Patch Perks Up

Before now, I felt I’d done Costessey House Private Estate an injustice this year. Aside from the rump end of a Christmas and New Year trip, I hadn’t been down to Norfolk at all in 2014 before April, but I ended up having precious little time to get out during that visit. Eventually, I managed to fit in a couple of weeks in at the beginning of this month, which finally made up for the lack of coverage earlier in the year and perked things up considerably.

I’ll briefly précis what was generally a hard-graft mid April on site. I was generally pretty peripatetic that month and in the meantime was having to revise for my impending first year exams, so the patch was somewhat neglected. Those few days I did manage to check the patch did not produce anything particularly fresh but were not entirely unproductive, as my visit saw in the arrivals of the majority breeding warblers on site, and numerous other summering species. Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and the single Willow Warbler pair on site were conspicuous by their absence until the last day on site, 18th April. Swallow, Chiffchaff and Blackcap were present throughout, however. Certainly the most notable occurrence of the visit was a Cetti’s Warbler letting out a single, belligerent burst of song on the ‘trail side’ of Fishermen’s Trail on 15th April, before it flew over to the reeds and consequently disappeared, never to utter another explosive note, at least whilst I was around! A gorgeous pair of Otter fishing along the top of the Wensum at Costessey Marsh were much enjoyed during these flat times, but slunk underwater more or less as soon as I noticed them. That aside though, patching was proving quite laborious and I was beginning to believe that the patch had properly stagnated after an extremely productive 2013.

Roe Deer at Costessey Marsh, April 2014

Otter in the process of submerging, April 2014

I was back with my hopes afresh on 31st May, and remained there until 11th June. The place is not only stunningly beautiful and warm in the tranquility of early summer, but it seems to be the most fruitful time of year for birding. Activity, be it breeding or just the showiness of all flora and fauna, is at its absolute optimum, and on this occasion it was still early enough to hear most stuff sing. The Swallows at the barn have had a stellar year, raising 5 young. Fledging took place on 5th June, as the juveniles sat desperately on the wires right by my bedroom window, incessantly waiting to be fed. The adults quickly attended, feeding each bird individual in perfect order from left to right across the wire. The next day, the juveniles took to the skies for the first time, a bit uneasy on the wing but nonetheless willing to partake in a general feeding frenzy in and around the paddocks. I was also delighted to find out that the local Fox pair, who have a den near the cottage, have successfully reared two cubs, which were seen frolicking together at the back of Costessey Marsh on 5th. The local Mallards have 13 chicks, whilst Nuthatch, Kingfisher, Great-spotted and Green Woodpeckers are showing signs of breeding activity and feeding regularly. A juvenile Egyptian Goose was noted on 1st, a sure sign that this year’s second brood was at least partially successful, whilst Mute Swan cygnets have yet to be seen despite nest building along Fishermen’s Trail in April.

Contrasting tree shots, near Witches’ Field along Mill Lane early evening

contrasting tree shots, later that evening along the Marriott’s Way

During this general breeding frenzy, I put in my annual effort to survey the number of warbler pairs on 7th, and decided to throw in thrushes for good measure. It was an excellent session, allowing me to familiarize myself with the true numbers of breeding Turdus and warblers, to the extent I am fully aware of where each individual pair is based on site. It is immersion in the local birds like this that gives me a major kick patching-wise, very little is more fulfilling in helping me get to know the bids here. The results of the survey, which threw in a surprise or two and was rather more comprehensive than last year, were as follows:

• Sedge Warbler – 7 pairs: in same areas as last year, a new pair noted along the back of Costessey Marsh
• Reed Warbler – 1 singing male was heard at Fishermen’s Trail at 6:30pm and then again an hour later at the reeds leading into Costessey Marsh. The bird remained at Fishermen’s till the 8th but was gone the next day.
• Grasshopper Warbler – a pair were seen together on site
• Whitethroat – 9 pairs: an increase of 5 pairs from last year, two new pairs at back of Costessey Marsh
• Blackcap – 6 pairs: two new pairs at the back of Costessey Marsh in addition to last years 4
• Chiffchaff – 7 pairs: a new pair at the back of Costessey Marsh
• Willow Warbler – 1 pair: first confirmed breeding record on site
• Song Thrush – 7 pairs: throughout the site
• Blackbird – 10+ pairs: throughout the site 

