view, and eventually found the Lesser White-fronted Goose with a group of 90+ Bean Geese. There was also one White-fronted Goose with a smaller group of Bean, providing a pitfall for the unwary.

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As well as admiring the snowy landscape, we continued scanning as we walked along the riverbank to Buckenham. We saw a ringtail Hen Harrier, two Peregrines and a Buzzard at the Cantley end, whilst a Barn Owl ghosted across the path nearer Buckenham. Large numbers of Wigeon were on the river, as was a Black Swan. At least four Chinese Water Deer were wandering in the snow. We checked out the new hide at Buckenham (it looks nice, but is there really a need for one here?), and saw two Dunlin flying over. In the woods at Strumpshaw we saw a couple of flocks of Redpoll fly over and had a chat with Ben, before walking on to Brundall where we got the train back to Norwich.