Levels-birder

November 13th 2009

This morning, under a dark-grey sky and pouring rain, I sat in my car just off the roadside at Catcott Lows Reserve watching 3 Glossy Ibises - one with a white ring on its left leg bearing a black “N4C” marking, showing that it was ringed in Spain. These birds have been around here since at least October 3rd, but this is the closest I've been to them. Despite the crap light, which meant a very high camera setting of 1200 ISO, I took these photos, one as a record of them feeding together. During the hour-or-so that I watched them they often called to each other – a drawn-out, hoarse-sounding croak.

 

 

 

 

Shaking off the rain after a pause in feeding...

 

...followed by a session of preening.

 

This will be my last Diary entry until December, as Kay and I are going birding to Ecuador to hopefully see more of South America's superb bird-life.

 

 

November 12th 2009

This morning, before the forecast bad weather arrived, Kay and I went to Chard Reservoir. This was my first ever visit and what a delightful reservoir it is, nestled between tree-lined banks with shallow muddy-areas looking ideal for birds. We soon saw the long-staying juvenile Red-throated Diver, which allowed close approach as it constantly dived just off-shore – a brilliant bird to see this close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 10th 2009

 

My recent pike-fishing trip with my son to the Norfolk Broads was a great success. Dragging myself out of fishing retirement, I caught my first pike since Dec 1999, and what pike they were!! Over six-days we caught 20 fish for a combined weight of 272lb, including 14 doubles (10lbs or more in weight) of which 4 were over the magic 20lb mark. As an angler who had only ever caught one 20-pounder before I was thrilled to take a brace of these on the same day: at 22lb-2oz and 21lb-12oz. All the fish were in pristine condition, and after careful un-hooking and handling were likewise released.

 

Our rented fishing boat 'Kathlene' moored outside our rented chalet-bungalow.

 

Martham Broad

 

My son, Steve, with a fine looking pike of 19lb-2oz.

 

Me, with another super pike of 22lb-2oz.

 

Sunset on the reed-fringed River Thurne

 

It wasn’t all pike-fishing; during our long-days we saw some interesting wildlife: an Otter, often to be seen on most days (my first in Norfolk) and a Kingfisher, whose favourite fishing-perch was from a mooring-rope in a large boat house. We also had wonderful views of a large skein of some 800 Pink-footed Geese that passed over as we sat in our boat; a flock of 49 Egyptian Geese; a total of 13 Marsh Harriers, including 8 going to a roost, and 3 Common Cranes that flew over near Horsey Broad.