News from Norwich - An Author Update

Its been a while, but I (Benjamin) am finally back to write another blog post! Back in September I passed this blog onto Eleanor and she has been generating fantastic articles ever since. She is currently doing voluntary work as an Assistant Warden on Lundy and is having the time of her life (seeing all sorts of rare and exciting birds - expect a detailed blog post upon her return!). Our birds certainly haven't stopped though, with plenty of records and new species being seen around the Wig. Expect an article soon! In the meantime I thought I would give you a little update on what I've been doing, as well as a taster of the bird watching scene down here in Norfolk.

I've had an exciting past few months working on my PhD, studying the effects of microplastics on salt marshes. Not only does this have exciting chemical and environmental implications, visits to salt marshes present a great opportunity for bird watching! My first visit exemplified this, adding not only new species to my growing Norfolk list, but a brand new species for me -  the Great Egret! Another species you don't see round the Wig are Avocets. Alongside these beautiful waders we also get some more familiar species, such a Brent Geese (a nice mix of Pale and Dark Bellies), gulls of all varieties and more common waders like Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew. The marshes are also havens for raptors, including Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Red Kite and the aptly named Marsh Harrier. There has even been a White-tailed Eagle in the vicinity, however I have not been fortunate enough to see it yet. 

The UEA campus has a fantastic walk around its lake

Field trips aren't the only opportunity for a spot of ornithology, as the University of East Anglia has a wonderful campus. Situated on the edge of the River Yare, it features woodland areas, open fields, marshes, reed beds and its own lake! My lunch time campus walks often end up lasting longer than intended as I explore the nooks and crannies, or see another new species for my campus list. Some of my favourite spots are the riverside walk, which is good for Blackcap, Greenfinches, and in the winter Siskin. No river would complete without Kingfishers though, and there is a pair which traverse this stretch quite regularly. I also really enjoy the small marsh just past the student accommodation. Not only is this great for ducks (Teal, Shoveller and Gadwall!), but its the first place I have ever seen Swallows, House and Sand Martins, and Swifts all sharing the same skies. It also has Common Tern, Grey Wagtail, Stonechat and Snipe, so despite the frequent chilly winds it is definitely the most lucrative spot around the University. Perhaps my most surprising campus record was a Harris Hawk! I was rather shocked to see one perched in a tree by the main buildings. Having seen it several times since I now know its a tame pigeon hunter, but still a stunning bird to look at. 

Bowthorpe Marsh is just a short walk of the campus

During my first couple of weeks here I quickly noticed the differences in bird variety when compared to Scotland. A lot of the species I used to take for granted are very uncommon in Norwich, including Rooks, Chaffinches and House Sparrows. I often have to go further a field to get a glimpse of these species. In return though, many birds are more common down here, including Green Woodpecker, Magpie and Long-tailed Tits (these are a daily species for me - a very pleasant surprise!). And then there are the species which we do not get around the Wig at all. Egyptian Geese are very common all around Norwich, with many now having goslings. Cetti's Warblers are quite the opposite, uncommon and illusive they can be quite difficult to pin down. Fortunately I have found a few spots where I can listen out for them, and if I am really lucky, catch a fleeting glimpse before they dive back into cover. Finally, whilst not a bird, Muntjac deer can be found across Norwich - if you can spot them! I have seen them quite a few times on my weekly walk up the rivers edge, but have also seen them on the edge of parks, and once on the hospital gardens! 

The different lowland habitats not only mean different birds to see, they have also made a gradual change to my birding habits. With my local patches being dense woodland or reed beds and marshes, quite often you will hear more birds than you will see. This was a little frustrating at first, as identifying bird calls has always been my biggest weakness. However, regularly visiting the same spots has slowly improved my confidence, and now I can ID many species including Greenfinches, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Whilst the majority of calls I know are of common birds that I also often see, it has been a great moral booster, and I look forward to expending my auditory roster even further. 

A walk along the River Wensum is the staple of my bird watching 

As you can see I've been having a great time, and these are only from my local patches! I still have so much of Norfolk to explore, and so to aid this I have taken on a WeBS site. Yet another marsh (you'd think I would tire of them between my project and bird watching), its quite a large site outside of Norwich. I have only visited it once so far, but even that brief stint yielded the eponymous Marsh Harrier, Reed Buntings, and four species of Geese, including a Lesser-white Fronted Goose! Other species will definitely put my listening to the test with Grasshopper, Reed and Cetti's Warblers all having been recorded there in the past. All in all it seems like a great site, even if I did manage to get lost and fall in a bog whilst there! I look forward to visiting it again over the coming months, as well as venturing off further into the Norfolk countryside to explore. 

That's all I have time for at the moment, but hopefully there will be some more content on the blog to tide you over until Eleanor returns. I will certainly try to write a few more articles, as Eleanor pointed out I have actually only written 48 articles myself so I need to round that up to a nice 50. Until then, happy bird watching all!