It wasn’t that long ago that the peregrine was only a very scarce winter visitor to Norfolk. Their numbers have blossomed in England to such an extent that they now breed in Norfolk.
There was a lot of media attention this year when a pair of peregrines successfully fledged four young at the Norwich Cathedral of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. For the first few days after the juveniles left their breeding platform on the spire, the youngsters’ flying ability was fairly questionable, amounting only to semi-controlled, fumbling descents. The downward motion was only interrupted, in large steps, by the varying roof heights of the Cathedral. Several times a bemused juvenile, having found itself floundering around on the ground, had to be collected up and put back on the roof, for its own protection. This provided great opportunities to see the birds at close quarters, a real treat. One of the chicks unfortunately died after fledging, but the other three are doing well. Saff from the Hawk & Owl Trust provided round the clock chat to the streams of visitors attracted to the Cathedral to see the spectacle.
The black-bellied dipper mentioned in the last issue of the Tern spent all winter at Thetford, and exceptionally was joined by a second bird for the last few days of its stay. This raised a couple of questions: could they be a pair and if so, could they stay to breed? It is hard to tell male and female dippers apart as they look very similar and the situation is not helped by the fact that both males and females can sing. No doubt they returned to the part of Europe they came from in the first place.
Also creating a lot of interest in Thetford were a couple of otters. These were considered to be two-year-old siblings. They were exceptionally tolerant, if not curious, of humans. The otters were continually on the move and were a job to keep up with. What a joy it was to follow the otters up and down the river systems, often by the town centre, but also to the wilder section nearby. You could watch them fishing, play fighting, chasing, running and porpoising, but only remaining still when they returned to their holt hideaway for a kip.
Stormy conditions on the east coast during March caused large numbers of razorshells to be gouged out of the seabed. This had the knock on effect of attracting an amazing number of gulls to the ensuing feeding frenzy. Most of the action was centred at Sea Palling and the vast majority of the gulls were of the common and the black-headed variety, but were joined from time to time by up to five glaucous gulls. Usually only the one or two of these large white-winged gulls from the Arctic appear in Norfolk during the winter.
The niggling, cool northerly wind throughout much of the spring impeded the arrival of summer migrants. There was even a waxwing at Hunstanton as late as June. Most depart in April or in early May. Exceedingly rare in spring (and pretty rare in autumn) was a red-flanked bluetail at Horsey. Its appearance coincided with the multiple arrival of long-eared owls, ring ouzels, woodcock and redwings scattered along the east coast. These species are often more associated with an arrival in October. One could be forgiven for thinking it was autumn. There was a late fall of scarce migrants on Blakeney Point at the end of May with a short-toed lark, an icterine warbler, up to two red-backed shrikes, and up to three wrynecks. Again more like autumn.
Highlights from NWT Cley Marshes included a pallid harrier, a bee-eater, up to four Temminck's stints, red-backed shrikes, a night heron and a pectoral sandpiper. A singing male wood warbler set up territory for a while at NWT East Wretham Heath. Always a scarce breeder in Norfolk its former stronghold in the Kelling area has been abandoned for many years.