Lynford Arboretum brightens up a dull day

Where I work, you get a day off on your birthday. Yippee!

My plans were all over the place. Should I go to Kent or Rainham again or somewhere else? The weather was looking dull as dishwater everywhere; there was no escape.

I opted for Norfolk, don’t know why really, the car just veered off up the M11 and that was that. I had been to Lynford Arboretum a few weeks ago as part of my weekend with my mate Ed and like it a lot. We only spent a hour or so there so this time I decided to do a whole day. Surely a Hawfinch would show for me this time?

My word it was dark. I thought the solar eclipse had arrived early in Norfolk as i adjusted the settings on my camera to the 'show me anything' mode.

Nuthatch looking like it’s just noticed there’s a gate.
A very popular place within the Arboretum is 'The Gate'. Now, gates aren’t that exciting except for the one to Buck House or even the one in Stargate which I have to say is a bit clever. No, this one is just a wooden gate. It is however a gate you can lean on and this is especially useful if you like taking pictures of birds just the other side of said gate.

There was a lot of activity. Coal Tits, Marsh Tits, Chaffinches pretending to be Bramblings, Brambling pretending to hide under the fallen leaves and mast, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Nuthatches, Long-tailed Tits, Dunnocks, Robins (pause for breath) Siskins, a Wren, Great-spotted Woodpecker and a squirrel but no Hawfinch. I would have gladly swapped all these, well not the Brambling) for a Hawfinch but it wasn’t offered to me.

Siskin on my side of the gate. 




Brambling forgetting to hide


Nearly

Nice try.
I wandered down to the paddock but only a pair of Common Buzzards overhead and a Common Kestrel to see here. Oh, there was a flack of about 70 Siskins singing away and feeding up in a couple of alders.

Back at the car park, I bumped into the unmistakeable Frank Gibson who I see at Weeting Heath as he seems to run the show there. He said he was expecting the Stones back any day now, just need a warm front. Another visit soon then I guess.

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