No surprise that by mid-November it was shaping up to be a warm one and if it had continued it would have been, by-far, the warmest on record. However, on the weekend of the 15th and 16th, storm Claudia passed through. The wind wasn’t too bad, and no significant damage occurred on our reserves. Plenty of much needed rain fell, a helpful start to topping-up our severely depleted aquafer. Broadlands didn’t have the first touch of frost until the 18th, and a flurry of snow on the 20th saw the month settle into normality. Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy, who had previously captained HMS beagle (Darwin’s ‘world tour’ ship), founded the Met Office and established the science of weather forecasting. The predictions for the likely weather in the UK for every week of the year still hold true to this day. Snow is still much more likely in the first week of December than the last – perhaps we should consider moving Christmas!

I know I’m an old romantic, but I’m sure Guy Fawkes Nights of my youth were always frosty, certainly cold enough for gloves. The next morning would never fail to be foggy, a combination of the weather and a huge dollop of smoke. My boyhood imagination made it reminiscent of a Napoleonic battlefield as a still day would find the smell of smoke hanging heavily in the air until lunchtime. Eerily silent, but in my opinion vastly more impressive than fireworks, are the Northern Lights. A massive solar eruption, known as a Coronal Mass Ejection, occurred in early November. The wave of charged particles was due to hit the earth on the evening of the 11^th and 12^th, and it was predicted to cause the most spectacular Aurora Borealis for decades. It was, of course, cloudy!

It’s not just light displays that impress in November, for the huge flocks of wild geese across Norfolk’s skies are a wonderful spectacle. I know! Its ‘flock’ when geese are on the deck, but ‘skein’ when they are in the air. The word skein means a length of wool wound into a loose ring shape for knitting or sewing. The use for a flight of geese may stem from the habit of them looking like a long thread of yarn trailing across the sky. For me it is when they first lift from the ground in a noisy melee that is the most exciting. They bustle and hustle until they eventually form into the familiar ‘V’ formations. The pink-footed geese that arrive in the county from Greenland and Iceland during the autumn are by far the most numerous, and many thousands can gather. They will spend the winter roaming the Norfolk countryside searching for newly harvested sugar-beet. The wilted beet tops are a particular favourite of pink-footed geese. Although travelling skeins of ‘pinkies’ can be seen almost anywhere, even over Norwich, the best place to see these geese is among the agricultural fields of North Norfolk, or around the Broads. If you organise a winter’s day trip to NWT Holme Dunes, then to NWT Cley and Salthouse and you don’t see pink-footed geese, I suggest you hand in your binoculars at the nearest police station! 

The other frequent wild goose species along the North Norfolk Coast is the dark-bellied form of the Brent goose. These birds breed to the east in Arctic Siberia, they can be seen out on the mudflats feeding on eelgrass, or on the coastal grazing marshes. All geese flocks are worth having a good look through as rarer birds can get mixed up and carried along within them from far off places. The Brent geese flocks often have some of the lighter bellied form within them. The North American Brant goose or the impressive red-breasted goose are an uncommon but regular treat for goose-watchers. The white-fronted goose can appear in smaller flocks at favoured sites around the county, and Buckenham Marshes on the River Yare once held England’s only regular flock of bean geese. Of course, we have other species of geese in Norfolk, although they are all verging on semi-domestic.

The greylag goose are native to the UK, breeding on the Western Isle of Scotland, although Norfolk’s growing population is a result of releases by wildfowlers in the 1920’s. The Canada goose and Egyptian goose, as their names imply, are not from around these parts. They were brought here as ornamental birds for the lakes of large estates. Escape was easy and these tame birds can now be found all year round by any large body of water.

What to look for in December

Sisken and lesser redpoll numbers significantly increase in Norfolk during December, with birds arriving from northern areas of the UK and Scandinavia. They can be found in conifer and mixed woodlands but are particularly fond of alder trees. They can be seen hanging up-side down teasing the small seeds from their cones. You can be lucky and attract them to your garden with feeders of niger seed or sunflower hearts. Keep an eye out for large flocks of finches, as siskins and redpolls often gather with other species like goldfinches, greenfinches, and chaffinches. 

The sisken is a streaky yellow-green finch with yellow bars on black wings. Males have a bright yellow chest and face with a black bib and cap. Females are grey-green without the black cap. The lesser redpoll is a small finch with a red forehead and a black bib. They have a streaky brown body and a red flush on their breast during the breeding season. Both species are often seen together, so if you spot one, check for the other.

Take Action

December is a great time to start creating a wildlife pond in your garden. Find a spot, not too close to any trees, and on reasonably level ground. The location, ideally, is a mix of sun and shade. Dig a profile with a sloping edge and a deep spot at one end. Smooth the soil and ensure there are no sharp stones etc sticking out, before laying the liner. Perhaps add some gravel and a few smooth rocks in the shallow end. Only use native aquatic plants from a responsible supplier or garden centre. Finish by adding a log for easy entry and exit for animals. Don’t be tempted to fill the pond with tap water, use the water from a water butt or allow it to fill naturally with rainwater over the winter.

Find out more about creating a wildlife pond here