Both individuals from the Barn Owl pair showed themselves at various points during the visit, and it is believed that they are breeding again on site this year: I eagerly await to see if they produce any young. I was also delighted to find the first Little Owl of the year at the back of the paddocks at dusk on 10th: this was the only date that it was seen but I have reason to believe that the pair are present at the time of writing. The Hobbies have been conspicuous by their absence so far, though I expect them to be more showy further into the summer: just a single was noted, chased by Swifts on 4th. A brief flourish of uncommon patch species made up for their elusiveness however, with two Oystercatchers seen on two separate dates, representing the third and fourth records respectively and the first records for two years: no.1 was over Mill Meadow on 6th whilst no.2 was over Mill Field on 10th. 5 Canada Geese over Costessey Marsh, including a dodgy Canada x Barnacle hybrid, were only the second patch record of this species, whilst two impressive Serotine Bats hawking relentlessly over the back of the marsh in the serenity of a sticky twilight on 1st were a full blown mammal first.

Old Costessey Fields in the sunset

Finally, we move on to the patch firsts, of which there was a fulsome three, taking the overall patch total up to 103 species, two off my intended 2014 target. Prior to this month, I had had no patch lifers at all this year, which was one of the primary reasons for my believing that things had become stagnant. I was relieved to get calls from family during May alerting me of the long-term presence of a Cuckoo on site. I continued to get calls about it right up until my visit, and was able to finally connect on 31st, as its hollow-sounding call reverberated throughout Costessey Marsh and I later watched it being mobbed by mistaken Jackdaws who presumably thought it was a Sparrowhawk. I was delighted to find that it would remain consistently until I left on the 11th, adding a dose of quality to summer patching this time round; this is the first summer this has happened on patch since 2011 at least and is a wider indicator of a great year for Cuckoos UK wide. It always remained recalcitrant and never showed well though, and seemed to habitually make an appearance mid-afternoon between Mill Field and Fishermen’s Trail, usually at around 4:00pm. At other points during the day, I assume it may be at a breeding site off patch. The best views were had of it calling on the dead tree at the start of Mill Lane on 1st for a couple of minutes, but apart from that I was limited to distant or brief flight views. Nonetheless though, a partly expected but much appreciated patch first.

The second patch first was fairly unremarkable and entirely expected as a former patch bogey that I was thankful to get out the way; two Sand Martins joining a lively congregation of hirundines over Mill Field consisting of some 20 House Martins, 15 Swallows and 40 Swifts on 5th. I would have been fairly content with just this and Cuckoo for the visit, but I was in for one final bonus on the last night. As I arrived home from a meal out at around 9:45pm, a very familiar wader call sounded twice in the silence of dusk. I think it’s fair to say I have rarely been as excited by a Common Redshank as I was at that moment. A quick look up and I clocked the bird bolting westwards. It’s always very exhilarating, after hours of trying for them, when a wader flies over Costesesy H.P.E.. Admittedly Redshank was a main contender for the next new patch wader, but nonetheless any wader sp. is a good record, and there is not that much good habitat for this species in the Costessey area generally, especially on patch. It constitutes to the 9th species of wader recorded on site: Curlew is definitely favourites for no. 10. And so that Tringa terminated a reinvigorating visit, which has restored my belief in Costessey House Private Estate.

***

Are there many more opportunities to continue this fruitful spell on patch? At the moment, unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be many. I am down again for a few days only in July, and then after that I might not be down again until the autumn. Does that 105 seem within reasonable reach? Yes, but I have my doubts that I will manage if I don’t have a good long visit until the autumn or beyond. Which species seem likely now? Curlew, Red Kite, Common Sandpiper and Tufted Duck are on my agenda, but the patch often bucks my predicted trends! We’ll have to see what happens.

