High above the River Dee, snaking its way through the steep sided valleys of the North Wales landscape, small pockets of oak woodland nestle amongst green open pastures, dotted with white sheep. Higher still and the green pastures and woodlands turn to the browns and reds of the moors. In this part of the valley … More Wanderings in a Welsh Woodland
The sun blazed in a bright blue sky, the garden bloomed under its warmth, vibrant greens with splashes of brilliant colour, the pond shimmering silvery blue…finally some sunshine, some heat to the spring. The net was up, but with the bright light very few birds were falling for that trick. One group of bird that … More Something to ‘Crow’ About
It’s not easy getting up at 4am, especially when you know you have a full day of work ahead of you. But the weather waits for no one, and the next constant effort site (CES) ringing session at Cranwich needed to be done. Although cool for May, the weather conditions were perfect for ringing, overcast … More A King in the Reed Bed
After days of rain, grey skies and general dampness, Monday dawned on a clear, pale blue sky, streaks of washed out pinkish orange hinting where that elusive sun would appear. The reed bed at Cranwich was brimming with water, fuller than it had been in a long time. Straw coloured reeds with fresh green shoots … More Back to the reed bed
A grey, overcast sky lay heavy over the farm, threatening yet more rain that had deluged the country over the last week or so. The wind had a cold, damp chill to it… it felt like February; it is in fact the end of April. Just as strange as the weather, was the number and … More Finchy Fings
The firecrest is one of Britain’s smallest birds. Not as widespread as the very similar goldcrest, firecrest breed in small numbers predominantly in southern and eastern England and for this reason is listed on the Amber list of the Birds of Conservation Concern. Areas of mixed coniferous and broadleaved woodland in Thetford Forest provides excellent … More Firecrests in the Forest
Saturday, Easter weekend and we woke to the faint patter of rain on canvas and the dawn chorus of birds. Quietly, so as not to disturb slumbering parents, we dressed, left the caravan and headed out into the early morning light to meet with local ringer Tony Cross. Heading north we drove into the rugged … More The Pleasure…and Pain of Ringing
The last couple of week’s effort into searching for nests around Thetford began to pay off this morning, as I got to ring my first blackbird chicks of the year. Having waited for the rain to pass, we approached the wall of ivy where this nest is hiding with caution and a little trepidation, hoping … More Easter Chicks
Spring is here! The daffodils are in full bloom, the blossoms on the cherry trees add a splash of pale pink and white to our streets and the birds have started singing, a sure sign the nesting season is starting. For some birds however nesting has been in full swing for at least a month, … More Nesting in the Tree Tops
For the first time in a quite a while, we returned to Lodge Farm for a mornings ringing. Over the last few months large numbers of siskins and redpolls have been descending on the garden feeders, however the last ringing session on Friday was pretty quiet, by the Farm’s standards and so we were unsure … More Scribbling down at the farm
Wild Barley 