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Sunday 15 February 2015

Titchwell RSPB!

It was a beautiful day, but I still had jobs to do and didn't get out until late morning. It felt so much warmer today, but was very chilly late afternoon.

I counted at least 32 Avocets today, an increase on my last count. Good numbers of Shelduck, Teal, 10+ Pintail (drake and females), Black-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Redshanks, 70+ Lapwings flew over east, Little Grebes, Golden Plover, Brent Geese, Little Egret etc on the pools. On the sea: 3 Goldeneye, 2 adult Gannets, close in flying east, several Cormorants, a raft of approx 50+ Common Scoters, but no sign of any Long-tailed Ducks through the eagle eye of my new scope! A flock of Goldfinches landed briefly on the small bush next to the sea-watching area. A lone Grey Plover stood on the shoreline, amidst Sanderlings scurrying along and Oystercatchers probing the wet sand.

Around the Fen Trail and bird feeders I saw Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Blackbirds, Robins and a Wren and also 2 Marsh Harriers flying over Patsy's Pool and 1 Grey Heron. There were some amusing Valentine's messages on bird pictures around the Fen Trail – eg a picture of a Raven with the caption underneath 'I'm absolutely Raven about you' and another with a Ruff, and also a Wren, but I can't remember what the other captions said now, sorry! The new boardwalk around the Fen Trail is complete and all looks good. I was impressed with the new bird table and feeder just outside the Fen Hide, but it was sad to see some Alder trees cut down next to the the visitor centre to make way for a project that will replicate the entire reserve in minature and will be wheelchair friendly – this is a lovely idea, but just a pity the trees had to come down to accomodate for this.

All in all a productive afternoon and it was nice to use the Mulepack for the first time with my new scope. I have decided there is no such as thing as perfect carrying equipment, when you want to take so much gear with you, but the Mulepack overall felt light and comfortable. But then it would do, as you can't exactly fit in heavy duty items into the back pack area. It serves its purpose though – carrying tripod, scope, bottle of water, waterproof bag stuffed in for my camera and other odd small bits such as phonescoping adapters.  You could squeeze in a sandwich, but not much else food wise, which of course would be good for one's waistline! My camera sat fairly comfortably on my shoulder with the strap secured through the chest strap of the Mulepack. With weight in the backpack I did find it a little difficult to put the whole thing back into my back – difficult to explain this, but after putting one arm through, the weight of the tripod pulls back as you attempt to put your other arm through the strap, but got there in the end! So good overall, but the whole thing would have to be swopped for my usual rucksack if I was going on a really long hike such as Blakeney Point, but then to be fair I don't tend to take a scope when I'm walking BP anyway.

Visited my parents for a while before returning home to King's Lynn. New job starts tomorrow, nervous but feel a little excited now – early night!

2 comments:

  1. I adore Titchwell... used to be one of my favourite haunts...
    along with Brancaster and Thornham and a walk to Holme...
    not forgetting Burnham Overy Staithe and the walk down to Holkham...
    whilst trying to avoid the Natterjack Toads and Bee Orchids...
    as well as the Pyramidal Orchids!
    Now we have a garden with the latter two growing....
    along with hundreds of Lizard Orchids...
    almost too many of those!!

    "but just a pity the trees had to come down to accomodate for this"....
    Penny, it is always a pity to have to fell trees...
    but only if you aren't using the product!
    Alder is very fast growing.. and coppices or pollards very nicely.
    I am going to strip the house side of the entire beif [millstream] back...
    and that includes alders and hazels...
    but they come back...
    in the case of alder... with a vengance!

    I have some five year old wood to harvest...
    they are between six and eight inches in diameter, now...
    where they were last cut.

    I am leaving two... one by our bridge into the meadow,
    the other by the far end of the old farmhouse...
    the ones in between will be back up to five foot by the end of the year...
    and the corridor will be restored...
    so next year I can do the same on the other side.
    The big alder trunks will be used for heating...
    the hazel in the garden...
    The brush will be piled up in the meadow...
    to create habitat for small birds...
    insects and small mammals.


    "I have decided there is no such as thing as perfect carrying equipment"...
    you too, eh? My dearheart is very used to all my aquisitions... small ones, big ones...
    a Lowepro "oneshouldersling" backpack that twists round to the front...
    excellent that, you can rest your elbows on the bag to steady yourself.
    All these are needed for different expeditions....
    however, she has now acquired a Lowepro sling bag that takes her binos, bridge camera... a recent purchase... and a guidebook.
    We have a forerunner of the Mulepack...
    and found the same problem as you...
    her Kowa was very difficult to get on...
    and off...
    anyway, hope you had a good first day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Penny the trick with the mule is to hold the tripod leg on the side first put over your shoulder. Then it is fairly easy to get arm through the other strap. Honest. Ian Robinson

    ReplyDelete