Thanks for reading,

Joseph

The Christmas Centenary

I might be a bit of scrooge, but certainly when it comes to the present element of Christmas, it’s fair to say I am pretty nonplussed nowadays. Gone are the days of extreme excitement for each and every individual present, that inimitable adrenaline that surges through you as a kid as a seemingly incessant wave of impeccably wrapped gifts wend their way from the tree to your lap. Of course, receiving gifts is still a lovely feeling, a token of unbridled generosity. Yet probably the best ‘present’ I got this Christmas was sourced not from people, but from the patch, as the beloved Costessey House Private Estate reached 100 species on 27th December.

Prior to the glorious day (the 27th, not the 25th), the omens for that vital patch lifer seemed good. On Christmas Eve I’d dug out decent numbers of commoner winter finch flocks, and on Christmas Day a small dabbling duck on the Wensum at Drayton Meadows transpired to be a drake Teal: when there is any duck species minus Mallard on site, there is the potential that it could be anything, as Teal in itself is a very good record for this usually duck free site. So I wasn’t far off that day. I wasn’t able to get out on 26th, and indeed, my time for hardcore patching was limited due to the fact that family had come up from South Africa to visit for the Christmas and New Year period. The 27th was a full day, however, and it started with a bang as two Little Egrets landed on Mill Field, disturbing a group of 8 Red-legged Partridge in the process.

Little Egrets on Mill Field (27/12/13)

As I started towards Fishermen’s Field along Mill Lane, a Kingfisher landed on a branch by the Wensum, my first ever winter record and the only time that this species made an appearance during my visit. As I neared the corner and the entrance to Fishermen’s I binned a roving group of 5 Redwings in flight. Not far behind them was a chunky passerine, letting out a repeated, ‘chipping‘ call…

BOOM! Common Crossbill: the 100th species for Costessey H.P.E! Get in my son! The wait had been long and painful, after many days of patching during my month’s stay in the summer, and a relatively fruitless October, I’d finally done it, in the nick of time. To get to this stage before the year’s end had been my ultimate patching aim. That Common Crossbill provided it, as it flew towards me and very briefly landed on one of the taller trees above me, revealing itself to be a stonking male and allowing me to 100% eliminate any of the more unusual Crossbill species that have been hanging around in Norfolk in recent months. No sooner had I attempted to get a shot with the DSLR it had flown, continuing westwards towards Taverham and Costessey Pits.

I was absolutely buzzing. This random piece of pool free land, not known for its birds, had just reached 100 species in just under two years of me patching it. When you consider that I am only down in Norfolk maybe 4-6 times a year (so maybe 12-14 overall visits since December 2011 to the region), this is a fantastic feat on the part of the patch. At the beginning of 2013, I had seen 83 species at Costessey H.P.E. 12 months later and 17 new birds in a stellar patching year, all thanks to the motivation provided by Patchwork Challenge. It was a year that included highlights of: 6 Cranes, Bittern, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, summering Hobbies, Spotted Flycatcher, Water Rail and Grasshopper Warblers, among many others. 94 species were recorded in 2013 and 104 points for PWC: only 6 species off the entire patch list total.

What will the patch herald this year? Will 105 overall, or at a long shot 110, be possible? It will be an uphill struggle, but the majority of duck species including Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Shelduck should be possible, whilst waders including Redshank, Curlew and Common Sandpiper are notable omissions likely to occur at some point. Let’s not forget species such as Wheatear, Cuckoo, Bewick’s Swan and Red Kite, which all pass through the Taverham and Costessey area yearly, and Marsh Tit, which occurs literally just off site. This could feasibly raise things up to the 110 mark, yet I’m probably more likely to get species way off my radar, as usual! Whatever happens, here’s to another exciting year on the patch, as it enters it’s second year for Patchwork Challenge.

***

The remaining patching in 2013 went well, with the rest of 27th and 31st both being very productive days on site. On 27th 8 Teal were picked up in flight at Drayton Meadows, heading east along the Wensum, whilst up to 16 Skylark were part of a large passerine group 80 Goldfinch, 40 Chaffinch and 30 Greenfinch and 6 Yellowhammers on Old Costessey Fields. Cormorant and Meadow Pipit were present daily, the former including 2 roving individuals and the latter reaching a maximum of 8 on Drayton Meadows. A Nuthatch and the young Barn Owl were also noted on 27th, as well as the other side of the New Year on 2nd Jan. New Year’s Eve’s highlight went to the second patch record of Treecreeper : one that I dug out among a sizable group of 15 Long-tailed Tits along the Marriot’s Way at Drayton Woods. The same day heralded a Lesser Redpoll east over Fishermen’s Field, a female Sparrowhawk and a Snipe.

The 2014 patching year has begun healthily, with two relatively full patch checks up until I left on 2nd providing a few of the slightly less regular patch species. Little Egret was noted on both days, whilst 2 Snipe were flushed from Drayton Meadows on 2nd, and the Cormorants and Nuthatch remained. 250 Black-headed Gulls on 2nd between Old Costessey Fields and Drayton Meadows was a record total for the patch. A smart female Great-spotted Woodpecker and Stock Dove gave nice views also on said date, whilst a plastic-as-you-like Muscovy Duck was with 9 Mallards on 1st, and I jammed on a Grey Wagtail at the sluice as I left for the station. With 41 species noted in the first two days, it seems that 2014 is set to be another good year at Costessey House Private Estate: my conservative aim is 85 species for now. Only time will tell us whether the patch will match the same high standards of what was an unforgettable 2013 on site, but one thing’s for sure, I’ll be working it hard!

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Witches’ Field (2/1/14)

Thanks for reading,

Joseph

Edging Forwards: Late Summer And Autumn On The Patch

A late patch update; well overdue! From late July until the end of the August, I more or less lived in Norfolk, or more precisely Costessey House Private Estate. This, by an arm and a leg, is the longest I’ve ever stayed on the patch. There was ample opportunity for the patch to produce the goods and nip up towards the centenary, but unfortunately, even when taking a brief visit this October into account, I have yet to break that boundary.

It was a disappointingly quiet month’s stay, although many of the summering highlights from June were still around. The Hobby pair provided regular entertainment in the gorgeous summer weather, with views of singles and the pair together hawking over Drayton Meadows, Mill Field and Fishermen’s Field at numerous points, displaying their inimitable aerial prowess. My first night held what must have been the best experience I’ve ever had with these birds on patch, as I watched the male for 20 minutes above the woods behind Drayton Meadows, in a cerise canvassed sky. At one point it classically torpedoed from great height, catching a floating insect at god knows how many mph, before rising ethereally further to the left, back up to its original height. Imagine the whole action, no more than 6-7 seconds, as a massive letter V being formed in the sky – this is what the bird did in that short interlude as it caught the insect. Minutes later, it suddenly bolted across Drayton Meadows within 1oft of me in the half light, towards a swirling mass of 40 chattering, feeding Swallows. Pure chaos ensues. The Hobby wreaks havoc among the flock, stabbing into its very heart. Out of nowhere, the female appears and joins in with the frenzy, proceeding to ruthlessly pursue a group of Swallows towards Fishermen’s Field. I watched the pair disappear into the incandescent sky, over the top of Drayton Woods and away from the patch. I was blown away after that – a real day-maker on an otherwise quiet first day. My last record of Hobby was of a single on 28th August, although I imagine they stuck around for a bit longer after that. I will look forward to having them back next summer – perhaps I’ll find out a bit more about them yet…

Hobbies in unison (29/7/13)

disappearing over Drayton Woods in the last flickers of light

The other two ‘patch specialities’, as I like to label them – Little Owl and Grasshopper Warbler – also remained throughout the period, though were considerably less regular. For the first couple of the weeks Little Owl was more or less daily out the back of the paddocks, with a single favouring  the dead tree on most nights, but after 13th August they became increasingly elusive, with the last record being of a single calling on 19th. That was that, however, and there were no records during my visit this October either. 2 Grasshopper Warblers were noted on several late evenings from late July, with the last record on 17th. The Kingfisher pair and Nuthatch remained, while Swift numbers peaked at 80 and a single Snipe north over the cottage on 23rd was a decent record, as was 13 Greylag Geese that rested up in Old Costessey Fields on 4th August. Up to 3 Barn Owls were around, including what appeared to be a new individual, first noted on  9th August, a young bird with distinct muddier brown tinges to the mantle that were quite unlike either the usual very pale individual or the more standard individual. This likely refers to a bird recently fledged bird hatched by the pair in the last few months at two possible sites on patch that I have deduced are both suitable for nesting. The young bird was also seen during evenings on 13th and 20th August, though I imagine it has since dispersed to further climes. This is absolutely excellent news though, a real highlight of the patching year and something I hope will be replicated next year.

13 Greylag Geese in flight over Old Costessey Fields (3/8/13)

The two best moments of the month’s stay inevitably go to two patch lifers, helping to nudge up the patch list to 99, painstakingly close to that 100. The first came just three days in, on 31st July. I had been standing on Drayton Meadows, doing some mid-evening vis-migging, when I picked up a medium sized wader heading eastwards very high up towards me at quite a pace, all the way from Old Costessey village. The bird flew on a straight course, fortunately right above my head. Craning my neck, I noted stiff, rapid wingbeats, its general headless appearance and fine-edged wings, confirming the bird as a GOLDEN PLOVER. Score!! As the bird migrated determinedly over Low Road, it uttered out a single melancholy note, soon becoming lost to view. Adrenaline pumped through me: another patch wader, and one of the less likely at that. I have fancied Old Costessey Fields for an autumn group of GP, but given that even Lapwing are hard enough on there I had no reason to get my hopes up about scoring this species on patch. That said the patch does seem to have a habit of scoring trickier wader species while completing evading some of the easiest: e.g. Woodcock, Jack Snipe, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Golden Plover, but no Redshank or Curlew! If there’s are candidates for no. 100, either of the latter two species fit the bill, but somehow I doubt it will be either of them.

No,99 came on 12th August, a day that I somehow managed to predict would herald a patch tick. I was on prophetic form. As I began my patching on an extensive check of Mill Field, I thought ‘been a while since I’ve had a Little Egret flover’. A few seconds later and BAM, a Little Egret west over towards Taverham. The rest of the patch held many of the usual suspects, so my hopes of a patch lifer were dwindling. However, as I headed along the field at the back of the paddocks, I flushed an interesting looking drab passerine from a piece of foliage. It landed on a small bush, revealing itself to be a cracking SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. DSLR at hand this time, I capitalized on the opportunity to wrap out a couple of shots instead of follow the bird in the bins. This worked against me, as no sooner had I managed a couple of photos did the Spot Fly flush deep into the trees, not to reappear. I was absolutely buzzing though, a proper early autumn migrant had just graced the patch! Not the most stunning admittedly, but a species I had not even thought of as being a possibility. I tried in vain to search it out from the green mass, but was rudely interrupted by an intense bout of rain, forced to run home before my DSLR got too exposed. This Spot Fly takes the accolades as the month’s highlight, and as it stands is the last decent species I’ve had on patch.

Spotted Flycatcher at the back of the paddocks (12/8/13); a top patch bird and no.99

I was back down on the patch for a long weekend in October, managing a couple of days on 26th and 28th. The nettes that had obstructed the path along the river had been cut down, leaving much more ease of access to a suitably marshy looking Drayton Meadows. Far more wintery fare were in prevalence, including a roving flock of 100+ Black-headed Gulls on 26th, a maximum of 11 Meadow Pipits flushed on 28th, and the first three Snipe of the winter also on 28th. 2 Cormorants were around on both dates, and I was glad to see that the 4 Egyptian Geese had returned. Passerine passage was reduced to a small group of 10 Redwings on 26th, and 60 Starling on 28th, the latter total being the largest amount of this species I have had on patch. The visit was marked by its distinct lack of Barn Owl however: hopefully these birds will be around when I am back in a month so. That however, was that, but it was nice to show fellow young birder Jake Gearty around on the Sunday: to give him a taster of the habitat and to talk him through what the patch could offer on better days.

***

So, the question is begging. What will the no.100 be? Will it happen before the end of this year? It is impossible to know the answer to the first, but if it comes this winter then I reckon it could be Wigeon. As for the second question, what with a Christmas stay now lined up, I’d like to fancy I have time to hit the centenary by, or even on, 31st December. I will be an intensely happy man if it does happen to work out.

Thanks for reading,

Joseph